After I finished reading this book I wasn’t sure what to think about this book. I had heard so many good things about this book that I think my expectations were high, but after I finished the book I was kind of disappointed. Not disappointed in the book’s material, but perhaps more disappointed that it didn’t live up to the hype that I had built up in my head. There is a ton of useful information in this book, but it wasn’t all applicable to me. The author spends a lot of time talking about fermenting vegetables, which I don’t care for that much.

He does talk for a fleeting moment about making cheese and other dairy products, while also touching on beer and wines. (Good for an old fraternity boy) With his information I was able to figure out why my apple cider turned out so badly (I let it ferment too long), but I’m not sure if his information is quite enough to allow me really get into the fermented foods in the directions I would like.

For the information I was looking for Nourishing Traditions had a lot more relevant information on fermented dairy products. As well as fermenting quick beers and such. To further develop my wine and beer objectives I think I’ll need to find another book as my resource. The end result? I do think that this book offers some good starting points, which will allow me to try some of the more simple items while I build up a nice base of skills for the harder items. If you are looking to get started in fermenting food products I would suggest trying either this book or the Nourishing Traditions book from the Weston Price Foundation.