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Fermenting

Fermentation is one of the oldest and simplest ways to preserve food while creating bold flavor. In this section you’ll find practical guides for making fermented foods at home... from sauerkraut and fermented pickles to sourdough starters and other cultured foods.

These recipes focus on small-batch fermentation using simple ingredients and traditional techniques. Whether you're fermenting vegetables from the garden or experimenting with your first jar of kraut, these guides help you understand the process and confidently bring fermented foods into your kitchen.

  • A jar of fermented honey garlic with golden honey and fresh garlic cloves, set against a dark rustic background with warm tones. A honey dipper and scattered garlic add depth and texture to the scene.
    Fermented Honey Garlic
  • Jar of homemade napa cabbage kimchi fermenting with chili paste, garlic, and vegetables.
    How to Make Kimchi at Home (Easy Napa Cabbage Kimchi Recipe)
  • Bottle of fermented hot sauce on a table with fresh hot peppers, garlic, and onion
    How to Make Fermented Hot Sauce
  • Jar of homemade apple cider vinegar with a freshly fermenting jar of apple scrap vinegar in the background
    How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar from Scraps
  • A glass jar filled with preserved lemons, bay leaves, and black peppercorns, sitting on a rustic linen cloth with fresh lemon slices and a small bowl of salt nearby. The moody lighting highlights the golden hue of the lemons against a dark, textured background.
    Preserved Lemons Recipe | How to Preserve Lemons
  • Closeup of hoemade sauerkraut on a fork
    Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe | How to Make Sauerkraut
  • A ball jar with honey fermented cranberries with a jar of honey in the background and a honey dipper and fresh cranberries are in the foreground.
    Fermented Honey Cranberries

About

Elle McCoy, author of The Rustic Elk, with long wavy hair reflected in an ornate vintage mirror, sitting at a candlelit vanity with makeup brushes, perfume, and dried flowers.

Hi, I'm Elle.

I'm a storyteller, photographer, and home cook who believes the best memories are often made around the table.

Here you'll find seasonal recipes, wild game, garden harvests, preserving traditions, and stories gathered along the way. Because good food is about more than what we eat. It's about the places we've been, the people we've gathered around our tables, and the moments that linger long after the plates are cleared.


→ Meet Elle

Currently...

📖 Reading: The Witch by Freida McFadden
🎵 Listening: Of Witches & Wretched Things
Savoring: Apple butter whiskey sours & the last little bit of October magic. 🍂
🌿 Growing: Herbs on the windowsill and chrysanthemums on the stoop
🗺️ Planning: Cozy autumn days, a little kitchen magic & surviving the semester
📺Watching: Working my way through the Friday the 13th films after binging Camp Crystal Lake.

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Recently...

  • Homemade canned peach pie filling in Ball mason jars made with fresh peaches, Clear Jel, cinnamon, and vanilla using a safe water bath canning recipe.
    Canning Peach Pie Filling
  • Wooden pantry shelves filled with homemade canned tomatoes, green beans, jams, and preserves in mason jars.
    The Ultimate Guide to Home Canning & Preserving

Recent Favorites

  • Slewfoot by Brom
  • Maeve Fly by CJ Leede
  • We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
  • The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Listen with Me

☾
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
— William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Found Along the Way

A good paring knife doesn't ask for much attention, but it earns its place every single day. From peeling peaches to hulling strawberries and slicing garlic, it's the one tool I reach for without thinking.

Find it Here ->

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Building a life smelling of wild herbs and quiet rebellion since 2016.

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