Blog
Researched deep-dives on the science, microbiology, and history of fermentation.
The Science
The Past Is the Future: The Science of Fermented Fertilizer
Farmers have rotted plants in barrels for centuries. The lab is finally catching up, and it turns out the bucket was doing real chemistry all along.
July 10, 20264 min read
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Microbes
How Acidic Ferments Unlock Soil Health
That sour tang coming off your ferment bucket is the sound of microbes prying nutrients loose from soil that plants couldn't touch on their own.
July 9, 20263 min read
History & Culture
Founding Ferments: What Early America Brewed, Pressed, and Pickled
The average colonist drank dozens of gallons of hard cider a year, and sobriety was never the point. Here is what a brand-new nation brewed, pressed, and pickled, and why surviving winter depended on it.
July 8, 20264 min read
Safety
The pH Curve That Keeps Your Ferment Safe
Every safe lacto-ferment follows the same race: acid-tolerant bacteria drop the pH below the danger line before anything harmful can take hold. Here's the curve, and why it works.
June 28, 20262 min read
Microbes
Meet the Microbes: The Lactic Acid Bacteria Behind Your Kraut
A jar of sauerkraut is run by a succession of bacterial species, each handing off to the next. Get to know the cast — and the elegant relay that turns cabbage into kraut.
June 14, 20262 min read
History & Culture
A Short History of Fermentation
Long before anyone knew microbes existed, people across every continent were harnessing them. Fermentation is one of humanity's oldest technologies — and we only recently learned how it works.
May 30, 20262 min read