Year of Fermentation

"The man has a knack for making even the most ambitious projects seem entirely possible" – Yotam Ottolenghi“A beautiful, essential book, where, as ever, only more so, Sam shares his delicious, original takes on fermenting” – Mark DiaconoA Year of Fermentation is a seasonal guide that explores the fascinating world of fermentation through the year.This book aims to bridge the gap between foraging, growing, and cooking, providing what's-in-season calendars and fermentation recipes to unlock incredible flavours, enhance nutrition, and foster a deeper connection with food and nature year-round.Seasonal recipes are a feature of this book, including:Kombucha Apple cider vinegarSourdoughMiso Sauerkraut We think of the year as four seasons. In the world of food, we can see the year as a shifting, overlapping mass of microseasons, each offering its own set of delicious ingredients. This book explores these changing microseasons, linking ingredients with appropriate fermentation techniques to maximize flavour and harmonize with nature’s rhythms.With step-by-step instructions, illustrations, and photographs from an expert fermenter, ensure your cupboards are stocked year-round with ferments that add depths of flavour to your everyday cooking.

Sam Cooper is a Sunday Times bestselling author and chef-turned-gardener now working full-time on a farm on the West Wales coast. His fascination with homegrown produce has grown along with his Instagram – @chef.sam.black has more than half a million followers – where he posts delicious ferment recipes using seasonal ingredients. Sam wrote the In the Kitchen chapter of The Self-Sufficiency Garden (March 2024), The Fermentation Kitchen (November 2024), and co-wrote How to Grow Food (March 2026). He is also a photographer and illustrator.