Quick Fermentation Ideas, With Kenji Morimoto
by Kenji Morimoto
Fermenting might sound technical. But once you understand the basics, it’s a practical way to eat even more vegetables, and add big flavour to your food.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through some summer-friendly fermentation ideas, with expert tips from fermentation teacher and author Kenji Morimoto, as featured in our LIVE Sous Chef masterclass, below:
Browse Kenji's favourite ingredients and tools for fermenting. Or explore some more of his fermentation recipes.
Below, we summarise the key points from Kenji's masterclass. With helpful tips on what, how and when to ferment vegetables in the summer. Or any time of year!
What Is Wet And Dry Brining?
Everything fermented requires a brine. And there are two key ways to create that brine: dry brining and wet brining.
1. What Is Dry Brining?
Dry Brining is where you use the natural liquid that is already in the vegetable to create the brine. For instance, as in the case of kimchi - the cabbage is massaged to release the liquid that is in the leaves. No water is added.
- Best for high-water veg which can be 'squeezed', such as cabbage.
- Salt is massaged into the veg.
- This draws out natural moisture to create its own brine.
- Sauerkraut and kimchi use this method.
“Everything is fine below the brine,” Kenji says - meaning submerged veg is safe from oxygen and will ferment well.
2. What Is Wet Brining?
If it's hard to massage or squeeze the water out of vegetables (ie when they're a hard root veg, such as a carrot) water needs to be added. This is why it's called wet brining.
- Best for firmer veg like carrots, beans or asparagus.
- You add a salty water solution to cover the veg.
- Make sure the ratio is right - usually around 2–3% salt by weight of the total (veg + water).
- Keep everything submerged.
What to Ferment in Summer
Think bright, crunchy, fresh:
- Carrot sticks
- Asparagus spears
- Sugar snap peas
- Green beans
- Broccolini
- Baby courgettes
Mix and match. Cut veg to similar sizes so it all ferments at the same rate. Keep the skins on, that’s where a lot of the good bacteria live.
Simple Fermentation Top Tips
- Leave a little bit of space at the top of the jar — about 1 inch. The mix will bubble and rise, so this leaves some space for that to happen.
- Store somewhere cool-ish and out of direct sunlight.
- Check it daily for the first few days, to make sure everything is still submerged beneath the brine and hasn't formed any mould.
- Make sure the veg stays below the brine — that’s your oxygen-free zone.
- Use fermentation weights, a cabbage leaf, or even a clean glass to push things down.
- Label your jar with the date and salt percentage.
- Trust your senses: look, sniff, taste.
You’ll know it’s working when the liquid turns cloudy, little bubbles appear, and the veg starts to smell pleasingly sour. That means the good bacteria are doing their job.
How long should you leave it?
That depends on your taste. Some people like a light ferment, fresh, barely sour, and ready in 2–3 days. Others prefer a funkier, tangier result after a couple of weeks.
Start tasting after day three. When it’s how you like it, move it to the fridge to slow the fermentation down. Ferments last for months and the flavour keeps developing.
What to do with fermented veg
This is the fun bit. Fermented veg is incredibly versatile, especially in the summer when big salads are at the fore.
- Chop and toss into green salads or grain bowls
- Serve with BBQ meats or grilled fish
- Add to sandwiches, tacos or rice noodles
- Blend brine into salad dressings or even a Bloody Mary
- Snack straight from the jar
Kenji also adds older ferments to stews, curries or pancake batter (like his kimchi bhaji recipe). Funky, salty, and full of umami — they bring real depth to your cooking.
SHOP Fermentation Essentials
About the author
Kenji Morimoto is a content creator and food writer based in London. As a fourth generation Japanese American, his cultural identity has always been grounded in food. As a child, he was in charge of making tsukemono (Japanese pickles) for family gatherings, learning from and surrounded by elders recreating flavours of home. Since then, he's cooked in kitchens in Poland, led fermentation and Japanese focused supper clubs in London, taught workshops on koji and kimchi (as well as with Ottolenghi), published in Waitrose Magazine, and spoken on panels at the British Library on themes of community, food, and immigrant narratives.
