Cover photo from Pumpkin Whole Utilization at The Fermentation School.
The Fermentation School, according to their website, is “ a collective of food authors and teachers who are fermenting a better food system for land, people, and the microbes on which we depend. Come on in and have a seat at our tables as we invite you into our spaces, share what we know and don’t, and make space for an open exchange of ideas and expertise. We believe that bringing fermentation into your life can open up infinite possibilities, and our commitment is to provide accessible courses that share our deepest knowledge, and to give you the confidence, skill, and empowerment to follow your own fermentation journey.”
They got our attention this morning with an email promising 50% off any fermentation course until [through?] Monday January 17 when you apply the code WELCOME50. We clicked to the catalog and were immediately drawn to the online recorded course Pumpkin Whole Utilization, taught by Jori Jane Emde. She is half, with Zac Pellacio, of the Fish and Game duo we met at the Saratoga Wine and Food Festival in 2013. Her creative projects then included making her own fish sauce and creating cocktails from wild ingredients foraged around Hudson, NY where the restaurant was located. (It’s now closed and Emde and Pellacio are now in New Mexico.)
But back to pumpkins. Emde’s course is going to teach you how to “make puree for baking, brine from the pumpkin water, vinegar from the roasted pumpkin skins, and miso with the seed and pulp.” Who could resist that, and the course is only $40 which means just $20 this weekend. We’re in! Yes, it may be a few months before we have another pumpkin on hand, but the course consists of “downloadable recipes + videos” and the FAQ says you can source a discussion group if you have questions and will have access to most courses for a full year.
The email mentions that the school was “created by two women fermenters and food system advocates” but in the spirit of a good collective does not say who they are. We suspect they are Kristen K. Shockey, who with her husband has published several fermentation books from her homestead near our old stomping ground in Jacksonville, OR; and Meredith Leigh, a whole animal butcher whose “How to Make Charcuterie” at $895 may be the most expensive course on the site. The fourth teacher mentioned by name is Claudia Lucero, who operates her own cheese business at urbancheesecraft.com.
There’s a lot to unpack here and the discount only lasts till Monday (and no, there is no affiliate relationship here; we really just wanted to share) so check it out!
