Starters

A starter, in the world of fermentation, means something that will accelerate or enhance the fermentation process. The addition of a starter means that you will ‘culture’ your ferment rather than ‘wild ferment’ it. Vegetable ferments don’t need a starter or a culture, but some fermenters like to use additional starters. Starter cultures are only needed when fermenting fruit, drinks, grains and dairy, but they are sometimes also used when fermenting vegetables – dairy whey, for instance, is often used as a starter culture in American recipes although you would never see it in European recipes. Other examples of starter are nut whey, the liquid from a previous batch of fermented vegetables, probiotic powder, apple cider vinegar, rejuvelac, ginger bug, and various types of SCOBY.