HAMILTON — Sourdough Bread was the top recipe googled in 2020, drawing many of us closer to the art of fermented food.
A new local festival aims to support that budding interest.
When Angi Hronek, owner of Blue Coyote Farm met Erin Belmont, owner of House of Ferments, at the farmers market they had no idea their friendship and shared love of fermented foods would lead them to co-organize this weekend's Bacteria Bazaar in Hamilton.
"We had heard multiple people talking about how they didn't feel confident fermenting at home they thought they didn't know how to do it or it was too complicated. And so we wanted to help people learn that it's pretty simple and it's fun and just help give them the skills to do it at home," Hronek explained.
But after noticing an increase of community interest in D-I-Y-ing foods like Kombucha, cheese, and sauerkraut, Angi and Erin joined forces to plan a weekend's worth of workshops. The "Bacteria Bazaar" sold 260 tickets, and was held at Rocky Mountain Grange, a hall that historically supported small family farms in Hamilton.
Keynote speaker and food writer Sandor Katz taught about the ancient techniques that bring us cider, yogurt, pickles, and other fermented goodies.
Other workshops included cheese-making and kombucha making with a variety of presenters.
The Bazaar organizers told MTN News with the success of the first-ever event and interest from the community, they do plan to hold a second festival next year.
For more information, visit their website.
