It literally is a lab!” laughs Dearbhla Reynolds of her kitchen in Hollywood, Co Down, where jars of kimchi are happily hissing away, bottles of lemonade bubble and a glut of tomatoes has just been delivered for her famous salsa.

Because Dearbhla is kind of like the “first lady” of fermentation: the 7,000-year-old food preservation technique that she hopes to restore to its rightful place in kitchens across Ireland with her new book, The Cultured Club.

Originally from Newry, she describes herself as a cross between an old-school pharmacist, like her father, Felix McNally, and a home economics teacher, just like her mother, Ann.

Though she admits she was a bit of a “rebel”, rejecting pharmacy to train as a glass blower in the UK, before returning to Ireland, where she worked on community arts programmes for people with disabilities.

meeting herself

While the role was rewarding, the birth of her daughter in 2009 caused her to re-assess.

“I know people say when you have your first child, you meet yourself,” she says.

“And I think that’s when I couldn’t justify leaving my child to go and do arts projects. So I really looked at what I felt I needed to be able to do, firstly to be a better parent, but also provide for a family now.”

A big believer that “food is medicine”, Dearbhla began to learn more about nutrition, which is how she first came across fermentation and its benefits, particularly for gut health. Though even she admits that she had her own pre-conceptions to battle.

“I never tasted sauerkraut until I started making it,” she recalls, “but already in my head I had this notion that I was going to hate it!”

a happy surprise

Pleasantly surprised by her initial forays, however, Dearbhla continued to study fermentation, to the point where she even found herself being quizzed on the school run.

“I would always be late, because I would be met with other parents’ questions of how to get going on this journey,” she says.

Sensing an opportunity to share her knowledge, Dearbhla founded The Cultured Club, hosting her first workshop at her daughter’s school. This led to regular demonstrations at the Michelin-starred OX restaurant in Belfast, as well as selling fermented products, such as her salsa, through St George’s Market.

Keen to share her experience with a wider audience, however, Dearbhla approached Gill Books with a pitch, resulting in the publication of The Cultured Club: Fabulous, Funky Fermentation Recipes.

the science behind it

In her book, Dearbhla explains the science behind fermentation, where “good” bacteria is allowed to flourish, thus acting as a natural preservative, while also providing digestive enzymes, vitamins and ready nutrients to promote good gut health, boost your immune system and curb sugar cravings.

She also explores various techniques and a wide range of recipes from classic to experimental saukraut and kimchi (a Korean side-dish of fermented vegetables), drinks like kefir, kombucha and kvass, condiments like chutneys and pestos, soups, sides, main meals; and even desserts.

(Any takers for chocolate celebration cake?)

To coincide with the release of the book, Dearbhla will host a series of workshops and demos, including at the upcoming Savour Kilkenny festival on 30 October. Given the increased demand for fermented products, she also hopes to develop her Cultured Club food range nationwide by franchising it to other passionate home producers.

But her main aim is to encourage people to bring a little bit of culture back into their kitchens.

“You can literally start with a jar, some salt, some water and your veggies,” she says.

“What I love about it is it’s literally like opening the door on this new world and you can just fall into it; and if you’re into food, you can happily be playing with it for years.” CL

Happy Fermented Chilli Sauce

Makes 1 x 250ml jar

12 chilli peppers

6 garlic cloves

5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

5cm piece of fresh turmeric, peeled

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp sea salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the whole peppers and garlic cloves, ginger, turmeric, lime juice and salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until everything is chopped up quite fine and is nearly a liquidy paste. Place in a clean 250ml jar, making sure you leave 2.5cm of headspace at the top of the jar.

2. Leave it out on the counter top for two to five weeks, stirring occasionally and tasting as you go before unleashing the chilli buzz. This will keep in the fridge for at least six months.

Tomato Salsa

Makes 1 x 1 litre jar

8 to 10 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 red or green peppers, roughly chopped

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

juice of 1 lime

handful of fresh coriander, chopped

2 tsp fine sea salt (add more if needed)

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of smoked paprika

1. This is an easy one. Simply mix together all the ingredients in a bowl, then pack into a clean 1 litre jar, making sure you leave 2.5cm of headspace at the top of the jar.

2. Close the lid and allow to ferment for at least three days at room temperature. Salsas have always been one of the more lively ferments, and it makes a lot of noise. As the carbon dioxide escapes it brings some of that lovely juice with it, so place the jar on a dish to collect the juice and open it with care (though personally, I don’t mind being covered in salsa juice).

3. Once it’s ready, transfer to the fridge. It will keep for at least six months once opened.

find out more

The Cultured Club by Dearbhla Reynolds is published by Gill Books and available in stores and online, RRP €27.99. For further information visit www.theculturedclub.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter @theculturedclub