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Learn with Rachel de Thample

Next Level Fermentation

River Cottage's Rachel de Thample teaches you the next level of fermenting food and drink

Course overview

Pulses and grains can tax your digestive system but the simple art of fermenting them helps transforms them, not only making them easier to digest, but also, more delicious. We’ll make dosas with English grains, a Spanish-style omelette with fermented yellow split peas (the perfect vegan egg substitute) and homemade miso with locally-grown pulses.

Meet Rachel de Thample

Rachel de Thample has worked in the kitchens of Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal and Peter Gordon. She is the author of Less Meat, More Veg, FIVE and Teas & Tonics. She and has served as Commissioning Editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated, Head of Food for the pioneering organic box scheme Abel & Cole and as the Course Director of the College of Naturopathic Medicine’s Natural Chef diploma course. She has helped set up numerous local food initiatives, including the award-winning Crystal Palace Food Market. Rachel teaches the River Cottage preserves and fermentation courses. Her latest book is the best-selling River Cottage Fermentation Handbook.

Course description

River Cottage's fermenting expert teaches you how to ferment food and drinks at home to create delicious fermented flavours.

If you’ve already mastered kimchi and kraut or have completed her Fermenting for Taste and Health and are hungry for more fabulous ferments, Rachel de Thample’s Next Level Fermentation Course is the ideal way to up your repertoire.

On this more advanced course, you’ll learn how to transform pulses into homemade miso, local honey into mead (an ancient style of honey wine), apple scraps into apple cider vinegar, cream into cultured butter.

You’ll also learn how to start making your own yogurt with no fancy kit and create easy-to-digest vegan-friendly cheese.

This extensive course will give you the confidence and skill to fill your kitchen with tastebud-tingling ferments but beyond the making, you’ll also learn more about how the science of fermentation as well as the health benefits.

You'll learn:
  • how to ferment food including grains, pulses, nuts, dairy, fruit and honey
  • recipes for dosas, egg-free omelette, ginger beer, mead, fermented cheese, homemade yoghurt and apple cider vinegar
  • creating your own fermented recipes
  • how fermented foods can help your digestive system
    • The course includes:
  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Rachel de Thample and River Cottage
  • lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical fermenting assignments and recipes (with tutor feedback available)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas
    • Independent Cookery Schools Association approved

    This course has been approved by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA), recognising the highest standards of training.

    Time to complete the fermentation course:

    Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 14 hours 5 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 2 hours 5 minutes in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Your gut health recipe assignments: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson
    • You'll need:

    Your lesson notes will include the full details of the ingredients you'll need, but you will be making fermented food and drinks, so you'll need standard kitchen equipment.

    Ready to get started?

    Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Rachel on your fermenting assignments.

    If you know someone who'd love this course then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

    Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.