On August 2, Urban Bounty held our first ever Fermentation Celebration – an afternoon of learning, sharing, and community-building around produce preservation. We hosted three fermentation workshops for 22 participants, and gave away over 400 pounds of fresh vegetables. Thanks to support from the City of Richmond Community Celebration Grant, the event was free for all.
If you missed it, follow along at home through the Fermentation Celebration Recipe Book. Local artists Michelle Chan and Megan Chen created a recipe booklet and fermentation guide, which you can read here: https://www.urbanbounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/v3_2025_UrbanBounty_FermentationWorkbook.pdf
The centerpiece of the event was a display of vegetables, including turnip, fennel, radish, daikon, carrots, and beets, grown on site at the Sharing Farm. You might not find these veggies in a typical pickle jar, but almost everything in the garden can be preserved in a flavourful brine. From kimchi to achaar, the world of preservation and fermentation is delicious and complex.
People around the world have been collaborating with microbes to make delicious, healthy fermented food and drink for thousands of years. Fermentation Celebration highlighted techniques – including quick-pickling, sauerkraut, and probiotic beverages – that carry a long and delicious culinary legacy.
At the first Fermentation Station, facilitators Gloria Klein and Kat Seow explained how to make your own kombucha and ginger beer.
Both drinks require a starter culture of bacteria – called a “ginger bug” for ginger beer and a SCOBY for kombucha – that you can make yourself, or get from a friend who’s already on their brewing journey.
Gloria, an incoming Masters of Human Nutrition student at UBC, discussed her research on the positive impact of kombucha on liver function. Then, she explained how to safely make the refreshing, fermented tea from scratch.
Kat, Urban Bounty’s Events and Volunteer Coordinator, also demonstrated how to turn organic ginger root into zingy, refreshing (nonalcoholic) ginger beer. The carbonation in ginger beer, unlike commercial ginger ale, comes from fermentation. The naturally-occurring bacteria on organic ginger root collaborates with sugar to create spicy effervescence.
Comparing Ginger Beer and Ginger Ale
At the next station, Urban Bounty Executive Director Cheney Creamer drew on her 20 years of experience making tangy, fermented cabbage for her sauerkraut workshop. She recommends growing and ‘krauting Jersey Wakefield cabbage, an heirloom variety with large, sweet leaves that can easily overwinter in Richmond’s mild climate.
She demonstrated how to tenderize the cabbage, first assessing the balance between using enough salt to preserve the leaves, but not so much that the salinity kills friendly bacteria.
Chef Karen Dar Woon, a staple of the Lower Mainland culinary scene, delivered a Quick Pickle Keynote Demonstration. Karen described the mind-blowing diversity of culinary possibilities for quick pickling – from quick-pickled daikon for banh mi to fermented strawberries in champagne vinegar.
Inspired, we lined up for the Build Your Own Pickle Jar giveaway to create our own. Participants received a mason jar, their choice of spices, and a baggie of veggies of their choice.
“I’m new to fermentation so this class was a wonderful and approachable way to start. I can’t wait to experiment with the recipes and tips provided.” – Claudia, Fermentation Celebration Participant
Through sharing skills and produce, Fermentation Celebration promoted healthy eating, creative cooking, and community connection. We’ll remember it fondly when we open our pickle jars this winter, waiting for harvest season to return.
To allow us to hold more events like Fermentation Celebration, please consider donating: https://www.urbanbounty.ca/get-involved/donate-2/
