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Hobby turns to dream job for St. Pete woman
Photojournalist Barry Wong reports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Sarah Arrazola’s passion for fermenting began nine years ago.
"I was fermenting as a hobby in my studio apartment and it kind of took over my kitchen" she explained. "I worked on an organic and permaculture farms and saw the farm to fermentation process there and that’s what inspired me to start St. Pete Ferments."
St. Pete Ferments is a wild fermentation farm, which means it relies on existing yeast and bacteria to start the fermentation process for its vegetables.
"Fermentation by definition is the transformative process of yeast, bacteria microbes and the enzymes they produce. It happens all around us all the time. It’s not something that humans invented. It’s a natural process that we can use to culture and manipulate foods for a more desirable, tasty outcome," Arrazola stated.
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St. Pete Fermentation mainly does vegetable fermentation like sauerkraut, kimchi and seasonal kombucha.
"One of the most important things is that it has to taste good, ‘she commented. "We are in communication with our local farmers and growers seeing what they have available week to week during farm season helps us get really creative and almost artistic in our thinking. What can we make with this fennel? What can we make with these beets? It’s a really fun process and we love it."
Arrazola says the hardest part of fermenting anything is the waiting because the ferments usually go for 4-6 weeks depending on the weather.
LINK: St. Pete ferments products can be found at a variety of Bay Area restaurants and markets. Learn more at www.stpeteferments.com.