Dozens of books about fermentation have come out in just the last couple of years. The following standouts shed light on the phenomenon and how to get it done at home. (Note: The volume edited by Keith Steinkraus is prohibitively expensive but much loved.)

Ferment Your Vegetables by Amanda Feifer

Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz

Real Food Fermentation by Alex Lewin

Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey

Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods edited by Keith Steinkraus

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

Ted Weesner can be reached at tedweesner@gmail.com.