Hubs and I were bemoaning our lack of being able to make really great yogurt at home. We make it OK but not great, and I think a lot has to do with not having access to great yogurt with active cultures to use as a starter. Which got me thinking, that if you really loved fussing with foods, that would be a great little shop to open, one called "Ferment" (although that name probably would not be a great sell) where you specialized in selling all the fermented foods that most people don't have time or space to make at home.

I like all those foods but just don't eat enough of them on my own to make it worth the time investment. For example, I love sourdough and finally mastered it, but I just don't eat enough bread to keep a starter going, no matter what the tricks. Just a waste to keep feeding it and not using it. If I want the fermented style I usually go for a biga or some old dough in the freezer from a previous pre-ferment.

But if I really loved the process of playing with micro-organisms, I could see making and selling all kinds of stuff, from the pickles to kimchee to breads and even wines. I've tried some of all of that, but just ended up with a lot of product and not being able to eat it all in the end before it spoils. I'm still working on last year's pickles and tomato sauce and I only did a couple of batches . . . even with give aways!

Anyone every been to a store like that? I doubt it would last in my home town, although we do have one place featuring local meats and serving barbecue that is trying to make a go of selling a local product. We also have a gift shop featuring local products, many food stuffs. I just think it would be cool to have the place to make all the stuff in the back of the store . . .

Anyway if I thought I would love it I sure could do a little home business here in MI because we have cottage food laws that allow you to sell some home processed stuff. I have seen people who do it selling at craft fairs. I am not yet into it enough to try my hand at commercial level production but I sometimes fantasize about a little stand outside my house where I sold excess stuff to support my hobby foodie projects . . .