Fermented foods are meant to last, but that doesn’t stop people hesitating when they open the fridge, spot a date on the label, and wonder whether something is still okay to eat.

Some fermented foods sit on a shelf at room temperature, while others need to live in the fridge. That difference usually comes down to whether a ferment is pasteurised or live and raw — and it explains a lot about how fermented foods behave once you get them home.

One of the most common questions we’re asked, whether that’s at markets, pop-ups or in messages, is a very simple one. How do you actually eat fermented foods?

Let’s be honest, I don’t love the taste of traditional sauerkraut. I find it a bit bland and a bit sour (it’s literally in the name).