Upcoming Events & Workshops

Embrace Bubbly Ferments During this Holiday Season at Velum Fermentation!

Get ready for the holidays with this fun, bubbly, and interactive workshop! Join Trevor, fermentation educator and founder of Community Cultures, to learn about using fermentation to turn fruit, herbs and your favorite winter and holiday ingredients into delicious bubbly beverages. This hands-on class focuses on using tibicos (water kefir) and wild fermentation to create naturally carbonated, low-sugar beverages (under 0.5% alcohol). Trevor will share his fermentation knowledge using informal presentations, demos, tastings and hands-on components. Taste sodas made by Community Cultures, and grab some beer by Velum Fermentation throughout the workshop! Participants will walk away with tibicos cultures and soda to ferment at home.

Join this workshop to learn about the art of preserving hot peppers and garden veggies to make delicious hot sauce and fresh salsa! Participants will be guided through different techniques for creating delicious fermented products and will gain the confidence to create vibrant and spicy fermented products. Walk away with a jar of fermented hot peppers and a jar of fermented ingredients to turn into pico de gallo at home.

Do you drink many bottles of kombucha a week? Interested in making kombucha or soda on your own? If you answered yes to either of these, this workshop is for you! Learn about the world of fermentation through kombucha mothers, water kefir cultures, and wild fermented soda. Participants will walk away with the info and resources to make these products at home, as well as a jar of soda to ferment!

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Trevor Ring is the founder of Community Cultures. He has taught for over eight years, worked for numerous businesses, and runs various fermentation CSAs. He is most excited about sharing his knowledge of fermentation and utilizing seasonal and regional ingredients to inspire his ferments.

We value the lessons that can be learned by reconnecting with how our ancestors preserved food. We believe that microbes have so much to teach us, and that opening our minds to their transformation of food can teach humility, patience, and appreciation. We value the nature of food in bringing people together, and that by embracing fermentation as a community we can therefore transform and ferment ourselves and the greater food system.

Join us at the East End Food Co-op with a partnership with Community Cultures Fermentation Education.

Join Instructor Trevor Ring for a special virtual, holiday workshop wherever you are, and learn how to ferment veggies for your holidays this year.

Join us for an exciting event all about the wonders of fermented food! Discover the incredible health benefits and delicious flavors of fermented foods in this interactive and informative gathering.

At Community Cultures, we are interested in introducing fermented foods to your diet and lifestyle but not sure where to start? Have you heard about the benefits of fermented foods and probiotics? This lecture-based workshop covers some of the reasons why fermented foods can be beneficial for your health. Learn about the gut-brain connection, what science can tell us about fermented foods, and about 10 different fermented foods.

Discover the science behind fermentation and how it positively impacts your digestion and overall well-being. Hear inspiring stories from individuals who have experienced improved gut health and increased vitality through incorporating fermented foods into their diet.

Connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for fermentation. Swap recipes, share experiences, and make new friends in our vibrant community. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to explore the world of fermented foods and their amazing health benefits. Reserve your spot now and get ready to embark on a journey of taste, health, and community!

Join Trevor Ring, fermentation educator and founder of Community Cultures, for an informative and interactive fermentation workshop where we will dive into the art of making miso. Explore the techniques behind this traditional Japanese staple, right inside the cozy Two Frays Brewery.

This workshop will incorporate a presentation, demo, tasting and hands-on activity. We will explore the historical, cultural and nutritional significance of koji (a molded grain used as the foundation for numerous Japanese products) and miso. You will then learn about the traditional techniques used to make miso. From selecting ingredients to mastering the fermentation timeline, you’ll gain valuable insights that will empower you to make your very own homemade miso with creativity and confidence.

Whether you’re a seasoned fermenter or a complete beginner, this workshop is suitable for all skill levels. Roll up your sleeves, mash an assortment of ingredients with your hands, and walk away with a jar that will turn into umami deliciousness through fermentation. To top it off, you can experience this specific fermented product while consuming the delicious beer made by Two Frays Brewery. Each ticket comes with 1 beer. Reserve your spot now!

Start your Pittsburgh winter with a fun, interactive workshop on home-scale alcohol and vinegar production. Join Trevor, fermentation educator and founder of Community Cultures, to learn about using cider, fruit, and other ingredients to create alcohol and vinegar.

This introductory workshop is geared towards folks interested in making cider, country wine and/or vinegar for the first time (or boosting the confidence of beginner fermenters). We will specifically focus on wild fermentation (utlizing the present yeast and bacteria on your ingredients) and the most basic way of producing alcohol and vinegar at home. Participants will learn how to make alcohol without any special equipment, and understand what basic materials can help ensure flavorful and consistent end results.

Trevor will share his fermentation knowledge using informal presentations, demos, tastings and hands-on components. Participants will taste wild fermented ciders made within Western PA and walk away with a container of fruit vinegar to ferment at home.

From Kombucha to Kimchi: A Hands-On Journey into the World of Fermentation

Through hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and lectures, you will learn the fundamentals of fermentation and master specific techniques for creating mouthwatering delights such as kombucha, wild-fermented soda, kimchi, lacto-fermented kosher dill pickles, and shio koji marinade. In addition to practical instruction, the course will also offer an examination of the cultural significance of fermented foods and explore how fermentation can contribute to reducing food waste and building sustainable food systems. By the end of the course, you will be capable of crafting various delicious fermented products and understanding how to incorporate them into a nutritious daily diet.

This course includes optional making and tasting of fermented foods. Students can expect to spend $50-$100 on ingredients, materials, and products. 

We’ll have two 30-minute demos you can choose to attend, as well as someone on-hand to provide guidance throughout the 3-hour event. See our schedule below:

1 – 4PM: Kraut-making, wild soda making, ferment share, mingle & sip soda/hot cider

1:30 – 2 PM: lacto-fermented veggies demo

2:30 – 3PM: wild fermented soda demo

A limited selection of produce will be available (mostly cabbage and apples will be offered), but you can bring any fruit, veg, spices or material from home to ferment! Feel free to bring that fermented product you’ve been putting off to make in our communal space! Attendees will have access to quart-size containers, salt, and sugar.

Taste, share and commune! And bring products for our Ferment ‘Swap & Share’ Table!

October is a great month to perfect your sauerkraut and fermented vegetables: think pierogies and cold season holidays! Learn how to ferment the fall vegetable harvest in this introductory fermentation class with Trevor, founder of Community Cultures. Participants will learn how to safely and confidently ferment an assortment of vegetables at home while harnessing creativity and reducing food waste. Leave with a jar of sauerkraut and a jar of brined fall vegetables to ferment at home. Veggies and all supplies are included, but feel free bring a vegetable you like from your garden if you would like.

Join Trevor, founder of Community Cultures, in the first of a two-part Fermenting Food Waste series. October is the perfect month to use fermentation to upcycle the season’s harvest. In this workshop you’ll learn how to use edible (and inedible!) food scraps to create delicious sodas, country wine, and vinegar. Participants will learn how to simple practices to harness flavor with confidence and creativity. No special equipment is required for this workshop; walk away with containers to ferment soda and vinegar at home!

Koji is a molded grain and the foundation of miso, sake, rice wine vinegar and other fermented products. This fermented product has the potential to unlock incredible flavor and harness creativity in the kitchen. In this lecture and demo-based workshop participants will be introduced to the importance of koji in cuisine and preservation, learn how to grow it at home, and understand what products it can be turned into. Participants will be guided through the ins and outs of home-scale koji production and participate in a hands-on activity to bring a koji-based ferment home. Participants will also have the opportunity to bring a small amount of koji spores to produce koji at home. Join the world of umami enthusiasm and safe mold-based fermentation!

Join Trevor, founder of Community Cultures, in the second workshop of a two-part Fermenting Food Waste series. Autumn’s vegetable harvest is the perfect time of year to master your vegetable fermentation process! In this workshop you’ll learn how to use veggie scraps to create delicious and creative fermented veggies. Participants will learn how to use dry salt and salt brine methods to preserve an array of ingredients. No special equipment is required for this workshop; walk away with containers of veggies to ferment at home!