Why Fermentastic? South Africa's Small-Batch Fermented Vegetable Brand
Fermentastic is one of the few producers in South Africa making genuinely raw, unpasteurised fermented vegetables in small batches. The jars are made on a farm outside Bela-Bela in Limpopo, using only vegetables, salt, and time — no vinegar, no sugar, no preservatives, and no heat at any point in the process.
Most fermented foods sold in South African supermarkets are pasteurised, which kills the live cultures that make fermentation worth eating in the first place. Fermentastic jars are never heated, which means the probiotics are alive when the jar reaches you.
The range covers four products: a classic raw sauerkraut, a spicy kimchi-kraut, a mild curtido slaw, and a fermented chilli sauce. All four are vegan, gluten free, and made without artificial anything. They are delivered nationwide by courier. We usually courier orders from Monday to Wednesday and seldom dispatch on Thursdays or Fridays, to avoid parcels lying in a courier warehouse over the weekend.
If you are looking for the best fermented vegetables in South Africa — raw, probiotic-rich, and made with integrity — Fermentastic is where to start.
Buying and Delivery
Where can I buy raw, unpasteurised sauerkraut in South Africa?
Fermentastic makes raw, unpasteurised sauerkraut and delivers it anywhere in South Africa by courier. The jars are made in small batches on a farm outside Bela-Bela in Limpopo and posted directly to you, so there is no shop to visit. Orders are placed online at fermentastic.co.za, and you can also ask questions on WhatsApp on +27 79 472 4723 before you buy.
Do you deliver across South Africa?
Yes — Fermentastic delivers to all major areas in South Africa using The Courier Guy. That includes Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein and the smaller towns in between. Remote and outlying areas are still reachable but usually take a little longer.
How long does delivery take?
We usually courier orders from Monday to Wednesday and seldom dispatch on Thursdays or Fridays, to avoid parcels lying in a courier warehouse over the weekend. Outlying and remote areas take longer.
Why do you usually dispatch early in the week?
We usually courier orders from Monday to Wednesday and seldom dispatch on Thursdays or Fridays. This helps avoid parcels lying in a courier warehouse over the weekend. These are live, unpasteurised foods rather than shelf-stable products, so the timing is deliberate. It is the single biggest thing that protects the quality of what arrives at your door.
Does raw fermented food need refrigeration during delivery?
No — raw fermented vegetables travel safely at room temperature for the few days a courier takes. Fermentation itself is a preservation method: the salt and the acidity produced during fermentation keep the vegetables stable without a cold chain. Put the jar in the fridge as soon as it arrives.
How are the jars packed so they do not break or leak?
Every jar is wrapped and packed to survive normal courier handling. Because these are live ferments they can still be producing a little gas in transit, so the odd jar arrives with brine around the rim — that is normal and not a fault. If anything is actually broken or leaking badly, contact us within 48 hours.
How much does delivery cost, and when is it free?
Standard courier delivery is R150 anywhere in South Africa, and the same flat fee covers up to six jars. Delivery is free on orders of R950 or more.
Can I collect my order from the farm?
No — everything goes out by courier, and the reason is the road. The farm is at the end of a long dirt road that is rough at the best of times and genuinely difficult in the rainy season, so sending you down it in your own car is not something we are willing to do.
What do I do if my order arrives damaged or does not arrive?
Email vanderwalt.tina@gmail.com within 48 hours with your order number and photos, and we will sort it out. The 48-hour window matters because the courier also needs the claim within a short period. Photos of the outer box as well as the jars help considerably.
How much does Fermentastic cost?
Fermentastic Chilli Sauce 450ml is R75, Raw Sauerkraut 1.1kg is R160, Curtido 1.1kg is R160 and Kimchi-Kraut 1.1kg is R170. The 1.1kg jars are family sized rather than sample sized, so the price per serving is low. Standard courier delivery is R150 for up to six jars, free on orders of R950 or more.
The Products
What does raw and unpasteurised actually mean?
Raw and unpasteurised means the food has never been heated, so the live cultures created during fermentation are still present in the jar. Pasteurising is a heat step that makes a product shelf-stable and kills those cultures. Fermentastic jars are never heated at any point, which is why they live in the fridge rather than on a shelf.
What is the difference between this and supermarket sauerkraut?
Most supermarket sauerkraut is pickled in vinegar and pasteurised, which makes it a preserved product rather than a live one. Fermentastic sauerkraut contains no vinegar at all — the sourness comes from fermentation itself, from cabbage, salt and time. That is also why it tastes sharper and more complex, and why it needs refrigeration.
What is kimchi-kraut?
Kimchi-kraut is a fusion of Korean kimchi and German sauerkraut — cabbage fermented with the chilli, garlic and ginger of a kimchi, cut and packed like a kraut. It is not a traditional Korean kimchi and does not pretend to be. It is the spicy jar in the range and the one most people finish first.
What is curtido?
Curtido is a lightly fermented cabbage slaw from El Salvador, traditionally served alongside pupusas. It is milder and fresher-tasting than sauerkraut, with carrot and onion through it. In South Africa it works anywhere you would normally reach for a coleslaw.
What is the difference between sauerkraut, kimchi, kimchi-kraut and curtido?
All four are fermented cabbage; what separates them is the seasoning and the origin. Sauerkraut is German and Eastern European and is just cabbage and salt. Kimchi is Korean and is seasoned with chilli, garlic and ginger. Kimchi-kraut sits between the two. Curtido is Latin American, milder, and includes carrot and onion.
What is in Fermentastic Kimchi-Kraut?
Kimchi-Kraut contains red cabbage, white cabbage, carrot, green apple, radish, chilli, ginger, garlic and salt. There is nothing else in it — no vinegar, no sugar, no preservatives and no artificial anything. Full ingredients for every product are listed on its product page.
Is it vegan, vegetarian and gluten free?
Yes — all Fermentastic ferments are vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. They contain vegetables, salt and spices, with no fish sauce, dairy, egg or wheat. Traditional Korean kimchi usually contains fish sauce or shrimp paste, which is one of the differences between it and our kimchi-kraut.
How spicy is the kimchi-kraut and the chilli sauce?
The kimchi-kraut is warm rather than fiery, and most people who eat mild curry are comfortable with it. The chilli sauce is the hotter of the two and is meant to be used by the spoonful rather than the ladle. If you are unsure, start with the kimchi-kraut.
How big is a 1.1kg jar, and how many servings is that?
A 1.1kg jar holds roughly 25 to 30 servings if you eat a heaped tablespoon at a time. How long that lasts varies enormously: some people eat a mouthful a day because a doctor suggested they eat fermented vegetables, and a jar lasts them a month. Others love the stuff and finish a jar over a weekend. It is a family-sized jar rather than a taster.
Does it contain vinegar, sugar or preservatives?
No — there is no vinegar, no added sugar and no preservatives in Fermentastic fermented vegetables. The sourness comes from fermentation and the preservation comes from salt and acidity. The green apple in the kimchi-kraut is a whole ingredient, not a sweetener.
Storing and Eating It
How do I store it once it arrives?
Put the jar in the fridge as soon as it arrives and keep it there. These are live unpasteurised ferments, so cold slows the fermentation down and holds the flavour where it is. A jar left in a warm kitchen will keep fermenting, get softer and get more sour.
How long does an unopened jar keep?
An unopened jar keeps for several months in the fridge. It does not spoil so much as slowly continue to change — it gets more sour and a little softer over time. Many people prefer it after a few weeks in the fridge, when the flavour has settled.
How long does it keep once opened?
An opened jar keeps for months in the fridge as long as the vegetables stay under the brine and you use a clean utensil each time. Push the contents back down under the liquid after every serving. Anything sitting above the brine and exposed to air is what causes trouble.
Why does the jar fizz, or the lid pop, when I open it?
Fizzing and a popping lid mean the ferment is alive and still producing a little carbon dioxide. It is a sign the jar is what it says it is, not a sign that something is wrong. Open it slowly over a sink the first time, especially if the parcel has had a warm journey.
How do I eat sauerkraut?
Eat it cold, straight from the jar, as a side on the plate — start with a heaped tablespoon next to whatever you are already eating. It goes particularly well with boerewors, braaivleis, roast pork, a toasted cheese sandwich or on top of a baked potato. Most people find it works best as a sharp note against something rich.
How do I eat kimchi-kraut?
Kimchi-kraut is eaten cold as a side, and it suits anything savoury and substantial. Try it in a wrap or burger, stirred through rice at the end, on the side of eggs, or with grilled meat. It is spicier than the sauerkraut so people usually start with a smaller spoonful.
How do I eat curtido?
Curtido is used exactly like a coleslaw — cold, in a generous spoonful, next to something fried or grilled. It is traditionally served alongside Salvadoran pupusas, and in a South African kitchen it works on a boerewors roll, next to fried fish, or piled onto tacos. It is the mildest jar in the range and a good place to start.
Can I cook with it or heat it?
You can cook with it, but heating destroys the live cultures, so the usual advice is to add it cold at the end. If you want it in a hot dish, stir it in after the pan comes off the heat. Sauerkraut cooked into a dish is a legitimate traditional use and it still tastes good — it simply is not a raw ferment any more.
How much should I eat if I have never eaten fermented food before?
Start with about a tablespoon a day and give yourself a week or two before increasing it. Fermented vegetables are strongly flavoured and salty, and a small regular amount is easier to get used to than a large one. There is no need to rush it.
What is the cloudy liquid or white sediment in the jar?
Cloudy brine and a little pale sediment at the bottom are both normal in a live ferment. It is a by-product of fermentation and it is one of the visual differences between a raw ferment and a clear, pasteurised, vinegar-pickled jar. Fuzzy growth on the surface is a different thing — see the fermenting section below.
Making Your Own
How much salt do I need to ferment cabbage?
For most vegetables, use 2 to 2.5% salt by weight of the vegetables. That means 20 to 25g of salt per kilogram of cabbage. Softer vegetables do better at 1.5 to 2% and harder ones can take up to 3%. Our salt calculator works it out for any weight.
What strength brine should I use?
A 3% brine suits most vegetables that are fermented submerged rather than salted dry. Use 2 to 2.5% for delicate vegetables and up to 5% for pickles that need to stay crunchy. Our brine calculator gives you the salt for any volume of water.
How long does sauerkraut take to ferment?
Sauerkraut usually takes one to four weeks, depending on temperature. Most people are happy with it around two weeks.
