About the Author

Pascal Baudar is the author of three previous books: Wildcrafted Fermentation (2020), The Wildcrafting Brewer (2018), and The New Wildcrafted Cuisine (2016). A self-described “culinary alchemist,” he leads classes in traditional food preservation techniques. Through his business, Urban Outdoor Skills, he has introduced thousands of home cooks, celebrity chefs, and foodies to the flavors offered by their wild landscapes. In 2014, Baudar was named one of the most influential local tastemakers by Los Angeles Magazine.

Reviews

“Pascal Baudar has long served as an inspiration to me as both a forager and a fermenter. With Wildcrafted Vinegars, he once again delivers on the promise of bringing the outdoors inside. On its surface, this book is a fantastic guide to crafting a whole pantry’s worth of staple vinegars and condiments to ameliorate your cooking, but at its core, it’s a practical call to action through recipes that turn you into an agent of ecological remediation, wherever you might live. A must-have for any avid fermenter!” —David Zilber, chef and food scientist; coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Noma Guide to Fermentation

“Wildcrafted Vinegars is another outstanding fermentation guide from Pascal Baudar. With wonderful clarity and a variety of flexible approaches, Pascal simultaneously demystifies the vinegar-making process and inspires the imagination with its infinite possibilities.” —Sandor Ellix Katz, fermentation revivalist, author of The Art of Fermentation

“Pascal Baudar continues to lead his readers down a path that connects them to their landscapes, whether urban or wild, through culinary exploration—this time through the power of sour. Wildcrafted Vinegars is a visually striking invitation to explore flavorful condiments, preserves, and quick pickles from unexpected and often overlooked seeds and ‘weeds.’”   —Kirsten K. Shockey, author of Homebrewed Vinegar, Fermented Vegetables, and other fermentation titles

“From apple scraps to mugwort to bountiful berries, Baudar brings vinegar-making past the boundaries of our ordinary home pantries and out into the great wide open. Anything is a possible flavoring here, be it roots, herbs, or stems. As with his other books, Baudar once again enlightens us to the fact that flavor is found from the forest floor to the tips of the trees, and even takes inspiration from humdrum supermarket shelves to make vinegars that shine.”   —Michael Harlan Turkell, award-winning food photographer, author of Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar

“Baudar’s approaches to vinegar making are serious and whimsical at the same time. A true pioneer in the world of fermentation, he is pushing the boundaries on our future food production, while illuminating the past and the very origins of one of the most important products in human history. The wealth of ideas and information contained in Wildcrafted Vinegars cannot be overstated, and this book has a place in every kitchen.” —Harry Rosenblum, author of Vinegar Revival

“Pascal Baudar has once again tapped into the spirit of the forest and open spaces in this paean to all things pungent. A love letter to Acetobacter in the wild, it will have you thinking about vinegar in a whole new light—not only as essential in the kitchen but really quite easy to make yourself, too.” —Ken Albala, professor of history, University of the Pacific

“Baudar, with his playful spirit of adventure, brings us on yet another creative quest that appeals to both the chef and forager in all of us. A few pages could serve as the most practical guide to vinegar production (including the use of fruit flies to initiate a wild fermentation!), but the remaining pages serve as an invaluable compendium of wild food flavors and recipes. This book will be a fixture on my kitchen bookshelf where rainy-day culinary projects begin.” —Evan Mallett, chef/owner, Black Trumpet Bistro; author of Black Trumpet

“Pascal Baudar, long-time wild food forager extraordinaire and vinegar savant, has created a book that will revolutionize the vinegar world. Wildcrafted Vinegars is an acetic A–Z of fermentation advice and lore, beautifully illustrated with his helpful photographs, to guide you to new levels of culinary experimentation. As a fellow vinegar maker and lover, it left me totally in awe of his expertise and passion . . .” —Andy Harris, CVO (chief vinegar officer), Vinegar Shed

"Wildcrafted Vinegars is sure to appeal to adventurous cooks and the increasing legion of those expanding their plant-based and foraging menus. Baudar, a self-described 'culinary alchemist,' incorporates fun and knowledge in equal parts in his delightful, educational resource." —Foreword Reviews

"[Wildcrafted Vinegars] celebrates the versatility of this all-important—but often overlooked—acid in the kitchen." —Plate Magazine