Lovers of salty brines and bubbling yeasts from across Maryland will gather in Baltimore on Saturday for what’s bound to be one of the largest celebrations of fermented foods in the state.

It may look strange to the untrained eye: hundreds coming together to share a passion for watching food foam and discolor in a suspension of its own juices. But for Baltimore Fermentation Festival co-founders Shane and Meaghan Carpenter, who own local company HEX Ferments, it’s a chance to demystify a way of making food that is about as natural as breathing.

The process of fermenting foods dates back thousands of years, from China to Babylon. Originally used largely to preserve excess food, fermentation is now “its own art practice,” according to Meaghan Carpenter.

She learned from her family what multiple festival vendors refer to as the “fermented arts”: an almost zealous pursuit of naturally cultivating new flavors and fragrances in foods that are both long-lasting and safe to eat.

Since 2013, HEX Ferments in Govans has grown into one of the most prolific Baltimore businesses to manufacture fermentations. The Carpenters’ varieties of kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, brines and hot sauces are sold at Whole Foods and other national grocers. Their market and eatery, HEX Superette, is going on its second year at 5718 York Road, where the festival is taking place. The shop sells a broad range of foods, from tinned fish and fresh produce to jars of Harmonie Sours pickles and enchilada dishes stuffed with miso kimchi.

Carpenter said the event comes at a time when consumers’ curiosity in fermenting their own foods is rising. The process can be as simple as salting cabbage and leaving it in a jar for three weeks, or as highly technical as Carpenter’s operation, with equipment and a developed skill set for controlling temperature, growing microbes and discerning harmful versus safe bacteria. Workshops at HEX, where she teaches community members the foundations of fermentation, nearly all sell out.

“We’ve seen over the last decade the interest in the fermented arts grow,” Carpenter said.

It’s an interest that at its peak has dovetailed with times of uncertainty in the food system. Bill Schindler, who runs Modern Stone Age Kitchen in Chestertown, said it’s a trend he’s observed since the pandemic, when the number of customers inquiring about fermenting their own foods spiked.

Schindler believes the pandemic shook many consumers’ faith in the reliance and safety of foods found in grocery markets. Now they want to be more self-sufficient: relying on foods from local farms and vendors that they can preserve independently.

Classes in Kent County, where he teaches how to ferment cheese and bake sourdough, have sold out. Some families travel to Chestertown to purchase his products and learn more about making their own food. He’ll be teaching a sourdough baking workshop at the fermentation festival.

“People used to think it was dangerous,” he said of fermenting foods, “Its so different. … We think in order to keep food safe we have to keep it in the fridge or the freezer, and then when you see the food bubbling on the counter, it can be scary.”

Schindler was inspired to start fermenting by Sandor Katz, who will also be attending the festival. A writer and researcher, Katz has often been credited with reviving interest in fermentation in the early ’90s, around the time he was diagnosed with AIDS and looking for ways to improve his health. Katz’s books shared how to make fermenting foods more accessible to a broad swath of people and how the practices boosted his well-being, with some admirers referring to him as the “father of fermentation.”

Davon Pulliam, owner of Tortuga Kombucha in Baltimore, said there are few opportunities for fermenters to compare methods with other emerging business owners while educating the public.

“I haven’t seen anything like this, particularly in Maryland,” he said.

Pulliam was inspired to start drinking kombucha by HEX Ferments. As a chef, he knew fermentation was critical to the creation of quality chocolate, coffee, wine and cheese. But the process of fermenting beverages for himself and empowering others to take on that challenge is a fairly new endeavor.

Like Carpenter and Schindler, he believes the audience interested in fermenting foods is growing.

“People want to be able to provide for themselves,” Carpenter said. “There’s a power in locality.”