Fermentation & Preserving Guides
Salt %, brines, safety basics, mould vs kahm, troubleshooting, vinegar, jam setting and more — written for UK kitchens.
Author Carl – Carl Williams
Fermentation, Indian Curry & Gardening Books — Practical Guides for Beginners
I’m Carl Williams (Author Carl). I write clear, step-by-step books that help you get reliable results at home — from safe fermentation and preserving, to Indian curry, to growing your own food. UK measurements. Plain English. No unnecessary gear.
- Home-tested methods
- Safety-first approach
- Beginner-friendly
Start here
Browse the blogIf you’re new, use these three hub pages. They’re the “start here” guides: clear foundations, common problems, and the best next reads — organised so you can jump straight to what you need.
Indian Curry Guides (BIR Style)
Base sauce, spice timing, restaurant-style flavour, and fixes for the common “tastes flat” problem — using UK supermarket ingredients.
Gardening & Growing Food
Garlic, chillies, indoor growing and compost basics — what works in real UK gardens, with clear timings and fewer mistakes.
What I Write About
Browse all booksFermentation & Food Preservation
Safety-first guides to yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented chilli sauce, pickling and vinegar — with clear ratios and the science made simple.
Start with the fermentation hub →Explore fermentation books →
Indian Curry & Home Cooking
Practical techniques for authentic flavour at home — including base sauces, spice blends and BIR-style methods using UK supermarket ingredients.
Start with the curry hub →Explore Indian curry books →
Gardening & Growing Food
Beginner-friendly growing guides for garlic, chillies, herbs and composting — focused on what works in real gardens, not theory.
Start with the gardening hub →Explore gardening books →
Fermented Chilli Sauce Starter Kit
View the kitMake proper fermented chilli sauce at home — safely
The right kit is the difference between a clean, active ferment and disappointment. This is a proper fermentation kit (no vinegar shortcuts) with a full step-by-step guide delivered via QR code inside the box.
- Jar + airlock lid + glass weight
- 0.1g scale for accurate salt measurement
- pH strips to confirm acidity
- Straining funnel for clean bottling
- Full step-by-step guide to make your first fermented chilli sauce
About Carl Williams (Author Carl)
Author Carl writes practical, step-by-step books that help beginners get reliable results in the kitchen and garden — with three core pillars: fermentation & preserving, Indian curry, and growing food. Read more →
Online Fermentation Course – Coming Soon
I’m filming a step-by-step fermentation course for beginners — based on the same clear, safety-first methods from my books. From yoghurt and kefir to sauerkraut, kimchi and fermented chilli sauce, you’ll learn each method with simple science and real kitchen techniques.
- Perfect for complete beginners
- Safety and science explained simply
- Clear demonstrations for each core ferment
Latest Titles
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Indian Takeaway Classics at Home
Real British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style curries at home — simple ingredients, proven method.
Details
Slow Cooker Indian Curries
Slow cooker convenience with proper curry house flavour — reliable timings and rich sauces.
Details
The Beginner’s Guide to Gut Health – Fermented Foods That Heal
Gut health explained simply — what the microbiome is and why it matters.
Learn moreFree: Fermentation Safety Checklist (PDF)
Confident fermentation starts with safety. Use this one-page checklist before each batch to avoid common mistakes and get tastier, safer results.
- Simple, actionable checks
- Beginner-friendly
- Backed by food science
Enter your email below and you’ll get the checklist plus occasional, practical tips from Author Carl.
Latest from the Blog
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Why Homemade Indian Curry Never Tastes Like a Takeaway (And How to Fix It)
The real reasons home curry tastes flat — heat, spice timing, base sauce and finishing — and the simple fixes that work.
Read more →
Why Homemade Jam Sometimes Fails (And How to Get It Right Every Time)
Runny set, burnt flavour, crystallisation and mould — what causes failures and how to make jam reliable every time.
Read more →
How to Price Your Homemade Jams, Pickles & Ferments for Profit
A clear way to price so you cover costs and actually earn money.
Read more →About Carl Williams (Author Carl)
Carl Williams (Author Carl) writes practical, step-by-step books that help beginners get reliable results in their own kitchens and gardens. His work focuses on clear methods, UK measurements, and plain English — explaining not just how to do something, but why it works, so readers can build confidence and get safe, repeatable results at home.
His books fall into three main areas: fermentation and food preservation, Indian curry and home cooking, and gardening and growing food.
In fermentation and preservation, Carl is known for clear, safety-first guides to yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented chilli sauces, pickling, vinegar and other traditional methods. He covers the simple science — salt ratios, temperature control and pH basics — so you can get consistent results without myths, fads or unnecessary equipment.
Alongside this, Carl has written extensively about Indian curry, with a growing collection of books focused on authentic, takeaway-style flavour made achievable at home. These guides cover practical techniques (including base sauces and spice blends) using ingredients and tools available in UK supermarkets — without over-complication.
Carl also writes about gardening and growing food, drawing on hands-on experience growing garlic, chillies, herbs and other useful crops. The advice is realistic and beginner-friendly, focused on what actually works — and often links growing directly with cooking and preserving.
Every book is designed to be concise, easy to follow, and tested in real home conditions using basic equipment. Carl believes that understanding fundamentals matters more than chasing shortcuts, and that small, consistent progress beats complex projects every time.
When he’s not writing or testing methods, Carl is usually tending plants, developing simple preserves, or refining recipes for upcoming titles. You can find his books and blog at AuthorCarl.co.uk, where he shares straightforward guidance for fermentation, cooking and growing food.
