Foraging and Traditional Food Preservation Classes in Los Angeles and Beyond
Foraging - Wild Food Tasting - Survival - Fermentation - Canning - Cheese Making - Wild Beers and Wines - Homemade Gourmet Vinegars and much more!
Saturday, March 15
10 am - 2 pm (PDT)
Sylmar area
Eco-Friendly Foraging - Plants Walk / Wild Food Tasting & Drinks
Want to learn about edible plants and help the environment in the process? Did you know what we are surrounded by wild edible plants and most of them are non-native to Los Angeles and often invasive?
Very often the same plants are crops in some other countries and yet, locally, the solution is to spray them with chemicals or waste this incredible food resource by uprooting and throwing it away. So sad when you realize that a recent study from the University of California Berkeley identified 52 edible weeds growing in abundance in the poorest neighborhoods of San Francisco. At least six of them were found to be more nutritious than kale, according to that study. Guess what, we'll find most of those nutritious plants during our walk. So let's look at an option that will help the environment, reduce the use of chemicals in nature and nourish us in the process.
In this class, you'll learn about the countless local plants that you can use for food, many of them can be found in your backyard and are considered weed. Wild food is gourmet food! After the class you will be served delicious snacks and drinks featuring the plants we saw during our walk. A true wild cuisine!
Saturday, March 22
10 am - 2:30 pm (PDT)
Valyermo area
Learn how to make homemade gourmet vinegar & spend a day in the mountains
Learn how to make Delicious Vinegars from ANY Alcoholic Beverages. Workshop located on a beautiful goat ranch just 90 minutes from LA.
(Limited to only 8 students)
Smoked whiskey vinegar? Your favorite merlot vinegar? Belgium beer vinegar?
Learn from one of the most esteemed fermentation experts in North America! This workshop will be led by the author of four bestselling books on fermentation: "The Wildcrafting Brewer," "Wildcrafted Fermentation," "The New Wildcrafted Cuisine," and "Wildcrafted Vinegars."
This class will teach you how to turn any alcoholic beverages, like wine, beer, champagne, or mead, into delicious vinegars. You’ll discover how simple it is to create high-quality vinegars that tastes better than anything you can buy at the store. One of my favorites is a vinegar made from a 12-year-old whiskey aged in smoked oak barrels. Try to buy that at the store.
In fact, I think that any vinegar you make at home will be far superior to vinegars you can purchase at the store. It’s also live and unpasteurized, a good source of probiotics. Heck, maybe after this class, you can even start a new home business making gourmet vinegars!
Saturday, March 29
10 am - 2 pm (PDT)
Sylmar area
Eco-Friendly Foraging - Plants Walk / Wild Food Tasting & Drinks
Want to learn about edible plants and help the environment in the process? Did you know what we are surrounded by wild edible plants and most of them are non-native to Los Angeles and often invasive?
Very often the same plants are crops in some other countries and yet, locally, the solution is to spray them with chemicals or waste this incredible food resource by uprooting and throwing it away. So sad when you realize that a recent study from the University of California Berkeley identified 52 edible weeds growing in abundance in the poorest neighborhoods of San Francisco. At least six of them were found to be more nutritious than kale, according to that study. Guess what, we'll find most of those nutritious plants during our walk. So let's look at an option that will help the environment, reduce the use of chemicals in nature and nourish us in the process.
In this class, you'll learn about the countless local plants that you can use for food, many of them can be found in your backyard and are considered weed. Wild food is gourmet food! After the class you will be served delicious snacks and drinks featuring the plants we saw during our walk. A true wild cuisine!
Saturday, April 5
10 am - 2 pm (PDT)
Sylmar area
Foraging wild yeast and making natural drinks/sodas directly from nature!
Learn how to create delicious sodas at home from wildcrafted or regular ingredients such as fruits, wild berries, herbs and more.
Join one of North America's top fermentation experts for an immersive workshop! Led by the bestselling author of The Wildcrafting Brewer, Wildcrafted Fermentation, and Wildcrafted Vinegars, this hands-on experience will introduce you to the art of crafting unique fermented (or non-fermented) drinks using wild ingredients.
Explore the incredible flavors of nature and their uses in flavorful, savory, and refreshing drinks—made with wild berries, fruits, plants, barks, roots, and even mushrooms. These creations can be enjoyed on their own, used in cooking, paired with food, or even made for medicinal purposes.
This workshop is perfect for home cooks, chefs, foragers, herbalists, and mixologists. We’ll begin with a guided foraging hike through the local forest, gathering plants for infusions and sodas while learning about other edible, medicinal, and poisonous species along the way.
After the hike, we’ll sit down to enjoy a tasting of wild food snacks and drinks, bringing the flavors of the forest to life.
Next, we'll get busy and create amazing drinks using some of the plants we've collected. During this workshop, you will learn how to make your own wild yeast starter and how to brew fermented sodas from scratch using local wild plants and berries or ingredients from your local supermarket. You'll also learn how to capture the essence of an entire environment by creating delicious cold infusions.
Saturday, April 12
10 am - 4 pm (PDT)
Catalina Island
Catalina Island - Foraging, Wild Food Tasting, and Fermentation Workshop with Pascal Baudar
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned food enthusiast, this workshop will teach you how to identify edible wild plants, help the environment, and create delicious probiotic ferments—all in one day!
This workshop will take place at the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden
from 10am-4pm.
Part 1: Foraging Walk
Many “weeds” are actually nutritious edible plants. On this guided walk, you’ll:
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Learn to identify wild edible plants, including invasive species.
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Explore how harvesting these plants benefits both you and the environment.
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Discover how wild food is also gourmet food!
Part 2: Wild Cooking & Fermentation Workshop
Back from the walk, we’ll enjoy a wild food feast before diving into fermentation basics. This session includes:
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Lacto-fermentation principles and simple at-home techniques.
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Hands-on fermenting with wild and store-bought plants.
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Tips for food safety and creative recipes.
What You’ll Get
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A foraging and fermentation experience led by a bestselling author and expert in both fields.
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A tasting menu and drinks featuring wild and fermented foods.
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If you own one of Pascal’s books, bring it along for a personalized signing!
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned forager/fermenter, this class offers something for everyone. Let’s explore nature, create something delicious, and have fun along the way!
Saturday, April 19
10 am - 2 pm (PDT)
Sylmar area
Eco-Friendly Foraging - Plants Walk / Wild Food Tasting & Drinks
Want to learn about edible plants and help the environment in the process? Did you know what we are surrounded by wild edible plants and most of them are non-native to Los Angeles and often invasive?
Very often the same plants are crops in some other countries and yet, locally, the solution is to spray them with chemicals or waste this incredible food resource by uprooting and throwing it away. So sad when you realize that a recent study from the University of California Berkeley identified 52 edible weeds growing in abundance in the poorest neighborhoods of San Francisco. At least six of them were found to be more nutritious than kale, according to that study. Guess what, we'll find most of those nutritious plants during our walk. So let's look at an option that will help the environment, reduce the use of chemicals in nature and nourish us in the process.
In this class, you'll learn about the countless local plants that you can use for food, many of them can be found in your backyard and are considered weed. Wild food is gourmet food! After the class you will be served delicious snacks and drinks featuring the plants we saw during our walk. A true wild cuisine!
