Straight talk: You need to ferment your salsa. I could explain, over a lot of words, how it intensifies the tomatoes, and how the fermented peppers add a depth of umami that balances the salt and acid ...

I love fermented foods. I love that you can leave something out on the counter, in the refrigerator — forget about it, even — and it just gets better. But why do some foods improve with age, while ...