Rachel de Thample, author of The Fermentation Year, suggests fermenting late-summer fruit in honey. She notes that whole plums or blackberries can be packed into sterilised jars, covered with honey, and left for a few weeks. A spoonful of lemon juice or cider vinegar can be added for low-acidity fruits. This method can preserve fruit for up to a year at room temperature.
De Thample also proposes a British take on kimchi, using ingredients such as courgette, blackcurrant, and strawberry, with tomatoes for the paste. For plums and damsons, she draws inspiration from Japanese umeboshi, using a high percentage of salt to create a brine.
Kenji Morimoto, author of Ferment, highlights Cheong, a Korean maceration technique involving equal parts sugar and fruit. This process yields candied fruit and syrup, suitable for glazes, desserts, cocktails, and balancing savoury dishes. Morimoto also suggests making lacto-fermented cherry tomatoes and pickling courgettes in a sweet vinegar brine, noting that courgettes retain their crunch better than cucumbers when pickled.