~ Strawberry Kefir Yogurt ~

My daughter loves dairy, specifically yogurt and kefir. I had a room temp yogurt culture, the Matsoni from Cultures for Health and loved it but then my supply of raw milk was inconsistent so I let the yogurt go and kept up with the kefir. I also purchased my kefir grains from Cultures for Health and love them. I even preheated them to 400 degrees and they lived. Kefir grains are not tolerant of high heat, but these little guys keep right on trucking. For more info on the products that Cultures for Health carries please see the link on the left sidebar.

Grace loves kefir and has it three to four times a day and she is rarely sick. In fact, this winter, when that horrible stomach bug was going around she was the only on that didn't get it. I believe that from eating all the kefir she does she has exceptional gut flora which in turn gives her an exceptional immune system.

Bowl, strainer, flour sack towel.

To make yogurt out of kefir I lay a clean flour sack towel in a strainer and pour my kefir in. I put the strainer on top of a bowl to collect they whey that drains out. As the whey drains the kefir thickens. I let it sit over night and it is perfect "greek" yogurt. Smooth and creamy. Past flavors have included Vanilla Maple and today we made Strawberry.

I blended a dozen half frozen strawberries in the food processor and then dumped in my strained kefir. I didn't add any sugar which I love and then members of the family who need a  little extra sweet can add some raw honey.

I was considering getting a yogurt culture again but I think I will order another batch of kefir grains and make a gallon of kefir at a time. We make a half gallon at a time at the moment but that doesn't last very long especially when it isn't just Grace that is eating the kefir yogurt.

Super simple and super good!

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~ Lacto-fermented Ketchup ~

Do you know why most kids love ketchup? Commercial ketchups are 1/3 sugar. This is a kid approved recipe by kids that are not all that fond of ketchup in the first place. B-b-q season is almost upon us so make sure you have this one in your fridge. I found this recipe at GNOWFGLINS.

12 ounces organic tomato paste - I use Bionaturae, it comes in glass jars, not BPA lined cans
1/4 + 1/8 c water
1/4 c raw honey or maple syrup
1/8 c whey
2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp organic mustard powder
1/4 tsp organic cinnamon 1/8 tsp each cloves, allspice, cayenne touch of molasses

I toss everything in the blender to mix. If you end up with more of a spreadable ketchup you can add a bit more water or tomato juice to thin it out. Pour/spoon into a mason jar, cap and leave the jar on the counter for a 24 hours so that the good bacteria has a chance to grow a bit. Put into the fridge and enjoy.

~ Water Kefir ~

* Update: I wanted to give a shout out to Kathy Atkinson's website Mind, Body, and Sole. The recipe for Ginger Ale Water Kefir that I listed was from her site and I didn't hyperlink. I have also add our recipe for Cream Soda Water Kefir*

 We have had so much fun with water kefir lately. We are currently brewing over a half gallon a day and flavoring it with frozen fruit during a second fermentation. A second fermentation causes lots of bubble to form and trapped basically creating a healthy soda pop.

The basic recipe is: Ginger Ale Water Kefir

6 c unfiltered water, the grains need minerals
1/2 c organic sugar
1/4 c kefir grains
1 tbsp organic ginger, small dice
pinch of baking soda

Dissolve the sugar in the water, then add the ginger and kefir grains. Make sure your water is room temp so that the kefir grains don't get cooked. We usually let it sit for two days. Cover your jar with some cheese cloth and a rubber band so that the bugs and dust stay out. After two days I strain out my grains and ginger and start another batch.

With the freshly strained water kefir I add frozen fruit, cap the jar and set it on a high shelf in my kitchen. So far we have added blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and lemon juice for just plain ginger ale. This is where you will want to add your pinch of baking soda, it adds a few extra bubbles.

Cream Soda Water Kefir
6 c unfiltered water
1/2 c organic sugar
1/4 c water kefir grains
2 tbsp molasses pinch of baking soda
4 tsp vanilla

Dissolve the sugar and molasses in the water and then add grains. Let sit at room temp for 24 - 48 hours. Strain and add vanilla. Let sit another 24 hours capped. We ordered the water kefir grain kits of Cultures for Health. Our grains are multiplying like rabbits which is a good thing because we basically drink it as fast as we can make it. I am pretty sure we will be up to a gallon at a time pretty soon. We have three gallon jars of kombucha going at all times too. To see what Cultures for Health has to offer, click on the Cultures for Health banner above. Happy Brewing!! This post is share at:

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~ How to Make Your Own Kombucha Mother ~

The first time I tried kombucha it was on a whim. I had never heard of it before. I saw it at the grocery store and needed something to drink. GT Dave's Mystic Mango was the one I picked and I have been in love ever since. I didn't look at the price tag associated with a bottle of it. $3.99 for 16 ounces, okay price for a once in awhile treat but I liked it way to much to only have it once in awhile. I knew there had to be a way to make it at home, so I hit the web in search of instructions.

The way to make kombucha is to have a "mother". You can buy those online too, but at the time we didn't have a lot of money to order and pay shipping. Plan B, if it is a culture, I should be able to make my own with an existing culture. Since all I had access to was GT Dave's, I bought a bottle of original kombucha, a box of organic green tea and gave it a go. I used the instructions found on the web for making a new batch of kombucha as my guide.

You will need:
gallon glass jar
4 - 7 organic green tea bags or the loose leaf equivalent
1 c organic sugar
1 bottle of raw kombucha
1 gallon of chlorine and fluoride free water

Bring a 3/4 gallon of water to a boil, add your sugar and dissolve. Add your tea, take off heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes take out your tea bags and let your tea cool to room temperature.

When cool pour your tea into your jar, add your bottle of kombucha and then fill to the top with water. Cover with muslin or two coffee filters and a rubber band and put in a dark, room temperature space. If you have a spot on your counter that is out of drafts you can wrap a towel around the jar. Very slowly a film will start to appear on the top of your jar. This is the start of your "mother". You may see bits of brown culture floating in the jar, this is good. It may take up to two weeks to really get a good mother growing. You can check it periodically to make sure that it doesn't get too sour or vinegar-y tasting for you. If you have other cultures growing in your kitchen, i.e. sourdough starter, kefir, make sure you keep enough space between them so that the cultures don't cross contaminate and weaken.

The awesome thing about making it at home is that you can vary the type of tea you use and how long you let it culture. After a few batches your "mother" with increase in size and will take less time to brew a batch of tea. My "mothers" are so big now that it only takes a week to brew a gallon of tea. They are not always as fizzy as I would like, even with a double fermentation, but it is good. Our whole family drinks kombucha and I really need to start two more gallon jars. It is a great way to get some helpful probiotics in. With the last few batches I haven't even bothered bottling it. We just pour it into a mason jar and stick it in the fridge. Have any questions? Just let me know!

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~ Maple Kefir ~

We just found a favorite new way to get in our daily dose of kefir.

1 c raw plain kefir

1 tsp pure grade B maple syrup

Mix and enjoy!

~ Lacto-Fermented Soda Pop ~

This has got to be one of the funnest lacto-fermented foods I have done yet. Lets by honest, soda or pop is fun. My dad can still remember the soda fountain at the local drugstore. Do you know why it was at the drugstore? It was considered an elixir, a health tonic because the actual root or herbs was used to make colas and rootbeers. Now days, pop is nothing but HFCS or sugar, carbonation, and acid the changes the pH of your body increasing your risk of health problems down the road.

starter culture consisting of water, fresh diced ginger, and some organic cane sugar

Thanks to LearningHerbs.com I have found the perfect solution for getting my bubbly fix. First you have to make your starter culture. It takes about a week and is really easy as long as you remember to feed it. Even if you don't remember to feed it every day, it will still work.

our fresh grapes from one of my mom's friends, frozen fruit works well too our grapes simmering in a half gallon of water with one and a half cups a organic cane sugar

Once your fruit mixture is fruity enough, dump the whole mixture into a gallons jar and fill the rest of the jar with water leaving room for one cup of your starter culture. You want to let it cool for a little bit so that when you add your starter culture you don't kill it. Let it sit on the counter for 3 to 7 days, until it is bubbly enough and sweet enough for your liking. If you want a less sweet product let it sit a little longer. It is not an absolute process.

our grape soda, bottled and ready to go

After you bottle it let it sit for another day or two to let the natural carbonation build up. Don't let them sit for too long or they might exploded or they might ferment into alcohol. I let my last batch sit for too long and now they taste just like beer. I don't like beer. I am going to try Lemon-Lime and Cherry for my next batches. The kids have been asking for "Cherry 7-Up". So, ferment away and enjoy a bubbly drink that is actually good for you.

~ Spicy Fermented Dilly Beans & Pickles with One Rock'in Jar of Cultured Root Veggies ~

I am having a ton of fun with fermenting veggies. Our favorite around here is spicy dilly beans and pickles. The above ingredients are fresh golden and chioggia beets, carrots, onion, garlic, and ginger. I normally don't like beets but this is the best. I have decided that I really like my lacto-fermented veggies spicy! Packing my jars with garden fresh green beans.

Spicy Dilly Beans Recipe:

enough beans to pack a quart jar or any jar you have full

some dill

garlic cloves

spicy red pepper flakes or whole pieces of your favorite spicy pepper, seeds intact

sea salt

I only wash my beans if they look super dirty and I trim the ends. We like garlic in this house so I usually slice 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves per quart jar and throw them in the bottom. Toss your pepper flakes in the bottom (or if you are using slices of pepper, mix them in when you add you beans). Next pack your beans in and then push 3 to 4 sprigs of dill between the sides of the jar and the beans. I sprinkle a tablespoon of sea salt over the top of my beans, pour warm water in to fill up my jar. If I have done a really good job packing in my beans they won't float to the top. You want to make sure the the beans are completely cover with liquid or they will mold. If your beans aren't covered you can cut down a plastic lid to push in the top of the jar or use a ceramic weight. I would suggest using a ceramic weight over the plastic but use what you have. Put on you lid and then I very gently shake my jar to make sure the salt moves around and dissolves. Let them sit out on the counter covered for two or three days, until you see tiny bubbles forming around the top of your jar and then put them in the fridge.

All ready for a little liquid, colorful golden beets & carrots and two jars of spicy dilly beans with a few pickles thrown in to fill up the one jar.

My current line up from left to right: kosher style dill pickles, curried lemon cucumber relish with peach and garlic(this is so yummy, recipe coming soon), ginger ale starter for lacto-fermented soda pop(this is also really yummy), raw milk from our cow set out to make whey, and two more jars of kosher style dill pickles.