NW Ferments - How To

Bake Real Sourdough at Home with the Yukon Sourdough Starter Kit

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:21:51 GMT

There is something deeply satisfying about baking sourdough at home. The crackly crust, the chewy crumb, the tang that develops over time. If that is the kind of bread you want coming out of your oven, the Yukon Sourdough Starter Kit from NW Ferments is a solid place to start.

This kit is built for home bakers who want reliable results without unnecessary guesswork. It gives you a living starter culture plus the small but important tools that make the process easier from day one.

Why the Yukon Sourdough Starter Kit is different

The Yukon Sourdough Starter Kit is more than just dried starter in a packet. It is a complete setup designed to help your starter thrive. The name is inspired by the Yukon, where the word “sourdough” became a nickname during the Klondike Gold Rush. People who survived winters north of the Arctic Circle were known for keeping their starters alive through extreme cold. That same spirit of resilience carries into this culture.

The starter is moderately sour with a quick rise and a great crust. It is active, reliable, and flexible enough for everyday baking or more advanced recipes. Unlike many starter kits, this one includes practical tools you will actually use. You get everything you need except the jar and flour, which most home kitchens already have.

The ingredients are simple and clean: organic unbleached white wheat flour and sourdough bacteria. It is non-GMO and vegan.

What comes in the kit

Included in the Yukon Sourdough Starter Kit:

One packet of Yukon sourdough starter culture
Dough scraper
Flour sack towel
Reusable jar cover with an elastic band
Instructions and recipes

What you will need to supply:

A one-quart glass jar, such as a mason jar
White flour of your choice
Room-temperature filtered, spring, or well water
A wooden or plastic spoon

Activating your starter

Here’s the simple process to get your starter bubbling and ready for baking:

Pour ¼ cup water into your jar, sprinkle your starter culture packet over the water, let it sit a few minutes, then stir until mixed.
Add ¼ cup flour, mix well, then cover the jar (use the included cover + elastic band), and place it in a draft-free spot at room temperature (68–78 °F) for 24 hours. Stir once or twice during this initial period.
After 24 hours, feed the starter: add 1/8 cup flour + about 1/8 cup water (enough water to make a thick pancake-batter consistency). Stir to combine.
Continue feeding daily (or twice‐daily if you want to speed things up) until you see tiny bubbles on the surface—your starter is “waking up”. It may take a couple of days, depending on the temperature/flour.
Once bubbly and active, you’re ready to bake. Feed the starter regularly as you use it; if putting it in the fridge for infrequent use, feed weekly or every two weeks, and then give it a day or two of daily feeds before baking again.

What you can bake

The Yukon starter is versatile and not limited to classic sourdough loaves. Once it is established, you can use it for:

Boules or batards with a deep golden crust and open crumb
Sourdough pancakes, waffles, and biscuits
Recipes using whole wheat or rye flour
Discard recipes like crackers, muffins, and flatbreads

The included instructions and recipes give you a good starting point, and the starter is forgiving enough to experiment as your confidence grows.

Why this kit works well for home bakers

Whether you’re a beginner or have baked sourdough before, here’s why the Yukon Sourdough Starter Kit works:

It removes a lot of the guesswork. You’re not hunting down wild cultures, troubleshooting ambiguous instructions; you’ve got a kit built for success.
It gives you the tools (jar cover, elastic, scraper) that might otherwise require a separate purchase.
The instructions are clear and beginner-friendly, yet the starter’s performance gives you room to grow and experiment.
Because it’s branded and built for home bakers, it also makes for a thoughtful gift: a baker friend, a food-lover, a family into DIY.

Tips for success

Choose a spot in your kitchen that consistently sits between 68–78 °F and is away from drafts or direct sunlight—this helps the starter establish nicely.
Use filtered or spring water if your tap water is heavily chlorinated—chlorine can slow microbial activity.
Use a clear glass jar so you can see bubbles forming, which is a great visual indicator you’re on track.
Label your jar with the date of activation so you can track how many days until your starter is ready.
If you’ll bake less often, store your established starter in the fridge, feed it weekly, then “wake it up” with a couple of daily feeds before your next bake.

Experiment: once your starter is strong, try mixing different flour blends or hydration levels for different textures.

A Starter You’ll Actually Use

The Yukon Sourdough Starter Kit from NW Ferments is a practical choice for anyone who wants to bake sourdough without overcomplicating the process. It combines a dependable starter culture with thoughtful tools and clear instructions, making it easy to get started and satisfying to stick with.

With a little patience and regular feedings, you will be baking bread that looks and tastes like it came from an artisan bakery. The crackly crust, open crumb, and balanced tang all come from the simple rhythm of feeding, waiting, and baking. If sourdough has been on your list for a while, this kit gives you a solid reason to finally start.

How are mesophilic and thermophilic yogurts different from each other?

wendy@nwferments.com (Wendy Jensen) — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 20:50:30 GMT

The primary difference between mesophilic and thermophilic yogurts is the  temperature at which they are cultured (fermented).

Mesophilic Yogurt:

Filmjolk, Matsoni, Piima and Viili varieties

Culturing Temperature:  Mesophilic yogurts culture at room temperature, typically between 70-80°F (21-27°C).
Ease of Preparation: They are easier to make at home because they don't require extra heating.
Texture:  Mesophilic yogurts tend to be thinner, ranging from spoonable to drinkable, with Viili being a notable exception that has a very thick and ropy texture. The yogurt can also be strained to get a thicker result.
Flavor:  These cultures usually have a milder, more subtly tart flavor compared to thermophilic yogurts.
Probiotics:  Mesophilic yogurts often have a greater diversity of probiotic strains, as they can thrive from the natural bacteria present in the milk due to the room temperature fermentation.
Yeast Content : They may contain small amounts of yeast due to room temperature fermentation, which can pick up airborne yeast.

Thermophilic Yogurt:

Greek and Bulgarian varieties

Culturing Temperature:  These cultures thrive in higher temperatures, around 90-110°F (32-43°C).
Preparation: Making thermophilic yogurt at home usually requires a yogurt maker or a controlled heat source to maintain the necessary temperature.
Texture:  Thermophilic yogurts are typically thick and more spoonable, with Greek yogurt being a well-known example.
Flavor:  These cultures generally have a stronger tart or sour flavor, which can be adjusted by varying the fermentation time.
Probiotics:  These yogurts usually contain 4-6 probiotic strains selected for desirable traits like taste and potential health benefits.
Yeast Content:  Yeast is unlikely to thrive in the high temperatures used for fermenting thermophilic yogurts.

Kombucha Brewing Tips for Summertime

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 21:22:11 GMT

In warmer weather, kombucha fermentation speeds up. If your kombucha is brewing too quickly and/or becoming too strong, there are things you can do to manage this. Consider moving your brew to a cooler location in your home, using less starter tea, and tasting more frequently to avoid over-fermentation. If temperatures are consistently high, you may need to shorten the fermentation time or even consider taking a break temporarily from brewing.

Tips for Warm Weather Kombucha Brewing:

Temperature Control:

Find a cooler spot: Move your vessel to a cooler area of your house, like a pantry, closet, or even a basement (if dry and mold-free).
Avoid direct sunlight: Keep your brew out of direct sunlight, as it can overheat the brew.
Monitor temperature: If your home gets very warm, you may need to adjust fermentation time or consider cooling the brew, potentially using a refrigerator for short periods.

Starter Tea:

Reduce starter tea: In warm weather, your kombucha will ferment faster, so you may want to use slightly less starter tea (finished kombucha) than usual.

Fermentation Time:

Taste test frequently: Because fermentation is faster in warmer weather, taste your kombucha more often to determine when it's reached your desired level of acidity. Start tasting at one week.
Shorten fermentation: You may need to decant your kombucha sooner than usual to prevent it from becoming too strong tasting.

Over-fermented Kombucha:

Don't discard: If your kombucha does over-ferment, don’t toss it. You can use it as a strong starter tea for a future batch or dilute it with sweet tea or fruit flavoring to balance the acidity. It can also be used in dressings & marinades- anywhere you’d use vinegar

Find recipes here:

Kombucha Marinade

Whole Grain Kombucha Mustard

Kombucha Salad Dressing

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 18:16:57 GMT

Not just a salad dressing- great for marinades and added to dips too!

Ingredients:

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup kombucha (the stronger the better)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. mustard (or better yet, kombucha mustard!)
1/2- 1 tsp. onion or garlic powder (or a mix of the two, to taste)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tbsp. honey (optional)
1/2 tsp. dry or 1 tbsp. fresh herbs of your choice (or a combination)- parsley, thyme,
oregano, basil, tarragon, etc.
dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients but olive oil. Using a whisk or immersion blender, slowly drizzle the oil in while blending, until fully incorporated.
Store in refrigerator for up 6 months.

Sourdough Bagel Recipe

Wed, 03 May 2023 19:34:10 GMT

Ingredients

1¼ cups warm water (254 grams)

1½ tablespoons honey (40 grams)
⅔ cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly (110 grams, fed at 100% hydration)
4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (500 grams)
2½ teaspoons salt (14 grams)

Instructions

Melt the honey in the warm water then stir in the starter until combined. Add in the flour and salt then mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the dough until it becomes smooth. If using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment this will take about 4-6 mins on the lowest speed or knead by hand.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until it has increased by about 50% (about 8-12 hours, depending on the room temperature).
After rising, turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball by pulling the dough to the center and pinching it closed, making the surface of the ball as smooth as possible. Poke a hole through the center of the ball and gently pull into a bagel shape. Place the formed bagels on parchment paper (cut the parchment paper into individual pieces for each bagel to make it easier to transfer into boiling water later). Cover and let rise until the bagels become puffy (about 1-3 hours).
Boil about 6 cups of water in a pot and stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar. Preheat the oven to 425°F with the rack in the center of the oven and with a pan of water to create steam as the oven heats up.
After rising, boil the bagels for 30 secs to 1 min on each side (the longer the bagel is boiled, the less it will rise in the oven and the chewier the bagel will be).
Place on a baking sheet after boiling.
Remove the pan of water from the preheated oven and bake the bagels for about 14-16 mins, until they are lightly brown.

Notes:

*We highly recommend using the mass to measure ingredients as this is most accurate when baking*

*100% hydration means that an established starter is fed 1 gram of water for every 1 gram of flour*

*Sourdough starter is active and ready to use when a small amount floats in water*

Sourdough Pizza Crust

Wed, 03 May 2023 19:34:09 GMT

Ingredients

¼- ⅓ cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly (50 grams, fed at 100% hydration)
¾ cup water (175 grams)
1 teaspoon olive oil (5 grams)
1 teaspoon salt (5 grams)
2¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (260 grams)
Cornmeal

Instructions

Mix together starter, water, oil, and salt. Add flour and combine until all flour is hydrated. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for 30 mins.
After resting, stretch and fold the dough: first, moisten fingers to prevent sticking then take one edge of the dough and pull up then press it back into the center of the dough.
Turn the bowl and repeat with the next edge, continuing until the circle is complete (about 8 folds). Cover the dough again and let rest for another 30 mins.
Stretch and fold the dough for a second time using the same technique. If time allows, stretch and fold the dough a third time after another 30 min resting period.
Cover and let the dough rise until almost doubled in size (about 8-12 hours).
After rising, gently turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. If you wish to divide the dough now would be the time to do so. Dust the dough with flour then gently shape into a ball (or balls), making the top surface of the ball(s) as smooth as possible.
Place into a lightly oiled bowl(s), cover, and let rise for about 1-2 hours.
Preheat the oven with a pizza stone to 500°F for about 30 mins before baking.
Spread cornmeal over parchment paper and turn the ball of dough out on top. Stretch and pull from the underside of the dough to make a pizza shape. Spread toppings over the pizza then cut the parchment to the edge of the dough.
Transfer to the preheated pizza stone and bake for about 6 mins.
Remove the parchment then bake for another 3-6 mins, until the bottom is crisp to personal preference.

Notes:

*We highly recommend using the mass to measure ingredients as this is most accurate when baking*

*100% hydration means that an established starter is fed 1 gram of water for every 1 gram of flour*

*Sourdough starter is active and ready to use when a small amount floats in water*

Sourdough Sandwich Bread Loaf

Wed, 03 May 2023 19:34:07 GMT

Ingredients

4⅓ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (510 grams)
4 tablespoons salted butter, softened (56 grams)
1 tablespoon sugar (14 grams)
2 teaspoons salt (10 grams)
1¼ cups warm water (280 grams)
1½ teaspoons honey (12 grams)
¼-⅓ cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly (50 grams, fed at 100% hydration)

Instructions

Dissolve the honey into the warm water then stir in the starter until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, butter, sugar, and salt. Add in the liquids and stir until all the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl and let rest at room temp for 30 mins.
After resting, knead the dough for about 6 mins using the dough hook attachment in a stand mixer or by hand. The dough should be smooth and tacky. Place in a covered bowl and let rise overnight, until almost doubled in size (about 8-12 hours).
Once risen, gently turn onto a lightly floured surface and let rest for about 8 mins.
Prepare a buttered 9” by 5” loaf pan.
Gently pull the dough into a rectangular shape, roll the rectangle into a log then tuck both ends of the log underneath. Clean the surface of excess flour. Make the top surface of the log as smooth as possible by pulling excess dough toward the underside of the log using hands and bench scraper. Once shaped, the log can be placed in the 9”x5” loaf pan.
Cover and let rise until puffy (about 3 hours).
Preheat the oven to 500°F. When bread goes in, lower the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for about 35-40 mins or until the top of the bread is browned. Let the loaf rest in the pan for about 15 mins before removing and let the loaf cool completely before slicing.

Notes:

*We highly recommend using the mass to measure ingredients as this is most accurate when baking*

*100% hydration means that an established starter is fed 1 gram of water for every 1 gram of flour*

*Sourdough starter is active and ready to use when a small amount floats in water*

Kombucha Marinade

Wed, 03 May 2023 19:26:02 GMT

Try it with meats, veggies, tempeh, tofu & more.

A great way to use extra strong Kombucha!

Ingredients:

Kombucha- the stronger the better!
Oil of your choice- high smoke point oils are best
Garlic- minced fresh or powder
Onion- minced fresh or powder
Salt- not too much, it can cause meat to dry out (more can be added during cooking)
Black pepper
Chile flakes

Instructions:

Use 1 part Kombucha to 3 parts oil. All other ingredients are to taste. You’ll need ½ cup marinade per
pound of meat or veg.

Optional additions:

Smoked Salt or Liquid Smoke
Lemon or Other Citrus Juice
Dried or Fresh Herbs- Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Bay Leaf
Paprika
Celery Seed
Turmeric- adds color as well as anti-inflammatory properties
Worcestershire
Ginger

Marination times:

Veggies 15 to 30 minutes
Seafood 15 minutes to 1 hour (not too long, it can become mushy).
Poultry 30 minutes to 1 hour
Other meats 30 minutes to overnight

Tips:

Always marinate in the refrigerator.
Don’t reuse marinade if used with meat.
Don’t marinate in a metal container.

Apple Cinnamon Water Kefir

Wed, 03 May 2023 19:18:46 GMT

Ingredients

4 cups finished water kefir (grains removed)
1 cup unfiltered apple cider (or to taste)
1/4 cinnamon stick

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a jar with an airtight lid.
Let sit at room temperature for 2 days.
Remove cinnamon stick and refrigerate. It will keep for quite awhile, but will taste best when consumed within a couple of weeks.

*Caution- when doing a second fermentation, contents can sometimes become a bit explosive. If it's excessively warm, or if there isn't enough headspace, your jar can blow it's top. Monitor the lid- if it starts to bulge a bit, open & close the lid to burp the excess gases. A kitchen towel draped over the top can be added insurance in case of an eruption.

Getting Started: An Introduction to Cultures

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 20:18:58 GMT

Welcome to the world of cultures! There's much to learn and the more you learn the more you can experiment yourself. It can be an awful lot to take in all at once, so we decided to make a journal of sorts so that if you're new to this world you can pick and choose which cultures are right for you. If you're already a pro, then there might just be some cool historical information or a fun fact you didn't know. If you still have any questions feel free to ask us at info@nwferments.com, or even better come see us in person at one of our markets or classes. Get Fermented!

Kombucha

Milk Kefir

Water Kefir

Yogurts

Sourdough

Cheese

Tempeh

Buttermilk

Kombucha

Aaah, Kombucha ! The darling of the health food & fermentation world. Kombucha is a fermented, probiotic beverage. It's made by adding a specific beneficial bacteria to sugared tea and allowing it to ferment on your kitchen counter, at room temperature. The otherworldly organism used is commonly referred to as a SCOBY , which stands for a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast . The SCOBY is a thick, slimy disc made of beneficial bacteria and yeasts, knitted together into a cellulose zoogleal mat, similar to a vinegar "mother". It is often referred to as a mushroom, but it really isn't.

The Kombucha SCOBY contains many various beneficial bacteria and yeasts. The bacteria involved usually includes glucan acetobacter xylinus and acetobacter. The yeasts include saccharomyces cerevisiae, brettanomyces bruxellensis, candida stellata, schizo saccharomyces pombe and zygosaccharomyces bailii. These all work harmoniously to improve your digestive health.

Origin

The exact origin of Kombucha is unknown. It's believed to have been cultivated for over 2000 years, and goes by many different names worldwide. It became known in Eastern Russia as early as 1900, and entered Europe from there. It was first mentioned in German literature in 1913. Kombucha hit mainstream culture in the 1990's, when it began to be sold commercially.

Commercial Production

While commercially produced Kombucha is convenient, it's not quite as beneficial as homemade. Store-bought Kombucha is generally pasteurized to lengthen shelf life, which kills much of the good bacteria. It also usually has other sugars and additives added. Making your own not only saves you money, but is fresher, has a higher bacterial content, and allows you to control what goes into it.

Benefits

The nutrients in Kombucha are many, and include enzymes, amino acids, polyphenols, gluconic acid, glycerol, lactic acid, B vitamins, vitamin C, and antioxidants. The benefits include, but aren't limited to, improved digestion, metabolism, and energy, as well as immune system support and detoxification. All of this works to improve your gut health, by populating your digestive tract with beneficial bacteria and yeasts. When first beginning to drink Kombucha, you should ease into it. It can initially have a bit of a diuretic effect, as all the good bacteria begin to evict the bad stuff. But let's face it- many of us could use a good cleaning out! Start slowly, with a small amount each day, until your body is able to tolerate it well. Before you know it, you'll be craving that bubbly elixir. Your gut will let you know!

Process

The process for making Kombucha is fairly simple. All you need is a SCOBY starter culture, a little bit of finished Kombucha, tea, sugar, and water. Dissolve the sugar into steeped tea. When cooled, add the SCOBY and some finished Kombucha. Cover with a coffee filter, paper towel or cloth, and secure with a rubber band. This allows your brew to breathe. Put in a warm place (70-80 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal), out of direct sunlight, where it won't be disturbed. Usually your kitchen counter is fine. If your house tends to run cooler, think about finding a warmer “microclimate”- on your refrigerator or near an electrical appliance, or wrap a towel around the jar to insulate it. A glass container is ideal for culturing. Never use metal when working with Kombucha. It doesn't play nicely with your SCOBY. Allow this concoction to ferment until it tastes to your liking. Length of time depends on the size of your container, temperature, and how strong you like your brew. It will ferment quicker with higher temperatures, and will become stronger (more tart) with longer fermentation. A quart-sized jar will take about a week, and a gallon sized jar 3-4 weeks. Taste it as you go- it's finished when it no longer tastes like sweet tea, and when the flavor is right for you. Longer fermentation time reduces the sugar content, as the process converts the sugar to glucuronic acid. Kombucha does contain a trace amount of alcohol, usually .5- 1%. Not enough to be concerned about, but those with allergies or intolerance to alcohol should be aware of this.

Ingredients

Choose your ingredients carefully. The water you use should be non-chlorinated, non-fluoridated, and chemical-free. High mineral content is not necessary, as it is with Water Kefir . In fact, too many minerals can interfere with your SCOBY . Filtered water is fine, or you can also remove any chemicals by “off-gassing”. To “off gas” your tap water, fill a container with water and cover lightly with a breathable cover, then allow it to sit for 24 hours. The chemicals in the water will be removed through evaporation. Black tea is the best for Kombucha . Green tea works and creates a lighter-flavored product, but the SCOBY does like black tea best. You want to use a true tea leaf, not an herbal, flavored, or decaffeinated tea. Flavored teas often use oils for flavoring and the decaffeination process usually involves the use of chemicals. You can, however, experiment with using various teas once you have a backstock of extra SCOBYs. Opt for organic tea to avoid any unwanted chemicals or additives. Regular sugar works best when making your brew. We use evaporated cane sugar. It's a minimally processed form of white sugar. As with your tea, organic is always best. Honey, agave, stevia or artificial sweeteners are not recommended, but you can experiment with alternative sugars once you have extra SCOBYs to spare. Once your Kombucha is ready, you may notice that you now have two SCOBYs! Did we mention that you get a new baby with each fermentation? You can potentially keep making Kombucha indefinitely- how awesome is that? It's a good idea to keep the newest starter, or baby (usually the one on top) for your next batch. This will be the freshest culture. Extra SCOBYs can be shared with friends, used for experimentation, or saved as backup. Be careful not to become a hoarder, though. We know a few people (not mentioning any names) that have one or more jars of SCOBY “hotels” hiding in their refrigerators. Read on for other ideas about using extras. Start your next batch following the same process. Be sure to reserve some finished Kombucha to include with your sugared tea and SCOBY. This is an important element that creates the proper environment needed and helps ensure success.

Second Fermentation

The finished Kombucha can be enjoyed as is, added to juice or tea, or flavored using a second fermentation. To do a second fermentation: add fruit (almost any kind- preferably organic, washed, and cut into pieces, if necessary), or juice to the Kombucha . Cover with an airtight lid this time. A canning lid and ring are fine, if using a canning jar. Place on the counter at room temperature for another day or two. The addition of fruit or juice (sugar) starts the fermentation process again, creating carbon dioxide gases and infusing your brew with flavor. With an airtight lid, the gases can't escape. They build up and create natural carbonation. Use caution, though. Monitor your container. Watch for any buckling of the lid, and don't leave it sitting for too long. The contents can sometimes build up too much pressure and become slightly explosive. Don't let this scare you off from experimentation, though. Just make sure you use a sturdy container, choose your location strategically (for easier cleanup), and drape a towel over the top for semi-containment. If you do see buckling of the lid, unscrew the lid a bit to release some pressure. When the second fermentation is finished (one or two days is usually sufficient), strain out fruit (optional) and refrigerate to stop the process. It will keep for a very long time refrigerated. Add the used fruit to a smoothie or other recipe.

Mold?

If, during the process, you ever encounter mold, throw it out and start again. The incidence of this is very rare, and usually is caused by failure to follow the directions properly. Ingredients chosen, ratio of ingredients, and culturing temperature are very important.

Taking a Break

If you find that you need to take a break from production, place your SCOBY in some fresh sugared tea, cover with a solid lid, and put it in the refrigerator. This will slow down the fermentation process and put your baby to “sleep” until you're ready to start again. Remember that this is a live organism and will eventually need to be fed, so don't neglect for too long. This being said, these cultures are usually pretty resilient and tend to bounce back from all kinds of abuse. It may take a batch or two before the flavor is right, as the SCOBY has to wake back up and get going again.

Uses

Besides drinking, liquid Kombucha can also be used in dressings, marinades, or anywhere you would use vinegar. Both liquid and SCOBY can used to supplement your pet's diet. Add it to their feed to boost their probiotic intake. Pets can have digestive issues too, and chickens go nuts for SCOBYs! We make a delicious SCOBY candy, and folks are even drying it to make a leather substitute. This is another great chance to use your imagination with experimentation! If you haven't tried this gut-healing, system-regulating Superfood yet, it's time. See what all the fuss is about:)

Milk Kefir

Kefirs

Kefir is a fermented probiotic beverage made by adding "grains" to either milk or sugar water, and allowing to culture at room temperature for 18-48 hours. The term "grains" is used, but they really are gelatinous colonies of beneficial bacteria and yeast. There are two varieties of kefir grains: Milk Kefir and Water Kefir . They may have the same last name, but they are different organisms with very different appearances, yet possess similar probiotic properties.

What is Milk Kefir?

The more commonly known variety is Milk Kefir . The grains used are whitish colored, gelatinous globs that have an appearance similar to cauliflower. Milk Kefir can also be made with a direct-set Kefir Starter , without the use of grains. This is a powdered starter culture, made for single use. This can be convenient, as it doesn't require the maintenance of grains. The kefir can often be used to culture a second or third batch, but will eventually stop working. Actual kefir grains are preferable, as they are reusable, shareable, and produce a kefir with a much higher beneficial bacteria count.

Benefits

Milk Kefir is a slightly thickened, pleasantly sour and effervescent drink. It is the Superman of dairy cultures, with an even higher bacterial count than yogurt. It contains 30 different types of beneficial microbes, along with: vitamins A, B2, B12, D, K, protein, folic acid, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphate, and iron. Kefir actually colonizes the intestinal tract with good bacteria. It stimulates the immune system, boosts your metabolism, and has antimicrobial properties. 80 percent of your body's immune system is in your digestive tract. Research has shown that Milk Kefir can suppress the growth of pathogens and inhibit the growth of E coli. Those with lactose intolerance often find that they can tolerate Milk Kefir better than other dairy products. This is because the lactose in the milk is converted by the good bacteria, through fermentation, to lactic acid. Lactic acid soothes and heals the gut lining. The grains basically predigest the lactose for you!

Origin

There is much folklore about the origination of Milk Kefir . It's believed to have been discovered thousands of years ago by shepherds in the Caucasus Mountains. These shepherds stored their milk in animal skins, commonly goat stomachs (mmm!). Wild yeasts fermented the milk and turned it into a thick, bubbly, nutritious drink that provided the shepherds with energy & sustenance. The grains that eventually formed became a well guarded secret, considered to have magical healing powers. The secret was kept until the early 20th century, when a Russian spy "acquired" some. From there, the secret was out, and its use spread through Eastern Europe and the rest of the world.

Commercial Production

While commercially available Milk Kefir is convenient, and better than none at all, it is not ideal. The techniques used don't allow for the high bacterial content that is found in home made kefir. Most of these kefirs are not made with actual grains, but the powdered Kefir Starter . This makes it easier to get a more uniform product, which is needed in commercial production, but creates a less optimal product. It is not allowed to culture as long, for fear of a slight alcoholic content developing, which is not permitted legally. It is also pasteurized, to stop the fermentation process and allow for longer shelf life. Pasteurization kills the good bacteria you're trying to cultivate, so it kinds of defeats the purpose.

Process

To make your own milk kefir, the process is fairly simple. With live kefir grains, you add them to your milk (cow is good, and they particularly like goat's milk) in a glass jar. Cover with a coffee filter, cloth, or paper towel, and secure with a rubber band. The grains need to breathe, but this will also keep anything unwanted out. Allow to culture at room temperature (70-77 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal) for 18 to 24 hours. The length of time needed depends on the temperature of the room, the ratio of grains to milk, and your preferred taste. The longer you allow the mixture to ferment, the more tart and tangy it will become. Longer fermentation will also lead to a higher bacterial count. It is ready when it has thickened. It will be slightly gelatinous, effervescent, and will have a pleasantly sour, yeasty smell. Taste it along the way as you experiment and play around to find the right flavor for you. With longer fermentation, your kefir may separate (the whey from the milk solids). This is fine, just stir or shake to mix it back up. When the kefir is finished, strain or remove the grains from the finished kefir. Stirring first will help make it easier to strain. Be sure to use a plastic strainer and a plastic or wooden spoon, as metal can interfere with the bacteria. Place your grains in fresh milk and start the process again. Your finished kefir can then be enjoyed!

Too many grains?

Over time, your grains will grow and increase in volume. Don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed. They can be shared with friends, pulsed in the food processor, or added to smoothies or other recipes for a super dose of probiotics.

Taking a break

If you go on vacation or need to take a break from maintenance, your grains can be placed in fresh milk, covered with a lid, and refrigerated. It will continue to ferment, but at a much slower rate. Don't neglect them for too long, though. Remember that they're living organisms and will eventually need to "eat" again! When you're ready to start them back up, take them out of the refrigerator and place them in fresh milk and follow the same fermentation process. After refrigeration, it may take a couple of batches for the flavor to be right again.

New to Milk kefir?

We recommend that you ease into the consumption of Milk Kefir if it is new to you. It's powerful, beneficial bacteria can initially cause a diuretic, "cleaning out" effect. This happens as the good bacteria begins to populate the gut, killing off toxins as it procreates. Start with a small amount daily, then increase as your tolerance allows. Your body will eventually begin to crave it, and the wonderful feeling in your gut after drinking it!

Uses

The uses for your finished kefir are practically endless. It can be enjoyed plain or used in smoothies, dips, and sauces. It can be used to replace Buttermilk or sour cream in recipes for baking. It makes a great kefir ice cream or tenderizing marinade for meats. It can be strained through cheesecloth or a yogurt bag to remove the whey (which has many uses itself) and flavored to make a kefir cheese, similar to cream cheese. Milk kefir can also be added to your animal's diet. Animals often have digestive issues too. Watch them go nuts when you mix a little with their regular feed!

Water Kefir

What Is It?

Water Kefir grains, aka “Tibicos”, are gelatinous, crystal-like globs of beneficial bacteria and yeast contained in a polysaccharide biofilm matrix (say that five times fast;). Although they are called "grains", they aren't really so. They grow in sugar water, and turn into a wonderfully bubbly probiotic beverage. Water Kefir is gaining popularity next to it's distant cousin, Kombucha . It has a sweeter, milder, less vinegary flavor than Kombucha, and is a bit more palatable for children and folks who don't enjoy Kombucha. It's also a quicker fermentation process- only 48 hours. It's basically probiotic soda pop!

Benefits

The beneficial bacteria and yeast in the Water Kefir grains eat the sugars, converting the glucose to glucuronic and other acids, thus reducing the end sugar content. This fermentation process produces beneficial bacteria, yeasts, and acids, along with enzymes, B and K vitamins. Water Kefir typically contains a variety of good bacteria, including: lactobacillus, streptococcus, pediococcus, bacillus, acetobacter and leuconostoc. The beneficial yeasts associated are saccharomyces, zygotorulaspora florentina, lachancea, hanseniaspora and others. All of these wonderful byproducts help to get your gut in proper working order by balancing your internal flora and improving digestion. This in turn helps your overall health- by assisting your immune system, metabolism, and suppressing pathogens. Water Kefir is a great option for those avoiding dairy that still want to incorporate healthy bacteria into their diets. When first introducing it to your regimen, start slowly, with a small amount each day. It can initially have a bit of a diuretic effect, as the good stuff starts to populate your gut, evicting toxins on the way. Increase quantities as your body adjusts. Eventually your gut will begin to crave it!

Origin

Water Kefir is found worldwide, using many different names. No two cultures are exactly alike, much like we humans. Exact content of bacteria and yeast vary according to geographical areas, methods, etc. Some scientists believe that Tibicos originally formed on the pads of a specific cactus found in Mexico. These hard granules were discovered and rehydrated in sugar water, then cultivated and reproduced.

Commercial Production

Water Kefir is starting to pop up on store shelves, but it is not always ideal. While convenient, and better than not having any at all, it is not always made with true live grains. Sometimes other bacteria and yeast are used to mimic the flavor of genuine water kefir, or some of the finished product is used for culturing instead of the actual grains. This results in a much lower bacterial content. Store bought kefir is also usually pasteurized to allow for longer shelf life which- you guessed it- kills the good stuff.

Ingredients

Making your own Water Kefir is fairly simple. Begin with your starter culture and ingredients. If you don't have access to live grains, dehydrated grains work equally well. They just need to be rehydrated, which is easily done. Fresh, hydrated grains are then added to sugar water. Opt for water that is chlorine and fluoride-free, ideally with a higher mineral content. Do not use distilled water, as all of the minerals have been removed. Spring water is excellent, or you can allow tap water to "off gas" (fill a container and let it sit at room temperature, covered with a coffee filter or towel, for about 24 hours. This dissipates the chemicals through evaporation). As for sugar- the least processed, the better. Cane sugar is most appealing, creating a lighter, clearer, more easily-flavored beverage. But less refined sugars (rapadura, turbinado, sucanat) contain more minerals (which help the grains thrive) and add a more molasses-like flavor. A combination of sugars can also be used, to add minerals but make a lighter product. Do not use artificial sweeteners such as stevia or sucralose. Also, do not use agave or honey. If you feel your kefir is mineral deficient, unsulphured dried fruits (such as raisins or figs) can be added, or a liquid mineral supplement is available to boost your mineral content. We also don't recommend growing the grains directly in juice, unless you have enough excess grains for experimentation. Juices will eventually begin to break down your grains.

Process

Heat a small amount of your water, and mix with the sugar in a jar until thoroughly dissolved. Then add the rest of your water, and stir again. When safely at room temperature, add your Water Kefir grains. Cover with a coffee filter, or other breathable lid, and secure with a rubber band. Allow to culture at room temperature. 70-78 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal, but they're fairly tolerant and will accept temperatures a bit higher or lower. If your house tends to run cool, think of a place that might be a tad warmer. A "micro climate"- maybe on top of your refrigerator or near another appliance, or wrapped with a towel. With fresh grains, it will take 48 hours- give or take, to your taste. If rehydrating, the process will take a bit longer- between 3 and 5 days. It is ready when it no longer tastes like plain sugar water, is bubbly, has a pleasantly yeasty smell, and a slightly sweet-tart flavor. The longer you let it culture, the more sugar will have fermented out, and the more good bacteria will develop. When it is to your liking, remove the grains by straining them through a plastic strainer and reserving the finished product. Do not use metal when working with cultures, as it will interfere with the bacteria. These grains are reusable, and with the right care, will continue to make kefir for years to come. Over time, your grains usually will multiply. If you find that you've got too many, share with a friend, or grind them up in your smoothies for a real blast of probiotics. You can even use the grains or finished product to jump-start your vegetable ferments! After straining the grains out, make fresh sugar water and add them to it, repeating the process for your next batch. The finished Water Kefir can then be enjoyed as is or flavored to your liking. It can be mixed with juice, tea, or flavored with a second fermentation.

Taking a Break

If you go on vacation and can't find a sitter, or feel you need a break from making Water Kefir , you can put the grains in fresh sugar water and refrigerate. This will slow down the fermentation process and kind of put them to sleep. Don't leave them refrigerated for too long, though- remember that they're living organisms and eventually will need to be fed! When you bring them back out, put them in fresh sugar water. It may take a couple of batches for them to wake up fully, and for the kefir to get back to the right taste.

Second Fermentation

With a second fermentation, you will add fresh fruit (washed and cut into pieces), ginger, herbs, juice, or any combination of the above. You're only limited by your imagination! Seal tightly with a canning jar lid and ring, or other airtight seal. Then allow to ferment for another day or two at room temperature. But be careful- these contents can become explosive! Make sure that the container you are using is made of strong, durable glass to prevent shattering. Consider draping a towel over your jar, and placing it strategically in case of an eruption. Basically what's happening is this: the addition of more sugars (fruit, etc.) jump-starts the fermentation process again, giving off carbon dioxide gases. These gases are trapped by the tight seal, producing natural carbonation while infusing flavor into your kefir. Keep an eye on your jar. If you see any buckling of the lid, loosen it a tad to allow some of the gases to escape. Once you feel your flavored Water Kefir is ready, refrigerate to slow the fermentation process. The finished kefir will keep for a long time if refrigerated. If you haven't yet tried this delicious beverage, please do- you won't be sorry!

Yogurts

Do you love Yogurt and its probiotic benefits? Why not make your own? It's easy, fun, will save you money, and help keep your gut healthy! You also can control what goes into it- commercial yogurts often contain sweeteners, thickeners, and other unwanted additives.

What’s In It? What Are It’s Benefits?

Yogurt is produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk. The yogurt culture, or starter, contains beneficial bacteria- most commonly lactobacillus delbrueckii- subspecies bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilic bacteria. The fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on the protein in milk to create its texture and characteristic tanginess. Cow's milk yogurt is most common- but goat, sheep, mare, camel, yak, and water buffalo milks are also used (where available and palates are willing). Yogurt is a great source of Vitamin B12, riboflavin, selenium, phosphorus, protein, and a host of other nutrients. And don't forget about that beneficial bacteria that can help protect you from all kinds of health issues. Everything starts with your gut health. Digestive, skin, and even mental disorders can be helped by having healthy flora in your system. Those that are lactose intolerant sometimes find that they can tolerate yogurt better than other dairy products. This is because the lactose has been converted to lactic acid by the good bacteria.

Origin

The exact origin of Yogurt is not known, but it's believed to have begun in Mesopotamia around 5,000 BC. It is likely that the earliest yogurts were a result of milk fermenting spontaneously with wild bacteria when being stored in bags made of goat stomachs. Delicious!

Commercial Production

Commercial production of Yogurt began in 1919 in Barcelona, Spain. This company later expanded to the US, and now goes by the name Dannon. Yogurt came into popularity in the 1950's-60's when it was deemed a health food, and is now an important staple in many American diets. While convenient, mass-produced yogurts often contain a laundry list of unwanted additives: thickeners, stabilizers, dyes, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, sugar, carrageenan, gelatin, pectin, pesticides, and a lovely defoaming agent used during the fermentation process, to name a few. Needless to say, making your own yogurt can ease your mind about what you're putting into your body and those of your family

Second Fermentation

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 23:00:38 GMT

So you've made Kombucha or Water Kefir. Now what? Of course, you can drink it as is, but you can make it even more delicious with a second fermentation! Be sure to remove your grains or SCOBY and start them in a fresh batch of sugared water or tea. The finished product is what you're going to flavor.

Directions:

You can use fresh fruit or juice. Be sure to wash your fruit well (organic is always preferable). Cut your fruit into chunks or slices. More surface area will help the flavor infuse faster. If using blueberries, crush them a bit first to crack the outer skin. Use 1 to 2 cups of fruit, depending on the flavor level you'd like. If using juice, add a cup or more. The more juice you add, the less you will taste the Kombucha or Kefir. This can be to your taste, depending on how tart you want your finished product.
Add the fruit or juice, then seal tight with a canning lid or other airtight lid. This will allow the carbon dioxide gases to build up as the fermentation begins again, creating more bubbles. Be sure to allow a couple inches of head space- this will reduce the chances of a volcanic eruption.
Place the jar on your counter for another 2 days, at about 70-80 degrees. Keep an eye on it- if you see the lid start to bulge, unscrew it to release some of the pressure, then reseal. On the rare occasion, if left too long or the temperature is high, carbonation can build up too much & become mildly explosive. You can drape a kitchen towel over the top of the jar for extra insurance. After a couple of days, your delicious elixir will be ready. Be careful when you open the finished product- it can become very fizzy, even more so than soda pop. Store in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process. Enjoy as is, or add to alcohol for a not-so-guilty cocktail!

Flavoring Ideas:

strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries (or a mix of several)
citrus slices
ginger slices
pineapple chunks or slices mango
peaches, nectarines, apricots
grape juice
pineapple juice
raw jalapeno slices
herbs- basil, thyme, lavender

The possibilities are endless, use your imagination!

Using Rejuvelac to Make Dairy-Free Vegan Sour Cream

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 18:12:13 GMT

**Please note that the stew picture is NOT vegan - the sour cream however is, as we are a dairy free family.

Continuing with the wonders of culturing with rejuvelac, we move on to Vegan "Sour Cream" again, the recipe being found in Miyoko Schinner's book Artisan Vegan Cheese, which I know by now you've finally secured and drooled over. RIGHT?

Sour cream without all the fuss and junk found at the grocery store? Yep, you can do it, with cashews, water, rejuvelac, and sea salt. And a blender. And a regular mouth mason jar (no need for a big ole bulky blender cup!). Can't you just taste the sourdough bread dipped in your soup or stew, topped with sour cream?

So just like the cashew cheese, you'll soak the cashews in water for just 3-8 hours.

Drain. Then blend the cashews with the rejuvelac and salt until it's pretty smooth and creamy.

Then culture for 48 hours, somewhere fairly warm (avoid a granite countertop in the fall/winter!).

After 48 hours, it's ready now or

or you can strain it just like yogurt or kefir to get it thicker.

Oops, strained a bit too long, over 3 hours. Looks a bit more like cream cheese, and I could have left it as is, but I really wanted sour cream to go with dinner.

I mixed in a bit of the drained liquid, and it was just right!

It should last 2 weeks in the fridge, but it disappears into our tummies pretty fast so never a worry about it going bad! Isn't fermenting, FABULOUS? Get fermented!

Using Rejuvelac for Cashew Cheese and Chevre

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 18:12:06 GMT

by Jerri

Remember the previous article on rejuvelac? Did you seek out Miyoko Schinner's Artisan Vegan Cheese book yet? Get ready for a scrumptious kick for your yummy sourdough bread creations!

Cashew "cheese" or one step farther as "chevre" is an absolute delight for those of us who cannot have dairy, or are living a vegan lifestyle. Here's a brief overview, but you'll have to check out Schinner's book to get recipes. She's amazing, and there are more recipes you'll want to try out anyway!

Let's talk about how to get to the filling pictured below:

Although the œcheese has a sour flavor, the œchevre is all the more intense with its added nutritional yeast, salt and aging time. In the coconut biscuits above (which you could make using our Gluten Free Sourdough Starter), the chevre was fantastic. We have also mixed chevre in with our dull soups and stews for the tang!

You'll start by soaking your cashews, only for 3-8 hours or they will get slimy, and thus useless.

Drain the liquid and put the cashews in your blender or food processor. You'll be adding a tiny bit of salt along with your already-made rejuvelac.

Blend away. Yes, I am blending directly in a regular mouth mason jar! Neatest shortcut EVER.

It should look like this:

You'll culture this for about 1½ days, in a warm spot (avoid the cold granite countertop). Refrigerate at least 8-12 hours, and it's ready to enjoy as œcheese.

However, if you want some additional yumminess...

add more salt and nutritional yeast for an aging period in your fridge. The longer you age, the tastier it is! It will last a few a few weeks total, so be sure to write the date on your jars.

You are ready for sandwiches, toast, soups, and anything needing some pizazz. Hurry up and Get Fermented!

What is Rejuvelac?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 18:12:00 GMT

by Jerri

Rejuvelac is a fermented drink, typically made from the liquid of sprouted wheat berries. Other grains can be used, including gluten-free grains like my favorite, quinoa.

This drink has only been around since the 80s, when a health enthusiast, Ann Wigmore, introduced it to the raw foodie world, but it certainly ranks up there with drinks like the age-old beet kvass or kombucha. Now I am not a fan of how it tastes, despite its "good for me" qualities. But I am a HUGE fan of how awesome it is at culturing cashews in order to make a soft "cheese" or even "sour cream." It's delicious on foods like breads made with our sourdough starters, or on a variety of taco salads or burritos.

The first time I heard of making these vegan cheeses was in Miyoko Schinner's book Artisan Vegan Cheese. You won't be sorry to have this book grace your collection, so go find it!

So let's talk about the basic recipe to first make rejuvelac as the drink. In another article we'll look at the basics for the cheesey stuff (but I encourage you to check out Schinner's book, as I can't divulge her recipe).

For glutinous grains: Soak 1 cup of grains ("berries") for 24 hours “ fill the jar about 2/3 full of water after the grains are in there. You can use a sprouting container, or just make sure the top of your jar is only covered with a cloth/rubber band, not a solid lid.

Drain the water, and rinse the grains two to three times a day until they sprout. You just need a tiny tail to sprout, not a long one!

Once sprouted, put them in a large jar that will accommodate the berries plus 4 cups of water. Again, cover with a cloth so it's breathable. You'll leave it for two to three days to ferment. When it is done, you'll see the liquid is cloudy and there will be bubbles (see the photo of all the bubbles I had with quinoa!). It will be sour tasting as well, and generally lasts about a week.

You can make more rejuvelac with the same berries immediately, but because they are already fermented, it should only take 1 day or so to make that batch.

For quinoa: Cover 1 cup of quinoa in a jar with water “ filling the jar to 2/3 full should be plenty. Let sprout 8-12 hours, until you see the tails on the tiny grains. If you don't see the tails, you might try moving it somewhere warmer, but you'll want to drain it and then add enough water to just moisten things. Try again for 8-12 hours.

Once you see it has sprouted, split the quinoa into half. Put each half into its own quart jar. Add 3 cups water per jar, and cover again with a cloth. Culture for 2 days in a warm spot (it's super helpful to be at least 70ºF). I had an extremely hard time this fall maintaining the temp, so I had to put it on top of my running dehydrator:

Just like the gluten counterpart, the liquid will be cloudy/bubbly/tangy. Strain the liquid off and you can drink it as isor save it for some vegan cheese. Either way, it will be good for you!

**Interesting to note, most recipes say rejuvelac lasts only a week, but Miyoko Schinner says it can last several weeks. With this last batch, I tried to use it after 2 weeks, and my sour cream had grey mold on top. Blech. I tossed that and the rejuvelac. It's better to just start over! But whatever you do, just smell and perhaps do a tiny taste test before fully consuming or using! It helps to label the jar with the date.

I always try to use up the grains when the fermenting is over. With quinoa I add a little less water than called for, and cook until it looks like it's done “ some days they look like loose grains, and other days it looks like mush. In either case, they are super tangy and tasty, and they end up in my reheated leftovers to give them some kick and life!

Fermented Garlic Carrots

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:40:01 GMT

Visiting the farmer's market each week is a great way to get motivated for fermenting vegetables. Here in Portland, Oregon, my local market is already filled with so many vegetables, it's difficult to choose just one! However, I prefer to keep things simple, so this week, I'm going for fermented carrots.

Fermented carrots are a wonderful, kid-friendly snack, and they take almost no time to put together. Garlic adds wonderful flavor, as do many herbs, such as thyme or rosemary. Today, however, I am keeping it simple, so just garlic cloves for a little added kick.

Getting started, Get Fermented

I assemble everything I need:

Carrots
Garlic cloves, peeled
Sea salt
Filtered water
Measuring cup and spoons
Pint jar

The first step is to measure out the sea salt and dissolve it in the unchlorinated water. The general rule is to use 1-3 tablespoons salt per quart water , adjusted to your personal taste. I like things salty, so I am using 3 tablespoons in 1 quart of water.

Next, wash and chop the carrots. Remember that you want all the carrots to ferment at about the same rate, so chop them into pieces of about the same length and thickness. No need to get out a measuring tape, just estimate. Keep it simple!

Once the carrots are chopped and ready, it's time to pack them into the jar.

Fermenting vegetables is quite easy and doesn't have many rules, but there is one big one:

Keep everything completely submerged in the salt water!

An easy way to do this with carrot sticks is to pack them in the jar standing up, to pack them in pretty tightly, which holds them down and keeps the carrot sticks from floating. Pack the peeled garlic cloves in with the carrot sticks.

Next, pour the cooled salt water over the carrot sticks until they are completely covered . Be sure to leave a little headspace, as things can expand and bubble a bit during fermentation.

The final step is to cover your jar with a breathable lid, to keep out pests, dust, falling cocoa powder, and other things flying around your kitchen. I like to use a double layer of butter muslin and a rubber band, super easy!

Now let the jar sit in a cool spot for about 2 days. Taste the carrots every day after 2 days of fermenting. If they have a nice sour flavor and are crunchy but not 'raw' crunchy, they're ready! Screw on a tight lid and store them in the fridge. Get Fermenting with fresh veggies from your local market and these handy fermenting supplies!

Sourdough Rye Bread - For Bread Machine (From King Arthur Flour)

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:20:11 GMT

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 large egg
1 cup sourdough starter, fed and active, any variety is fine
1/3 cup water
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white rye flour
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast
4 teaspoons King Arthur Whole-Grain Bread Improver

Instructions

To make the starter: Combine the milk, yeast, and flour. The mixture will be thick. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm (at least 70°F) place for three days, stirring occasionally. The mixture will thin out slightly.
To make the bread: Place all the ingredients into your bread machine bucket in the order recommended by the manufacturer; this recipe is appropriate for 1 1/2-pound to 2-pound machine. Program for basic or white bread, and press start.
Check the dough about 10 minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle; it should be soft and smooth. Adjust the consistency with additional flour or water, as needed.
When the machine completes its cycle, remove the baked bread, and cool it on a rack.
Store bread in a plastic bag for 3 days on the counter; or freeze for up to 3 months.

Gluten Free Sourdough Flatbread (From King Arthur Flour)

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:19:50 GMT

Ingredient s

1 cup gluten-free sourdough starter (active and bubbly)
2 cups gluten-free multi-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large egg
1/2 to 3/4 cups warm water
seeds or topping seasonings (optional)

Instructions

Place the starter into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt; add to the starter. Use an electric mixer (hand or stand) to mix on low speed until just combined.
Add the olive oil, egg, and water, and beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. The batter will have a thick, paste-like consistency.
Allow the dough to rest for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until puffy. The rise won't be dramatic.
Preheat your oven to 500°F. Stir the dough to deflate it. Brush three pieces of parchment paper with olive oil, and set them on three baking sheets.
Using a jumbo cookie scoop (2-tablespoon capacity), portion dough onto the paper and, with oiled hands or pastry roller, flatten it into a 4" to 5" round. Sprinkle with seeds or topping seasonings if desired. Repeat with the remaining dough; you should be able to get about 6 rounds onto each baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet(s) into the oven, or transfer the parchment directly to a preheated pizza stone. Bake for 5 minutes; for crispier breads, bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Cool on a rack; or serve warm from the oven.
Yield: 18 flatbreads.

Whole Wheat and Rye Sourdough Bread (From King Arthur Flour)

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:19:40 GMT

Ingredients

1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 3/4 cups lukewarm milk
2 cups sourdough starter, fed or unfed, any variety is fine
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon whole anise seeds
1 cup white rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

Combine the yeast, milk, sourdough starter, sugar, salt, cardamom, and seeds. Stir in the rye flour and beat until the batter is smooth.
Add the whole wheat flour, then the unbleached all-purpose flour, a cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has formed a shaggy mass, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter.
Knead the dough and add just as much flour as you need to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. The dough should be a little tacky, but not sticky.
Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2to 2 hours.
Gently deflate the dough and place it on a lightly floured counter.
Shape as desired; you can make one huge loaf, three normal loaves, four mini loaves, or about 24 rolls.
Cover the loaves and let them rise for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until they're puffy.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the bread for about 25 minutes, or until the bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.
Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.
Store, well-wrapped, for 3 days on the counter. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Gluten Free Sourdough English Muffins (From King Arthur Flour)

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:19:16 GMT

Ingredients

3/4 cup Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup potato starch
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fed Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter (active and bubbly)
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg

Instructions

Whisk dry ingredients together well.
Add the dry ingredients to the starter and beat until well-blended.
Add the water, oil, and egg to the mixture and beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. The batter should resemble a thick paste.
Cover the bowl and allow the batter to rise for 1 to 2 hours. It won't double in size, but will be noticeably puffy.
Preheat your electric or stove top griddle to a medium heat and lightly spray 6 English muffin rings with oil. You can sprinkle the surface of the griddle inside the rings with cornmeal if desired to help prevent sticking.
When the griddle is hot, divide the batter among the rings; cook until the bottoms are set, then carefully remove the rings.
Cook for 7 to 10 minutes on the first side, then flip over.
Cook for another 7 to 10 minutes, or until the muffins reach an internal temperature of 210°F. Transfer to a rack to cool completely before cutting and/or freezing.
Yield: 6 to 8 muffins.

Strawberry Lemonade Water Kefir

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:18:35 GMT

Ingredients

4 cups finished water kefir (grains removed)
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 strawberries, washed & sliced

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a jar with an airtight lid.
Let sit at room temperature for 2 days.
Refrigerate after 2 day. It will keep for quite awhile, but will taste best when consumed within a couple of weeks.

*Caution- when doing a second fermentation, contents can sometimes become a bit explosive. If it's excessively warm, or if there isn't enough headspace, your jar can blow its top. Monitor the lid - if it starts to bulge a bit, open & close the lid to burp the excess gases. A kitchen towel draped over the top can be added insurance in case of an eruption.

Citrus Water Kefir

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:18:24 GMT

Ingredients

4 cups finished water kefir (grains removed)
3 slices each: orange, lemon, lime (well washed)

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a jar with an airtight lid.
Let sit at room temperature for 2 days.
After 2 days, remove citrus slices and refrigerate (note: citrus peel can add a bitter flavor if left in the water kefir for too long- fruit can also be peeled to avoid this). It will keep for quite awhile, but will taste best when consumed within a couple of weeks.

*Caution - when doing a second fermentation, contents can sometimes become a bit explosive. If it's excessively warm, or if there isn't enough headspace, your jar can blow its top. Monitor the lid- if it starts to bulge a bit, open & close the lid to burp the excess gases. A kitchen towel draped over the top can be added insurance in case of an eruption.

Water Kefir Cream Soda

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:03:57 GMT

Ingredients

4 cups finished water kefir (grains removed)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or to taste)

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a jar with an airtight lid.
Let sit at room temperature for 2 days.
Refrigerate after 2 days. It will keep for quite awhile, but will taste best when consumed within a couple of weeks.

*Caution- when doing a second fermentation, contents can sometimes become a bit explosive. If it's excessively warm, or if there isn't enough headspace, your jar can blow its top. Monitor the lid- if it starts to bulge a bit, open & close the lid to burp the excess gases. A kitchen towel draped over the top can be added insurance in case of an eruption.

Apple Cinnamon Water Kefir (A Second Fermentation)

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:03:42 GMT

Ingredients

4 cups finished water kefir (grains removed)
1 cup unfiltered apple cider (or to taste)
1/4 cinnamon stick

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a jar with an airtight lid.
Let sit at room temperature for 2 days.
Remove cinnamon stick and refrigerate. It will keep for quite awhile, but will taste best when consumed within a couple of weeks.

*Caution- when doing a second fermentation, contents can sometimes become a bit explosive. If it's excessively warm, or if there isn't enough headspace, your jar can blow its top. Monitor the lid- if it starts to bulge a bit, open & close the lid to burp the excess gases. A kitchen towel draped over the top can be added insurance in case of an eruption.

Whole Grain Kombucha Mustard

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:03:35 GMT

Great for sandwiches, dips, meats, and as a base for salad dressings and marinades! A good way to use long-cultured kombucha.

Ingredients

whole mustard seeds (yellow, brown, or a mix of the two)
kombucha (the stronger, the better)
sea salt

Optional Additions

whole garlic cloves
dried or fresh chiles
turmeric root, for color and health benefits
horseradish root
cranberries or other fruit
dried herbs
use your imagination!

Instructions

Use a glass jar large enough to allow for the seeds to expand. Add the seeds to the jar, filling about half full. Add sea salt to taste, about 1/2 tsp. per quart. If using optional additions, add them now. Add the kombucha, filling to about an inch above the seeds. Stir to incorporate.
Cover with a coffee filter or paper towel and secure with a rubber band. Allow to culture at room temperature. This can be anywhere from one week to one month, depending on temperature and desired softness of the seeds. Check the seeds every few days to make sure that they stay submerged. You'll need to add more kombucha as the seeds swell - don't let them dry out on top.
Taste the seeds as they ferment. Your mustard is ready when the seeds are soft and pop when you bite them.
Once your seeds are ready, use a blender or food processor to grind them to your desired consistency. More kombucha or vinegar can be added to thin it out a bit, and more salt can be added if desired. Keeping some of the seeds intact gives the mustard a nice texture.

Store in refrigerator for up to one year.

Basic Soft Cheese Recipe

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:03:10 GMT

Basic Soft Cheese Ingredients:

1-gallon whole milk (not ultra-high temperature pasteurized)
1/4 tsp direct-set flora danica or MA11 mesophilic culture
Sea Salt

Equipment:

Large stockpot
Wooden spoon
Thermometer
Cheesecloth
Colander

1. Heat milk to 86-95F, stirring frequently to ensure even heating. Once proper temperature has been reached, add culture and stir thoroughly.

2. Remove from heat and cover, allowing to rest in a warm place for 24-48 hours. Longer fermentation will remove lactose and increase probiotics, but it's up to you! A 24-hour ferment will make a milder, sweeter cheese. Experiment!

3. After 24-48 hours, allow to drain in a cheesecloth draped over a colander. Save the whey for other projects, if desired. If draining seems slow, add 1 tablespoon of sea salt and make sure the room is at or above 68F. When half of the whey has drained, tie cheesecloth up like a bag and continue to drain for 6-8 hours, or overnight.

4. Taste, and add additional salt, herbs, or flavorings as desired.

Cottage Cheese

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:03:03 GMT

This recipe is adapted from Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll.

Ingredients:

1 quart to 1 gallon milk
1/8 tsp. calcium chloride diluted in 1/4 cup water (if using store-bought milk- may not be
necessary if using raw milk)
1 packet MA11 or Flora Danica direct-set mesophilic culture
1-2 tbsp. heavy cream (optional, for creamier texture)
cheese salt (optional)
herbs (optional)
chopped fresh fruit (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the milk to 72° F, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. If using calcium chloride, add it now.
Remove from heat. Add the starter and mix thoroughly. Cover & let set, trying to maintain 72° F (wrap a towel around pot to insulate if necessary). Allow to culture for 12-24 hours. (If using raw milk, start checking after 2 hours- also smaller quantities of milk may set faster). When ready, the curd will be soft and custard-like and will pull away from the side of the pan.
Cut the curd into 1/4-inch cubes and let set for 15 minutes, undisturbed.
Put back onto burner. Begin to increase the heat by one degree per minute until it reaches 100° F. Stir gently every few minutes to keep the curds from matting.
Maintain the temperature at 100° F for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Increase the temperature to 112° F over a 15-minute period (a little less than one degree per minute).
Maintain the temperature at 112° for 30 minutes, or until the curds are firm. Test for firmness by squeezing a curd between your thumb & forefinger. If it still has a custard-like consistency inside, it is not ready and should be cooked a little longer.
When the curds are sufficiently cooked, let them settle to the bottom of the pot for 5 minutes.
Pour off the whey. Pour the curds into a colander lined with butter muslin or cheesecloth. Tie the corners of the cloth into a knot. If a less sour cottage cheese is desired, wash the curds by dipping the bag several times into a bowl of cool water.
Let the bag drain for several minutes.
Rinse the bag in a bowl of ice water to cool & place the bag in a colander to drain for about 5 minutes.
Untie the bag & place the curds in a bowl. Break up any pieces that have matted. If desired, stir in the heavy cream to produce a creamier texture.
Add the salt, herbs or fresh fruit to taste, if desired.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Spinach & Ricotta Malfatti

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:02:57 GMT

From Italia Magazine, serves 4 - aka Sue's Ricotta Balls
Ingredients:

520g baby spinach leaves, washed
50g flour ('00' is recommended)
250g ricotta
1 large egg
200g grated parmesan
flakey sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
200g semolina flour
100g butter
a handful of picked sage leaves

Instructions:
Steam the spinach for 3 minutes, then drain away the excess water & chop the leaves very roughly. Set aside.
Mix the flour & ricotta in a large bowl until it resembles lumpy, moist bread crumbs. With a wooden spoon, stir in the egg & 3/4 of the parmesan. Add a good pinch of salt, a decent twist of pepper, the nutmeg & the spinach, and combine everything thoroughly. Form into teaspoon to tablespoon- sized balls and roll in semolina to coat completely. Place on a generously semolina-dusted tray. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
Fill a large pan with cold water and bring to a hearty boil. Drop in the malfatti as quickly as possible, bring back to a boil, then continue to simmer for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter & add the sage leaves. When it bubbles, reduce the heat to very low. The malfatti will float to the surface when they're ready.
Turn off the heat, remove the malfatti with a slotted spoon, being sure to drain off excess water. Evenly distribute onto 4 warmed plates, pour the butter & sage over the top, and, finally, scatter over the remaining parmesan.

Raw Milk Ricotta Cheese

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:02:40 GMT

Ingredients:

1 quart raw milk
3 tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions:

Heat milk to 150°.
Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and cover.
Let culture at room temperature for 3 hours.
Pour into colander lined with butter muslin or cheesecloth and drain off the whey. The more whey removed, the drier it will be.
After straining, store in tightly covered container in refrigerator for up to a week.

Sauerkraut

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:02:29 GMT

Ingredients

1 medium head green cabbage (will produce about a quart)
1 tablespoon non-iodized salt (or to taste)
Quart sized canning jar

Instructions

Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, and slice the cabbage into thin strips (about 1/4″ wide). Everything will ferment at the same pace if the pieces are cut uniformly.
Put 1/2 the cut cabbage in a large bowl, and sprinkle 1/2 of the salt over the top. Then put the rest of the cabbage on top & sprinkle the remaining salt. Toss well to incorporate (clean hands work best).
Let sit for 1 to 2 hours, tossing it again a few times. This allows the salt to start softening the cabbage (less work for you later). Then you can start working it to help release juices. You can use any tool you'd like- wooden spoon, sauerkraut pounder, or better yet your hands! Smash/crush/squeeze it until a good amount of juices are in the bottom of the bowl. Older, drier cabbage can take longer, and could require the addition of brine if enough juices don't accumulate.
Taste the cabbage for saltiness. Once all the salt has incorporated, this is exactly how salty your finished kraut will be. If more salt is needed, sprinkle in a little more & work it in. Just remember- you can add more, but you can't "unsalt" it once it's in there.
When you have plenty of juices, start filling your jar with cabbage. Tamp down as you go, using a wooden spoon, pounder or your fist (don't get your hand stuck!). This will eliminate air pockets. Fill the jar, leaving about 2 inches headspace from cabbage level. There should be enough liquid to cover the cabbage. If not, you can add a little brine (1 tbsp. salt to 1 quart water, dissolved- save remainder for future use) to cover, leaving 1 inch headspace. Keep in mind that this will increase the saltiness. Don't overfill your jar.
While fermenting, be sure that air can't get to your cabbage. Gases need to escape, but air can introduce mold if your cabbage isn't submerged. You can 1) weight it down to keep below liquid, 2) use an airlock, 3) use a canning lid & ring (but DON'T FORGET to burp the jar to release gases daily!).
Allow to ferment at room temp (68 to 78 is ideal) for about 7 days. Taste after 4-5 days, particularly if it's warm weather. It's ready when the crunch is just right for you. The longer it goes, the softer it will be. The warmer it is, the faster it will ferment.
When finished, seal with a tight lid & store in the fridge forever (well, not forever, but up to a year is fine, as long as no mold is present).

Firekraut

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:02:18 GMT

The ingredients of immune-boosting Fire Cider in a delicious spicy kraut. A cup a day will help keep the cooties away! Makes 1 quart.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (remove seeds if you prefer less heat)
2 tsp. burdock, minced or grated
1 tsp. ginger, minced or grated
4 tsp. horseradish, minced or grated
3 tsp. turmeric, minced or grated
1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup carrot, grated or thinly sliced
Note: the above ingredients can be increased or decreased according to taste- the more fiery, the better!
6 cups (one medium sized head) cabbage, thinly sliced & loosely packed
1 Tbsp. non-iodized salt (we use sea salt)

Directions:
Combine all the vegetables in a bowl large enough to accommodate them. Sprinkle with 1/2 Tbsp. of the salt, and mix well to incorporate throughout. Allow to rest for about 30 minutes at room temp.
After resting, add the other 1/2 Tbsp. of salt and mix well. Allow to rest again for another 30 minutes or so. This will allow the vegetables to release some of their juices making your job a little easier.
When the juices begin to accumulate in the bottom of the bowl, use a kraut pounder, tamper or your hands to crush the vegetables and create as much liquid as you can.
Once plenty of juices have developed, pack the vegetables into your jar. Use a pounder or your fist to tamp them down until the vegetables are completely covered with liquid. If there aren't enough juices to cover, some brine can be added to top it off (1Tbsp. salt dissolved in 2 cups water). Place a fermentation weight on top to keep the veggies under the juices, and cover with a coffee filter & rubber band, or other breathable material. If using a hard (airtight) lid, be sure to "burp" the jar daily to allow gases to escape. An airlock can also be used to keep the air out and prevent mold.
Allow to ferment at room temperature (65 to 75 degrees is ideal) for 5-7 days. Taste after 4 days to check texture. It is ready when it has softened a bit, but still has some crunch to it and tastes like sauerkraut. When it's ready, remove the weight or airlock, cover with an airtight lid and refrigerate (unless you choose to eat it all right away!).

Fermented Bloody Mary

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:02:16 GMT

Looking for a fun way to incorporate fermented foods into your next party? Wow your friends with a Fermented Bloody Mary! All the goodness of fermentation, but with a little kick. You can pretty much ferment everything that goes into it - tomatoes, peppers, horseradish, Worcestershire, etc. Brine from your ferments also makes a great addition. Be careful if you add any additional salt - taste it first, as the fermented additions usually are salty enough. Ingredients can be increased or decreased, to your taste. Regular tomato juice can be added to balance out the salt factor, if needed.

Ingredients (for 2)

1 cup fermented, pureed & strained tomatoes (straining is optional)
1/2 tsp. fermented horseradish (store bought will work too)
1/2 tsp. worchestershire sauce (store bought will work too)
1/2 tsp. lime juice (this could be fermented too!)
1/2 tsp. fermented, pureed hot peppers (store bought pepper sauce is fine)
1-2 oz. vodka (more or less, to taste)

Instructions:

Rim a glass with a bit of celery salt (optional), mix ingredients together and pour
glass over ice.
Garnish with a celery stalk and skewered fermented veggies- peppers, carrots, onions, green beans, asparagus, olives- you name it!

Enjoy with friends! Cheers!

Fermented Cucumber Pickles

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:02:07 GMT

Made the traditional way, by allowing cucumbers to ferment in a saltwater brine.

Ingredients

1/2 gallon unwaxed pickling cucumbers, approximately 2-3 pounds
2-3 heads flowering dill
4 large bulbs garlic
4 tablespoons sea salt
2 quarts filtered water (you may have extra brine-save it in the refrigerator for another ferment)

Instructions

Rinse the cucumbers well to remove any dirt or debris (trim away any stems or flowers that might still be connected).
If you’re using cucumbers that aren’t freshly picked, place in your sink or a large bowl with ice cold water. Let set 20-30 minutes. This will crisp them up.
Peel the garlic, and drop it into your fermentation vessel. Then, add the pickling cucumbers and dill.
Create a brine by mixing the salt into the water and stirring until the salt dissolves completely (can be made ahead of time). Pour the brine over the cucumbers, weighting the cucumbers down if needed, and completely submerging all the ingredients. An airlock can also be used to keep air out and inhibit mold.
Allow the cucumbers to ferment for at least 1 week and up to 1 month at room temperature. Taste them every few days, until they achieve the flavor and sourness you like. When ready, remove weights and/or airlock, seal with a tight lid, and refrigerate.

Can be stored 6 months to a year (really longer, if it molds-throw it out!)

Rhubarb Pickles

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:01:56 GMT

This recipe yields about 1 quart of rhubarb pickles. Fermentation time will be approximately 2 weeks.

Ingredients:

5 slender stalks (about 1 inch wide) of rhubarb, leaves removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces (the leaves are toxic, don’t use them)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
3-4 garlic cloves (or to taste)
Room temperature brine (1 Tbsp. of sea salt mixed into 2 c. water until dissolved)

How-To

Place all ingredients except brine into a 1 quart jar.
Pour brine into jar, ensuring that there is enough liquid to submerge your ingredients.
A weight or airlock can be used to keep rhubarb submerged and air out).
Cover and let sit at room temperature for 2 weeks or until desired acidity is achieved

Using an Airlock for Vegetable Fermentation

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:01:45 GMT

Do You Really Need An Airlock for Fermenting?

Fermenting vegetables is a great way to preserve them while adding nutrition and beneficial bacteria to your diet. When fermenting vegetables, you must let the pressure out and not let oxygen into your containers. You can achieve this in a few ways, but the best tool for successful vegetable fermentation is an airlock.

One way to keep air from reaching your veggies is by placing a weight, like our Ceramic Fermentation Weight, to keep them submerged. Another is using an airtight lid and burping the container regularly - sometimes 2 or 3 times a day if it’s hot out. This process is essential so the jar doesn’t explode from the gases produced.

We have found that one of the easiest ways to keep out oxygen while letting the CO2 escape safely is by using an airlock (yes, just like the kind they use for beer and wine making!). This device keeps air from getting in while allowing the gases to escape. An airlock can also help prevent mold and Kahm yeast from forming on your veggies.

How Fermentation Airlocks Work

An airlock, also known as a burping lid or fermentation valve, is a device that sits on top of a fermenting vessel, such as a glass jar or mason jar. Its purpose is to allow the release of carbon dioxide produced during fermentation when the bacteria is gobbling up the sugars while preventing the entry of oxygen and other contaminants.

There are multiple versions of airlocks that you can use. The S-shaped, or bubbler and the three-piece airlock system are the more traditional versions, often used by wine and beer makers. They both use water in their process and are placed in a hole in the lid, usually with some kind of stopper.

Most pickle pipes are silicone, fit in the mason jar rings, and have a one-way release valve. The new kid on the block, and our favorite, the Hop Top, fits wide-mouth jars and developed a system of using liquid but keeps the profile low like pickle pipes.

Using An Airlock For Vegetable Ferments: Step By Step

To use an S-shaped or 3-piece: Remove the small cap at the top of the airlock. Add water to the top of the airlock (fill to the line), and replace the lid. This water creates a barrier that keeps air from getting in. As a result, the gasses produced during fermentation can bubble through the airlock and out. Next, insert the bottom of the airlock into the lid's hole, place the lid on top of the jar, and secure it with the ring.
To use pickle pipes or Hop Top, place the parts between the jar and the lid ring, then tighten.
Be sure to allow some headspace on the top of your jar (1-2 inches).
Allow your veggies to ferment at room temperature. They will ferment faster in warmer weather and when cut into small pieces, so check them for crunch factor within a few days. They're ready when the texture and sourness are to your liking!

Fermenting Sauerkraut or Pickles with an Airlock

Ready to get started fermenting veggies? Here are two recipes we think you’ll enjoy - one for Sauerkraut and another for Fermented Cucumber Pickles. After your jar is empty, save any leftover juices - you can drink them like a gut shot or use them to jump-start your next batch!

Cleaning Fermentation Airlocks

When your fermentations are done, clean the airlocks so they will be ready for when you want to make more probiotic veggies. For pickle pipes and our mason jar airlock, we suggest rinsing them with warm soapy water - making sure to rinse thoroughly so no residue remains.

The S-shaped airlocks are the hardest to clean, while the 3-pieces are easier since they come apart more readily. Soak them for at least a half hour in a bowl of warm/hot soapy water to help break up any gunk that may have collected. Shake to release leftover particles further. Flush with water. You may want to consider sanitizing them too.

Airlock for Vegetable Fermentations is a YES!

Is an airlock necessary for fermentation? It's not a must-have tool, but it makes the process easier and more consistent. You can ferment your vegetables without an airlock, but check on them daily and release the carbon dioxide manually. An airlock eliminates the need for this step, making the process more hands-off.

We love the low-profile lid of the HopTop mason jar airlock we offer - it makes for easy storage and cleaning! The maker of the Hop Top says he based the design on DaVinci inventions. It also fits nicely on a quart or a half-gallon-sized canning jar, making it easy to create smaller batches that tuck right into the fridge when ready.

Rye Sourdough

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:12:10 GMT

by Suzanne

When my children were young, it was easy to maintain the diet I thought best. I am in charge of grocery shopping and cooking, so basically they ate what I put on the table, and it worked really well. We were all healthy and no one knew anything different.

And now, the teen years. As my children get older and more independent, they are discovering all sorts of processed foods, some better than others. And most contain ingredients I would never have chosen for them. But it's time to let them make their own decisions and subtly add in some healthier choices when I can.

We've been avoiding grains for years, but in order to provide some food 'like everyone else's' I have compromised a little. I still avoid most gluten-containing products in our home, but I decided to give rye sourdough a try. Rye is more of an ancient grain, and using a sourdough starter helps to predigest the bread, making it easier on those I'm-a-teen-now-so-I-know-everything tums.

I started with the Danish Rye Sourdough Starter and some organic rye flour. The starter was super easy to use and began bubbling within one day of feeding. I was so excited that I couldn't wait to build up enough starter to make a full loaf of bread.

After a few more days of feeding, the bubbles increased and I did notice a little bit of a strong aroma when I forgot to feed it one day. But the starter recovered nicely, and once it was really active, I decided to give it a try. Look at all those bubbles! After this attempt, I have already learned so much about what an active starter really means. Nevertheless, the bread turned out really ok.

It does feel odd to eat bread again, but dipped in some delicious pumpkin soup, it was amazing! The whole family ate a couple of pieces. And so far, no upset stomachs. Now I'm eager to experiment further. Stay tuned!

Trying Again: Vegan Yogurt with Homemade Almond Milk and Agar Agar Powder

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:11:35 GMT

by Jerri

Someone out there is successfully making almond milk yogurt with agar agar powder, and I want to join the ranks! I'm giving it another go this week! In my first attempt, I tried a heaping teaspoon of agar agar powder (not flakes) added to my homemade almond milk. I heated it slowly to 110ºF, added the culture, and then let it ferment in my Instant Pot. It fermented well, tasting tart, but the thickening did not happen. I successfully experimented with guar gum to thicken it after the fact, and my husband then enjoyed strawberry vegan yogurt for the next week in his smoothies. This time, I'm adding a lot more agar agar powder, but keeping everything else the same. I used my devoted-only-to-yogurt IP seal (below, see the difference between one used for broth/meats/rice/quinoa/steamed eggs, and my yogurt-only seal): I made my homemade almond milk, it always surprises me how beautiful and bright white it turns out! I assembled the rest of my supplies (remember you can order a Vegan Yogurt Starter from NW Ferments). Then like the time before, I:

Preheated the IP by turning it on to the yogurt setting
Heated the homemade milk in my mama's Revere Ware pan on the stovetop to 110º
Added 4 teaspoons of agar agar and stirred well
Added the culture and stirred well
Poured it into the IP and let it run on yogurt for 8 hours

The expected result at the end of fermenting was this: Until I moved it, it looked like a shrunken round thick layer floating on top of water. Here it looks chunked because of the movement to remove the pot from the IP, but it tasted fermented (whew). I had hope that it would thicken in the fridge over the next 12-24 hours, so into a mason jar it went. I shook it up really well, and in 24 hours it looked like this: Don't be fooled.there is no thickness to that deceiving top and bottom layer. Hello, guar gum, dear friend to the thickening rescue again! Worked beautifully to mix it up with 2 tsp of guar gum in a blender, and let it sit in the fridge 12+ hours. Hubby now has TWO quart jars of yogurt for his smoothies! NOT GIVING UP. Did more research on success stories. Most said to use just a tiny bit of agar, but heating to higher temps was involved. Some said heat to boiling, some said heat to 190º, some said heat and hold for €œx€ minutes€I opted for heating to 190º and holding for 10 minutes. I have a glass top stove and old, old pan, so holding it at 190º was difficult. I kept it between 189º and 195º for 9 minutes - so fingers crossed agar was not going to be THAT picky (as I have met some really finicky cultures and additive support). So the steps:

Preheated the IP by turning it on to the yogurt setting
Added 1/2 teaspoon of agar agar powder to the 4 cups of homemade almond milk in my mama's Revere Ware pan on the stove top, and stirred well
Heated to 190º, keeping it at 189-195º for just over 9 minutes
Cooled to 110º and added the culture
Poured it into the IP and let it run on yogurt for 8 hours
Let it cool for 1 hour.
Put the yogurt in a quart mason jar and threw it in the fridge
Prayed

The result? A miracle 12 hours later! Look at the separation and chunks, just like cutting the curds in cheesemaking. Gorgeous cuts. The texture did not look appealing to me, and I knew once I started messing with it, it would likely change anyway I mixed it up and although thinner than before, it was thicker than almond milk and looked more appetizing. It strongly resembled milk kefir! It is now ready for fruit and a sweetener. Can I make it better? I read that the ½ tsp of agar agar powder is just a guideline. I'm curious what happens if I double it? Or, I wonder if I need to use a lot more powder due to the acidity of yogurt and the volume of milk, so I can skip the high heat and hold time? Here are the directions that came with my powder That's why I originally thought a heaping teaspoon and just heating to culturing temp would work what do you think? Until next time, Get Fermented!

Experiment: Vegan Yogurt with Homemade Almond Milk and Agar Agar

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:11:01 GMT

Most vegan yogurt made at home is going to need thickening help. Unless you're using commercial soy milk with little to no additives, or coconut milk with guar gum, there's just no magical way to make it thicken by adding the culture to milksorry! Such is the case with nut or seed milks. In my experience, I have yet to see a commercial nut or seed milk even culture, let alone thicken. Homemade milk and a thickener is the best combinational chance of success.

Today, to stay truly vegan, let's experiment with the Vegan Yogurt Starter Culture with homemade almond milk and agar agar. The Instant Pot is the craze these days for making yogurt. I highly recommend IP owners spend a few bucks and get a spare seal. I have nightmares of yogurt smelling like chicken or beef, and I certainly want no residual smell or tastes! Use the spare seal for yogurt making only.

If you haven't made your homemade milk yet, be sure to check out the previous article, Homemade Nutmilk for Vegan Yogurt Starter then you'll be ready to make some vegan yogurt that will thicken with the help of agar agar (I hope).

I'm modifying the directions for the Vegan Yogurt Starter to accommodate the thickener. Note : I always preheat my IP since I like to control the milk heating process on my stovetop. I don't want to dump a warmed starter into a cold pot and delay the yogurt making process.

Turn the IP on to the yogurt setting, and let it warm up as you prepare the yogurt.
Stirring frequently, slowly heat homemade milk to 110º. Add 1 heaping tsp of agar agar - mix well. Add vegan starter, again mixing well. Pour into the IP.
Cover and culture for 6-8 hours. Let cool for an hour and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Since it's a good idea to stir the yogurt before refrigerating, I stir and put it in a quart mason jar for fridge room's sake.
Your yogurt is now ready to enjoy as is, flavored with fruit and/or honey, or added to smoothies.

So how did it turn out? Well, it was tart! But, it FAILED the thickening goal, miserably. After its time in the fridge, it was just as runny as the milk I began with! I will try this again with double the agar agar, and report back.

But what to do with it now? Is it wasted? Not really, since it DID culture. I could have chosen to use it as is, but I was determined to get it a bit thicker. There is a trick using guar gum I have always wanted to try, and it works AFTER you have cultured. So that dismal morning, I added 1 tsp of guar gum, mixed well, and refrigerated it.

By 9:00 p.m. it had only slightly thickened, so I thought I'd give it more time and check it again in the morning. Unfortunately, more time yielded nothing more in thickness. So I added in, but blended in the blender another 1 tsp of guar gum. Again, into the fridge it went.

By 9:00 p.m. IT WAS THICK AND GOOPY! WIN!

Although tart and thick, it was pretty flavorless. For 2 cups of yogurt I added about ½ cup strawberry puree and 2 tsp of xylitol. What and how much you add is totally up to you.

but this was PERFECT for us!

Moral of this experiment: have guar gum on hand, but TRY AGAIN!

Homemade Nut Milk for Vegan Yogurt Starter

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:10:44 GMT

by Jerri

I've personally never seen a Vegan Yogurt Starter work with commercial nut milks (coconut is not a nut, so I'm not referring to coconut milk). Perhaps there are just too many additives, or the process of creating the nut milk does not lend itself to the bacteria taking hold successfully. Don't waste your money and sanity trying, because in a few steps and the wait of an overnight soak, you can easily make your own€and bonus nut pulp to later use in other cooking endeavors!

Almond milk is super popular. Here's how it's done in my kitchen for a 1-quart batch. Note: The Vegan Yogurt Starter can do as much as two quarts per packet.

Soak 1 cup of organic almonds (or any nut) overnight say hello to the rebel almond at the top:

Drain the soaking water, and put almonds plus 4 cups of fresh filtered/unchlorinated/unfluoridated water in your blender pitcher.

Blend for about 3-5 minutes:

Then you'll need cheesecloth/butter muslin or a fine weave nut milk bag€I sewed up my own from butter muslin to use over and over:

It's big enough to easily fit over the sides of my mama's 40 year old Revere Ware pan I just inherited a few weeks ago:

Pour the nut milk in, then gather the bag at the top and start twisting to squeeze the milk into the pan:

You'll be left with milk as well as pulp, which most often can be used to bring bulk and nutrition to your baked goods€or perhaps mixed into your daily oatmeal, etc.

That's it! You can make the nut milk ahead of time, and store it in the fridge for several days. Always smell and do a taste test of the milk before using in your recipes!

Who Doesn't Love Garlic? Ferment it!

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:10:01 GMT

by Jerri

Garlic is my absolute favorite food to ferment. I am lost without a jar full of fermented garlic in my fridge, and it's a life/time-saver when cooking meals. There was a time I would even press cloves in the morning as part of my children's daily supplement routine.

Now that it is fall in Oregon, it's time to plant the garlic so that it can grow long roots over the winter and spring, and then be harvested in the summer. My garlic comes from Eastern Oregon from a wonderful farmer who specializes in garlic seed.

My sweet pup is here on squirrel watch while I plant the cloves:

The chicken wire is meant to help keep critters, mainly those pesky squirrels and bigger birds, out of my garlic. My garlic actually started sprouting already, so in a panic I contacted my farmer, and then I had some help covering the patch with leaves as mulch to get me through the next 9 months:

It'll eventually look like this:

Then harvest and curing sometime in June/July:

It's super easy to ferment...

Get those cloves out of their skins
Stuff them into the fermenting container
Create a brine of 1-3 Tablespoons of sea salt per quart of water
Pour the brine over your garlic, fully submerging them
Add weights to keep them down under the brine
Screw the lid on, preferably an airlock
Put in an area 65-70ºF, colder is ok
Ferment 3-7 days, my preference is 7!
Store in the fridge

Kahm Yeast Prevention & Treatment: Everything You Need to Know

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:09:31 GMT

Even in an airlock container, a vegetable ferment can turn wonky. More perplexing is having the same ferment in different jars, side by side, with one unstable and the other fine. You may spot white stuff and ask yourself - what IS that layer on top? But before you chuck the whole thing out - check for Kahm yeast.

The jar in the middle has the culprit on top. All three jars have the same hot peppers and brine concentration. Their fermentation spot is the same granite countertop.

What Is Kahm Yeast?

Kahm yeast is the term that covers a collection of a variety of harmless yeasts that consume sugar from your ferment. Kahm yeast can grow on all fermented foods, including sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha, kimchi, and sourdough starters.

What does Kahm yeast look like?

Sandor Katz, Fermentation Revivalist and author of “The Art of Fermentation,” describes Kahm yeast as a harmless creamy-white-to-beige wavy growth that forms on the surface of fermented vegetables or beverages where oxygen meets the liquid. This film stays at the top, is not fuzzy, and doesn’t grow below the surface. You shouldn’t see it further down among your food.

Is Kahm Yeast Safe to Eat?

While Kahm yeast isn’t particularly good for you, it’s not bad, either. Some people will mix the Kahm yeast in their ferment if they catch it early enough. However, you’ll probably want to scoop it to remove the yeast so it doesn’t alter the taste of your ferment. Katz says if you were to eat it, nothing would happen, unlike its more evil counterpart, mold.

Kahm Yeast Vs. Mold

The presence of mold is not good. Throw away your fermenting vegetables or beverage if you detect mold. Mold is a fungal growth that comes in many colors, like white, green, black, or blue. The key identifier is it is fuzzy or hairy - unlike Kahm’s smooth or powdery texture. If Kahm yeast gets too thick - looking like a SCOBY - mold can grow on top of it.

If you’re unsure if it’s mold or Kahm yeast, and your ferment doesn’t look, smell, or taste right - it’s better to be safe and throw it out. As they say, “when in doubt, throw it out!”

How To Get Rid Of Kahm Yeast

Try to remove as much Kahm yeast as possible, but don’t worry, eating it won't hurt you.
Sprinkle some salt on top of the surface.
Add more brine with a larger salt concentration.
Remove and clean weights well: soak in vinegar, rinse in hot water, and allow to cool before putting back in the jar.
Move to a cooler spot, well below 70º F.
If yeast forms even though you use an airlock system, this is normal, but it may be that your lid is still allowing oxygen to get in. If you do more ferment batches later that continue yielding yeast no matter what you try, it's probably time for a new lid/seal.
If you don't have much yeast forming, stir it back in.
If you continue to ferment the same jar, it will likely return, so you should take steps to prevent Kahm yeast from recurring.

Preventing Kahm Yeast

Ferment in cooler room temps, 70º F and below - if you think about the olden days, fermenting was traditionally done in unfinished basements, root cellars, or buried underground. All of these places can be near 55º F or so! Even if the yeast doesn't form, you will likely get mushy or moldy veggies, or they will taste off (or just plain gross) at 70º F or above.
Clean all tools and vessels well. Use boiling water/white vinegar to get them clean sans chemicals. Rinse with hot water. Finally, cool everything before use in your ferment.
Use a higher concentration of salt in the brine, but not over the 3 Tbsp salt per 1-quart water ratio (too much salt stops fermentation).
Chop food into smaller pieces for more surface area and thus the availability of natural sugars; this gets the acidity level lower faster so yeast can't form!
Use more salt if you have larger pieces of food or expect to ferment for a longer time. Yes, it will be salty.
Be sure to submerge everything under the brine! Then, if Kahm yeast does form, it will form on the surface (but work its way down), and you can skim it off much easier.
Keep out as much oxygen as possible and fill the container to at least 80% so you have around one inch of headspace. If you had Kahm yeast in the past, try to open the container only occasionally unless you need to burp it to prevent an explosion.
Use airlocks. They increase your chances of less Kahm yeast (and mold).

Kahm yeast can be a frustrating addition to your ferment, but it is harmless and dealt with easily. Knowing how to prevent and recognize Kahm yeast can save you a lot of worry and effort. You’ll enjoy delicious and healthy ferments with proper cleaning and fermentation techniques without worrying about Kahm yeast. If you are passionate about fermentation or looking to get started, take the necessary steps to prevent Kahm yeast and enjoy making your own fermented foods. Happy fermenting!

Kahm Yeast...Ew?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:09:23 GMT

by Jerri

Even in an airlock container, a vegetable ferment can turn wonky. What is more perplexing, is having the exact same ferment in different jars, side by side, and one is wonkier than the other . The jar on the right - what IS that layer on top? Is it time to freak out?

You probably did everything the same: sterilization of equipment, same ingredients from the same garden or farmer (hot peppers in my case), same ratios, on the same counter - YOU WORKED SO HARD. Why? Is that one batch ruined?

Luckily, the wonkiness was not mold, but instead that interesting phenomenon called kahm yeast . In Sandor Katz's ginormous orange book, €œThe Art of Fermentation,€ he describes kahm yeast as being, €œbeige in color, with a dramatic texture, something like waves or a plate of spaghetti.€ Look closer:

Yup, nailed it. It actually looks quite intricate and dare I say, beautiful? But, can we eat it? Is it harmful like mold?

Katz recommends removing the yeast (he states some yeasts can turn into mold), while other fermenters simply stir it back in. Personally, for my ferments, if it's just barely forming, I mix it back in. But, if I have an actual layer, I take out as much as I can, including a bit of the produce under the produce touching the yeast layer. Bottom line, if it's whit-ish, it's probably harmless kahm yeast€.if it's colorful, you can assume it is mold, so pitch it upon discovery!

This is not my first experience with kahm yeast. A few years ago I had it happen with a batch of pickles. The layer was so thick I could handle it like a rubbery pancake. Now that was weird!

Why does it form? I've read it is due to the sugar being used up and the pH dropping. It tends to happen with sweeter produce like my cucumbers and peppers, but also beets and carrots. It can also occur when the room temp is too warm (certainly not my case in mid-fall and on a cold granite countertop) or when the salt brine has too little salt. I am still dumbfounded since I had the same brine mixture for all three, so not sure it was the salt ratio either!

Eh, life is too short. This is not the end of my fermenting world€I'm over the need to know why only one batch was affected, let alone why it occurred at all. On to my next project!

Get fermented!

Why I Make Sauerkraut

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:09:06 GMT

What I didn't realize then was that I wasn't eating REAL sauerkraut. If sauerkraut is purchased from a shelf at the store (not refrigerated), odds are that it doesn't contain the live active beneficial bacteria found in fermented kraut. In most of these cases, the sour flavor comes from vinegar rather than lactic acid bacteria. Even if it was originally fermented, if you find it at room temp, that means it was heat processed- killing off the good stuff.

Fermentation was originally a means of preserving food, but we now know that it's also a way to help maintain good digestion with healthy bacteria. Which types of bacteria, you ask? The long list includes:

Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus brevis, Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc argentinum, Lactobacillus paraplantarum, Lactobacillus coryniformis, Weisella and Leuconostoc fallax.

While this is a big list, one cannot survive on sauerkraut alone. A combination of different fermented foods makes for more gut diversity, helping to keep things moving as they should.

Once I realized how easy it was to make my own, why would I ever need to buy it again? It is fun to try different brands, and there are many good fermented choices in the grocery store these days. But making your own not only saves you money & aids in digestion. It's a great way to add veggies & fiber to your diet, use up excess produce, and you also get to exercise your culinary muscles. You can get crazy with colors, spice, healing herbs- you name it. Use your imagination!

Vegetation + salt + a little love + a little time = Gut-health Goodness

People(s Food Co-Op) Are Talking About Us!

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:08:55 GMT

Check out People's Food Co-Op's article on us in their latest amazing newsletter!

Apple users click here & PC/Android users here . (We're on page 16 of the PDF & 13 of the Newsletter)

Making Friends With Your Milk Kefir

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 23:08:36 GMT

Milk kefir is one of the best ways to get your daily probiotics. It's full of the beneficial bacteria that helps your gut and digestive system work properly. If you're new to kefir- making, it can seem a little intimidating, but once you get production dialed in to your specific home environment, it's a breeze! Here are some things to consider:

How much do you want to produce?

It's always a good idea to start on a small scale if you're new to milk kefir. It will give you a chance to get the hang of it, reduce any waste, and you'll see results sooner. If you purchase live grains from NW Ferments, you'll receive a healthy teaspoon. This is to be started in 2 cups of milk. Over time you will accumulate more grains, once they are happy and active. As grain quantity increases, increase the amount of milk as well. Move to a larger jar as needed. You will reach a point where you are producing enough (or too much) kefir. At this time, you can reduce the amount of grains you are using to produce the right amount of kefir for your consumption. Extra grains can be shared with friends, blended into a smoothie, or stored in some milk in the refrigerator in a sealed jar. This is not the ideal circumstance for the grains, but they will often snap back after a bit of a refrigerator nap.

What temperature is your home?

The ideal temperature for fermenting is about 68-74 degrees. When temps are lower, it will take longer to ferment. With higher temps it will ferment faster. Depending on the time of year and how warm you keep your home, this may require a little creativity. If things are a little on the chilly side, look for a warmer "microclimate" - on top of the refrigerator, near an electrical appliance, wrapped with a thick towel, inside an insulated ice chest. When things are on the warm side, try to find a cooler spot- away from sunlight, near to a fan or air conditioning.

What kind of milk are you using?

We use organic, homogenized, pasteurized whole milk to grow our grains. We don't recommend ultra pasteurized milk. It has been sterilized to remove all the bacteria- including the good bacteria. Goat's milk works well, but because of all the good bacteria it does contain, you may want to ease into it- use ½ goat's milk, ½ regular milk for a batch or two so that the grains adapt more easily. Alternative milks: In general, the grains do not like alternative milks. In our experiments, it will thicken (so it does culture to an extent), but doesn't seem to develop the distinctive sour flavor. If you'd like to experiment with alternate milks, we suggest you do so when you have accumulated plenty of grains to spare and can afford to lose some. These milks can cause the grains to deteriorate. How strong (sour) do you want it to be? The length of culturing time and temperature greatly determine the flavor of your kefir. The warmer it is, the faster it will turn to kefir, and the longer it is cultured, the more sour tasting it will be. It's really up to your personal preference. Longer ferments will produce even more good bacteria, but very sour kefir can taste off-putting for some. Experiment with temps and culture time until you find what tastes right for you. With longer culturing times, the whey will often separate from the milk solids. This is ok, just stir before straining. Once separated, the milk solids tend to cling to the kefir grains. This can result in a thinner kefir, and over time can coat the grains, making it more difficult to absorb nutrients. If a buildup occurs, you can rinse the grains gently with filtered water, or better yet, milk.

How else can I use my excess kefir?

Besides drinking it plain, there are many other ways to incorporate kefir into your diet. 1) Mix into your smoothies. 2) Use in place of milk or buttermilk in your recipes- kefir pancakes & biscuits! 3) Share with your animal friends- they can benefit from good gut health too! Just be sure to give them a very small amount to start, making sure they can tolerate it. Never give them too much, it can be a little strong for their tummies- particularly depending on the size of the animal. 4) Make sour cream- use a little finished kefir to culture heavy cream, or you can culture the grains directly in heavy cream (be sure to put them back in regular milk after culturing in cream. Over time it can cause them to deteriorate). 5) Skin care- probiotics are good for your outsides as well as your insides! Use a little kefir in your bath, or as a mask for your face. 6) Wash your windows- just kidding! Windows don't have digestive systems and it would make a real mess. Wanted to make sure you're listening ;) Happy Kefiring!

International Holiday Foods and Ways to Make Them Fermented!

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:37:31 GMT

I've always enjoyed learning how to make foods from around the world. Discovering new ingredients and methods not only helps to broaden your palate, it also gives you a little insight into different cultures. Ingredients are often chosen because of availability- what is most easily grown, foraged or purchased. The best methods are those that are passed on from generation to generation- lovingly taught or deciphered from well-worn hand written recipes. Celebrations are an especially good time to reconnect with old traditions and memories, or better yet start some new ones!

Each culture has it's own unique dishes- some eaten regularly, some reserved for holidays and special occasions. Fermented foods are often a part of these meals, but if not, they can easily be incorporated.

In England, Mince Pies are a Christmas tradition. The filling is made of dried fruits and spices, but why not try fermenting the fruits before dehydrating?

Eastern Europeans celebrate with Borscht (fermented beets and cabbage help take flavor to the next level), Sauerkraut-filled dumplings, and how about a sourdough Babka?

Latkes are a must in Israeli and Jewish households. Try fermenting the grated potato before frying in patties. Make them even better by serving with homemade fermented applesauce & sour cream.

We all know how popular Kimchi is in Korean culture, but Kimchi Mandu (dumplings)? Awesome! They're served crispy-fried, steamed, or with Tteokguk soup for Lunar New Year.

In the Middle East, yogurt is a staple at gatherings- in sauces, spreads, salad dressings, meat marinades and more.

Along with Christmas tamales in Mexico, Atole is often served. This warm, sweet-spiced corn masa beverage can be fermented to add flavor & probiotic benefit.

Germans love their Sauerkraut, but Blaukraut (sweet & sour red cabbage) can also be made using fermented red cabbage. And don't forget the Gluhwein (warm mulled wine)!

Africa has a diverse variety of dishes. Benne Cakes (sesame seed cookies) are especially popular for celebrations. Adding a little kefir can give them some zip. In Eastern Africa, the fermented sourdough bread Injera is used to scoop and sop up rich meat and vegetable stews.

Norwegians enjoy Lefse- a thin potato pancake that can be made even better by adding a little kefir to the batter, and using cultured butter.

This, of course, comes nowhere near to representing all of the wonderful varieties of foods out there. Whatever your plans may be this holiday season, food is guaranteed to be a part of it. Use it as a tool- not only for nutrition, but also for education, continuing tradition, creativity and just good old fun. Try something new this year!

Which Sugar Should I Use for Water Kefir?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:37:24 GMT

The Best Sugar Depends On The Result

When you make water kefir at home, the key ingredients are water kefir grains, water, and sugar. Each one of these ingredients impacts the outcome. There are many choices when deciding which sugar is best for water kefir - what you choose to use depends on your desired result.

We believe that organic white sugar combined with rapadura or other minimally processed sugar is the best option for water kefir. Supplementing with Rapadura or unsulphured molasses keeps our water kefir grains happier, healthier, and more productive because they contain the nutrients and minerals that the grains love.

Before we go into the types of good and bad sugars, make sure that you read the label when you buy your sugar. Some may contain anti-caking additives or even gluten! These can be bad for the health of your grains. If your water kefir or grains seem to be having issues, check out our other posts, “Water Kefir Grains Troubleshooting” and “Water Kefir Grains FAQ.”

Good: "White" Sugar

Evaporated cane sugar (light blonde in color) is the most popular for fermenting water kefir grains. We use this sugar when we make water kefir for our families or customers to sample, as the mildness of the light sugar allows the kefir to be easily flavored and is appealing to more people.

White sugar is processed using chemicals in refining, so no nutrients or minerals remain. Organic cane juice sugar or crystals aren’t as refined as white, so they have a low mineral content. Both kinds create a sweet water kefir.

Good: Rapadura Sugar

Rapadura (and similarly pressed cane sugars called sucanat or panela) is the least refined sugar. It's produced by pressing the pure juice from the sugar cane, then cooking at low temps to evaporate the water. The end product includes molasses which holds vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Because of this, the rapadura has a strong molasses-like taste making your water kefir less sweet and a more robust flavor.

Good: Turbinado Sugar

Demerara, turbinado, and muscovado are considered “raw” sugars from the sugar cane plant. They are brown due to the naturally occurring molasses not being entirely removed during the refining process. By themselves, the sugars offer deeper flavors and aromas than white sugar but have a lower mineral content and make less sweet water kefir. Of these raw options, the best replacement for white sugar is turbinado sugar for water kefirs.

Bad: Brown, Molasses, And Other Sugar Substitutes

Water Kefir grains do best with the sugars mentioned above. But what about the other types of sweeteners out there? Brown sugar isn’t good because it’s refined white sugar with a usually unknown amount of added molasses. It’s better to make your own by combining white sugar and molasses. You can use small amounts of molasses to supplement mineral content if needed. Unsulphured dried fruits can be used, but they may impact the fermentation times.

Coconut palm sugar, maple sugar, or syrup are too rich and can damage the water kefir grains. Honey has bacteria that compete with the grains, and some brands may be contaminated by high fructose corn syrup! Avoid all artificial sweeteners as they offer nothing for the grains to feed on.

So which sugar should you use when making water kefir? We hope you consider all of this information - and then the choice is yours! Take good care of those babies, and they'll do the same for you :)

Water Kefir Sugar FAQs

Cream Cheese Recipe

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:20:28 GMT

by Suzanne

With all the summer fruits available these days, my mind turns to thoughts of something creamy and delicious to accompany them. It needs to be quick and easy though, as my days are busy and full. How about cream cheese? Cream cheese is so easy to make. And as always, making it from scratch allows you to use the best ingredients and leave out all those fillers and thickeners found in store-bought cream cheese. Remember, avoid ultra-pasteurized dairy products for fermenting. Organic is always a good choice, but many local dairies use organic practices without the organic certification. Do a little research before you buy, to find the freshest dairy available. Now, let's get started.

Ingredients:

2 quarts light cream or half-and-half
1 packet mesophilic starter culture*

*Cream cheese can also be made using a specific Cream Cheese Starter Culture. Follow the instructions that come with the culture, for best results.

Instructions:

1. Take the half-and-half out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, 68-72ºF.

2. Pour the half-and-half into a large bowl. Sprinkle the packet of mesophilic starter culture onto the surface and let it sit for a minute or two to hydrate.

3. Whisk in the starter culture thouroughly.

4. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight.

5. Once the cream cheese has firmed up, transfer it to a cheese bag or tight-weave cloth to drain. Make a bag out of the cloth by gathering up the corners and tying it. I used a few twist ties and hung my bag from a wooden spoon between two stacks of books. Let the cheese drain for 12 hours.

6. Make sure to catch the liquid in a bowl for another use. This yellow liquid is whey and has lots of uses! I was able to save a full quart of whey from this batch.7. Once your cheese has drained for 12 hours, scoop it out of the cloth or bag and transfer it to a container with a lid.8. Refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks...if it lasts that long! And that's it! Making homemade cream cheese is so easy. You'll use it time and time again.

3 Tips for Getting Started with Fermented Foods

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:20:24 GMT

by Suzanne

If you're new to fermentation, it's possible that you have a few jars of fermented carrot sticks, radishes, or sour cream in your fridge, and you're wondering...what now?

Making big changes to your diet can be scary and confusing. New recipes, odd ingredients, kids making funny faces--all these can make you wonder if all this probiotic stuff is really for you. Don't despair! There are some easy ways to incorporate those new foods into your favorite meals.

Add fermented foods in small amounts, like a condiment. Family taco night? Chop a few fermented carrot sticks and serve them right alongside your usual ingredients. The color alone will be so attractive, your family will not be able to resist sprinkling them on a taco or salad.
Slowly replace store-bought items with your home-fermented foods. Serve your homemade sour cream in an individual bowl and just don't mention the change. The fresh flavor is sure to please!
Give your family ownership of their fermented foods. Take the family to the market and allow each person to choose a veggie. Have a fun fermentation session at home. A few days later, have a family tasting. Even if nothing is a big hit, those new flavors are introduced and new ideas are brewing (no pun intended!). Keep trying until everyone has one or two fermented vegetables they are willing--maybe even eager-- to eat.

Bottom line? Don't give up! Introduce new foods and flavors slowly and soon homemade fermented foods will be a regular part of your weekly menu.

Fermented Radishes

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:18:49 GMT

by Suzanne

Recently I was running around outside playing tag with some kids, forgetting I was -ahem- middle-aged. I lunged to the side to tag someone and my knee gave out. Youch! So I was not able to get around too well for a couple of weeks. The worst thing about not being able to walk, aside from having a hard time making it to the bathroom, is that it totally messed up my fermenting schedule! Springtime is great for fresh produce, but when last year's dill pickles have long been eaten, I get a craving for a little something sour. Fermented radishes have just the right crunch to satisfy my pickle craving until the cukes are ready. With my bad knee, I nearly missed it, but I was able to send someone to the market for a nice bunch of fat radishes to tide me over. So here goes:

Chop radishes in halves or quarters so that all the pieces are about the same size.
Add the radishes to a clean jar, along with your favorite herbs and spices for flavor. I used a sprig of fresh thyme and 2 garlic cloves, slightly smashed, for this batch. Try other fresh herbs like dill, oregano, or basil. Black peppercorns are another great addition, for a little kick.
Make up a brine solution. The rule of thumb for vegetable fermentation is 1-3 tablespoons salt per quart of water. That's per quart of water, NOT quart of vegetables. Always make the brine in a separate clean jar.
Pour brine over the radishes until they are completely covered. Discard excess brine solution or use for other vegetable ferments.
If you have some floating radishes, use a weight to keep them submerged under the liquid. Put a tight lid or a fermentation airlock on your jar. Set aside for 3-4 days to ferment. Yes, this is a fast ferment.
If using a tight lid, make sure to open the lid every day to release any fermentation gases that have been produced. After Day 3, remove the lid and take a taste. Do the radishes still have a raw crunch? Put the lid back on and test again in 24 hours. Do the radishes have a crunchy pickle texture? They're ready to eat!

Make sure to put a tight lid on the jar and store the leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy!

Super Easy Mascarpone

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:17:50 GMT

Mascarpone is a rich, luscious cheese that makes fresh fruit taste divine!

While it can be a bit pricey at the grocery store, it is amazingly easy to make at home. Follow these steps and get ready for fresh berry season! A note about cream: Make sure to read the carton carefully when purchasing cream from the grocery store. Ultra-pasteurized cream or cream with added ingredients will not culture well. The best cream will be 100% cream sourced from a local dairy, pasteurized or raw.

Ingredients:

1 quart heavy cream
1 packet flora danica starter culture

Instructions:

Pour cream into a stainless steel pot and heat to 85ºF. If you overshoot a bit, don't worry. Simply let the cream cool until it reaches 85ºF
Sprinkle the starter culture over the surface of the cream. Let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve.
Whisk the cream to mix the starter in thoroughly.
Leave the cream to culture for 10-12 hours or overnight.

Wondering what to do with mascarpone? Here are some ideas:

Enjoy a scoop with fresh berries or other fruit.
Mix in a little honey or maple syrup and use it as a dip for shortbread cookies or apple slices.
Spread on a bagel.
Use in dessert recipes that call for cream cheese...like frosting!

Making Yogurt in the Instant Pot

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:17:47 GMT

by Stacie

If you have an Instant Pot in your kitchen, you've likely discovered the 1001 ways to make mealtime easier and more efficient. But have you ventured into Instant Pot yogurt making?

Making yogurt in the Instant Pot is even easier than making yogurt in a yogurt maker. Here's how it's done:

Step 1: Clean Your Instant Pot Just to be safe, clean your instant Pot first by steaming 1 cup of water for 1 minute with the vent sealed. Steaming kills off any bacteria that may be hanging around, even after washing your insert. While making yogurt is not a sensitive process, it's always a good idea to use clean equipment, to avoid contaminating your culture.

Step 2: Heat the Milk Just like making yogurt on the stovetop or in a yogurt maker, you'll need to heat the milk first. The beauty of the Instant Pot is that you don't need to use a pot and your stovetop. The appliance does it all! Simply pour your favorite milk into the insert, seal the vent, and push the Yogurt button. Adjust to Boil to heat the milk. Heating the milk beforehand makes the finished yogurt nice and thick.

Step 3: Cool the Milk and Add Starter Make sure to cool the milk down to 110ºF before adding the yogurt starter, either a powdered starter culture or some yogurt from your previous batch.

Step 4: Make Yogurt! Once you've added the yogurt starter to your cooled milk, place the insert back into the appliance and press the Yogurt button again. The Instant Pot will maintain the proper temperature until the yogurt is set. Depending on the starter you use, it may take up to 12 hours for the yogurt to set.

Step 5: Whisk Your Finished Yogurt (optional) Once the yogurt is finished culturing and pulls away from the side of the insert in a single mass, it's done! If you make yogurt using non-homogenized milk, there is usually a cream layer on top. To smooth things out, give the finished yogurt a good whisk before refrigerating.

Step 6: Refrigerate Your Finished Yogurt Pour the finished yogurt into jars or single-serving containers and refrigerate for about 6 hours or overnight. This final step allows the yogurt to firm up even further.And that's it! You've successfully made yogurt in your Instant Pot. One less appliance on the countertop means more room for fermenting!

Goats Milk Feta

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:17:44 GMT

I like to eat local foods as much as possible. While that is fairly easy in the Portland area, along about February, I begin to tire of beets and sunchokes and yearn for fresh-tasting greens. Once those greens appear in the market, it makes me think of fresh cheese. And what better cheese to go with a salad of spring kale and dandelion greens than goat's milk feta!

In Oregon, raw goat's milk can be sold retail. If you can't find raw goat's milk, try Trader Joe's for pasteurized goat's milk. Avoid that purple carton or the dreaded can of ultra-pasteurized goat milk. It won't make good cheese.

Here's what you need to make a delicious batch of fresh goat feta:

Ingredients:

2-4 quarts raw or pasteurized goat milk
1 packet flora danica cheese starter
½ rennet tablet
1-2 tablespoons sea salt or other non-iodized salt

Here's how I did it:

#1.In a stainless steel pot, over low heat, heat milk to 86ºF. Once the temperature reaches 86ºF, remove the pot from the burner.

#2.Sprinkle the flora danica starter over the surface of the milk. Give it a few seconds to saturate, then stir in the powder completely and thoroughly. Put the lid on the pot and set aside for 1 hour.

#3. Dilute the ½ rennet tablet in ½ cup cool, unchlorinated water. Leave it to dissolve while the milk and starter are ripening.

#4.After 1 hour, swish the rennet tablet around for a few seconds to make sure it is completely dissolved. Pour the rennet solution into the milk. Mix it in using a gentle up-and-down motion for 2 full minutes to mix the rennet in completely.

#5. Cover the pot again and let it set for another hour at 86ºF. If your kitchen is not that warm, try a seedling mat for extra warmth. I set the pot on top of 2 canning lid rings and covered it with a towel, for more even heat.

#6.After 1 hour, you should notice a definite separation of curds and whey.

Cut the curds into ½-inch cubes. Make sure your knife goes all the way to the bottom of the pot. Cut in a checkerboard pattern, then cut at a diagonal to that your curds are relatively the same size.

#7.Stir the curds for about 15 minutes. Be gentle to avoid breaking up the curd pieces too much.

#8. Pour the curds into a colander lined with a cheesecloth. (Make sure to save the whey for other recipes!) Gather up the corners and edges of the cheesecloth and tie them into a bag. Hang the bag from a cabinet handle or spoon handle hung over a deep pot or bowl. Let the cheese drain for 5-7 hours, depending on how dry you prefer your feta. It's ok to test it out at 5 hours.

#9.Once your feta has drained completely, untie the bag. Cut the feta into cubes and sprinkle with salt to taste. Refrigerate in a covered container for a few days, to let the flavor develop.

It's that easy! And the result is so rich and fresh-tasting, it's perfect for a spring salad or as an appetizer with olives. Enjoy!

Cheesemaking

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:17:43 GMT

Spring is the time of year when I get the urge to DIY everything, from the garden to the kitchen and beyond. This week, cheesemaking is on the agenda. I wanted to make something fairly simple using cultures I already had. I decided to use my mesophilic cheese culture to make Queso Fresco. Ingredients:¼ vegetable rennet tablet
1-2 gallons whole milk
1 packet mesophilic cheese culture (MA11)
Non-iodized Salt to taste

#1. Add the ¼ rennet tablet to ¼ cup cool water. Make sure your water is unchlorinated. Set it aside to dissolve while your milk is heating.

How do you get ¼ rennet tablet? Note that the tablets have a cross or plus sign on one side. Use a butter knife and those score lines to cut your rennet tablet into quarters. Save the remaining portion of the tablet in the freezer for your next batch.

#2. Pour the milk into a large stainless steel pot. Heat slowly to 90ºF.

When making cheese, I like to use really fresh vat pasteurized milk from a local dairy. Avoid ultra-pasteurized milk for cheesemaking.

#3. Sprinkle the starter onto the surface of the milk. Let it dissolve for a minute or two, then stir in the starter thoroughly.

#4. Add the rennet solution. Pour it through a slotted spoon so that the solution is evenly distributed.

#5. Mix in the rennet with up-and-down motions, no stirring! Do this for about 1-2 minutes, to make sure the rennet is completely mixed in.

#6. Leave the milk to set for about 40-45 minutes. You're looking for a clean break in the curd. It should pull away from the side of the pot like yogurt.

#7. Once the curd has set, cut it into ¼-inch cubes. Curds should always be cut in a checkerboard pattern, across then down.

Make sure to get the knife all the way to the bottom of the pot. Then cut at a diagonal, across and then down, so that you have an entire pot of similar sized curd pieces.

#8. Put the pot back on gentle heat and heat the curds up to 95ºF. Heat slowly so that it takes about 15 minutes.

While the curds are heating, gently stir them every few minutes to keep them from matting together.

#9. Now let the curd set for about 5 minutes without stirring.

After the curds have set, pour off the whey. Whey is that yellow liquid surrounding your curds.

To drain the whey off, I simply held the pot lid on both sides and poured over a colander, just in case some curds slipped out. Don't forget to save the whey. It's great for so many things!

#10. Once the whey is drained, sprinkle salt over the curds, 1-2 teaspoon of salt should be enough.

#11. Keep the salted curds at 95ºF for another 30-40 minutes. It is normal for more whey to be released during this time.

#12. Line your colander with cheesecloth and pour the curds into the lined colander to drain.

#13. If you have a cheese press, pour curds into the mold and press at 35 pounds of pressure for 5-7 hours.

If you don't have a cheese press, don't worry. It's easy to press cheese without special equipment. Once most of the whey has drained out, fold the top of the cheesecloth over the curds. Lay a small plate on top of the curds and use a jar of water or other heavy item to press the cheese. I had just made a pot of bone broth, so I used that half-gallon broth jar as a weight. The pressing time can vary, depending on how dry you'd like your cheese to be. I left my homemade press for about 6 hours. The final cheese was firm and held its shape well without crumbling. It sliced easily, too.

Making Sense of Cheese Cultures

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:17:19 GMT

by Suzanne

Making yogurt at home is one thing, but making your own cheese? That's way too much work! Or is it?

Many cheeses can be made using milk and some basic kitchen equipment that you probably already own: a pot for heating milk, a large slotted spoon, and a thermometer. Throw in some cheesecloth, and you've got an amazing snack in the works! Take a look at Stacie's Basic Soft Cheese Recipe to learn how easy it can be.

What About Cheese Cultures?

In Stacie's recipe, as in many others, there isn't just one culture in the ingredient list, but a choice of several. How in the world does a beginner choose the right one? The good news is that there is no 'right one' when you're talking cheese cultures. If a recipe gives you a choice, then they all work to make that type of cheese. Let's use Stacie's recipe to learn more.

Using Cultured Dairy as a Cheese Culture

Many cheeses can be made with another cultured dairy product you already make at home. The first few culture choices are milk kefir, plain yogurt, or clabbered raw milk. Any of these products makes a good soft cheese. They all have live, active cultures, so they all make great basic cheese cultures. What's the difference? The simple difference is that each contains a different set of bacteria, giving your finished soft cheese a different flavor.

Choosing Between Cheese Cultures

As with yogurt and kefir, each cheese culture has a specific set of bacteria that give finished cheeses a variety of flavors and textures. Stacie's next set of choices for cheese culture includes direct set chevre, fromage blanc, flora danica, or mesophilic culture. The first 2 choices are for a specific type of cheese, though they can be used for other recipes.

Chevre cheese culture works great with goat milk. The finished cheese is fresh-tasting and creamy.
Fromage Blanc culture has a fuller, richer flavor, like fromage blanc cheese.
Flora Danica cheese culture is a more versatile cheese culture with a fresh, buttery flavor and a light texture. This culture is commonly used to make soft goat cheeses. It's also perfect for making your own sour cream, cream cheese, cultured butter and buttermilk, and even creme fraiche! When you're ready for a bit more adventure, try Flora Danica for making Havarti or Gouda. Delicious!
Mesophilic Culture (MA11) is a general cheese culture great for a wide variety of medium temperature cheeses. Some easy ones to get started with are neufchÃ¢tel, cream cheese, and queso fresco. If you're ready to step up your cheese game, try cheddar, colby, or feta.

Thermophilic Culture (TA61) is a general cheese culture for higher temperature cheeses, so it wouldn't be appropriate for Basic Soft Cheese. It is good for delicious Italian cheeses such as Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, and Romano. When it comes to cheese cultures, there are many choices. Try a couple of different cultures with your favorite cheese recipe to see which suits your taste. The great thing is that they'll all taste marvelous!

Dehydrator Temperature

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:17:00 GMT

by Suzanne

Testing the Temperature of Your Dehydrator for Yogurt-Making

Doesn't it feel wonderful when the temperature begins to rise just a bit? It doesn't take much warmth to give me that feeling that spring is finally coming to Portland. For us fermenters, rising temperatures mean easier fermenting conditions for many different foods. When it comes to yogurt, however, to me, that still means thermophilic yogurt made in my dehydrator for a little while longer.

Around our house, we've been avoiding dairy for several months. Now that we're ready to give some fermented dairy a try, I can't recall what setting I use on my dehydrator. Yikes! Time for a little water test.

I have a 9-tray box dehydrator from Excalibur, which has lots of space for yogurt jars. This unit has a temperature dial, but I am not able to set it exactly at 110ºF, so I want to do a trial run before making yogurt, to avoid wasting milk and yogurt starter.

Here's how I do it:

First, I heat a pot of water to just over 110ºF.

There is no need to use filtered water or a special pot for this test. The water is not going to come in contact with your milk or yogurt. Just any pot and a kitchen thermometer.

A note on using the thermometer: Most thermometers need to be submerged to a certain depth to read properly, usually 1-2 inches.

Look for the little notch at the bottom of your thermometer or read the instructions that came with it.

Next, I pour the water into a jar, just as if I were making yogurt, wait for it to cool to 110ºF...

and place the jar in my dehydrator.

As you can see, I have removed the trays from my unit so the jar with thermometer can easily fit.

I like to leave the thermometer in the jar during the test. It's easier for me to remove the jar and read the temperature quickly. I feel like it's more accurate.

Run the dehydrator at 110ºF, or as close as you can set your dial, for several hours. Read the temperature every hour or so. Is the water getting too hot? Nudge the dial down just a bit and run the test for a few more hours. Give the water time to adjust to the new setting.

Once your water is holding steady at around 108-112ºF, you've found the right setting for making thermophilic yogurt. I like to take a marker or sliver of colored tape and mark the spot as accurately as I can. That way, every time you want to make yogurt, you can set your dial to just the right spot.

That's it! Now for some delicious Greek Yogurt!The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Yogurt Making 101: Which Milk is Best?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:16:44 GMT

How the Type of Milk Affects Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt is healthier and offers better nutrition than store-bought, and you can make it to suit your preferred tastes. Whether you are just starting with your first batch or want to experiment with different kinds of milk, the question that often pops up is - which milk is the best for yogurt-making?

The type of milk you choose affects the final results of your h omemade yogu rt , whichever style you decide to create. To help you figure it out, here is Yogurt-Making 101 to help you choose the best milk for making yogurt.

Organic or Grass-Fed Milk

The grass-fed label is in a similar process to what organic once went through, meaning companies can slap a label on their colorful carton without necessarily being a genuine grass-fed cow. USDA-certified organic milk comes from cows not treated with antibiotics or hormones and fed certified organic grains and grasses.

Grass-fed cows are usually treated better and produce superior, Omega 3s-filled, milk. The best option is to look for the “certified organic grass-fed dairy” label. Making yogurt with ultra-pasteurized milk doesn’t work because the milk is heated to 275 degrees - essentially cooked and unsuitable for culturing. Pasteurized milk produces a thicker yogurt.

Raw Milk

The first step with raw milk is to check if it’s legally available in your state. Although proponents of raw milk believe it’s a more nutritionally complete option, the CDC recommends against consumption based on studies showing a link to disease outbreaks. However, if you decide it’s for you, you can easily use raw milk to make yogurt , usually with an extra step to keep the reusable starter true. The results are generally a thinner yogurt than with pasteurized milk.

Powdered Milk

Powdered milk is excellent for thickening your yogurts. Some experts say keep like with like - meaning if you’re using cow- (or goat-) milk for your yogurt, use dried cow (or goat) milk powder. Powdered milk is a convenient backup as you can store it for a long time, and we recommend the full-fat versions over the nonfat dry milk.

Buffalo, Sheep, Or Goat Milk

If you’re interested in trying buffalo, sheep, or goat milk yogurt–excellent! Goat milk makes smaller curds and tends to be runnier. Additionally, recent studies show that goat’s milk may have anti-inflammatory properties too! Sheep milk has double the protein of cow’s milk and more folic acid - which is crucial for women of childbearing age. Using it results in a sweeter yogurt. Buffalo milk, with its higher fat content, creates a denser and richer yogurt.

Can I Make Yogurt with Lactose-Free Milk?

If you have a lactose intolerance, your best bet is to use non-dairy milk like lactose-free milk, coconut milk, rice milk, almond, or oat milk to make your yogurt. We recommend making nut milk at ho me as homemade is much easier to use than store-bought versions. It's best to use a Vega n Yogurt Starter made explicitly for use with non-dairy milk. Non-dairy milk also requires thickeners to get a good set. Some thickeners to try are gelatin powder, agar agar, pectin, and tapioca starch.

Pasteurized Milk and Yogurt Making

Milk pasteurization is like giving those pesky germs a hot tub soak to ensure your milk stays fresh longer and is safe to chug. There are different types of pasteurization, so be sure to check the carton before you buy! Pasteurized milk is an excellent choice for making yogurt at home.

HTST (High-Temperature Short Time) or Flash Pasteurized milk is heated to 161ºF and held there for 15 seconds. If your bottle of milk is labeled “pasteurized,” it has most likely been treated in this way.
UHT (Ultra Heat Treated) or Ultra-pasteurized milk is heated above 275ºF for 2-5 seconds. Ultra-pasteurized milk is sterilized milk, giving it an unrefrigerated shelf-life of several months. However, making yogurt with ultra-pasteurized milk, though widely available, doesn’t culture well, so we don’t recommend using it.

Non or Homogenized Milk and Yogurt Making

Most store-bought milk is homogenized, so it is the most popular for yogurt making. That means the cream or fat is broken down into minuscule portions distributed evenly throughout the milk by pushing milk through small openings under very high pressure. The fat content of homogenized whole milk (3.25%), reduced fat (2%), low-fat milk (1%), and skim milk (0%) are all standardized by the dairy industry.

Non-homogenized whole milk, however, has a lovely cream layer on top of the milk, just like it comes out of the cow. Your non-homogenized yogurt will also have the cream layer rise to the top. The fat content varies depending on the time of year, type of cow, diet, etc. Milk with the highest fat content makes the creamiest yogurt. Many local dairies offer cream-on-top milk for your homemade yogurt.

Which Milk Is Best For Your Yogurt?

The best milk for making yogurt at home depends on personal preference. You don’t have to stick to store-bought homogenized cow’s milk. The possibilities range from fresh-from-the-dairy to powdered milk, from traditional cow to goat, sheep or buffalo milk, to milk made from plants. Each choice impacts the results of the yogurt’s thickness, creaminess, sweetness, and level of nutrients.

We say get fermenting, make yogurts and explore what tastes delightful to you and your family.

The Details: Heated Yogurts

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:16:22 GMT

by Suzanne

Some yogurt starters require heat to activate the bacteria, so that those bacteria can do the work of fermenting the milk. These yogurt starters are called thermophilic starters, meaning heat-loving. Which yogurt starters are thermophilic? Bulgarian Yogurt Starter is a reusable starter that makes a mild-flavored, thick yogurt. Greek Yogurt Starter is a reusable starter that makes a more tangy, thick yogurt. Vegan Yogurt Starter, while not a reusable starter, is a thermophilic yogurt starter. Vegan Yogurt Starter is the best choice when culturing non-dairy milk such as coconut milk, rice milk, soy milk, or nut/seed milks. NOTE: Vegan Yogurt Starter and non-dairy milks require an added thickener. How do I make thermophilic yogurt at home? Making one of these delicious reusable thermophilic yogurts at home is so easy! All you need is a packet of the dried starter, pasteurized milk, a pot to heat the milk, and a yogurt maker or other heating device. A thermometer is helpful, too.

Heating Devices

If you do not own a yogurt maker, no worries! There are many ways to maintain that culturing temperature of 110ºF.

Dehydrator: a dehydrator with the trays removed will hold several jars of yogurt.
Instant Pot: Some Instant Pots come with a yogurt setting; some do not.
Oven: older ovens often have lower temperature settings, perfect for making yogurt.
Crock pot: a crock pot can be tricky for making yogurt. Try a couple of test runs with water, measuring the temperature over several hours, to get to know your appliance.
Jar wrapped in a towel or blanket: How did folks make yogurt long ago before electricity and modern appliances? They wrapped the yogurt jar or crock in blankets and left it to ferment.

Any of these methods requires some testing. To avoid wasting milk, test your appliance or method first with heated water, measuring the temperature over several hours. Make adjustments to settings as needed, and you're all set!

Greek Yogurt Starter vs. Greek-style Yogurt: What's the Difference?

Greek Yogurt Starter is a yogurt starter that produces thick, tangy yogurt. But don't expect this yogurt starter to produce yogurt that is as thick as store brands. Greek-style yogurt is the name used for extra-thick yogurt made from any starter. Most store brands have thickeners added or have been strained to remove whey, that watery liquid component of milk products.

How to Make Greek-style Yogurt

To make Greek-style yogurt at home, try straining your finished yogurt.

Line a strainer with a clean, tight-weave cotton kitchen towel or similar cloth
Place the lined strainer over a bowl
Fill the lined strainer with yogurt that has been completely cooled
Strain for several hours, to desired thickness. Discard whey or use for another project.
Enjoy your Greek-style yogurt!

An Intro to Yogurt

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:16:16 GMT

by Suzanne

Trying to add probiotics to your diet but not sure how to get started? Enter Yogurt ! Yogurt is the best introduction to probiotic foods you can find, and the whole family will love it!

Why Make Yogurt At Home?

Yogurt is familiar to nearly everyone, so it's easy to add to your daily meal plan. Kids love it! It mixes well with so many foods: berries, granola, nuts, and shredded coconut, just to name a few. Yogurt is also a wonderful addition to savory foods. Try a spoonful of plain yogurt atop beef stew, pasta, or any dish you would normally add sour cream to. When you make your own yogurt at home, you know exactly what the ingredients are. Use good quality organic milk to make your own organic yogurt at home. Keep it gluten-free, dairy or vegan, non-GMO, and organic, just the way you like it! Last but not least, making your own organic yogurt at home is good for the environment. No more plastic containers and lids to throw away.

How Do I Make Yogurt at Home?

Making yogurt at home with heirloom yogurt starters is easy and inexpensive. An heirloom starter is one that can be reused over and over again. Just save a few tablespoons of yogurt from your first batch to use as starter for your next batch.

Thermophilic or Heat-loving Yogurt Starters

Try heat-loving (thermophilic) yogurt starters such as Bulgarian, a mild-flavored thick yogurt. Or make your own Greek yogurt at home. These heat-loving yogurt starters are perfect for the fall and winter months, when your house is a bit on the chilly side. Not fond of dairy milk? Enjoy a vegan diet? There is a yogurt starter for you, too! Vegan Yogurt Starter is a direct-set starter, so you'll need a new packet of dried starter for each batch. Use your favorite thickener and Vegan Yogurt Starter to make organic coconut milk yogurt, organic almond milk yogurt, rice milk yogurt, or any non-dairy yogurt. Make these organic heat-loving yogurts in the Instant Pot, your dehydrator, or a yogurt maker. Many yogurt makers come with serving-sized glass jars, great for lunches or grab-and-go snacks.

Mesophilic or Medium Temperature Yogurt Starters

When it gets warmer inside and out, switch to mesophilic (medium temperature) yogurt starters. There are many varieties to choose from, which originated in different parts of the world.

Filmjolk is a mildly tangy yogurt starter from Finland.
Matsoni, or Caspian Sea Yogurt, is mild and creamy.
Piima is another Scandinavian yogurt starter variety that makes a lovely yogurt drink. It's a bit lighter in flavor than milk kefir, easier on a child's palate.
Viili is yet another yogurt variety from Finland that tastes thick and rich.

These medium temperature yogurt varieties can all be cultured right on your countertop! Making your own organic yogurt at home is so easy, it's hard to find a reason not to! It's time to choose your favorite yogurt starter and Get Fermented!

Varieties of Sourdough

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:16:07 GMT

by Kim

"How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?" This quote, said famously by baker Julia Child, sums up our feelings perfectly about the bread available today.Thus it warms our heart, just like the ovens of America, that we've seen so many people taking it upon themselves to produce their sourdough bread.

People are moving wisely away from commercially produced bread, it's high sugar and additive contents, and towards recipes where they know exactly what's going into it. What we've seen, though, is the overwhelming amount of options. You decide to bake sourdough bread, and the question isn't how to do it, but which variety to choose (luckily you didn't live in ancient Greece, where they had 70 varieties of bread). And we don't want you to be overwhelmed. You have enough going on in your life without worrying about which bread to make. Here are a few questions, though, that can narrow your decision. They're easy to answer because they're dependent upon YOUR tastes:

What type of texture do you want? Light and airy? Dense and heavy? Fluffy? Full of holes?
How do you plan on using it? Will this be for sandwiches? For hors d'oeuvres and spreads? As your bed pillow? (Just kidding)(Wait, who are we to say otherwise?!)
How sour would you like the taste? This is more determined by proofing time, but can also be influenced by the type of starter you use

Alright, we hope those can refine what you're looking for. It should be much easier to make your choice, based on what we've laid out below:

San Francisco : This is one of the tastiest varieties, given the abundance of yeasts in the Bay Area. That begs the question - can you make San Francisco Sourdough bread, even if you don't live in San Francisco? The answer is, yes! Actually, in a blind taste test of sourdoughs made throughout California, the winner was from Los Angeles (the panelists were furious when that was revealed). San Francisco is the most popular variety, as it has a very pronounced sourness. The only downside is it takes a few more hours to proof, compared to other types.

Camaldoli: As the name suggests, this is an Italian variety. This is popular for its multitude of uses - some purchase Camaldoli Sourdough to make pizza crust, muffins, pancakes, tortillas, and many other baked goods.

Danish Rye: Known throughout Denmark as rugbrød this variety is highly nutritional and a healthy alternative to white bread. Danish Rye is less sweet, lower in fat and gluten. Grains and seeds are traditionally added, increasing the dietary fiber content. It's the bread used to make Smørrebrød, the open-faced sandwiches that are hugely popular in Denmark.

Desem: Desem is featured as "Whole Wheat" on our website, as it's our only starter of that type. Traditionally used in Belgium, it is loved for its nutritional value and it's nutty and slightly sour flavor.

Brown Rice: And finally, a sourdough starter without gluten. It's purchased primarily for that reason and also for how quickly it rises after being activated. You just have to feed it often. So, there are several options for you. Again, your selection should depend chiefly upon what you want to use the dough for. Once you're ready for your home-baking journey, take your first step and browse through our starters!

What is Kefir?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:15:46 GMT

by Kim

Maybe you've heard of the health benefits it provides, like protection against cancer, digestive problems, and osteoporosis. Perhaps you or your child have taken antibiotics, and have heard about its ability to restore gut flora. Maybe you just want a tasty drink in the morning that you know packed with vitamins and essential amino acids.

Whatever the reason, we're happy to see your interest in kefir, and we're here to give you all the information you need for starting on your kefir journey. You're probably thinking- "Okay, that's great, but what IS a kefir culture?"

NW Ferments offers three types: Milk Kefir Grains, Water Kefir Grains, and Kefir Starter. Right now, we're going to talk about Milk Kefir Grains. To the human eye, they look similar to pieces of cauliflower. They're quite beautiful, in a way (or maybe we're just weird).

Milk Kefir grains are a combination of beneficial yeasts and bacteria that live on a substrate made up of a variety of caseins (milk proteins) and complex sugars. Inside those cauliflower-like grains are dietary minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids. One in abundance is tryptophan, which is known for it's relaxing effect on the nervous system. There's also plenty of phosphorous, which promotes cell growth and energy production. Rounding out the cast are a collection of Vitamin B12, B1, and Vitamin K, which help kidney regulation and relieve skin disorders.

So basically, milk kefir is like the healthy version of wine and a bubble bath. And the taste? Some describe it as a "milk soda." It has the consistency of a drinkable yogurt but is more tart and bubbly. When blended with fresh fruit and honey, it makes an excellent probiotic smoothie. The best part is that the kefir grains consume lactose during the culturing process, making it more drinkable for those who are lactose-intolerant. (Uh-oh, we've been rambling on, and you're probably wondering how to make the stuff!) Herein lies the simplicity. To make milk kefir, you just add the grains to milk. Most people use cow or goat milk. The kefir is then cultured at room temperature for roughly 24 hours. The length of time varies, depending on the ratio of grains to milk and your desired level of tartness.

The milk kefir is finished when it has thickened to a consistency like heavy cream or drinkable yogurt. Sound good? Come and see! We have grains perfect for getting started. Oh, and if you discover a flavoring that we haven't heard of, please let us know!

Easiest Fermented Foods to Start With

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:15:35 GMT

by Kim

We're so happy to see fermentation making such a comeback in America. Stop - it's not just because we are a company that sells starter cultures. Stop being cynical. We're happy because the process that doctors have called one of the most valuable additions to diets is being embraced again by the public. We will provide you with enough information to get you started with the easiest fermented foods first. We're also glad that people no longer see fermentation as such a laborious process because it isn't. It may seem that way, but it can be done effectively at home, and save you tons in grocery costs. A jar of sauerkraut can cost $8 at the co-op; meanwhile, a $3 head of cabbage can give you sauerkraut for weeks. And also, of course, do wonders for your overall health. To get you started, we've outlined some of the easiest fermented foods and drinks that you can make at home. These are the ideal items to start, as you begin your DIY fermenting skills. Without further ado, here they are:

Kombucha

Tea, sugar and a good old' SCOBY, these are the ingredients for having your own Kombucha on tap. It's also a huge cost-saver, as separate bottles of Kombucha can add up. We recommend using black or green teas, but staying away from Earl Grey or other heavily flavored teas, which may disrupt fermentation. Also try to use a glass vessel, as metal or steel could corrode from the high acid content. When fermenting, try to keep the Kombucha in an area around 75°F-85°F.

Sourdough Bread

You should see the look on people's faces when we tell them that sourdough bread is alive. That means, beyond the fabulous flavor, it packs the active yeasts that are critical to your digestive tract. The most important step in making it is procuring a fresh, active sourdough starter. Once you have that, the process is rather simple: mix the starter with flour, water, and salt; knead the dough; split into loaves, cover, and proof for 4-24 hours; finally, slice an X into the top and bake it in the oven. Finally, enjoy the most pleasant smell in the world: fresh baked bread, wafting through your kitchen.

Vegetables

You can ferment just about any vegetable. How great is that? The most popular ones are carrots, green beans, radishes, and beets. For the fermentation process, you will need to decide if you're using salt, whey or a starter culture for making your brine (the liquid your vegetables will ferment in). Vegetables are possibly the easiest and quickest fermentation: cut the vegetables, place in glass jars and submerge completely in the brine for 1-2 days until fermented (you'll know it's ready once the ferment has developed a ˜tangy' taste). Then, keep the jar in cold storage. Two pro tips: use organic vegetables, and use filtered/purified water for making your brine.

Yogurt

Making yogurt seems like a daunting task to those who haven't done it. In truth, it's so simple you could probably fit it in your morning routine. The easiest process for beginners is mesophilic yogurt, also known as room temperature set. What this does is turn milk into yogurt. First, you'll put 1-2 cups of pasteurized milk into a glass container and mix it with yogurt starter. You'll then cover with a cloth or coffee filter”secured with a rubber band”-and place it in a warm area (70°-78°F) to let it culture. After 12 hours, you can check to see if it is set (you'll know if, when you tip the container, the mixture has become gelatinous and will pull away from the side). Sometimes it takes longer to set - if so, leave it up to 48 hours, checking every few hours for that desired consistency. When that time has come, cover it with a tight lid and refrigerate for 6 hours. Then, you eat. Oh, and here's the best part - for making future batches, you can just use a few scoops of your already-existing yogurt. That means exactly what you think - yogurt for life! Ready to get started? Check out our supply of starter cultures, which also have detailed instructions on preparation.

Don't waste time - Get Fermented!

Process of Fermentation

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:15:22 GMT

by Kim

You've seen a SCOBY. Do you ever wonder how the heck that flimsy disc of jelly is the link between sugary tea and a good glass of Kombucha?

Please allow us to explain the process of fermentation. We're going to use some big words, but it's not that complex a process.

The work of fermentation is the conversion of sugars into acids, gasses, or alcohol. That's it. Anything else reverts to that.

Interestingly, fermentation has been a naturally-occurring process since forever. For one, it happens naturally in mammalian muscles - it's the production of lactic acid during intense exercise, i.e. when animals need energy faster than blood can supply oxygen. Humans have used it in food and drink production for thousands of years. Records show the first alcoholic drink made of fruit, rice, and honey dates from 7000-6600 BC. Fermentation was used for food preservation purposes long before the advent of the refrigerator. Within the context of food production, fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates and proteins into alcohol or organic acids using microorganisms, like mold, yeast or bacteria. And the SCOBY? You guessed it - mixing a carbohydrate (like sugar) with a bacterial microorganism (SCOBY) can produce organic acids (as found in Kombucha).

Let's get a little more specific.

Ferment-specific molds, bacteria, and yeasts break down complex organic molecules, like proteins and carbohydrates, into smaller compounds. The first step is called glycolysis - when glucose is converted to pyruvic acid. During fermentation, pyruvate can be metabolized into compounds through either Lactic Acid Fermentation or Alcoholic Fermentation. Since we're talking food, we'll stick to the first one - Lactic Acid Fermentation.

Lactic Acid Fermentation

Lactic Acid Fermentation produces Lactic Acid Bacteria, which we'll call LAB. LAB are 'the good guys.' Lactic acid is what keeps food from spoiling. It also improves the digestibility of foods, increases vitamin levels, and proliferates healthy gut flora. Most importantly, LAB can withstand highly acidic environments with a lower pH - whereas 'bad' bacteria cannot.

The LAB go on to produce different genus strains of Lactobacillales, which occur at various stages of fermentation and are responsible for different tastes and textures. Yum. It could help to think of Lacto-Fermentation as a party. First, the bacteria, mold or yeast creates an environment with a high acidity level. High acid means more multiplication. As the acid level increases, other species of friendly flora arrive and multiply as well. The party hits its peak as Lactobacillus are fermented into other species while sugars and starches are fully fermented out and taste and palatability are developed and enhanced. Sounds fun, right? We hope so because that's it.

It's a big, friendly acid party that just gets better as the night wears on. What's cool - some people have made videos where they recorded the fermentation process in a time lapse, and they're super exciting to watch. So join in on the fun! Check out our starter cultures to start and watch the process of fermentation process yourself!

Why Fermentation?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:15:19 GMT

by Kim

Sorry to get all serious with you, but we need to make a serious point.

Modern food processing methods have shortchanged people of essential enzymes and probiotics. As food production has gotten faster, we've cut corners. We feed our growing population (somewhat) efficiently, but the food we're eating isn't giving us the best version of ourselves. Our diets leave most of us under-energized, gassy and emotionally turbulent (just a regular Wednesday for some). But even those who eat 'healthy' could use a bit of an edge. And if you're a busy person, you know how valuable that bit of boost can be. You know what's even worse? Approximately 70 million Americans suffer from digestive diseases, each year. Those include ulcers, Crohn's disease, IBS, and forms of cancer. That's just crazy. (Okay, serious part over. Thanks for bearing with us) Enter fermentation, a process that's been around for thousands of years. When the Great Wall was being built, Chinese workers ate acid-fermented vegetables as a means of energy. In Roman times, sauerkraut was used to prevent and treat intestinal infections. Heck, Captain James Cook used sauerkraut and lime juice to prevent scurvy for his sailors. And even now, fermented food and drinks play a prominent role in healthy and healing diets. It's not just in America - fermented food and drinks are a staple in healthy diets all around the world. Here's why:

It Starts and Ends in the Gut

Forget the brain. Seriously, try to ignore it. Everything has to do with your gut. It's essentially ground control for your body's health. And given that 80% of your immune system is in your gut, it's a pretty important place to keep happy. The effects of an unhealthy gut are far-reaching. They can be minor, like constipation, excess gas (look out, spouses!), diarrhea, even bad breath. But did you know it can affect the bladder, your hormones, your memory, respiratory problems and, worst of all, cause breast enlargement in men?!

The Introduction of Probiotics

Fermented food and drinks are known for the abundant presence of probiotics, otherwise known as good bacteria. These fight off pathogens, which are harmful bacteria, the ones that cause disease. More probiotics in your stomach mean smaller possibility of sickness. In your complex, densely populated stomach, probiotics are magicians. They regulate your stomach acid levels, which means they increase acid when needed, and protect your stomach and intestinal lining when acid's low.

In short, probiotics manage your stomach better than most people can manage a budget (did we just say that?).

The work that probiotics do in your stomach looks similar to how modern medicines work. The good part is, as you know that probiotics are natural organisms, not something manufactured in a lab. We think you know which one you'd rather have in your stomach. That said, some people compensate by taking supplements. These work, as some are better than none. However, it was found that fermented foods can contain up to 100x more probiotics than a pill can provide.

The Absorption of Nutrients

When the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria, it can cause structural damage to your stomach. When the stomach is damaged, digestion is affected. That's a problem. Poor digestion means you may be eating healthy foods, but not absorbing all the nutrients you could (and need to) be getting. Or, you could be absorbing too much of a nutrient. It throws your whole system out of whack.

You Can Win the War

There are trillions of bacteria in your stomach. One hundred trillion, to be more specific. That's 10x more than a number of cells in your body. And as we said, not all bacteria are good. Actually, with our sugar-rich diets, we unwittingly introduce a lot of the bad bacteria in us. We just let them in, right through the front door. Your health - mental, physical and emotional - depends on where the balance tips in this bacterial battle of good and evil. There's a war waging in your gut, and you can determine the outcome. It's quite simple (and tasty) to introduce fermented food and drinks into your diet, and many of our starter cultures are the perfect first step.

Water Kefir: Learn how, here!

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:15:10 GMT

Kefir: The Most Versatile Culture

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:15:03 GMT

If you've been fermenting for long, you have probably heard the term "kefir grains." Of course, they are not grains at all; they are a colony of bacteria and yeast, similar to (but not interchangeable with) the cultures used to make kombucha and water kefir. Dairy kefir grains are easily the most versatile, useful culture to keep in your fermenting repertoire. They can last for years, and the results are excellent for gut health and digestion. Below is a list of some of the amazing things you can make with it: Smoothies: Add fresh berries and raw honey for a high protein, belly soothing treat. Soft cheese: Get your probiotics by eating cheese! Check out our basic soft cheese recipe. Pancakes or waffles: Boost the protein in your breakfast by adding kefir or kefir cheese instead of milk or water.

Culture for cheese: Use as a culture for many kinds of cheeses, including cottage cheese, blue and white mold ripened cheeses, cheddar, and mozzarella.

Sour cream: Grow your grains in heavy cream instead of milk. It makes a fabulously thick, slightly sour cream that can be used in any recipe calling for sour cream or creme fraiche.

Pet food: Dogs, cats, chickens and pigs all love it, and unlike other dairy products, it is good for their bellies. We use it as a treat for training.

Skin care: The acids in kefir make an excellent, nourishing treatment for hands and faces. Use as a mask on your face, and rinse with warm water and a clean washcloth. These are just a few of the fantastic things you can make and do with kefir. Get some today and give us your ideas in the comments!

Fermented Mary

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:13:10 GMT

Looking for a fun way to incorporate fermented foods into your next party? Wow your friends with a Fermented Bloody Mary! All the goodness of fermentation, but with a little kick. You can pretty much ferment everything that goes into it- tomatoes, peppers, horseradish, Worcestershire, etc. Brine from your ferments also makes a great addition. Be careful if you add any additional salt - taste it first, as the fermented additions usually are salty enough. Ingredients can be increased or decreased, to your liking. Regular tomato juice can be added to balance out the salt factor if needed.

Recipe for two:

1 cup fermented, pureed & strained tomatoes (straining is optional)
1/2 tsp. fermented horseradish (store bought will work too)
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (store bought will work too)
1/2 tsp. lime juice (this could be fermented too!)
1/2 tsp. fermented pureed hot peppers (store bought pepper sauce is fine)
1-2 oz. vodka (more or less, to taste)

Rim a glass with a bit of celery salt (optional), mix ingredients together and pour into a glass over ice. Garnish with a celery stalk and skewered fermented veggies- peppers, carrots, onions, green beans, asparagus, olives- you name it! Enjoy with friends! Cheers!

5 Ways to Keep Cultures Warm

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:06:30 GMT

by Suzanne

Now that fall is upon us, you may think culturing time is over. Not at all! Some cultures like vegetables and kombucha are not quite as sensitive to lower temperatures. However, yogurt, buttermilk, sourdough, and water kefir need to be kept at least at 68ºF to culture well. There are lots of easy ways to keep cultures warm enough to continue through even the chilliest weather. For each method, test the temperature in the new culturing area to be sure it doesn't get too warm.1. Wrap it up!

Often, when the temperature is just a tad too chilly for culturing, a towel or other thick cloth wrapped around the jar does the trick. If you're a crafty type, try making a simple sleeve to fit your culturing jars, like this one.2. Steal some warmth.

Many electronic devices that you keep plugged in all day and night give off just a bit of warmth. Move your yogurt or water kefir onto or near the appliance, with a towel in between, just in case.3. Use Your Pilot light.

Do you have a gas stove with a pilot light? Move your culturing jar there overnight. But make sure to leave some kind of warning sign so others in the house do not turn on the oven and bake your cultures.4. Raise it up!

Heat rises. Take advantage of that fact by moving your culturing jar to the top of the fridge or a high shelf.5. Seedling Mat.

If it gets too cold, try a seedling heat mat, found at local nurseries or hardware stores. These little mats raise the temperature by 10-20ºF above the room temperature. You may have to make some adjustments to get it just right for culturing, but it's a handy item for the coldest months.

Buttermilk Sour Cream Recipe

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:06:11 GMT

by Suzanne

Recently, I shared with you how to use NWF Buttermilk Starter to make beautiful buttermilk. Did you know that you can also use a portion of your weekly buttermilk to make delicious sour cream?

Here's how you do it:

Step 1: Pour 1 pint cream into a clean glass jar. Make sure the cream is not ultra-pasteurized and does not contain other ingredients. It should be just plain old sweet cream.

Step 2: Add 2-4 tablespoons fresh cultured buttermilk. Stir in until the buttermilk is completely mixed into the cream.

Step 3: Cover the jar with a breathable lid, such as a coffee filter or cloth. Put on a rubber band to hold the cloth in place.

Step 4: Leave the cream in a warm place to ferment for 12-18 hours. The best temperature range is 70-77ºF.

Step 5: Enjoy your fresh-tasting sour cream!

Beautiful Buttermilk

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:06:01 GMT

by Suzanne

Before the yogurt boom in the 1960's, buttermilk was the cultured dairy food of choice for millions of Americans. Today, it takes a back seat - we might even say a spot in the trunk - to yogurt and milk kefir. But it doesn't have to! Buttermilk is easy to make at home and has many uses aside from plain old drinking or soaking your cornbread.

Step 1: Gather ingredients and supplies. You'll need: Glass jar Fresh pasteurized milk Buttermilk starter Spoon for stirring Breathable cover and rubber band to secure it

Step 2: Pour 3-4 cups fresh milk into your glass jar. Sprinkle the buttermilk starter on the surface of the milk. Let the starter sit for a minute or two to moisten. This step helps in stirring the powder in more thoroughly and prevents clumping.

Step 3: Stir the powdered starter into the milk until thoroughly mixed.

Step 4: Cover the jar with a breathable lid, such as a coffee filter or double layer of cheesecloth. Secure with a rubber band. Let the jar sit in a warm place, 70-78ºF. After 12 hours, check to see if the buttermilk has set.

When set, it will pull away in a mass from the side of the jar, like in the photo below. It may take up to 48 hours, so keep checking on it. Once it has set, put a tight lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator. That's it! And the best thing about this buttermilk starter is that it's reusable . So make sure to save about ¼ cup of cultured goodness from each batch, to use as starter for your next batch. More on buttermilk later. Right now...time to make pancakes!

5 Great Ways to Eat Sauerkraut!

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:05:27 GMT

by Suzanne

Sauerkraut is one of my favorite fermented foods, and if you've read my previous blog posts, you know that I like it with everything! But I realize that my weird food combinations can't possibly be palatable to everyone out there, so I've toned it down a bit. Here is a list of my top 5 favorite ways to eat sauerkraut that I think everyone will love.

1. On a Taco.

Do you like tacos with meat or veggies and spicy seasonings? Sauerkraut pairs so well with them all. Just a spoonful atop the other fillings adds a new flavor dimension you'll love!

2. With Pork Cracklins.

If you render your own lard,you likely have a jar of pork cracklins in your fridge somewhere. Wondering what to do with them? Add a spoonful to a bowl of sauerkraut for a delicious, filling snack. Be careful! Those cracklins can be super rich, so don't go overboard!

3. On a Hot Dog.

You've seen New York hot dog vendors in movies or on TV, selling hot dogs topped with sauerkraut. But this yummy delight is not just for New Yorkers. Try it with some spicy mustard. You'll never look back!

4. With Fried Eggs.

A few years ago, I worked one day a week at a seriously physically demanding job, where sometimes I had little time to even eat lunch. So when I finally pedaled home at 9:00pm, I was starving and exhausted. I could muster just enough energy to fry a couple of eggs and slap them on top of a bowl of sauerkraut. So tasty! And just the boost I needed to stumble my way to bed. I won't talk about spilling the sauerkraut juice into my computer, whose shift key still doesn't work.

5. With Soup.

Aside from adding sauerkraut to borscht I learned while on the GAPS diet that sauerkraut is delicious in nearly any soup or stew. Let the soup cool a bit before adding the sauerkraut, to avoid killing off the good bacteria in all that fermented yumminess.

That's it! Sauerkraut is super easy to make at home, and so much less expensive than store bought. Give it a try on top of your favorite meal and let us know your favorite ways to enjoy sauerkraut!

Easy Peasy-Let's Make Cheesy!

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:05:02 GMT

by Stacie
Before We Talk Kombucha Cheese...

The first time I tell people that I make cheese, they inevitably look shocked. "You MAKE cheese?" they say, and look impressed.
The truth is, there is no reason to be impressed. Cheese is easy, and I firmly believe that with a little practice and help, anyone can make it.
Cheese is one of the oldest foods on the planet. The legend is that one ancient day, a shepherd child used a sheep or goat's stomach as a convenient milk pail. The rennet in the stomach caused the milk to curdle, and everyone realized that the resulting curds and whey were delicious.
Most modern cheeses are slightly more complicated than that, but not all of them. There are plenty of quick, simple cheeses that you can make at home, using cultures and equipment that you already have.
The best way to start is with an acid cheese. I like to use kombucha for mine; the flavor is mild, slightly sweet, and delicious. If you don't have any kombucha , that's okay. Acid cheese can be made with vinegar or lemon juice instead.

Recipe: Basic Kombucha Cheese

So as Julia Child would say: don't be afraid! Mistakes and messes are guaranteed, but that's okay. In the world of cheese making, mistakes can almost always be drained, salted, and eaten anyway. Have fun!

Ingredients:1 gallon milk (not UHT pasteurized)
1 cup kombucha or raw vinegar (you may not need all of it)
Sea salt
Large stockpot
Wooden spoon
Cheese or candy thermometer
Fine colander
Cheesecloth

Pour milk into stockpot and heat very slowly, stirring often.
Begin checking temperature when steam rises. Check and stir regularly until temperature reaches 190F. Slowly pour in kombucha, stirring gently. Stop pouring when visible curds form and turn off heat.
Just added kombucha! Note the curds beginning to form and the clear, yellowish whey floating to the top. Allow to rest for 15-30 minutes. Drain curds in a colander lined with cheesecloth, and salt to taste.

A neat trick for draining curds. Save the whey for other projects! And that's it! Let us know how it works for you!

Tempeh? I say Temp-yay!

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:04:56 GMT

Let's talk Tempeh. This protein & vitamin-packed fermented food is traditionally made with soybeans, but can also be made with other beans, grains, or a combination of both. Barley & oats can even be used. It originates from Indonesia, but is used worldwide in vegan & vegetarian cuisine. A food dehydrator or other means of maintaining an 85-90 degree temperature is needed. Tempeh is made by inoculating the beans with a starter culture (basically fungus spores) that spread throughout the beans, knitting them together into a mat of white mycelium. Don't let this scare you! The spores will not take you over like Invasion of the Bodysnatchers - this stuff is good for you :)The process is surprisingly simple:

The beans are soaked, dehulled (skins removed), partly cooked & dried. Next the starter culture & an acidulant (usually vinegar) are thoroughly mixed into the beans. They are then pressed into a thin layer, usually in a perforated plastic zip bag, and allowed to ferment for 24-48 hours.

The finished "cake" can then be flavored by marinating & seasoning, and is often cut into pieces and then fried for a crispy texture. It can be eaten alone, or used in sandwiches, salads, stir fries & stews. It freezes well, and can also be dehydrated for future use. I find it's a fun culinary challenge to experiment with flavorings & uses, as well as a "mad scientist" project. Tempeh is not just for vegans & vegetarians anymore! Give it a try - you won't be sorry ;)

Water Kefir Ginger Ale

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:04:25 GMT

by Suzanne

Water kefir ginger ale is one of my favorite fizzy drinks. It brings back memories of staying home from school with a sore throat, lying on the couch watching old movies on TV, with Mom taking care of me and serving a cool glass of ginger ale with a straw! Thinking back to those good old days made me crave a tall glass of ginger ale. I just knew I could make it fermented, too.

First I made ginger tea:

Bring 8 cups water to a full boil.
Add …“-½ cup of chopped fresh ginger, no need to peel it.
Reduce heat, simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in 1½ cups sugar. I like to use rapadura for the rich flavor.
Cool completely.
Strain into a gallon jar.

Next, I fermented the sweet ginger tea:

Add 1 quart finished, unflavored water kefir and enough cool, filtered water to fill the jar about an inch from the top.
Cover with a cloth, secured by a rubber band, just like making water kefir.
Let that ginger water kefir ferment 2 days at room temperature. You should be able to see some bubbles or foam on top at this point.

Then I bottled the fermented ginger ale:

After 2 days, bottle the liquid in tightly sealed bottles.
Ferment on the counter-top another 12-24 hours before refrigerating.

I like to open one bottle as a test before refrigerating, just to make sure it's fizzy. If not, I let the sealeed bottles ferment at room temperature a bit longer. Once the bottles go in the fridge, the fermentation will slow way down, so make sure thewater kefir ginger ale is bubbly before refrigerating.

And that's it! My kiddo loves this water kefir ginger ale, so try it out on your family and let us know how they like it. Cheers!

For more, check us out below!

Russian Borscht and Sauerkraut?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:04:18 GMT

by Suzanne

Many years ago, when I lived in the south, I discovered a lovely little family-owned Russian restaurant in the corner of a shopping center. The babushka shared her recipe for borscht, a Russian beef stew with cabbage, beets, and turnips, and topped with sour cream.

Recently, as I made a big pot of this same borscht, I wondered about the ingredients. Was borscht originally made with a big dollop of sauerkraut added? Russian sauerkraut is more of a sweet-and-sour concoction than German sauerkraut, which is just sour. And my borscht recipe calls for both vinegar and sugar, in addition to the cabbage. Had my dear Russian restaurateur altered the recipe? Or was it altered before being handed down to her? Since I couldn't even remember her name or the name of the restaurant, there was no way to ask.

However, searching around a bit let me know my theory was incorrect. Several authentic Russian borscht recipes listed cabbage, not sauerkraut, in the ingredients. I did not find one recipe containing sauerkraut, though I did come across an interesting version, which calls for 1/2 cup Russian pickled cabbage juice.

I did find a reference to using fermented wheat germ in the borscht recipe to add that sour flavor, which is intriguing, but not quite what I had in mind.

Well, it was an interesting theory, but, "there are a lot of interesting theories that didn't pan out: Lone Gunman, communism, geometry"

In the end, it's a win-win situation, for me, at least. I learned a lot more about borscht. And, I've decided to make my own version, which includes a big heaping spoon of sauerkraut on top. Because what doesn't taste better with sauerkraut?!

Interested in making sauerkraut at home? Check out my previous post to learn how!

Homemade Sauerkraut

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:04:11 GMT

by Suzanne

Hot dogs, sausages, fried eggs, pork chops, beef stew what doesn't go with sauerkraut?! So I always keep some on hand.

I prefer to make my sauerkraut. I use organic and local ingredients, and I can add other veggies when I like and as much as I like. Today, I'm adding onions and carrots. It's going to be good!

If you've never made your sauerkraut, it may sound daunting. However, if you have a jar, a knife and a half hour, you can surely make a good batch of sauerkraut. Ok, you'll need cabbage and sea salt, too, but those are easy to come by.

Let's Get Started Making Sauerkraut

I have 2 large heads of cabbage, a gallon-sized crock, and a small work space, so I chop only a portion, about 1/3 head, add it to my crock, sprinkle with sea salt, and begin kneading.

Only a few minutes' kneading is required to get enough liquid to cover the cabbage. Once the first portion is done, I only add more cabbage, more sea salt, and knead again. When all the cabbage is in the crock and there is enough liquid to cover, I add the rest of my ingredients: 2 green onions, 3 shredded carrots, and several smashed garlic cloves. I mix them all in well, then I add a dried pepper that I bought at the farmer's market a couple of years ago. I can't recall what variety, but it adds a subtle smokey flavor to the finished sauerkraut. Yum!

I press all the ingredients down under the liquid, add my weights to keep them down, then put the lid on the crock. Once I have found a cool fermenting spot, I add water to the well to create a seal. And the waiting game begins. I give it around 3 days before I begin tasting. Once the kraut tastes just the way I like it, I'll transfer it to a jar with a lid and refrigerate it. If you don't have a crock with weights and a lid, don't sweat it. Any glass jar will do. There are lots of fermenting supplies that work well with standard wide-mouth canning jars. Click here to see a complete selection of fermenting equipment. Now get fermenting and let us know what you like to add to your sauerkraut!

Kombucha Candy

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:04:01 GMT

by Suzanne

Recently, I took my son to Rooks Barber Shop for his semi-annual haircut (don't ask!). As I was watching the hair fall to the floor, it somehow reminded me of periodically removing the scoby from my kombucha jar when it gets too thick. I realize it's a stretch for some of you, but when you have fermentation on the brain all the time, as I do, then practically everything relates somehow!

That brings me to today's topic: what to do with the numerous scobys that build up in your kombucha jar. By far the easiest thing to do is to just toss them out. But that seems pretty heartless, especially if you get attached to your ferments the way I do. The next best thing is to share an extra scoby with a friend. There must be someone out there who still needs a scoby, but the list is dwindling, I admit. And the scoby pile keeps getting larger. So I pull out the big chunky scoby pile, leave one scoby in the jar to continue brewing kombucha, and make kombucha candy!

Making kombucha candy out of the scoby is super easy:

1. Chop, tear, or cut the scoby into bite-sized pieces.

2. Leave the pieces to soak overnight in a solution of water and your favorite sweetener: maple syrup, honey, sugar, etc. You'll need just enough liquid to cover the pieces completely.

3. After about 24 hours, remove the scoby pieces from the liquid, spread on a dehydrator tray, and dehydrate at 110ºF until the scoby pieces are chewy like gummy bears.

4. Eat and enjoy!

Rejuvenate Your Water Kefir

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:03:51 GMT

by Suzanne

Water kefir is my favorite summer ferment. It can be flavored with just about anything; a new batch is ready every day or two; and it's super easy to maintain! But

Water kefir grains need a bit more attention than I can give them sometimes. During busy summer months, I often neglect the poor little guys. And when I do, I know that eventually, I will have to pay for my neglect with a bit of extra attention.

Recently, we had a lot going on, with camping, beach trips, and other summer fun. I wasn't home to look after all my cultures. And just as I knew would happen, the kombucha was just fine, but my water kefir grains had turned to mush. They looked kind of like applesauce, which I know from experience is not good.

So what did I do to revive the water kefir grains?

I simply gave them a little more attention. I changed the sugar water every 24 hours for a few days. I also changed the sugar I use, to make things a bit easier on the grains. Normally, for a quart batch of water kefir, I use 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) Succanat to feed the grains.

Succanat is a less refined sugar, full of minerals. It gives finished water kefir a stronger flavor, almost like caramel, and for healthy grains, it works just fine. But Succanat can be a little harder on the grains, and for neglected applesauce grains like mine, it can be too much.

So during the days of recovery, I switched to organic cane juice crystals, a more refined sugar that is easier on the grains. The taste of water kefir made with organic cane juice crystals is light and sweet. Not my favorite, but I can deal with it for a few days as my little pets recover.

After several days of diligently changing the sugar water every 24 hours, the grains began looking more defined and less like mush.

I knew I was on my way back to the stronger flavored water kefir that I prefer. Every few days, I replaced 1 tablespoon of organic cane juice crystals with Succanat, until I had built back up to using 100% Succanat.

And that's it! My water kefir grains are healthy again and making delicious water kefir. And I promise to pay closer attention to them€until the next time!

Traveling with Culture

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:03:44 GMT

Summer is here, and you may have plans to go to faraway (or not-so-faraway) places. How do you plan to keep your gut healthy? Many is the time that I've returned from vacation to find myself: bloated, constipated, and broken out like a teenager (TMI, right?). Vacation sometimes leads to excess. But if you have ACCESS (to probiotic cultures) it will help balance the effects of EXCESS.

Of course, these days, you can find fermented foods almost anywhere - even in those "big box" stores that I shall not name ;) . But if you want maximal good bacteria with minimal additives, your best bet is always to make your own.

You CAN opt bring a small amount of your live cultures with you. As long as you have your culture, it's pretty easy to resource your ingredients anywhere. A Kombucha SCOBY, Water Kefir Grains, Milk Kefir Grains, or a bit of Yogurt can be started up wherever you land. I am no stranger to weird looks from airport security-haven't been put on the no-fly list yet! If you'll be staying more than a couple of days, you can easily jump in & start producing goodness right away.

Faster Alternatives

Another option is using a Direct-Set Culture. Dried Yogurt Starter & Kefir Starter can be added to various milks or juices and within hours you'll have your cultures without any continued maintenance of grains or starters.

You can also start a batch of fermented veggies. The smaller they are cut, and the smaller your fermentation vessel, the quicker they will ferment. Also, warmer temps will help speed the process. Besides salt, you can jump start things with vegetable starter culture or whey, when available.

There are many options. With a little planning ahead, you can not only impress your traveling companions with your MacGyver-ness, but keep them and yourself healthy in the process!

Happy travels :)

Fermentation on Vacation

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:03:33 GMT

Years ago, when traveling, I would have to do research on my destinations as to where all the natural food stores were. I had to be sure I'd be able to get my "fix" (primarily Kombucha) wherever I went. If you're an addict like me, you know what a few days without can do to your system! Especially with all the other indulgences that come with vacationing (too much food, too much drink...). These days, my magical elixir of fermentation can be found everywhere, even in mainstream grocery stores!

In many ways, this is wonderful- easier access, more selection, competitive pricing, and healthy ferments are now being consumed by the masses. But in other, deeper ways, I prefer my old method. Taking the time to seek out these little "secret" places, and connecting with the cultural community wherever I go. Not to mention supporting the small Mom & Pop-type establishments.

Don't get me wrong, I like a little convenience, and am glad that so many more people are joining the fermentation movement. But let's keep a little balance. Let's remember to support the little folks that are our roots. The imaginative innovators that have brought us to where we are. Don't automatically head to the "big box" establishments- take a little time to check out what each community has to offer. Make it a goal on your next trip- you (and your gut) will be glad you did in the end!

(Get it? In the end ;) )

Welcome!

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:03:20 GMT

Hello, we'd like to welcome you to our "Font of Information"! Sue and I will be sharing tips, stories and recipes about culturing and the fermenting life. We also have a couple of wonderfully knowledgeable writers on board - Suzanne & Stacie. They're experts on cultures, fermentation & cheese making. With our Superteam (and a guest writer now & then) we hope to keep you entertained as well as informed. Whether you're an old hand at culturing or a newcomer, we hope you will enjoy, and keep coming back! Happy Fermenting, Wendy & Sue A couple of truly cultured women ;)

Basic Sourdough Bread (From King Arthur Flour)

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 01:21:52 GMT

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 cups "fed" sourdough starter (active and bubbly, any variety is fine)
1/2 cup lukewarm water

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough; about 15 to 20 minutes by hand, 7 to 10 minutes in a mixer, and 20 to 30 minutes in a bread machine.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.
Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
On a lightly greased work surface, gently deflate the dough, and form it into a 9" log. Place the log in the prepared pan, cover, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it crests about 1" over the rim of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the bread for 40 to 50 minutes, until it's light gold and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F.
Remove the bread from the oven, and after a couple of minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.
Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Sourdough Pumpernickel Bread (From King Arthur Flour)

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 20:31:39 GMT

Sponge Ingredients

1 1/3 cups active (fed) sourdough starter, any variety is fine
1 cup room temperature black coffee or potato water (water in which potatoes have been boiled)
2 cups pumpernickel flour
1/2 cup chopped onion

Dough Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup molasses
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

To make the sponge: Measure the starter into a bowl. Add the coffee or potato water, pumpernickel, and onion. Stir together, cover, and let bubble away at room temperature overnight.
To make the dough: The next day, stir the oil, salt and molasses into the sponge. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time, until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding only enough additional flour to keep it from sticking to your hands.
There are a number of ways to shape this dough. Make one large round loaf, which you'll place on a pumpernickel-sprinkled baking sheet. Or make two smaller versions of the same thing. Or place the entire amount of dough into a large (10" x 5") loaf pan. Or divide it in half, and use two smaller (8 1/2" x 4 1/2") loaf pans.
Cover the loaves with a piece of lightly greased plastic wrap. Let them rise in a draft-free spot. You can predict the amount of rise somewhat by the temperature of the space where they're rising: at 55°F to 60°F, they'll probably take 3 to 5 hours to rise; at 65°F to 70°F, 2 to 4 hours.
A short time before the loaves have doubled in size, place them in a preheated 350°F oven; they'll continue to rise during the first 15 minutes of baking.
Bake two smaller loaves for about 35 minutes; one large loaf will bake for about 45 minutes.
The loaves are done when the centers measure 200°F when measured with an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and put on a rack to cool before slicing.
Yield: 1 or 2 loaves, 24 servings.

Sourdough Pancake Recipe

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 20:24:13 GMT

Ingredients

1 1/4 c. flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
3/4-1 cup milk or kefir (adjust for desired consistency)
1 1/4 c. sourdough starter (or more, to taste)
2 eggs

Makes about 12 pancakes

Instructions

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a mixing bowl large enough to hold the batter.
Beat the eggs, milk, sourdough starter and butter together, and add to the dry mix. Incorporate well with a whisk, then let sit for at least 5 minutes. This will allow more bubbles to develop.
Heat a pan or griddle. Grease with oil or butter and ladle the batter onto the hot surface. Flip the pancakes when bubbles form on the surface.
Cook until golden. Serve hot.

Optional - dress up your batter with:

Sliced bananas, diced apples, nut butter, dried fruit, cinnamon, chia seeds, flax seeds, you name it!

Rustic Sourdough Bread (From King Arthur Flour)

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 20:21:27 GMT

Ingredients

1 cup "fed" sourdough starter (active and bubbly, any variety is fine)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.
Allow the dough to rise, in a lightly greased, covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat.
Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10" to 11" logs. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.
Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.
Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Bread Machine Sourdough Bread (From King Arthur Flour)

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 20:19:01 GMT

Ingredients For 1 1/2 lb loaf

2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 cups sourdough starter, fed, active, and at room temperature (any variety is fine)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Ingredients For For 1 lb loaf

1 teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 2/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sourdough starter, fed, active, and at room temperature (any variety is fine)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Instructions

Place the ingredients into the pan of your machine, in the order suggested by the manufacturer; program for French Bread, or a similar long-rising cycle; and press start.
Check the dough after about 10 minutes of kneading; add additional water or flour as necessary to make a smooth, soft dough.
Remove the bread from the machine when it's done, and cool it on a rack.

EXTRA-TANGY SOURDOUGH BREAD (FROM KING ARTHUR FLOUR)

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 20:13:54 GMT

Ingredients

1 cup "fed" sourdough starter (active and bubbly, any variety is fine)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
5 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Combine the starter, water, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat vigorously for 1 minute.
Cover, and let rest at room temperature for 4 hours. Refrigerate overnight, for about 12 hours.
Add the remaining ingredients: 2 cups of flour and salt. Knead to form a smooth dough.
Allow the dough to rise in a covered bowl until it's relaxed, smoothed out, and risen. Depending on the vigor of your starter, it may become REALLY puffy; or it may just rise a bit. This can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours. Understand this: sourdough bread (especially sourdough without added yeast) is as much art as science; everyone's timetable will be different. So please allow yourself to go with the flow, and not treat this as an exact, to-the-minute process.
Gently divide the dough in half.
Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until very puffy, about 2 to 4 hours. Don't worry if the loaves spread more than they rise; they'll pick up once they hit the oven's heat. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.
Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.
Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Fromage Blanc Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:54:00 GMT

You will need:

stainless steel pot with lid (no aluminum)
non-aluminum spoon
thermometer
butter muslin, tight-weave dish towel, or yogurt bag
colander
bowl
raw or pasteurized milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT)
1 packet Fromage Blanc starter culture (store remaining packets in freezer for future use)
non-iodized salt

Directions:

Slowly heat (on low) 1-4 quarts of milk to 86° F. (heat the milk no faster than 1 degree per minute- this can take 30-40 minutes for a gallon). Remove from heat.
Add one packet of Fromage Blanc starter and mix thoroughly for 15 seconds (no longer).
Cover pot with lid and allow to culture in a warm spot, 72-77° F., for 12 hours.
The Fromage Blanc should be set after 12 hours. There may be some separation of the whey-this is normal. Place the colander in a bowl & line the colander with a double layer of butter muslin or dish towel. Spoon the cheese curds into the colander, gather up the comers of the cloth, and tie them together to make a bag (a yogurt bag can also be used).
Hang the Fromage Blanc-filled bag over a bowl to drain the whey for 6-12 hours (the whey can be reserved for other uses).
Store your finished Fromage Blanc in a closed container in the refrigerator for about a week. If freezing, remove as much whey as possible and salt well first.

San Francisco, Yukon & Camaldoli Sourdough Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:47:00 GMT

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
white flour of your choice
water (room temp - filtered or spring water preferred)
1 packet sourdough starter culture

Activating your starter culture:

Put 1/4 cup water into jar. Sprinkle starter culture over water, and allow to sit for a few minutes to soften. Stir until well mixed. Add 1/4 cup flour, mixing well (stirring vigorously will incorporate bubbles into the mixture, which helps with activation). Cover the jar & secure with elastic band.
Allow to culture at room temperature (68 to 78°F is ideal) for 24 hours. Choose a draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight. Stirring again once or twice during this first 24 hours will help get things going.
After 24 hours, "feed" your starter with 1/8 cup of flour and enough water to make a thick pancake batterlike consistency. Stir well to incorporate. Allow to culture as before. Continue to feed twice daily with 1/8 cup flour & water until tiny bubbles appear on the surface. This means your culture is ''waking up". You may begin to see some activity within another day or 2, but it can take several days depending on temperature and density of flour used. When it's full of bubbles, you're ready for action!
Once your starter is activated, continue with once or twice daily feedings of roughly equal parts flour & water. Frequent feedings will keep your starter active and will increase volume more quickly for baking ( amount of starter needed depends on your recipe).

As you use your starter in recipes, always remember to reserve some back for your continuing starter. If you plan to use it frequently, keep it in a warm place and continue with daily feedings. If it will be awhile until you use it, store it in the refrigerator in a covered jar or container. This will put your starter to "sleep", requiring less attention until you're ready to use it again. While refrigerated, feed your starter every week or two to keep it happy. Remember - it will take a day or two for your starter to bounce back from refrigeration. Feed regularly until active again!

Gluten Free Sourdough Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:44:00 GMT

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
gluten free flour of your choice
water (room temp - filtered or spring water preferred)
1 packet sourdough starter culture

Activating your starter culture:

Put 1/4 cup water into jar. Sprinkle starter culture over water, and allow to sit for a few minutes to soften. Stir until well mixed. Add 1/4 cup flour, mixing well (stirring vigorously will incorporate bubbles into the mixture, which helps with activation). Cover the jar & secure with elastic band.
Allow to culture at room temperature (68 to 78°F is ideal) for 24 hours. Choose a draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight. Stirring again once or twice during this first 24 hours will help get things going.
After 24 hours, "feed" your starter with 1/8 cup of flour and enough water to make a thick pancake batterlike consistency. Stir well to incorporate. Allow to culture as before. Continue to feed twice daily with 1/8 cup flour & water until tiny bubbles appear on the surface. This means your culture is ''waking up". You may begin to see some activity within another day or 2, but it can take several days depending on temperature and density of flour used. When it's full of bubbles, you're ready for action!
Once your starter is activated, continue with once or twice daily feedings of roughly equal parts flour & water. Frequent feedings will keep your starter active and will increase volume more quickly for baking ( amount of starter needed depends on your recipe).

Desem Sourdough Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:41:00 GMT

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
whole wheat flour
water (room temp - filtered or spring water preferred)
1 packet sourdough starter culture

Activating your starter culture:

Put 1/4 cup water into jar. Sprinkle starter culture over water, and allow to sit for a few minutes to soften. Stir until well mixed. Add 1/4 cup flour, mixing well (stirring vigorously will incorporate bubbles into the mixture, which helps with activation). Cover the jar & secure with elastic band.
Allow to culture at room temperature (68 to 78° F is ideal) for 24 hours. Choose a draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight. Stirring again once or twice during this first 24 hours will help get things going.
After 24 hours, "feed" your starter with 1/8 cup of flour and enough water to make a thick pancake batterlike consistency. Stir well to incorporate. Allow to culture as before. Continue to feed twice daily with 1/8 cup flour & water until tiny bubbles appear on the surface. This means your culture is ''waking up". You may begin to see some activity within another day or 2, but it can take several days depending on temperature and density of flour used. When it's full of bubbles, you're ready for action!
Once your starter is activated, continue with once or twice daily feedings of roughly equal parts flour & water. Frequent feedings will keep your starter active and will increase volume more quickly for baking ( amount of starter needed depends on your recipe).

Danish Rye Sourdough Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:37:00 GMT

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
rye flour (dark or light)
water (room temp - filtered or spring water preferred)
1 packet sourdough starter culture

Activating your starter culture:

Put 1/4 cup water into jar. Sprinkle starter culture over water, and allow to sit for a few minutes to soften. Stir until well mixed. Add 1/4 cup flour, mixing well (stirring vigorously will incorporate bubbles into the mixture, which helps with activation). Cover the jar & secure with elastic band.
Allow to culture at room temperature (68 to 78° F is ideal) for 24 hours. Choose a draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight. Stirring again once or twice during this first 24 hours will help get things going.
After 24 hours, "feed" your starter with 1/8 cup of flour and enough water to make a thick pancake batterlike consistency. Stir well to incorporate. Allow to culture as before. Continue to feed twice daily with 1/8 cup flour & water until tiny bubbles appear on the surface. This means your culture is ''waking up". You may begin to see some activity within another day or 2, but it can take several days depending on temperature and density of flour used. When it's full of bubbles, you're ready for action!
Once your starter is activated, continue with once or twice daily feedings of roughly equal parts flour & water. Frequent feedings will keep your starter active and will increase volume more quickly for baking ( amount of starter needed depends on your recipe).

Feta Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:29:00 GMT

You will need:

stainless steel pot with lid
non-aluminum spoon
thermometer
colander
bowl
long knife
butter muslin, tight-weave dish towel, or yogurt bag
large jar for storing cheese
cow, goat or sheep milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT)
1 packet Feta starter culture (store remaining packets in freezer for future use)
spring water (free of chlorine & :fluoride)
rennet (liquid or tablets)
non-iodized salt
calcium chloride ( optional, aids in coagulation)
lipase powder ( optional, for additional flavor)

Directions:

Heat 1/2 to 1 gallon milk very slowly on low heat to 86° F. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle one packet of Feta starter into milk and let sit 3-5 minutes, then mix thoroughly. Allow to sit undisturbed for 1 hour at room temperature (72-77° F).
Dilute 1/2 tsp. liquid rennet or 1/2 rennet tablet in 1/4 cup cool water. Mix this into the milk using an up and down motion rather than a stirring motion. Don't over mix.
Place the lid on the pot and allow to culture in a warm spot, 72-77° F., for 30 to 40 minutes, or until set.
Once the Feta has set (it will move as a solid mass and cracks will begin to form), cut the curd into 1/2" cubes, using a long knife. Stir the curds gently a few times over the next 20 minutes.
Place the colander in a bowl & line it with butter muslin, cheesecloth or a dish towel. Spoon the cheese curds into the colander, gather up the corners of the cloth, and tie them together to make a bag (a yogurt bag can also be used).
Hang the Feta-filled bag over a bowl to drain the whey for 4 hours up to overnight, until no more drains off (the whey can be reserved for other uses).
After draining, place the Feta curds in the jar. Cover curds with a brine of 2 tbsp. salt per quart of water. Screw lid on tight & store in refrigerator for about 5 days (30 days if using raw milk).

Creme Fraiche Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:26:00 GMT

You will need:

stainless steel pot with lid (no aluminum)
non-aluminum spoon
thermometer
1 quart raw or pasteurized cream or half & half (avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT)
1 packet Creme Fraiche starter culture (store remaining packets in freezer for future use)

Directions:

Heat 1 quart of cream or half & half to 86° F.
Add 1 packet Creme Fraiche starter and mix thoroughly for 15 seconds (no longer).
Cover pot with lid and allow to culture in a warm spot, 72-77° F., for 12 hours.
The Creme Fraiche should be set after 12 hours. Store in a closed container for about a week.

Cream Cheese Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:24:00 GMT

You will need:

stainless steel pot with lid (no aluminum)
non-aluminum spoon
thermometer
butter muslin, tight-weave dish towel, or yogurt bag
colander
bowl
raw or pasteurized cream or whole milk, or a mix of both (avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT)
1 packet Cream Cheese starter culture (store remaining packets in freezer for future use)
non-iodized salt

Directions:

Slowly heat (on low)1-4 quarts of milk or cream to 86° F. (heat the milk no faster than 1 degree per minute- this can take 30-40 minutes for a gallon). Remove from heat.
Add one packet of Cream Cheese starter and mix thoroughly, using an up-and-down motion rather than a stirring motion. Mix no longer than 15 seconds.
Place the lid on the pot and allow to culture in a warm spot, 72-77° F., for 12 hours.
The Cream Cheese should be set after 12 hours. There may be some separation of the whey-this is normal. Place the colander in a bowl & line the colander with a double layer of butter muslin or dish towel. Spoon the cheese curds into the colander, gather up the corners of the cloth, and tie them together to make a bag (a yogurt bag can also be used).
Hang the Cream Cheese- filled bag over a bowl to drain the whey for 6-12 hours (the whey can be reserved for other uses).
Knead salt into the Cream Cheese, flavoring it to your taste.
Store your finished Cream Cheese in a closed container in the refrigerator for about a week. If freezing, remove as much whey as possible and salt well first.

Chevre Starter Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:21:00 GMT

You will need:

stainless steel pot with lid
non-aluminum spoon
thermometer
butter muslin, tight-weave dish towel, or yogurt bag
colander
bowl
raw or pasteurized goat milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized orUHT)
1 packet Chevre starter culture (store remaining packets in freezer for future use)
non-iodized salt

Directions:

Slowly heat (on low) 1-4 quarts of milk to 86° F. (heat the milk no faster than 1 degree per minute - this can take 30-40 minutes for a gallon).
Add one packet of Chevre starter and mix thoroughly, using an up-and-down motion rather than a stirring motion. Mix no longer than 15 seconds.
Place the lid on the pot and allow to culture in a warm spot, 72-77° F, for 12 hours.
The Chevre should be set after 12 hours. There may be some separation of the whey-this is normal. Place the colander in a bowl & line the colander with a double layer of butter muslin or dish towel. Spoon the cheese curds into the colander, gather up the comers of the cloth, and tie them together to make a bag ( a yogurt bag can also be used).
Hang the Chevre-filled bag over a bowl to drain the whey for 6-12 hours (the whey can be reserved for other uses).
Store your finished Chevre in a closed container in the refrigerator for about a week. If freezing, remove as much whey as possible and salt well first.

Wonderful, Versatile Milk Kefir!

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:19:00 GMT

Milk kefir has many uses, besides the obvious - drinking it plain. It contains wonderful, gut-healing bacteria that aids in digestion, overall health, and just flat out makes your belly feel good!

Smoothies

Blend with fruits, veggies, chia or hemp seeds, a touch of honey- and you've got yourself a powerful probiotic breakfast or afternoon pickme-up ! The kids will never know how healthy their snack really is.

Baking

Add milk kefir to any recipe in place of milk or buttermilk. It adds an extra punch of nutrition, as well as a tangy flavor to pancakes, waffles, biscuits & quick breads.

Pet Food Supplement

Your animals will go nuts for milk kefir! Mix a little in with their food every day, and they will thank you for it. Our furry friends benefit from good bacteria just as much as we do!

Sour Cream

Grow your milk kefir grains in heavy cream instead of milk. It makes a great substitute for sour cream or creme fraiche!

Skin Care

The acids in milk kefir make a nourishing treat for hands & face. Use as a mask and rinse with warm water & a wash cloth. The possibilities are practically endless, use your imagination!

Dehydrated Milk Kefir Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 04:58:00 GMT

Note: You will first rehydrate your grains to wake them up, then you can begin making milk kefir.

Pasteurized milk is best for rehydrating grains - once rehydrated, you may introduce raw milk if desired.

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter, paper towel or cloth to cover jar
elastic band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
fine mesh plastic strainer (no metal) for removing grains
one pack Dehydrated Milk Kefir Grains
cow or goat milk (avoid ultra pasteurized or UHT milk)

Directions:

Empty the entire packet of Dehydrated Milk Kefir Grains into 1/2 cup fresh cold milk in your jar. Cover with coffee filter and secure with elastic band.
Allow to culture at room temperature - 68° to 78° F. is ideal. Choose a draft-free place, out of direct sunlight, where your grains won't be disturbed.
Check the milk after 12 hours. Finished kefir will have the consistency of heavy cream or buttermilk. After 24 hours, if the milk has not thickened or separated, strain the grains out. Put them into 1/2 cup fresh milk and reculture ( discarding old milk). Continue this process until the milk does thicken within 24 hours. At this point, your grains are activated.
Now you're ready to make Milk Kefir! Continue to strain out the grains when kefir is ready ( stirring gently makes straining easier). Increase the amount of milk used as grains increase in size and quantity. The goal is to keep the ratio of grains to milk that will produce kefir to your liking. Longer culturing time and higher temperatures will produce a more sour flavor, shorter culturing time will produce a milder flavor. As grains increase in quantity, you can make larger batches, share with friends, or use them in smoothies and other recipes to boost your probiotic intake.

Vegetable Rennet Tablet Instructions

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 01:09:00 GMT

One tablet will coagulate 50 liters (approximately 13 gallons) of milk. Tablets can be divided into halves or quarters for smaller quantities of milk.

Directions:

1) Dissolve tablet or portion of tablet in 1/2 cup cool, non-chlorinated water.

2) Mix 1/4 tsp salt per 1/4 tablet into solution.

3) Add evenly to warmed milk, stirring no more than 3 minutes.

Store in a cool, dry place to preserve strength (not to exceed 95° F.).

Kombucha Kamper at The Camp

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 16:00:00 GMT

It’s almost summer, and like others, time for Jerri to try shedding those pounds and inches! She’s been working hard, and today she thought she’d take me along for the trip – a probiotic boost during her High Intensity Interval Training! Wow, was I in for a ride!

Good grief, what time is it? Yeah, you’re reading that right…it’s early in the morning, peeps! Is she insane?

Those 5:00 a.m. workouts at The Camp are wearing her down, so she hoped some kombucha would be helpful today. I am perfectly fermented for about 6 days, and totally delicious with some ice cubes or frozen blueberries!

Ok, she’s gonna warm up so I’ll sit right here in this nice snug cubby hole and watch…

So many peppy people! How do they do this so early?

Wait, I’m going around to the stations with you? Alrighty, first up, gotta stretch those legs…grab an ankle! Hey, you’re upside down, Jerri!

Full body day…arms up first!

You’ve got this, Jerri! Work those arms! What, you want her to squat for some leg action too? Wowzers.

Did the instructor just tell Jerri to run WITH that heavy ball for 2 ½ minutes? Better drink me up, girl!

So many exercises in so little time! She’s dripping with sweat, SO GROSS! Breathe some fresh air while you take a few laps outside. Hey, the sun is up now!

Well, while Jerri finishes up her workout and cool down, I’ll direct you on where to find your own scoby to make your own kombucha. You won’t regret it! The NWFerments family has your back! And your arms, your legs, your abs…oh, your abs….

Kombucha Starter Culture

If you want a little giggle, check out Wendy and Sue instructing you how it’s done!

Kombucha How To

Now, let’s get FIT and Fermented!

What Is The Best Water To Use For Fermentation?

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 17:00:00 GMT

Water, water everywhere! Choosing the best water for fermenting foods and beverages is vital as it is one of the main ingredients. Opt for the wrong kind, and it impacts the flavor of your ferments or the health of your starters, SCOBY, or grains. We recommend getting good-quality water for cheese, kombucha, water kefir, veggies, or sourdoughs.

What Water Should You Use For Fermenting?

You are feeding living organisms, and those bacteria and yeasts are crucial to fermentation. Deciding which water to use depends on where you live, what water is accessible, and what you are fermenting. Water kefir likes minerals in the water, while kombucha does not. Municipal tap water often contains chemical additives like chlorine, chloramine, and fluoride will harm your cultures.

Filtered Water

The best water comes through a good quality filtration system that removes the bad stuff (chlorine, chloramine, fluoride) but leaves in the good stuff (i.e., minerals). Our favorite is the Berkey Water Filter System–it's worth the investment. They also carry separate fluoride filters.

Stay away from the cheaper filtration systems like a Brita or your fridge filter - the additive list is not extensive as to what they filter. For more information on the list of chemicals and additives that a particular filter will remove, try Water Filter Labs . Brita is on there, and it ranks as the worst-performing. We don’t recommend reverse osmosis or fine filtration that removes too many good minerals.

Bottled Water

Bottled water is a toss-up, especially with the cost ratio, environmental impact, and some companies selling bottled tap water. Plain spring water is excellent, except “sparkling” or those with higher or added mineral content. Water labeled “drinking” is usually okay, but always read the ingredient label for additives.

Don’t get the fancy water that’s alkalinized, sparkling, ozonated, extra mineralized, or whatever marketing terms the water companies put on the label. They aren’t worth it or won’t work.

Distilled Water

Distilled or demineralized water is processed not to have bacteria, minerals, pharma residue, or other contaminants. Distilling water at home may not be optimal, considering it takes at least 13 hours to make just one gallon. Instead, purchase it from the store and add back in trace minerals, especially for w ater k efir.

Water Softeners

Water softeners also tend to be problematic because they often leave traces of salt or other chemicals in the water. Because the water is alkaline, the microbes must work harder to ferment and produce good results.

Generally, when folks have issues, and troubleshooting uncovers nothing wrong in the procedures, it turns out the water went through a softener.

Can You Use Tap Water for Fermentations?

Just turning on your kitchen faucet for tap water to make your ferments would be the easiest, right? However, municipalities add chlorine or chloramine and fluoride to kill bacteria, which includes gut-friendly ones! If you use well water, test it at least once a year for possible contaminants and mineral levels.

To remove chlorine, let water sit for at least a half hour so the chlorine evaporates, or you can boil water to make that process happen faster. Chloramines occur when ammonia is added to chlorinated water. You must use a filter system to remove chloramine, fluoride, heavy metals, and other toxins.

If your tap water is potable, you could use it for fermenting, but we recommend filtering it first.

Quality Water for Quality Fermentations

Fermenting foods and beverages is an excellent way to a dd pro biotics for good health. To make the best fermentations, you want to use the best water you can. There are many options, and we hope this information helps you select quality water for your quality ferments!

MA 11 + Animal Rennet = Chevre Cheese-a-licious!

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 17:00:00 GMT

Making your own homemade Chevre is rewarding and delicious. If you haven’t tried it yet, let’s go!

Chevre can be made with multiple cultures: Ar omat ic B , MA 11 , and of course the Chevre culture. The Chevre culture is all-in-one, requiring no additional rennet. The Aromatic B and MA 11 cultures will need either vegetable rennet tablets , liquid vegetable rennet, or liquid animal rennet . I have made chevre with the veggie rennet tablets, so today I’m working with animal rennet to coagulate my MA 11 infused raw goat milk!

The MA 11 comes with four packets, but you’ll only need one for an ENTIRE gallon’s worth of milk!

If you start in the early evening, it will be ready by the end of the next day! Here’s how I did it:

You can use cow milk as well, if you don’t have goat milk available. If pasteurized, always make sure it’s regularly pasteurized, NEVER “Ultra” or “High Temp” or “Fine filtered” etc. It must be NORMALLY pasteurized milk…period.

Just a few tips to correspond with the directions as numbered:

1. You’ll want to use the rennet within 30 minutes, so make sure you don’t overheat the milk past 75º and have to wait forever for it to cool down to the right temperature. Been there, done that, a pain in the rear!

2. Yes, heat slowly so you don’t damage the milk.

3. Why wait a few minutes after sprinkling the culture on? It allows it to absorb the milk better, before you stir it in.

4. Don’t just stir in circles – you want to incorporate the culture all throughout the milk. Up and down, side to side, round and round.

5. Carefully and slowly add the rennet, using a slotted spoon to better distribute the rennet in your milk – again, you’ll be stirring in that “spirograph” type movement…not just round and round and round and round.

6. Sometimes insulating means getting help from things like emergency blankets and heating pads... experiment with water prior to cheese day to see what set up works to hold the water's temp steady at 72ºF.

7. it might look like yogurt, and you will likely see whey, with more whey being evident the longer it sits.

To drain, I found it helpful to use a piece of cheesecloth sewn into a bag. Here it is covering the pot so I can flip the cheese into the bag by turning the pot upside down – helpful to have a bowl or big sink underneath!

Then hang to drain somewhere safe, where it won’t get disturbed or accidentally knocked down.

Now to unveil my chev!

8. Season! Salt, garlic, other herbs - make it savory if you want! it's pretty bland if you don't put something in it so experiment!

After you mix in some seasonings, you can put it in a mold for it to further drain and make a pretty pattern! This is not necessary, just fun.

Press the cheese down in the mold to even things out.

Let it drain another 6-12 hours (it will age and get more sour!), then pop it out of the mold.

Enjoy the cheese of your labor! Get fermented!

Sourdough Coconut Biscuits

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 17:00:00 GMT

These are the tastiest little “biscuits” made from a gluten-free starter. Be warned, it can get very sour, so if you like that, this is for you! This is not a light weight contender, though…it’s a bit on the heftier side, but oh so delicious!

You can do this with our NW Ferments established, dried Gluten Free Sourdough Starter , which is by far the easiest, or you can try making your own wild starter with some water kefir or kombucha. Either way, once it is started, you will make sure to feed it so that it is a thick consistency. The recipe I used is from Sharon Kane’s The Art of Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking …she’s done so much hard work, so why reinvent the wheel? Check her out so you can have the recipe too!

Again, you first start out with a thick starter – to do this once it’s active, during feedings just feed it more flour (or less water) each time. This can take several days, so plan accordingly! The biscuits also need 6-7 hours to rise, so plan to start your baking day in the morning so you can bake by dinnertime.

To the left in the above picture you’ll see the chia gel. Sharon likes to utilize this for recipes, and it’s so easy. You will mix 1 cup of water with 2 Tablespoons chia seeds. Let it sit, and stir it up with a fork every 5-10 minutes until it has absorbed the water. You can use this gel also as an addition to your kombucha or water kefir – as my mama always said, “It’s good for you!” Some people like the texture and some don’t. I do!

The recipe calls for coconut oil – so here I am melting the oil I scooped/measured into a silicone measuring cup.

While that is melting, I sift my coconut flour:

It’s important not to cheat with coconut flour because it’s so heavy. The recipe calls for a range of tablespoons, so be sure to sift enough in total.

You’ll also line a pan for the oven – I use a glass cake pan and glass casserole dish. Then, you’ll mix the coconut oil, thick starter, chia gel, a little salt, and finally the coconut flour. You’ll only start with the minimum of coconut flour Sharon outlines, and you’ll add more, 1 tablespoon at a time if your batter is not thick and slightly sticky. Your dough should be stiff enough to be scooped out, with an ice cream scooper for example. It should not slip out.

You’ll fill the scoop and level it off. Release it into the cake pan. Place the dough balls like this, trying not to allow them to touch (sometimes I fail at that):

You’ll let it rise for 6-7 hours at room temperature. They don’t rise much, so don’t get TOO excited.

Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes, using a cover.

Then enjoy with some jelly, or gravy perhaps!

Get Gluten-Free Sourdough fermented!

Water Kefir: Pop and Fizz!

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 17:00:00 GMT

The second fermentation is a step many don’t realize needs to happen before you can get the carbonation automatically assumed there when you drink water kefir. You can definitely achieve pop and fizz naturally!

Let’s pick up where we left off last – you’ve strained your grains from its 48 hour ferment.

You can do fruit juice or fruit – we’re doing frozen fruit. On hand, cherries!

Plop them in your finished water kefir…make sure it’s in a mason jar + lid/ring that will ensure a good seal. With fresh/frozen fruit, sometimes you can achieve pop and fizz is just one day. You can also put it in a Grolsch-Style flip top lidded bottle, but it’s super hard to get that fruit out of the bottle later…no fun. Fruit juice is a better option for narrow necked Grolsch- style bottles.

Seal it up:

Since it’s fruit, it’s best to only second ferment 24 hours. The hard part is that it may not build up carbonation in that short time. There are two solutions I see: 1) After the 24 hours with the fruit in it, transfer the water kefir to a Grolsch-style bottle for a second ferment for another 1-2 days (no fruit):

Or 2) Change out the fruit every 24 hours. It may build up carbonation the more the bacteria works on the fruit sugars faster each day, so you might get some pop and fizz in the 3 rd or 4 th day of bottling it up even though you release the pressure each day when changing the fruit.

If you choose to do fruit juice…you can leave it bottled up much longer than fresh fruit. I go 2-3 days, but 4 days is sometimes pushing it to where my water kefir will start to taste a teeny tiny bit alcohol-y, especially if it’s warm in the room. I generally fill my Grolsch-Style bottles to where the neck starts to narrow, then add 2-3 Tablespoons of juice. Cap it tightly and let it sit undisturbed 1-3 days. The longer you leave it alone without opening it, the more pressure/carbonation you will get.

How do I keep track of the days? Like this in my planner with post it notes so I can move it from page to page (this was for blueberry water kefir):

and I always label my jars/bottles to keep track of what is what:

In the picture above, I’m about to strain the bloobs out and put it in the Grolsch-Style bottle. Like this:

Let’s check out a 4 day second ferment :

Then when it’s ready for the fridge/storage, another label for the family:

And that’s it!

Get some fruit and Get Second Fermented!

Troubleshooting Your Water Kefir Grains

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 16:00:00 GMT

Your Water Kefir Grains might give you a run for your money (and patience) now and again. Keeping your water kefir grains active and healthy for quality fermentations can be an issue even when you are doing everything right. Here are some often-asked troubleshooting issues.

My grains are sluggish! What do I do?

Raisins! Add a small handful of raisins to your next culturing batch, ensuring the raisins are free of oil and sulfur. Your grains will feast upon the natural sugar. Fun fact, if you eat the raisins after the culturing time, they won’t be sweet anymore. Bonus: because of the extra fruit sugar, extra carbonation should develop. Oh, and raisins add a little boost of nutrition!
You can also do a “rinse and rest”, gently rinsing grains in filtered water (NO CHLORINE/CHLORAMINE/FLUORIDE), putting them in sugar water, and letting them sit in the fridge for a week. This is a last-ditch effort to save grains that have been struggling, it’s not meant to be a first avenue of remediation. In general, grains don’t like to be stored, but sometimes overworked grains need a small break.
Take a close look at your process and ensure you’re not skipping any steps. Example: If you’ve been giving your grains less sugar because you feel it’s too sweet, give them the full amount recommended. Or, if you’ve been culturing them for 48-72 hours, batch after batch, go back to 24-48 hour batches so they are getting fresh food more often.

How do I know they’re working after I rehydrate them?

It might take several batches to several weeks, but they will be efficiently working when you see all three of these:

The sugar water’s color gets lighter from the beginning of Day 1 to the end of Day 2
The sugar water will be slightly cloudy
The water kefir will taste sweet, but not crazy sweet like you just dissolved the sugar into the water.

My water kefir tastes too sweet!

First, forget the store versions you’ve tried. I’m not even sure that stuff is even fermented, for Pete’s sake, although it may have added lab-developed bacteria. Water kefir is a sweet cultured drink after the first ferment, and you just can’t avoid that. If you’ve just begun and it’s only been a few weeks since rehydration, likely your kefir is fine even though it’s too sweet. It just needs a few more batches, so don’t panic yet. You do want to be concerned if your 2-day batches at a steady 68-85ºF taste as though you’ve just mixed up the sugar and water.

You can manipulate the final sugar content in finished water kefir by doing a s econd ferment . After removing the grains, put your water kefir into an airtight container (mason jar with brand new sealing lid/ring, or a Grolsch bottle/an authentic Grolsch-style bottle) leaving a few inches of headspace. If you choose a Grolsch-style bottle, make sure it was designed to withstand massive pressure, or you could have a dangerous mess on your hands if it breaks…no one wants to wake up in the middle of the night to an explosion, and it has happened. So skip the IKEA and Target cutsie flip-top bottles for this purpose. The safest thing is to buy from a brewing supply storefront or online brewing supply company.

So, clamp it closed or screw the band on tightly, and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 4 days. Two things to remember:

The longer it’s closed up, the more pressure builds.
The warmer the room, the faster the pressure builds.

A combination could mean it only takes 1 day to get pop and fizz along with a less sweet drink.

Even if you’re a pro, ALWAYS USE CAUTION every time you open a bottle. I find it preventatively in my favor to open it in the sink with a wet towel over my hands and the bottle…NEVER put your face over the bottle to check things out. Release the lid slowly, and if you listen carefully, you’ll hear the gas escaping.

Reminder, depending on the season, it may take a few to several days to achieve a less sweet but poppy/fizzy kefir. For example, in the winter it may take 3-4 days whereas in the summer it may only take 1-2 days.

I’m not getting any fizz in my second ferment!

Not getting any fizz? Try adding a few tablespoons of juice. Sweeter juices will give the water kefir more “fuel” and you may have a faster second ferment. I see a remarkable difference between apple juice and grape juice. Apple juice takes longer to achieve my goal, while grape juice often tastes like alcohol if I do it for the same length of time as apple juice…yikes!

Try using a higher mineral sugar in the first ferment to help with the fizz in your second ferment. Just beware if you are using spring or well water - the high mineral sugar may be mineral overload, so instead, try moving it somewhere warmer, bottling it up longer, and using as airtight a bottle as possible.

In the summer my second ferments are powerful even after a day or so. It gets messy! What can I do?

No one enjoys a kefir shower! In those warmer months, take care to “burp” your bottles each day (again, in the sink, with a wet towel). If you don’t get enough pressure built up at the end of the day, go two days and see how it goes. I found that a solid three days without opening the bottle worked.

You can also move your bottles somewhere cooler, which will help slow down the build-up of pressure.

My water kefir tastes a little like alcohol. What’s up with that? Do I worry?

Honestly, there is not enough sugar in a first ferment to make you anywhere near dangerously intoxicated. There are times when added fruit juice to a sec ond fe rment will make things taste more like alcohol if it ferments for several days at a warm room temperature. When this happens, I just dilute it with water and carry on. For more information, grab a hydrometer or a Brix and search for Kelly the Kitchen Kop as she has a great article as well on water kefir/alcohol. Search for Kelly the Kitchen Kop as she has a great article as well on water kefir/alcohol.

My grains are floating! Is that good or bad?

There’s a possibility the grains (if you stored them) may be freezer burned, exposed to high heat, or they are just old (that’s rare). It’s hard to be sure what happened, so if your grains are no longer performing as they once were, we can assume they are damaged.

If they are happily floating up and down, or just up, but your water kefir still tastes fabulous, then don’t worry. Sometimes the carbon dioxide from the yeasts during fermentation gets trapped with the grains, making them float.

Um, what is that gross brown stuff/flakes in my water kefir?

If you’ve just rehydrated your water kefir, it’s more than likely residual bits of rapadura. They become foamy during the growing process, drying right along with the grains while dehydrating. If desired, you could pick them out, but they should just get used up at some point by the grains.

You could also be talking about sediment from the yeasties that form. That is no biggie either. You can consume that with your kefir, or strain it out from the container to your glass.

Unhealthy Water Kefir Grains

My water kefir is foamy, scummy, slimy, filmy, thick, syrupy–gross!

There could be a zillion reasons for your wonky water kefir. First, DON’T DRINK IT. Second, check your process or environment. It could be something as simple as too many minerals, or too close to a houseplant.

Gently rinse the grains with good-quality, filtered water (NO chlorine, chloramine, fluoride, etc). Try another batch. If you get the wonky water kefir again, you could try another rinse, then rest in the fridge for a week. Plan on giving your grains several rounds of culturing before giving up since refrigeration can make even healthy grains rebound more slowly. Use a more-processed sugar (i.e. white) to make it easy on the grains, kind of like the BRAT diet when you’ve got a sick kiddo who needs to take it easy on their tummy. Don’t add extra minerals. Call it quits if you keep getting gross water kefir, and get new grains .

MOLD In My Kefir Grains??!?

Mold is a rare occurrence. But when it happens, IMMEDIATELY discard the entire batch…yes, grains too. It’s not safe, and you can’t “what if I” your way into saving them. Just don’t.

You can start again after you clean your jar thoroughly, using regular dish soap (never anti-bacterial) and a good hot rinse.

Then check on these things to see what may have been contaminating your brew or causing them to weaken/invite mold:

Was there chlorine, fluoride, or chloramine in your water?
Was your water “sparkling” or enhanced with minerals? Alkalinized? Is it well water that hasn’t been tested in a while? Remember you want PURE water – bottled plain spring water or good filtered water like one that has gone through a Berkey Water Filtration system (not a Brita or the fridge filter).
Could the water have been too warm at some point when grains were added?
Are your ratios correct, according to NWFerments’ directions?
Could there be too many minerals? Are you using darker-colored cane sugar along with baking soda, sea salt, molasses, or eggshells?
Is the first ferment allowed to breathe with a permeable cover (not a lid)?
Could your room temperature at night be dropping below 68º? Could it be at any point rising above 85º?
Are you sticking to just 24-48 hour brew times?
Do you give your grains breaks?
Are your precious grains too close to another culture? Even a cabinet door that is closed will allow bacteria to move freely. Give them 4 to 5 feet of space.
What about bad bacteria? Are your grains too close to a dirty laundry hamper, the compost can, a garbage bin, Fluffy’s cat litter box, or Francis the fern? Are any chemical products in use around the water kefir jar? Again, give them space!
Do you have residue on your hands, tools, or jars from using anti-bacterial soap? Anti-bacterial soap will do its job on your good bacteria!

Do I Have Dead Water Kefir Grains?

How to tell if you have dead water kefir grains is to ferment a new batch. Hopefully, you already know what live water kefir grains create. If the grains don’t convert the sugar water to kefir (the water remains extra sweet, and there are no signs of fermentation), there could be something wrong, but not necessarily dead. If they have started to break down and become applesauce-like, the grains might not be salvageable. If there's mold on the grains, dump them and start again with new ones.

When you have trouble, we recommend checking the s ug ar , water, temp, and length of fermentation you're using. Do not use beet sugar, sugar alcohols (i.e., xylitol), honey, stevia, etc. For the optimal health of your grains, use cane sugar.

My Water Kefir Smells

Why does my water kefir smell kind of like sulfur?

According to some homebrewing experts for beer and wine, the presence of sulfur indicates there may be a deficiency of certain nutrients or the yeast is stressed due to environmental factors. To make the smell leave the current batch, try aerating it by pouring the kefir from one container to another a few times.

Add a clean slice of organic lemon to your next batch of water kefir with the smelly grains. That may help balance things out. Be sure the lemon is cleaned only with water, using your muscles to scrub anything off. You do not want soap residue in your kefir.

My water kefir is a bit yeasty smelling and unpleasant…what to do?

Sometimes things are out of balance. Try adding a slice of clean organic lemon. If that doesn’t work even after a few batches, try re-evaluating how you conduct the ferment. You could try shorter batches (24 hours vs. 48 hours), or if you have more than 3 Tablespoons of grains you might try discarding down to just 3 Tablespoons and see how it goes. Check your room temperature, especially at night, your water source, etc. Make sure everything is optimal.

My water kefir smells AWFUL, like stinky socks!

Yikes! It may be too late once you get to that point. Again, similarly to it smelling yeasty or unpleasant, try re-evaluating how you handle the ferment. You could try shorter batches or fewer grains and see how it goes. Go through your checklist: room temperature, water source, etc., ensuring you have the best for your grains.

Although we don’t recommend long-term fridge storage, as a final attempt, you could try resting them in the fridge after a quick gentle rinse with water free of fluoride and chlorine/chloramine. Put them in sugar water, using the same amounts you would use to make a regular batch. Let them rest, covered with a snug lid, for one week. Take them out and try culturing them again. It could take a few batches for them to snap back–if they snap back. Good luck!

Oh, crud! I smell vomit or nail polish remover! Now what?

We’ve heard this is a temporary imbalance. Your kefir’s yeasts and bacteria are unhappy for whatever reason (check your fermenting routine and environment!). Do not drink the kefir, but keep brewing batches. Supposedly it will go away on its own. However, you’ll need new grains if you’ve been fermenting according to the do’s and don’ts and the smell never leaves. Good thing we know a superb source for Wat er Kefi r Grains. ☺

Water Kefir Grains can sometimes be tricky to manage, but with these troubleshooting tips, you can overcome any challenge that comes your way. Remember to be patient and take care of your grains, and soon you'll be enjoying a delicious and healthy drink that's not only fizzy but also loaded with probiotics and other nutrients. Are you having other issues? Co nt act us and we’ll see if we can help!

Water Kefir Ingredients

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 17:00:00 GMT

Water Kefir is one of the easiest cultured drinks to make. In addition to the grains, all you need are two to three ingredients:

Sugar
Water
Minerals (only needed if your water is lacking)

Sugar

The good sugars:

Cane sugar/organic cane juice crystals/organic evaporated cane juice crystals – by far the best and our favorite for water kefir. It will make a sweet drink, so for a little less sweetness, in our kitchen we do a blend of mostly white cane sugar + a little rapadura.

White cane sugar – a great sugar for water kefir. But, because it’s refined/processed, there are no minerals in it. If you find your Water Kefir Grains are not quite thriving, they might need some mineral supplementation (see below). Your kefir will turn out pretty sweet using this sugar.

Rapadura, Sucanat, muscovado, turbinado or “raw” sugar – Water kefir tends to love these less processed sugars, but the taste will be very molasses-y or “strong.” Because it’s naturally high in minerals, if you find your grains start to break down or disappear, discontinue the use of this sugar and start using white cane sugar or evaporated cane juice crystals. Turbinado or “raw” sugar is a bit more processed than rapadura/Sucanat, so those will be easier for the grains to utilize.

The “bad” sugars:

Brown sugar (as in for baking) is tricky because you don’t know how much molasses has been added to the original white cane sugar…it’s best to simply use ¼ cup cane sugar and ½ tsp molasses to make your own brown sugar.

Honey, palm sugar, stevia, agave, artificial sweeteners, maple syrup, sorghum syrup, coconut sugar, beet sugar, corn based sweeteners, powdered sugars, and invert sugars - Even though some of these are natural sweeteners, stay away from them. They just don’t have what your little grains need.

Water

Your water must be pure. No exceptions. You are nourishing living bacteria, so give them the best!

The water must be free of chlorine, chloramine, fluoride and contaminants.

Fridge and pitcher-style (i.e. Brita) filters are usually not good enough. In fact, Brita was ranked the worst performing filter on Water Filter Labs.

Always contact the manufacturer or go on their website to read the list of contaminants and additives that are eliminated from the water using their filter.

The best water is water you can filter yourself . Water Filter Labs ranked the Berkey Water Filter as the top system. I’ve owned one for at least 8 years. It rocks, and was truly an investment worth making.

As for bottled water, your best bet is PLAIN spring water (never sparkling or enhanced) or “drinking” water . Spring water is high in minerals, and Water Kefir Grains love that. Pass on by the fancy and expensive water that’s alkalinized, sparkling, ozonated, extra mineralized or whatever marketing terms the water companies slap on labels to get you to buy their water.

Well water is another great option so long as you have had it tested for contaminants recently, and the minerals are balanced. Water Kefir Grains love the high and natural mineral content!

Minerals:

If you are using white sugar, you may need to supplement with minerals. Or, if you find your grains are not quite thriving, you may need to supplement. If you are using a darker colored cane sugar (i.e. rapadura), never use minerals as you will OVER-mineralize them and cause damage.

For every quart of water you use, you can choose ONE of the following:

Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of baking soda
½ tsp molasses per ¼ cup sugar
Trace minerals (read the label for how much per quart of water)

Remember that you really only need one source of minerals. Here are the three formulas:

High mineral water + low mineral sugar

Low mineral water + high mineral sugar

Low mineral water + low mineral sugar + mineral supplement

Making sure your water kefir stays vibrant is not hard! But if you need help or reassurance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at NWFerments . We’re here to help you GET FERMENTED!

Caring For Water Kefir Grains: Fermentation Do’s and Don’ts

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:00:00 GMT

Water kefir grains are a type of symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) used to ferment a sugar-water solution, resulting in a beverage known as water kefir. These grains are made up of a complex matrix of bacteria and yeast that work together to convert sugar into lactic acid, alcohol, and carbon dioxide. The consequential drink has a slightly sweet and tangy flavor, with a hint of natural carbonation.

Caring for water kefir g rains is easier when you know some of the basics. We are here to help you be more successful with your fermenting with some Do’s and Don’ts.

Ingredients

Besides water kefir grains, the other important ingredients are water and sweetener. Many variables impact the flavor, texture, nutrition, and health of the grains, so get the highest quality version of these two ingredients that you can.

Do:

Stick to a ratio of 3 to 4 Tbsp. of grains for each 1 to 2 quarts of sugar water. For only 2 Tbsp. of grains, culture only 1 quart water + 1/4 cup sugar.
Use water free of chlorine, fluoride, chloramine, and other harmful additives.
Use a cane sugar variety such as rapadura, turbinado, sucanat, white sugar, or evaporated cane juice crystals. These sugars provide the exact nutrients your grains crave.
Use white cane sugar or evaporated cane juice crystals if you want a sweeter water kefir. We’d re commen d rapadura if you enjoy a heartier, more molasses-y-tasting kefir.
Add ONE of the following to strengthen the mixture: a pinch of baking soda, a pinch of sea salt, ½ tsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses for each quart of water, 1 eggshell (if no allergies), or mineral drops if using a low mineral water and sugar.

Don’t:

Use sweeteners like honey, palm sugar, stevia, agave, artificial sweeteners, maple syrup, sorghum syrup, coconut sugar, beet sugar, corn-based sweeteners, powdered sugars, or invert sugar. These are nutritiously deficient.
Include rapadura, turbinado, sucanat or add extra minerals when using well or spring water. This causes over-mineralization, and your grains likely will become mushy, fall apart, or disappear.

Fermenting Environment

When something goes wrong with a batch of water kefir, it’s often to do with the environment of the brew. Here are some key things to consider in the care of water kefir grains.

Do:

Make sure the room temperature is between 68 - 85ºF the entire culturing time. Grains can be damaged and even die when temperatures are outside this range.
Ferment 24 - 48 hours, but DON’T ferment any longer unless the room temperature is on the lower end.
Keep your water kefir grains at least 4 - 5 feet away from other culturing projects, house plants, compost, garbage, soiled laundry, or furbabies. Even if a cabinet door separates your cultures, bacteria will still travel and possibly cross-contaminate.
If your water kefir ferments don’t seem to come out right despite following these instructions, DO check out our article Troublesho oting Your W ater Kefir Grains for more insights.

Don’t:

Do 72-hour ferments very often, as your grains may culture all the sugar up before you realize it, and when left without food they will be unhappy (and can be damaged).
Culture near or in rooms with chemical products, like the laundry room.
Use dishes or utensils that could have soap residue.
Use an anti-bacterial soap to clean your dishes or utensils that will be used with the water kefir grains.

Grain Treatment

When caring for your water kefir grains, knowing how to store them will save you from lots of frustration.

Do:

Store them in a clean, airtight container with some fresh sugar water or a little bit of sugar added to the water. Keep them at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, and in a spot with good air circulation.
Take care when transferring your grains: Use a non-metallic strainer or spoon to transfer the grains, as metal can react with the acids in the kefir and damage the grains. Also, avoid squeezing or pressing the grains, as this can cause them to burst and lose their shape.
Dry your water kefir grains by placing a kitchen towel, butter muslin, or cheesecloth over the casserole dish. This will protect them from flies, dirt, or other crud.

Don’t:

Store grains in the fridge unless absolutely necessary. If you have to, we recommend storing them no longer than two weeks, and even so, expect the grains to take a few rounds of culturing to snap back.
Rinse your grains. Doing so takes off the protective bacteria that makes them thrive. We would only recommend rinsing them as a last-ditch effort if they’re covered in mold or about to die anyway.

What To Do With Extra Kefir Grains

Are your water kefir grains doing great and leaving you with more than you can use? No problem! The beneficial bacteria can benefit more than your gut health. Here are some alternative options for your grains:

Do:

Feed extra kefir grains to your goats, chickens, or pet.
(Sue loves feeding them to her goats!)
Add them to your probiotic smoothie for an extra kick
Add them to your compost
Give them to friends for their own ferments

Taking care of your water kefir grains may seem daunting at first, but with a little practice and attention, it can become second nature. Remember to use the best ingredients, maintain the right environment, and treat your grains with care. With these tips in mind, you'll soon be enjoying delicious and healthy water kefir at home. And if you're interested in starting your own water kefir journey, don't forget to check out our Water Kefir St arte r Kit . It has everything you need to get started and make your own refreshing and probiotic-packed water kefir. Happy fermenting!

Water Kefir FAQs

Monkey Bread: Deliciously Sticky Gooey Gluten-Free Sourdough Blobs

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 16:00:00 GMT

Awhile back a friend brought to a party something called “monkey bread” – it was wheat based, and although we avoid gluten as much as possible, we ate it. It was so, so, so, so yummy. Basically it was a doughy sticky sweet cinnamon-y concoction that was gone in no time! I searched for a gluten free version, and found a few recipes online I could piece together to also use sourdough.

To start, you can use our Gluten Free Sourdough starter , or do a wild one. Personally, our NW Ferments starter is way easier , but I didn’t have one on hand when I got the urge to make this for a party just a few days away. I did it using brown rice flour, water, and homemade kombucha to give it a bacterial boost. Credit for that goes to Sharon Kane and her book, The Art of Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking!

Like any wild sourdough, you are mixing the flour and water. The kombucha is added in. I made sure to mix well.

Not really exciting at the moment, but now we wait until the next feeding – for gluten free, I like to feed every 4-8 hours (ahem, or when I can remember as soon as possible).

I like to do about 1/3 cup of brown rice flour and about ¼ cup water for each feeding.

I often find that the water settles at the top, so I stir often, and every few feedings I will add less water…about 1/8 cup instead. Get your station set up on the counter to make things easy!

I’m ready to keep feeding! See the liquid at the top there, in my cloth napkin covered jar above? That’s what I’m talking about, Willis. But no worries, I’ll use same amount of flour but less water at the next feeding.

It takes a few days, but looky looky! Bubbles!

It’s not quite as active as I know it can get, but it’s heading that way!

So once the starter IS ready, it’s time to prep things to make the dough and topping because you’ll need to let it ferment/rise overnight. The topping calls for butter, honey and cinnamon.

Grease up that casserole dish with some good coconut oil!

Oh-oh-oh! Look at that happy gluten free starter ☺. It’s pretty thick, and perfect!

Mix up all the ingredients into a nice batter – I’ve seen easy peasy recipes that call for gluten free pizza dough, but I did mine from scratch with what GF flours I had on hand – and eggs/vanilla/honey/salt and a binder (guar gum is always in my freezer). You’ll also find recipes calling for yeast instead of a sourdough, and that’s ok…but if you want fermented yumminessssssss, go for sourdough.

I made my neat little balls, using a melon ball scooper (LOVE THAT TOOL).

Then doused it with the topping.

I covered it with plastic (ick, I know, but I did it) and let it rise/ferment overnight and into the morning. The next day I baked it for just a few minutes, and it smelled crazy good. I thought the dough had soaked up a bit of the topping – so I made more topping for drizzling over it when the guests arrived. WINNER!

I wish I had end pictures, but we were carried away with the day, and there wasn’t anything left by the time I remembered. Oops! It really didn’t look much different, just a bit more puffy, and hot/bubbly when it came out of the oven.

YUM! I dare you to monkey around and Get sticky gooey Fermented!

Wakey Wakey Water Kefir Grains

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 16:00:00 GMT

Water Kefir Grains are by far one of the easiest (and most fun) cultures I have ever encountered. It’s the healthiest “soda” out there, complete with pop and fizz! You can flavor it as well during that second ferment for the pop and fizz, so let’s start by waking up these babies!

Gather up your supplies:

I’ve always used the creamier colored organic cane sugar (evaporated cane juice crystals), so experiment with your cane sugars as the type will influence the taste of the finished water kefir. Do not use beet sugar, sugar alcohols (i.e. xylitol), honey, stevia, etc. JUST USE CANE SUGAR for your grains’ optimal health. You’ll likely get failed results or sick/dead grains in the end, and we don’t want that.

First you’ll warm up water for dissolving the sugar. I find that ¾ to 1 cup of water is plenty. Put your sugar in the jar, followed by the hot water. Mix well!

Then add cold water to bring down the entire jar of water’s temperature to 68-85ºF. Never add grains when it’s over 85ºF. If you don’t use cold water, you’ll have to wait much longer for the jar of water to cool. Here’s what your Water Kefir Grains will look like straight out of the NWFerments package.

They will lighten over time if you use white sugar or creamy colored cane juice crystals/sugar, but they will stay the same or darken if you use rapadura cane sugar. A blend works awesomely.

Plop those babies in the water and give it a little stir to ensure they soak up the sugar water.

Cover with a breathable cover and set it in your kitchen where it’s room temp. You’ll see my stick-on thermometer reads about 82º, which is perfect. That temp will go down over the next few hours as it balances out with the room temp. Two days is all you need.

After two days, strain the rehydrating liquid off. You’ll want to toss the liquid as it will likely taste gross. The grains did not ferment anything, or ferment well, they just soaked up the sugar water. Your next batch will be good.

The grains have already lightened up!

Repeat the procedure of heating a small amount of water to dissolve the sugar. Add cold water. Check the temperature. Plop the grains in. Cover and wait 2 days. Then again strain!

Now this time don’t toss your liquid. It should taste slightly sweet and fermented, but should not taste like straight sugar water that you just mixed up…like before adding a Kool-Aid flavor packet, for example.

You can now refrigerate the finished water kefir, or consume it right away. You can also do a second ferment with fruit or juice for the pop and fizz! Remember that you can’t attain carbonation unless you do the step of making it airtight with “food” (juice/fruit) for 1-3 days. Stay tuned for that blog post!

If you would like the ease of having a kit, you can find it here! Water Kefir Grains Kit

You know the rest….

Kicking it Making Kimchi

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 17:00:00 GMT

Kimchi can have many, many versions of itself…its origin is known to be Korea, and I personally liken it to a spicy, hot, glorified sauerkraut...scrumptious for those who like some pizazz!

To get some of that great flavor, you can do very simple recipes that don’t require months of fermenting buried in the ground…just a few days on your counter! Know that it’s always “better” to ferment and age things longer – the flavors intensify and change over time, and it’s just fantastic.

Set up your station and let’s get going!

Your kimchi may include: ginger, garlic, green onions, radishes, Napa cabbage (I’ve done regular cabbage when Napa is not available), and red pepper flakes/powder or the Korean version: gochugaru.

Chop and shred whatever you’ve chosen – generally recipes call for 2# of cabbage, ½ to a whole head of garlic, a bunch of green onions, a radish or two, a 1-2” piece of ginger (you’ll grate that), 1-5 Tablespoons of the pepper, and finally salt: 3-4 Tablespoons all the way up to 1 cup. I’ve seen some recipes calling for fish sauce and the like, but most of us don’t have that on hand. Go simple at first!

I find it super helpful to let nature take its course and allow the cabbage to generate its own liquid a few times in the process. Once I’ve got all my ingredients prepped and in a huge bowl (mine is about 16” in diameter), I massage it a few minutes so that the salt can draw out the liquid. I use a fine celtic sea salt, so I find that just ¼ cup salt is fine for my ferment. I also get a little aggression and calorie burning out by pounding a few minutes with a tool like this.

I’ll walk away for 10 minutes to half an hour so it can do its magic. Then I’ll pound again and massage a few more minutes, walk away for another half hour, and come back to find more liquid, and that the veggies have appeared to shrink a bit.

You can also NOT do this, and just pound your heart out for 20-30 minutes. Whatever you do, just make sure at the end you’ve got enough liquid in your jar, even if you have to add more salt brine.

After your final pounding, start packing it in, pushing the veggies down so that the liquid rises to the top.

You’ll want a fermentation airlock .

These are great because they fit on standard wide mouth mason jars!

Easy directions for use…

It will look like this!

Now you can also do this without an airlock. Just make sure your canning jar seal is brand new or in great shape. And when it bulges from the gas buildup, you’ll carefully release the pressure by unscrewing the ring just a tiny bit to hear the “pfffft” sound. Then screw it back on so it’s snug.

The airlock eliminates the daily babysitting of burping your ferment because the gases are released through the water in the airlock, but it won’t allow oxygen back in…win win!

Just 18 hours later, this kimchi is kicking it already…bulge!

You can’t see how crazy my airlock system is going, but there are actually bubbles going up into the airlock! But you can see that I may have filled it a tiny bit too full – the brine is working its way up into the airlock, but that’s ok. It’ll be fine.

Notice the bowls under each one – you’ll want insurance, trust me.

Now I wait a week. My kitchen is about 67º right now, which is great since I don’t want these to ferment any more than 69º. Once you hit 70º and above, it can be a recipe for mush and mold. It’s just too warm.

Here we are just 2 days in, and my kimchi is super happy!

It’s a good thing I utilized bowls!

My most favorite picture is next – look at the beautiful golden color of the salt brine that dried after escaping the jar.

After a week, it was time to refrigerate. I decided to label one as “airlock” and “no airlock” to see if there was a difference in taste since I did have to open and close the “no airlock” jar at least once a day.

As luck would have it, my folks were up for a visit, and my mama is a kimchi expert (I was too chicken to taste it because I am a baby when it comes to spicy foods). My mama learned how to make kimchi from a Korean woman when she was young. I had her compare the two jars, and one jar DID taste “better” than the other. My mama said that the airlock one had more bite to it! She said the other one was good, and could be used as a substitute…but the airlock one was definitely tastier.

There we have it, EASY-to-make kimchi! She said it was delicious with some quinoa I made with honey water…that quart jar was gone in a few days! She did leave part of the other jar for my hubby - but he’ll want some hefty meat protein…where are those brats and sausages?

Get Fermented!

Garlicky Kraut

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 17:28:00 GMT

I don’t steer too far from the norm when it comes to sauerkraut, but I do love garlic and have witnessed some yummy sauerkraut made by friends that use a lot more than just cabbage. It’s never a bad time to restock my sauerkraut supply either!

Instead of having whole cloves of garlic, I chose to press mine. I think that opens up more surface area and garlic juices so the fermenting can be efficient. Plus, eating the fermented pressed garlic might be easier than a whole clove!

There are many recipes to make sauerkraut, but basically you are just chopping or shredding the cabbage, pounding and pressing it to release the natural juices, then submerging it under a salt brine. Wait 3-10 days, or longer if your room temperature is really cool. Sauerkraut can be done for months in a root cellar for example, because it’s much cooler in there, being in the lower 50s. At room temps of 60-70º, you can safely do it for about a week. If you go above 70º, you tend to get blech-y results: way too soft, mushy, rotten smelly, moldy.

If I’m doing a gallon size jar, I can usually get 3-4 heads of cabbage in it. My rule of thumb is 1 medium head of cabbage per quart.

Then it goes into a very large bowl, and I pound it for about 4 minutes with a wooden goody like this:

Then I sprinkle a tablespoon of sea salt on top of my cabbage. I mix with my hands really quick before I pound again. Then I let it sit for 30 minutes to allow the salt to draw out more liquid from the cabbage. I’ve heard that you can mix and let it sit without pounding, too.

After 30 minutes, I pound again until it looks like I have a lot of juice. Sometimes I’ll let it sit again for another 30 minute period if I didn’t get enough juice out.

Then I put and push all that cabbage into the jar. I like to leave the juice in the bowl just so I can eyeball about how much I have. We want a brine that will be a total of 1-3 Tablespoons of salt per 1 quart of liquid. You’ve already put 1 Tablespoon of salt in there, so experiment with batches as you go on – you might not add more salt this time. Then next time, you might try 2 Tablespoons total. The pounder comes in handy again here because you can push hard to get the juices to come to the top. If you do not have enough natural liquid, it’s fine to add water so long as you are keeping the ratio in mind (1-3 Tablespoons salt per 1 quart liquid). Salt is your protection against mold, but on the flipside, too much salt can inhibit fermentation.

After pressing the cabbage down and ensuring there’s enough salt brine to cover the top, you’ll put your weights on top. Ceramic or glass weights are great, but you can also use cabbage leaves to tuck down over your cabbage. You want the weights under the brine too. Finally, you’ll want to make sure you still have 1” of headspace between the top of the liquid and your lid.

After fermenting a few days, you can open and taste it if you’d like. If it’s not done, close it up and ferment a few more days. Make note of that so next time you don’t have to open and test, you’ll just know to do “x” amount of days at that particular room temperature. The more you open the jar, the more opportunity for oxygen to get in your brew which can cause mold to form on the surface – but don’t freak out…a little surface mold is fine. Some mix it back in or scrape it off….if it’s pretty and colorful though, or super thick, your brew might be contaminated with spores, so it’s best to scrape away everything and smell/taste what’s a good inch or so below what you removed. If the whole batch smells like mold, then toss it, but don’t beat yourself up…try again!

Removing the weights made that garlic aroma evident!

See how lovely this is…still lots of firm pieces!

Now to portion it out into quart size jars for the fridge. Again, press down the cabbage so the brine will be on top.

I should be good to go for a few months with this supply! You can age your kraut 3-6 months in the fridge, but I’ve had year old kraut before that tastes divine too!

Get garlicky fermented!

Learning More About My Danish Rye Sourdough Starter

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:00:00 GMT

by Suzanne

Time for a little honesty: I got bored with fermenting. I have been fermenting for years, and I was in a rut. I had done it all, over and over, and I was all but ready to give it up for something more exciting. Enter the Danish Rye Sourdough Starter .

What a blast! There’s nothing else quite like it. Most of my ferments, once prepared, just kinda sit there...kombucha, sauerkraut, even water kefir. But with sourdough, it is so much fun to stir, check on bubbles, then peruse recipes and find fun things to bake!

With all my experimenting, I have learned a few important rules about my sourdough starter. Some are no-brainers if you are an experienced fermenter. Some were totally new to me, since I have been grain-free for so long.

Sourdough starters like aged flour. If you like to grind your flour fresh from whole grains, that’s awesome! And it’s fine for sourdough, but let it sit around for a few days before using that freshly ground flour for feeding your starter. I’ve found conflicting reports, but if you switched to freshly milled flour and find that your starter isn’t as active, try aging the flour for a few days. Seems like it needs a while to increase the natural microorganisms present that support an active starter.

A good water source is important. With so many additives in public water these days, I find that the water from my Berkey filter works really well for fermented foods, and that is especially true for sourdough. It’s only flour and water, after all, so make sure your water is at least free of chlorine.

Sourdough is not quite as sensitive to temperature as other ferments. Wahoo! Finally, something that works well in my chilly winter kitchen. I do not like to turn the heat up past 60°F in my house, so water kefir is definitely out once the cold weather comes. Sourdough may take a bit longer to ferment, but it gets nice and bubbly without a long wait. I love it!

Discarding starter actually saves flour. At first I was horrified to think of throwing out some of the starter on a regular basis. But if you don’t bake on a regular basis, things really start to get out of hand. The volume of starter, and hence the volume of flour needed to feed it, just grows and grows. If you don’t want to make pancakes or crackers every day, it’s fine to just throw some out. Put it in the compost heap if you can, but discard regularly, for sure. I like to keep about ½ cup of starter going. That way, it’s easy to build up enough starter for baking pretty quickly, and I don’t waste too much flour. If I know I’m not going to be baking for a while, I might reduce the starter volume to about ¼ cup. Experiment and keep track of your baking and find what works best for you.

Transfer starter to a clean jar. Unlike other ongoing ferments, sourdough is sticky! And once that flour/water combination sticks to the sides of the jar, mold has a place to grow. So once you have your sourdough routine established, transfer your starter to a clean jar regularly, to avoid an unpleasant surprise on baking day.

That’s it so far. I’ve discovered some recipes written specifically for rye sourdough and can’t wait to try them out. Meanwhile, time to feed my starter!

Second Fermentation Instructions (1/2 Gallon)

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 04:52:00 GMT

So you've made Kombucha or Water Kefir. Now what? Of course, you can drink it as is, but you can make it even more delicious with a second fermentation!

Be sure to remove your grains or SCOBY and start them in a fresh batch of sugared water or tea. The finished product is what you're going to flavor. You can use fresh fruit or juice. Be sure to wash your fruit well, and organic is always preferable. You don't want pesticides adding their nastiness to the mix.

Basically what you're doing is adding the sugar from fruit or juice, causing fermentation to start up again.

Cut your fruit into chunks or slices. More surface area will help the flavor infuse faster. If using blueberries, crush them a bit first to crack the outer skin.
Use 1 to 2 cups of fruit, depending on the flavor level you'd like.
If using juice, add a cup or more of juice. The more juice you add, the less you will taste the Kombucha or Kefir. This can be to your taste, depending on how tart you want your finished product.
Add the fruit or juice, then seal tight with a canning lid or other airtight lid. This will allow the carbon dioxide gases to build up as the fermentation begins again, creating more bubbles. Be sure to allow a couple of inches head space, this will reduce the chances of a volcanic eruption.
Place the jar on your counter for another 2 days, at about 70° - 80° F. Keep an eye on it - if you see the lid start to bulge, unscrew it to release some of the pressure, then reseal. On the rare occasion, if left too long or the temperature is high, carbonation can build up too much & become mildly explosive. You can drape a kitchen towel over the top of the jar for extra insurance.

After a couple of days, your delicious elixir will be ready. Be careful when you open the finished product, it can become very fizzy, even more so than soda pop. Store in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process.

Enjoy as is, or add to alcohol for a not-so-guilty cocktail!

Flavoring Ideas

strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries ( or a mix of several)
citrus slices
ginger slices
pineapple chunks or slices
mango
peaches, nectarines, apricots
grape juice
pineapple juice
raw jalapeno slices
herbs- basil, thyme, lavender

The possibilities are endless, use your imagination!

What to do with a ton of garlic scapes?

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 05:52:00 GMT

By Jerri

What to do? FERMENT THEM of course! Garlic scapes are the curly part of the garlic stalk that shoots up before garlic is ready to be harvested. You remove the scapes so that the energy for growth goes toward the bulb in its final stage, and not the upper part of the plant. They can be used just like garlic, so why not try fermenting them?

I planted these last fall, with my Sarge watching for squirrels:

What a difference today!

So these were sitting on my counter in some water, but I just wasn’t ready to put them in a recipe. I could have refrigerated them for a few weeks, but hey, let’s see what happens when we Get Fermented with them!

So pretty!

The most tedious part is cutting them up into teeny tiny pieces.

I want to use them as a garnish, or to stir fry, so I am hoping the fermentation process softens them up a bit. Next is to prepare the salt brine. I’m only doing a pint jar of scapes, so likely will only need 1 cup or less of brine. The ratio is 1 to 3 Tablespoons sea salt per 1 quart of water. I settled on about 1/2 Tablespoon of salt.

You’ll need an airlock , which you can make yourself, or better yet, buy one from NWFerments and save yourself the hassle!

Here’s what the airlock looks like put together:

So pour your brine in the jar, and carefully put weights on top. I had a heckuva time with floating pieces, but most of my scapes were covered.

I filled the airlock itself about half way full with water to ensure it creates a seal that will only allow gasses to escape, but no oxygen to enter in. And, I put a bowl underneath in case it goes crazy and leaks…it’s happened!

Now I wait, aiming for 7 days at least. My kitchen is about 66º, perhaps slightly warmer now that spring is here and summer is just weeks away. I don’t want to ferment veggies any more than 70º, or I risk mushy and unappealing results – possibly even mold that the brew can’t come back from.

Glad I put that bowl underneath! Guess it was a little full!

The result?

They were wonderfully “pickled” in nature! They tasted so good, the texture being only slightly softer. I have now stir fried them with onions and then added them to scrambled eggs, as well as adding them sautéed to other meals. My mom, a vegan, loved them right on her salad.

If a farmer ever offers you garlic scapes, take him or her up on it, and GET FERMENTED!

WAKE UP! Activating Dried and Sleepy Milk Kefir Grains

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

Dried Milk Kefir Grains are awesome to work with, or to have on hand as a back up for current grains. NWFerments can help you get started if you've always wanted to start on that probiotically awesome journey!

You'll notice the dried grains will have some larger pieces along with some smaller pieces, and that they are brownish in color€.oh, and they smell a bit pungent! All normal so make sure you have a good quality, regularly pasteurized milk to get started.

I lucked out with some organic milk that was marked down, but still had plenty of days before its best by date.

You'll need a quart jar, and just 1 cup of milk to get started. Put the grains in the jar, and then the milk.

I like the older jars that have the cup measurement markings on the side. It's easy peasy to see the one-cup line. Then, simply cover it with a breathable cover, and let it sit at room temperature, 68-78ºF for 12 hours. My milk kefir is ready to groove!

After 12 hours, check it to see if it has thickened the milk. Don't worry if it hasn't. Go another 12 hours, and regardless of what happens, at the 24 ^th hour you are going to strain the grains out and give them another one-cup amount of brand new milk. Do not use a metal strainer unless you are certain it's 100% stainless steel . You'll continue this process until the milk thickens within 24 hours€thus activated!

If it did thicken in your first 12 hours (LUCKY!) then strain it out and give it another 1 to 1 ½ cups of milk to let it culture 12-24 hours. You'll want to increase the amount of milk used as your grains increase in size and quantity. Just like when a little human being grows, that human needs more food!

Try not to disturb your little lovies as they take time to wake up. Keep them out of direct sunlight, as well as any drafts.

Here's my milk kefir you can see the yellow spots, which are the cream parts of the non-homogenized milk I used. YUM!

If you find that your milk kefir thickens the milk, but has no tang to it, don't worry. It may just need a few more rounds of fresh milk to pick up speed. It can also be helpful to forget about it, I mean, go a tad bit longer than 24 hours ;). In general to get tang, you can either increase the warmth of the room a bit, let it go a few hours longer than usual, or combine both these tips. You don't want to see your milk kefir separate into curds and whey, which indicates they are low on food and possibly starving, so watch carefully when you attempt this.

Now you'll want to get those grains out in order to feed them again, thus starting the process again.

After I've poured my kefir into a bowl, I strain out the grains using a non-metal strainer and a rubber spatula/scraper. You could skip the bowl step and just do it from the jar of course.

Hello lovies! Mama's gonna take good care of you.

Remember that these are living organisms, and they MUST be fed and cared for daily. If you neglect them, they may produce ucky milk kefir, and possibly die.

Play with the ratio of grains to milk, if you find your milk is culturing too fast, then you may have too many grains for the amount of milk you have. The temperature might also be too warm if your grain ratio seems fine. If your grains grow a lot, consider giving them away! Or, you can throw the excess into smoothies for an extra probiotic kick.

Again, remember that longer culturing time and higher temps will make your milk kefir more sour/tangy, while shorter or cooler temps will result in something more mild. You want to stick to that 68-78ºF range for optimal results and healthy grains.

Pay attention to your grains now that they are awake! Milk Kefir Grains are an optimal way to Get Fermented!

** We also carry Live Milk Kefir Grains

Kombucha Gets a New Life, with Strawberries!

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

I recently tried second fermenting my kombucha brew (no scoby involved, hit the road baby!). It did get more pop and fizz to it, but the flavor was pretty blah. Lucky for me, I have frozen strawberries on hand all year long for smoothies, so let's put some pizazz in my booch!

It's super easy! Because I can't fathom the idea of getting strawberries in and out of a Grolsch-style bottle, I took a chance on a mason jar and a new seal/lid. If the seal is good, it should hold in any gasses that form so I can get carbonation and a good second ferment.

Assemble your goodies “ this a quart size jar. I prefer to strain first, so my non-metal strainer is ready to go. Remember, NO SCOBYS ALLOWED in this phase:

Pour in your kombucha . How pretty is that?

Then put the seal/lid and ring on fairly snug so that nothing will leak out. Find a warm spot, using a buffer if needed for cold countertops.

I have always recommended that fruit or fruit puree only be fermented in your kombucha or water kefir for 24 hours. This is because fruit naturally ferments fast, and going longer than 24 hours may produce an unwanted alcoholic content. It may be ever so slight to pretty potent depending on how long you have let it sit out and how warm the room temperature is.

I aimed for 36 since I have a cooler kitchen, but holy kombucha , at 24 hours I already had a bulging lid!

I let it go another 12 hours. With the jar in the sink, I carefully loosened the ring and promptly heard the œpfffft sound of the gasses escaping. I peeked inside and things looked fine to me. I sniffed. Smelled fruity. Took a sip. OH MY MY MY.

I hailed my teen boy from his gaming lair for the final test, and whaddya know.my reluctant kombucha boy poured himself a glass. I had to stop him from drinking the whole jar, or his dad would not get to try it later!

WIN. WIN. WIN.

Can't wait for fresh Oregon strawberry season! Oh don't forget to then refrigerate your kombucha goodness. If you keep it out at room temp, it will further ferment and the taste will change, including getting more alcohol-y or tart.

Get Fruity . Get Fermented . Get Fruity Fermented!

Feta Cheese

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

Have you thought about making feta? You CAN do it! Gather your supplies, including the culture for Feta Cheese from NWFerments.

This is not an all-in-one direct set like some cheeses, so you'll need to get animal rennet or vegetable rennet as well! Mine is made with a portion of the vegetable rennet tablet.

The process is straight forward, but be sure to get our directions and read them thoroughly several days in advance. You do not want to get started and then have a hiccup.

Heat the milk very slowly on low heat to 86ºF.
Add culture to surface of milk, wait a few minutes, then stir well.
Let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
Dilute rennet in ¼ cup water, and mix into the milk in an up-and-down back and forth motion, NOT a whisking or stirring motion.
Put the lid on the pot and let it culture for 30-40 minutes.
When set, cut the curds into ½ cubes.
Stir gently a few times over 20 minutes.
Spoon curds into bowl lined with butter muslin/cheesecloth.
Drain at least 4 hours to overnight, until nothing else drips out.
To store, put curds in a jar. Cover with brine (2 T. salt per quart water).
Put the lid on and it can be stored for about 5 days!

Now for some visuals! The ½ rennet tablet in water:

It will look cloudy when dissolved:

I like to first pour my rennet through a slotted spoon, then use the spoon for the up-and-down side-to-side incorporation in the milk:

While I wait for the curds to form, I get my draining station ready:

I have curds! Check out my fingerprints on the surface! HA!

Here you can see as I begin to cut the curd (not cut the cheese, hush now) how jiggly yet solid it is:

Stirring the curds:

Ladling the curds in:

Time to drain! Hubby gets annoyed at this stage because it's hard to open the cabinet to get to our dishes

What the feta looks like when I first peel away the cloth:

Then a bit more pretty when it goes in the jar:

And finally, in the brine solution!

This feta was gone within 2 days, by the time I got around to actually having time to write the article. It's THAT yummy, don't forget the salt and spices!

Don't Cry Over Overheated Milk! Farmers Cheese Anyone?

Sun, 26 May 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

I was in a hurry. I thought, I've done this a million times, set the timer, and walked away from the stove to do another part of the yogurt project. My cow's milk was slowly warming over medium heat for a rebatch of Greek yogurt. It was only supposed to reach 160ºF, so 15 minutes in when steam was rising from the pot, I freaked. As the numbers on the thermometer rose beyond 160 and up into the 180s, I held back the tears, and remembered I had lemon juice. Lemon juice!

I poured the overheated milk into a bowl, grabbed the lemon juice, and as I dumped it in while stirring I thought, How much lemon juice do I need? I really should check the recipe. But I didn't. I just poured and stirred until it made curds. It took about 5 seconds to be ready.

I quickly found my butter muslin I had sewn into a bag for making nut milk, and put it into another bowl to begin the straining process.

I gathered it up and strained. Hope no one needs inside that cupboard today

This is known as an acid cheese since lemon juice was used (vinegar is another option) instead of an actual culture to do the fermenting. But in this hiccup, I was able to make a ricotta of sorts. I could have added a little salt to the curds before I strained it, as that leads to a harder cheese, but since I didn't check my recipe, this is what I got. By the way, when I finally checked the recipe, it said 1 quart milk + 1/8 cup vinegar, so I think I did ok in my panicked state. Whew! I peeled away the muslin and was happy!

I tried a bit of garlic salt on the side to dip it into, but unfortunately, it was just too crumbly (I strained too long).

However, see below for what I did to entice the resident teenage boy to eat homemade garlicky mayo + crumbly cheese curds = a sandwich dressing that led to not one, but two sandwiches!

Yum, yum, yum!

Now, back to yogurt making, but at a bit slower pace.

Sour Cream

Sun, 19 May 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

Making sour cream is so easy! You, too, can get this lovely glop of goodness! It's all possible with cream and a mesophilic (room temperature) culture called Flora Danica . Remember, the cream cannot be Ultra Pasteurized. Reliable results are rarenot worth the risk. I was only able to find heavy whipping cream but it worked great!

Just look at the beautiful chunk of loveliness in the cream!

Now to begin. you'll need

And give yourself time, about 16-18 hours for it to culture plan ahead on some scratch paper so you are awake or home to check at end of the culturing period. I chose a Tuesday night at 9 pm and it was done at 3 pm Wednesday! All you do is add the packet to the cream in a jar, and mix well. Cover with a breathable cover and set it somewhere warm/room temperature for 16-18 hours. It's done when it pulls away from the side of the jar in one big mass. Mine was scoop-able.

Cover it with a lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Holy sour cream, did it thicken up even MORE in the fridge!

Now my husband test-smelled the sour cream when it was done, and agreed it smelled fantastic. But when it came to using it at dinner, he totally balked and grabbed a commercial brand to use. I begged him to try the one I'd made, and he reluctantly did. When it was time for our son to eat his dinner (wrestling practice makes dinner time as a family hard!), I heard him say, Use the sour cream your mom made! It's way better than the store stuff, even though I hate to admit when your mom is right! HA HA HA HA. Win for the culturing mama, and we've been loving this quart of sour cream all week long! This will be good for approximately a week in your fridge! ENJOY!

Just a note: you can also make goat milk cheeses, Havarti, baby Swiss, gouda, edam, bleu, cultured butter, buttermilk, and creme fraiche with Flora Danica ! What are you waiting for? Get Fermented !

Cottage Cheese with the Aromatic B Cheese Culture

Mon, 13 May 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

I am certainly no expert, but I love experimenting. So the intro picture resembles cottage cheese, and ended up tasting sourly divine, but did I really make cottage cheese ? In another blog post, cottage cheese was attempted using the MA 11 . Did that truly work? It can also be made with the Flora Danica and the Aromatic B . This time I opted for Aromatic B to see how it compared to the MA 11.

I followed our same directionsexcept when my stove didn't cooperate

I slowly heated it to 72º (which happens fast, even when done slowly). After removing it from the heat, I added the diluted Calcium Chloride, since I used storebought pasteurized milk and this helps make the curds more firm. I mixed using a slotted spoon. The next step was adding the Aromatic B .

I covered the pot and insulated it with an emergency blanket, and a big towel. I even tied the handle with a shoelace for insurance! After having a different cheese project solidify at an angle, I made sure to prop up the handle so things would be level.

After 12 hours, the temperature sadly dropped quite a bit to 65ºF. I decided to insulate it further by putting it in a box with a heating pad, but with the emergency blanket only. I wasn't sure what the drop in temperature would do to my final product, but I didn't want to waste milk so I continued on.

It took several hours of adjusting variables to get the temperature to stay steady around 72ºF. At 2:30 p.m. the next day I finally had curds, although they seemed a bit weak. It pulled away from the side

so I decided to move ahead with the next step to cut the curd:

I let them sit for 15 minutes, undisturbed.

The next few steps should have been :

Increase heat by one degree/minute until it reaches 100º
Maintain 100º for 10 minutes
Increase temp to 112º over 15 minutes
Maintain 112º for 30 minutes or until curds are firm
When curds are done, let them settle to bottom of pot for 5 minutes

Let's just say having a glass top stove is a terrible idea for cheesemaking. The temperature rose to over 115º and when I turned down the knob just a tiny bit, it dropped to below 110º even though I hovered over it. The intermittent blasts of heat are not ideal, so I did my best to keep it around 112º for 30-45 minutes. Nothing like winging it!

After the agony of temperature wrangling, I put the curds into my cheesecloth-lined strainer.

Next was to drain!

After I stopped hearing drops, I rinsed the bag in ice water:

I put the bag back in the colander for a few more minutes to drain:

When I unwrapped my mixture, it sure looked like my MA 11 batch!

I noticed it was more sticky/moist than the last time. I looked up the definition of œcottage cheese and although I did not use skim milk, what I had was close enough according to Webster: a bland soft white cheese made from curds of skim milk.

But, oh, my.

I unmatted it and added some garlic sea salt. The blandness disappeared and it was hard to stop eating the cheese. Even though difficult to keep the heat steady both in the heating of the milk and its incubation, I learned that if you keep going, it just might still end up as a cultured dairy product in the form of cheese.

Tasted just fine on some salame! Now I am certain I made cottage cheese with the MA 11 as well. How cool is that?

Get Fermented with some cheese, peeps!

Simple Chevre and Simple Bread

Tue, 07 May 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Suzanne

I love Ottolenghi's cookbooks. I just do. The photos alone are worth a browse, even if you don't cook at all. His newest book, Simple , is no exception. As I was getting deep into it, I came across an interesting quick bread recipe, nothing like I'd ever made before. I knew immediately that I had to try it. This would be no half-hearted attempt, however. I was determined to make the goat cheese and sour cream from scratch, to make this bread really amazing. Making sour cream is a breeze using cultured buttermilk as a starter . Making your own fresh chevre is just as simple, so I decided to go that route for this bread recipe. To make fresh chevre, all you need is

Stainless steel or other non-reactive pot
Thermometer
Chevre starter culture
Goat milk
Butter muslin or other cloth for straining

Now for making the cheese:

1) Pour the milk into the pot and heat slowly to 86ºF, stirring slowly. It can happen quickly, so keep an eye on the dial. NOTE: Place your thermometer so it can be easily read. My thermometer has a little clip on it that attaches to the side of the pot. Hang the thermometer tip about 1 inch above the bottom, to get an accurate reading.

2) Once the milk reaches 86ºF, remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the culture on the surface of the milk and let it sit for a minute to saturate.

3) Stir the culture into the milk so that it is thoroughly dissolved.

4) Put a lid on the pot and keep in a warm space, about 75ºF, for 12 hours. It is normal to see some separation of curds and whey as the cheese sets.

5) After 12 hours or so, drain the curds into a cloth-lined bowl or cheese bag. Hang the cloth to drain for up to 12 hours. Don't throw out that whey! It's useful for so many other things!

After those easy steps, mostly waiting around, you have a beautiful batch of fresh chevre cheese.

Now for the amazing bread! Of course, I can't share the entire recipe here; Ottolenghi may never forgive me if I did. But I can share the photos. Even the dough was a beautiful contrast of beet red and fluffy white.

And the final product, enjoyed warm and slathered with butter, was just as delicious as I had dreamed it would be.

Sima? What? Why?

Sat, 27 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

Vappu (May Day) is celebrated May 1 ^st in Finland, usually for an entire week. It's said this Finnish holiday rivals that of Christmas and Easter! Banks and government offices (liquor stores too!) are all closed. Originally in the 1700s, the upper class would go horseback riding to enjoy the new greenness of spring “ since the 1800s, it morphed into university students celebrating academic achievements. Today it also includes workers, with everyone celebrating not only students' successes, but the current spring weather and the coming of the summer solstice. Celebrations actually start on April 30 ^th , vappuaatto, or Vappu Eve. This is when the statue symbolic of Helsinki, The Daughter of the Baltic Sea (Havis Amanda), is cleaned and dressed with a huge ylioppilaslakki at 6:00 p.m.:

You'll find everyone wearing these student caps. See here for pictures of the statue and celebration !

But what does this have to do with fermenting? My daughter has been a high school exchange student, living in Finland since August. And, one of the celebratory drinks for May Day is a ferment! Sima, pronounced see-muh is originally a basic mead (fermented honey water), but most current recipes today use white and brown sugar. I found it interesting that it calls for commercial bread yeast, but ok, I'm game. Let's try both in time for May Day!

The basic recipe is water, sugar or honey, lemons, yeast, and raisins for the bottling up phase.

The honey-based recipe seemed to be less work-intensive, calling for boiling the water, adding honey and lemon slices. The sugar-based recipe required brown and white sugar, and more intense lemon prep, having to cut away the bitter white parts, after zesting it. Can't wait to taste the difference!

The zesting was kinda fun though

I prefer to make my own brown sugareasy peasy in a food processer: 3 cups sugar + 1 T. blackstrap molasses.

Prepping is so pretty!

After boiling the water and adding the ingredients, you wait for it to reach lukewarm temperature (I searched the Internet and settled on 85ºish) and mix in the active dry yeast.

And now we wait! The honey recipe below on the left is only to be left for 8 hours to overnight, while the brown/white sugar recipe on the right is to be left for 24-48 hours.

The next morning my honey brew didn't seem to do much, so I decided to leave it another 12 hours, and added a towel as a barrier between the jars and the cold granite countertop.

...and success! Beautiful bubbles signaling it's ready!

Time to strain into a large jar with raisins:

When the raisins float, or after about 8 hours, it's ready! Carefully release any built up pressure. I was very surprised how quickly my mason jar lid bulged from the gas, well before the 8 hours was up, and several raisins started floating just an hour or so after the jarring!

Strain out the raisins, and any yeast that has formed.

Oops, watch that foam!

The raisins were the bomb by the way plump and flavorful, with some tang!

Now to refrigerate and wait until the morning to taste it, chilled.

The sugar-based mixture was ready to be bottled up a few hours later. Its bottling up process was different. It called for airtight bottles, 1 tsp white sugar and 5-6 raisins per bottle. Hint, if using a funnel, put the sugar and raisins in BEFORE you add the liquid. Just remember to give it a little swirl so the sugar can dissolve a bit. Intrigued by what this one will taste like after 2-5 days in the fridge (again, floating raisins indicate it's ready!).

So the results?

After an overnight refrigeration period, the honey-based sima looked great, but I did taste a hint of the white pith, so definitely some bitterness there. My son nailed it when he said, It reminds me of that fruit you eat with a pointy spoon! “ grapefruit, yes! That's the best way to explain it!

After 2 days of refrigeration, the raisins in the sugar-based sima were floating in the bottom half of the bottle. I'm sure it was supposed to float closer to the top, but I couldn't wait any longer. It was delicious! There was no bitter taste at all, in fact sweet and lemony. It did not taste super, super fermented, nor have any bubbly foam, so I plan to let one bottle do a second ferment at room temperature a few days, and let the other bottle stay in the fridge to see if the raisins will float higher.

But I am feeling ready for May Day!

Remember that with any fermented drink, there is the potential that with age and continued warmth/fermenting, you'll get some alcohol content. You can decide if that's what you want or not when you celebrate May Day!

If you want to try this yourself, try searching for both honey sima and just sima you'll populate a ton of results, but they are basically the same.

Get fermented, Finnish style!

Cultured Butter (and Buttermilk) with the Aromatic B

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

I get giddy when I get a chance to make butter! It's hard to find good cream that is not Ultra Pasteurized or a heavy whipping cream, so when you do, you'd better make something GOOD with it. When my kids were younger we'd have a weekly raw cow milk drop, and I would immediately scoop off the cream and we'd have a shake-shake-shake party to make butter. After the butter was made, my kids would do drive-bys with a spoon and it'd slowly disappear before even being applied to a food! And now I have learned that you can culture the cream FIRST, and then make butter “ LOVE that idea! You can use just about any mesophilic culture, but today it's the Aromatic B Cheese Culture . Let's get to it! Gather your tools and supplies:

Again, good cream is expensive and hard to find. I haven't made butter in years, so I opted for just 2 instead of 4 pints, in case my skills were lacking. Because it's a mesophilic culture, you only have to heat the cream to 70-75ºF. I aimed for 70 knowing my glass stovetop likely would go a few degrees higher.

1. Heat the milk slowly to 70º

2. Add the Aromatic B Cheese Culture , but let it sit on top a minute or two

3. Incubate* for 6-12 hours, ideally a range of just a few degrees above/below 68º. Going longer, more towards 12 hours should result in a more tangy taste.

* By the way, in the top right corner, that's a stowaway jar of sourdough starter taking advantage of the heat. The cream should be a bit thicker, smelling good and tangy.

4. Fill a jar no more than 50% full of cream. It will take longer to get butter if there's more cream and less movement of that cream. It's ok to do the butter in parts if you have a small jar!

5. Shake shake shake shake for 10-20 min. You want the cream sloshing vigorously back and forth, hitting the bottom of the jar and then the lid.

6. You'll start to hear a difference “ the sound once the butter starts forming is more sluggish. You'll see a difference “ the cream turns a pretty yellow.

7. Once you have a mass of lumpy fluffy butter, it's time to drain off the buttermilk (yes, this is REAL buttermilk, and BONUS: it's already cultured! It should thicken up a bit more in the fridge, and you can use this in baking or to drink!)

8. Rinse the butter so it doesn't go rancid from still containing lactose and proteins. Start by putting the butter into a bowl, and adding cool/cold water. You can use the back of a spoon to press and fold the butter, draining the water as needed and adding more cool/cold water. Two to three times should be sufficient, and you'll see clear water coming off.

9. You should be able to form a ball by now. I use cold running water as I form the ball.

10. You can refrigerate or freeze the butter - it won't affect the texture!

Over 6 oz of gorgeous cultured butter! YUM! And remember, you also now have the bonus of cultured buttermilk for drinking or recipes. Give it a try - find some good cream, and GET FERMENTED!

Sour Cream with the Aromatic B Cheese Culture

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

The Aromatic B Cheese Culture * can be used for many cheeses, like goat milk chevre, or cow milk for Havarti or Baby Swissbut until I get my hands regularly on Non-Ultra Pasteurized or raw goat milk, or a cheese press, and cheese cave to age the more difficult cow milk cheeses, I can use the Aromatic B Cheese Culture for cottage cheese and sour cream. Let's do sour cream!

To make sour cream is fairly easy:

Heat 1 quart regularly pasteurized cream to 72ºF
Sprinkle Aromatic B Cheese Culture on the surface of the cream and let rehydrate 1-2 minutes
Mix in the culture
Maintain 72ºF and culture for 12-24 hours

My friend said it might take longer for the Aromatic B, so I planned to let it go up to 48 hours if needed. I started at about 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday night. With it being winter, the kitchen is a steady 65º. This proves to be a difficult temperature for making mesophilic cheese, so I wrapped up my pot of milk in an emergency blanket, and a towel around that.

At 9:00 a.m. Friday, the temperature had dropped to 68ºF. Being that I was just about 13 ½ hours in, I threw a box and a heating pad into the mix.

About 17 hours in, I finally maintained a temperature of 72-73º. By Friday night, 27 hours in, the cream was thicker! But, not really any taste to it. Bah! I let it go another 12 hours until about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, 39 hours in, and it was the same, no real sour taste to it. Again, Bah! At 7:30 p.m. I planned to check it. Next thing I knew, it's 10:30 p.mYIKES! So 51 hours in, and whaddya know? Sour-sour-sour-sour! It was not very thick like I'd expect, but the taste was spectacular.

My hope was that it'd thicken up in the fridge.

In the morning on Sunday, it was indeed thicker!

I was so pleased! It's still not as thick as I'd like, but thicker than cream, and it's sour. It's the perfect condiment for, "It's leftovers" night! Doesn't sour cream make everything better? Get the Aromatic B Cheese Culture for sour cream, and Get Fermented!

* Note: Aromatic B Cheese Culture can also be used to culture cream to make cultured butter or buttermilk! Stay tuned!

Mesophilic Yogurt: Viili

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

At NW Ferments we absolutely LOVE the mesophilic (a.k.a. room temperature) yogurts. We carry the Matsoni , Filmjolk , and Piima , but today we are rehydrating and using the Viili culture. I have a special interest in this one because my daughter is spending her junior year abroad in Finland, where Viili hails from! Our product description says:

Make your own creamy & mildly flavored Viili Yogurt. Originally from Finland, this heirloom variety is mesophilic, meaning that it will culture at room temperature (70-77 degrees). No yogurt maker is required. Reusable- by reserving a bit from each batch, you can continue to make Viili Yogurt indefinitely!

However, this time of year, if you don't have a spot in your home at the above room temperature, you'll have to get creative in order to enjoy this yogurt in the chilly months. This is my own challenge, so on the top of my running dehydrator my jar will sit. NOT IN, but on top. IN would kill the yogurt. After making some adjustments with the temperature knob over several hours, I was able to maintain the right temperature. Remember you are testing the water itself (before you waste precious culture, milk and time) so do not allow the thermometer probe to touch the jar.

Gather the culture, regularly (not Ultra!) pasteurized milk, and supplies. Pour 1-2 cups of milk in the jar, and after sprinkling the culture on top, let the culture sit 45-60 seconds to rehydrate a bit. Then stir it in really, really well!

My timing was not well planned, oops, having started my yogurt at 3:15 p.m. Knowing it could be done in as little as 12 hours, I still decided setting my alarm for 3:15 a.m. was not going to happen. I checked at 7:15 a.m., 16 hours in, and saw no thickening. It can go as long as 48 hours, so I checked twice more and by 7:00 a.m. the next day (about 40 hours total), I had yogurt! Notice how it pulls away from the side? You can also see that lovely yellow cream!

I funneled it into a quart jar, as it needs 6 hours to chill in the fridge to allow the bacteria to slowly stabilize. No flavoring, sweetening, or straining yet!

It tasted delicious! The next step was to use this mother culture to make a bigger batch. Easy peasy! If you have one of the older quart jars, you might be lucky to have the cups labeled for you. Just pour in straight-from-the-fridge milk to the 3 cup line!

The ratio from here on out is ¼ cup mother culture to 3 to 4 cups of milk.

Whisk away! You want to ensure it gets distributed evenly.

Back to the top of the dehydrator, for 12-18 hours. The rebatch is always shorter than the rehydration batch.

Success! 3 cups of yogurt goodness! Again, see how it pulls away from the side? This took just over 17 hours, or rather, it was just over 17 hours when I was able to check on it. It may have been done earlier than that, but I like my sleep and was crossing my fingers it would not overculture while I got my zzzzzzz's.

JUST LOVELY. Look at it when spooned out!

You know you want some. What are you waiting for? Get Fermented!

**Note: A "mother culture" is basically any new batch of yogurt that is plain, not flavored/sweetened/strained, and is no older than 7 days. Your rehydration batch is considered a mother, as would be the next batch you make from her, so long as you save a portion in the fridge while you flavor/sweeten/strain (if wanted) the rest of it!

Fermented Applesauce

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

Eek! Fermentation panic! All my standard airlocks were busy in other fermentation projects, and I desperately wanted to try fermented applesauce! Apples were still falling from my little tree at the end of November, so I poked around in my cabinet and as luck would have it, I had ONE type of airlock left. I forgot about this gem, awesome for all the wide mouth canning jars I own. This silicone tool from Heaven is made by MasonTops, and called a Pickle Pipe. Woohoo!

I dug out my Nourishing Traditions book in the hopes of finding a fermented applesauce recipe, but nothing.

Most of the fruit recipes in general for 1 quart called for ¼ cup whey and 1-2 tsp sea salt, so I figured I'd experiment. I don't use whey due to dairy allergies, so subbing with kombucha is the plan. Probably a good idea to just do 1 pint in case I mess up somewhere, since I didn't get many apples from my tree this year. The squirrels beat me to it! From this:

To This:

Let the applesauce cool or you'll ruin the kombucha bacteria. Be ready with the kombucha and salt once it's ready!

This ferment will go just 24 hoursbecause fruit ferments FAST, you naturally end up with something alcohol-y rather quickly depending on your room temperature. If it's warmer, things ferment much faster! Being that it's fall, I think 24 hours is just fine.

How's it taste? Fast forward 24 hours. Um, it tastes like salty applesauce. Maybe another 24 hours? Fast forward another 24 hours.ugh, although surprisingly LESS salty tasting, the only one who likes it is this guy:

Thank goodness I only did one pint. Guess Sarge will have a probiotic treat the next week or so! I searched online for more recipes and came across several that still included whey and substitutes ( water kefir and kombucha ), but also NO salt. I am SO pitching the salt next time. Just have to wait for another batch of apples to fall!

--------------------------- Update: I did the same procedure minus the salt almost 2 cups applesauce and 2 Tbs kombucha. I fermented for 4 days, because at 65ºF in my kitchen, nothing was happening every 24 hours that I checked. I saw no mold, so I kept going. By the 4 ^th day it seemed to have tang (or it was my imagination because I was tired of waiting?) I refrigerated it and got around to tasting it a few days later. It was pretty yummy and yep, slightly tangy. I tried it again a few weeks later, and it about knocked me over with tang! I threw some raisins in it, because I love when they plump back up in applesauce. In 24 hours I had a delicious super tangy fermented applesauce! And no, Sarge did not get any of it this time. Sorry puppers!

FAQS - Heirloom Thermophilic Yogurt

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 07:00:00 GMT

FAQs:

Can I use Ultra Pasteurized milk? There is nothing else at the store . NEVER EVER use Ultra Pastuerized milk or Flash or UP or UHT or HTST milk. It's cooked, dead milk, and cultures cannot survive in it. Always use milk that states only pasteurized on the label. Also new to the market is ultra-filtered milk, one brand in particular says there is no lactose, which is what your bacteria needs to eat. The fact alone it is overly processed is bad news for a living culture.

I have access to raw milk. Can I use it? Yes, you have two choices. 1) Properly pasteurize the raw milk and continue with the normal directions. 2) If you want to keep the yogurt you consume as raw as possible, you must first do an extra step of making your weekly mother culture with pasteurized raw milk. You can absolutely pasteurize your own raw milk . This allows the yogurt bacteria to take hold in the milk and not be obliterated by the naturally strong raw milk bacteria. Your batches for eating that you make from the pasteurized mother can then be made with raw milk that has not been heated. For more information, please see our post on raw milk yogurt, or contact us online.

Can I use goat milk? You can use just about any animal's milk - cow, sheep, goat, camel, etc, but, it must be regularly pasteurized.

Can I use alternative milk? Eh, yes and no. It's a lot more work and it may not be successful. You'd have to do two batches each week.one to make an actual dairy mother, then a batch of alternative milk yogurt using the dairy mother. This means your batches for consumption will not be vegan or non-dairy, although the amount of dairy is very small. But, oftentimes the alternative milk is so full of additives that the culture has no idea what to do with the milk. It's best to use a Vegan Yogurt Starter (but that has its own set of directions).

How often do I need to make a new batch of yogurt so it will stay alive? You must make new yogurt within 7 days of the last batch (pick a day of the week and stick to it). Yogurt can be made any time before 7 days is up, but 7 days is the longest before the bacteria weakens/dies. It is crucial your mother batch each time is pure, never having been flavored, sweetened, or strained.

But I can make more yogurt from my own strawberry flavored and honey sweetened batch, right? Nope. Repeat, your mother yogurt culture must be what you save before you decide to flavor/sweeten/strain it. It must be plain.

How should I heat the milk? Over low to medium setting, heat the milk slowly so you don't damage the milk. Directly on the stovetop is fine if you keep stirring, or try a double boiler.

What about straining my yogurt? You never HAVE to strain it, only if you want what you'll eat to be thicker, but then say bye-bye to the probiotics of the whey. You can however use whey for soaking your grains or even jump-starting a vegetable ferment. Strain using cheesecloth or butter muslin, or even a commercial yogurt strainer. Remember, you cannot use strained yogurt as your mother culture for your future batch.

How else can I get thicker yogurt? If you want thicker yogurt without damaging the culture, you can slowly heat your milk to 160-180ºF, hold/stir it there for 20-30 minutes, then cool to 110ºF before adding the culture. This damages the cell walls so they coagulate and make for thicker yogurt in the end. You can also use 1 part heavy cream (but not Ultra Pasteurized) to 3 parts whole milk.

What if I want to do more than 1 quart? I have a big family (or appetite)! You can do 2 quarts at a time, just double the starter (not the time). It may be possible to make a larger batch than 2 quarts, but keep a back up mother culture in case the large batch fails.

Should I be careful of metal touching the mother culture? Use silicone or wooden utensils, or 100% stainless steel . Never use another metal as that may kill your culture.

What material should my container be? Culture in glass jars or directly in the IP's steel pot (or crockpot). Plastic is not recommended.

Why did my yogurt turn out lumpy? Your incubation temperature may be too hot, the yogurt cultured too long, or both. The mother culture might also be too old. This batch may not be reculturable.

Why is my yogurt gritty or granular? The milk likely was heated too quickly. Likely this batch is not reculturable.

It tastes bitter! Why? Overculturing is the main culprit. But, if you used too much starter, that can be an issue too, too much bacteria and not enough food. Likely a batch from this batch will also be bitter.

What if I want a more sour yogurt? You have to be careful (keep your back up mother handy), but you can try to make a more sour yogurt by culturing just a tad longer and a tad warmer (but not past 111-112ºF). Remember if you go too long or it's too hot, you can damage the culture. Splitting into curds/whey is a sign it's overcultured.

What other questions do you have? Contact us with this form.

Using Raw Milk with the Thermophilic and Mesophilic Yogurt Cultures

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

If you have access to raw milk, you may be wondering how to use it with your heirloom yogurt cultures. If you want your yogurt to be as raw as possible, there is an extra step/batch that often is misunderstood, but necessary. Waaaaaait for it. You have to heat your raw milk for the mother culture batches. WHAT? HEAT precious raw milk? But that's an abominable act, right?

Not to fret, we'll help you make as raw yogurt as possible, while ensuring your beloved mother culture bacteria will live as long as it can, generation after generation. It's actually very simple.

First, you have to understand it is because of the naturally bionic, super strong, amazing bacteria in the raw milk that it is necessary to pasteurize it. If you do not, the yogurt's bacteria will never properly populate to do its magic in the milk to turn it into yogurt. And, the older your raw milk, the stronger in number the competing bacteria.

In order to keep your mother culture alive and healthy, and able to continue self-perpetuating, you have to give her a clean slate each week. Whether you are activating your culture for the first time from us as a powdered/dormant state, or making a batch from a mother someone gave you, you need to first pasteurize your raw milk. Pasteurizing is easy peasy with this guide from Oregon State University.

Once you have cooled your pasteurized milk to the culturing temperature of 110ºF for the Thermophilic cultures (Greek and Bulgarian), or 70-77ºF for the Mesophilic (Matsoni, Viili, Filmjolk, or Piima), you can make your mother culture batch.

Save some of this once-raw-but-now-pasteurized-milk mother culture in the fridge in order to make more of her in 7 days or less. Label it with the date and DO NOT EAT, or you will be very sad. See below for general instructions.

For the Greek or Bulgarian , you will gently heat your raw milk to the culturing temperature of 110ºF (still considered raw), not 160ºF as our directions indicate for store bought pasteurized milk.

You will then take ¼ cup of the pasteurized mother culture and add it to 1 quart of the 110º milk. You will culture 5-8 hours, cool for 1-2 hours at room temp, then store in the fridge for 6 hours. You can actually eat this yogurt right away, since this is not a mother batch, but most people don't like warm yogurt. Finally, within 7 days, go back to your pasteurized-once-raw-milk mother culture and repeat the process, beginning with pasteurizing your new raw milk for the new mother batch.

Once your new mother batch is successful, the rest of the old mother batch can be consumed. Also know, because you are not heating the milk to 160, your end product of yogurt is likely to be thinner, which is completely normal.

For the Matsoni , Viili , Filmjolk , or Piima add cold raw milk to your culture (about ¼ c. mother culture yogurt per 3 cups milk). However, if your raw milk is older than a day or so, there will already be a build-up of competing bacteria ready to fight your little ¼ c. yogurt bacteria. For these cultures, if you find it does not work, try gently heating your raw milk to just 100-110º to see if that tones down some of that competition. We can't stress it enough, keep back-up mother!

After you've mixed your mother + new milk, culture at room temperature for 12-18 hours. Put that in the fridge for 6 hours. You can now flavor, sweeten, or strain! Within 7 days, go back to your saved mother culture and use her to make your brand new mother using your raw milk you pasteurize. Once you have a successful new mother batch, you can consume the rest of the old mother batch.

Because these yogurts are naturally thinner due to the absence of heat in the process, know that your end product of yogurt is going to be even thinner with raw milk, which is normal. This is as raw as it gets without compromising the health of your starter, friendsif you have any questions, contact us!

Buttermilk with Flora Danica

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 07:00:00 GMT

by Jerri

I've never had a need to make buttermilk. It always seemed like it was meant for drinking or in pancakes, neither of which we'd be able to do since we're, for the most part, a gluten and dairy free family. But, it's been fun to dabble and post about the cheese cultures lately, straying to taste test...so I asked a beloved kitchen keeper and she said, Sure! You can make buttermilk with the Flora Danica ! Well, okay then!

My steps:

Heated 1 quart pasteurized whole organic milk to 185ºF
Held the milk as best I could around 185ºF for 35-40 minutes
Cooled to 77ºF
Stirred in the Flora Danica .
Insulated it in the same pot with an emergency blanket + big towel
When done, stored in the fridge for 6 hours

My house is terribly cold for mesophilic cultures like cheese or yogurt, so overnight to maintain 77º would be impossible. Last time I tried to insulate a batch with just a towel, the temperature dropped to 65º. This time, it worked well!

I wrapped it all in a big fluffy towel, tying the handle with a shoelace:

11 ½ hours later, the temp had dropped to 70º, but it was ALREADY SOLID! In fact, I had accidentally tilted the pot, so it solidified at an angle. HA!

How thick was it? Thick enough that a happy face stayed put!

I tasted it before popping it in the fridge, and it was sour, more like a thin sour cream. Hmmm, I pictured buttermilk as runny/pourable and sour. I consulted my buddy, and she schooled me on a few things:

Buttermilk traditionally is the leftover liquid after you make butter from cream. You then culture that liquid with a starter, but since there is no fat, the buttermilk is generally thin.
What I have tastes sour because I have soured the milk using a culture, and it's possible it resembles sour cream because of the warm temperature and length of time, combined (longer time + warmer = more sour and thick).
It's thick like sour cream because I used whole milk, which has the fat.
This buttermilk can be used in any buttermilk task.

Now, how about after some time in the fridge? 6 hours later, bottom line, I have thick sour cream buttermilk. I like it!

See how thick it is, on a fork! Nothing dribbling off!

Someday I might have to try this buttermilk with some gluten free pancake batter.

What are you waiting for? Brave up and Get Fermented!

Making Greek Yogurt Amongst Friends

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 07:00:00 GMT

When my good buddies asked about yogurt, I said, Hey, I know where to get some and I know who can teach you! They were stokednervous, but stoked. Both of them have InstantPots, and one pot's maiden voyage was going to be in yogurt making.

I wanted to ease them into it, so I created a document of directions and FAQs that even included how long it might take to heat/cool their milk. I decided to activate the starter for them, so they'd have yogurt starter to work with after our lesson.

Here's how it goesFirst, heat the milk slowly to 160ºF, and then cool to 110ºF.

Sprinkle the powdered culture from the silver packet on the surface, and let it sit a minute or two before stirring in.

Once mixed, pour it into the IP (or yogurt maker) and press the Yogurt button.

For activation, I set mine to 12 hours since that's the max time it could take. Starting at the 5 ^th hour to check is crucial, so I set an alarm on my phone.

I also set an alarm for the wee hours of the morning, arbitrarily choosing the 10 ^th hour to wake up and checkthat equated to 5:30 a.m. Eek! But my friends were worth it.

It was done at 5:30 a.m.! I removed it from the IP and covered the top with foil. I let it cool on my ceramic countertop for an hour while I snoozed a bit more. About 6:30ish I woke to the alarm, and feeling that the pot was cool, put the pot in the fridge where it would sit for at least 6 hours. Then, it would be ready for the lesson. I labeled it so no one in my house would eat this brand new mother culture.

The rest for consumption went into pint size jars for easier fridge storage.

Beautiful Greek yogurt .

When teaching day came, we went through the process of heating and cooling the milk, discussing what-to-do and what-not-to-do as we progressed. I emphasized things like only using a regularly pasteurized milk (never Ultra) and how a dedicated IP seal for yogurt is a good idea. My other seal is brown and ucky-looking from other IP projects. And no one wants yogurt to smell like garlicky roast beef, you know?

Making yogurt is so easythe next step was to add ¼ cup of the mother starter to one quart of milk.

We put it in the IP, closed the lid, put the vent-thingie to œsealing, and pressed the Yogurt button. We adjusted the time to 8 hours since future batches are all just 5-8 hours in length. Since I was going to leave my friend's house, she knew at the 5 ^th hour she could check and send me a picture.

I gave them supplies to continue on their own for yogurt making (and kombucha since we touched on this that day too).

And about 5 hours later? I received this picture:

Worked like a charm. Even better, the next day she sent me a message to say it was delicious.

What a GREAT lesson. You can do it too! Get some Greek culture and Get Fermented!

Milk Kefir Instructions

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 07:00:00 GMT

NOTE: if you're not planning to start your Milk Kefir right away, store it in the refrigerator until you are ready.

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
fine mesh plastic strainer (no metal)
cow or goat milk (avoid ultra pasteurized or UHT milk)
Milk Kefir grains

Directions:

Add the Milk Kefir grains to 2 cups milk in your jar. Cover with coffee filter & secure with elastic band.
Allow to culture at room temp - 68° to 78° F. is ideal. Choose a draft-free place, out of direct sunlight, where your Milk Kefir won't be disturbed.
Check in 24 hours. The kefir will be ready when it has thickened and has a pleasantly sour smell. Your first batch may have an off flavor - if so, the liquid can be discarded or used in a recipe after grains have been removed. It sometimes takes a cycle for the grains to wake back up.
When your Milk Kefir is ready, strain the grains from the finished kefir (stirring it with a spoon first will make it strain easier). Put the grains in fresh milk and start your next batch. You can increase the amount of milk to 1 quart.

As your grains increase in volume, you can continue to increase the amount of milk. The goal is to keep the ratio of grains to milk that produces kefir to your taste. Longer culturing times make a more sour product, shorter times make a milder product.

Your finished Milk Kefir can be enjoyed as is, or blended with fruit and/or honey for a delicious smoothie. Extra grains can be shared with friends, eaten, or dried and saved for future use.

Eau de Kombucha (an Ode to Kombucha)

Sun, 12 Jun 2016 22:22:43 GMT

Oh kombucha...Sour, tangy, nostril-searing, eye-burning. Some want nothing to do with the distinctive (pun intended) smell & taste. There are definitely two breeds of people: kombucha lovers & not-so-lovers. You either like it or you don't-not much grey area there. I have grown to adore the taste and don't really mind the smell. I'm always amused by the reactions of new visitors & delivery people at our facility. We ARE quite fragrant, but that is all part of our mystique ;) The aromas of fermentation can be pungent & even off-putting to some, but not to me. It gets my tummy grumbling in anticipation of that gut-healthy goodness. Long may we crazy fermenters live, with our odd smells, regular bowels and love of experimentation. I'll take the stink of kombucha over Febreze any day!

New Beginnings

Mon, 06 Jun 2016 21:43:18 GMT

Spring cleaning, fresh start, new beginning They're all cliches, but somehow completely appropriate, too. Spring does make me feel like getting started, though usually I get started (or re-started) on the more mundane things: cleaning out the garage, going through last year's summer clothes, preparing the garden for seedlings, etc, etc. One spring task that never gets boring is getting ready for fermenting season. Yes, fermenting season is what I call it. I keep my house pretty cool through the winter, so any fermented food or drink takes some extra time and effort. But when the temperature creeps up just a little, I get excited. I see bubbles, I dream of pickles, I order cultures , and I begin.

What culture you ask?

Water kefir grains are at the top of the list for fermenting season. Water kefir is the perfect summer drink for my kiddo. From my point of view, it keeps him hydrated, gives him probiotics, and has a much lighter taste than kombucha, which is often too strong for young palates. From his point of view, it's fizzy, it comes in cool flip-top bottles, and he can choose virtually any flavor he likes! So with spring temperatures, out come the water kefir grains to rehydrate for a few days, then to get started bubbling and fermenting away on my countertop. Are you ready to Get Fermenting?

Welcome

Sun, 29 May 2016 21:35:23 GMT

Yogurt Starter Instructions - Mesophilic (room temp set)

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

Viili, Filmjolk, Matsoni and Piima Yogurts come with 2 packets.

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
2 cups milk (avoid ultra- pasteurized or UHT milk)
1 packet Yogurt starter culture (save 2nd packet in freezer for future use)

Activate your starter culture:

Put 2 cups milk in your jar. Add starter packet and stir until well dissolved. Cover with coffee filter & secure with elastic band.
Allow to culture at room temperature - 68° to 78° F. is ideal. Choose a draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight, where it won't be disturbed. Check after 12 hours to see if it has set (when set, it will be slightly gelatinous and will pull away from the side of jar when it's tipped). If not set, allow to culture for up to another 36 hours, checking every few hours. When set, refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Your yogurt is now ready to enjoy. Make sure to save some for your next batch.

Making the next batch:

Put 3 cups milk in ajar. Add 1/4 cup of your finished yogurt ( always reserve some back for your next batch) and mix well. To make larger batches, use the same ratio: 1/4 cup finished yogurt per 3 to 4 cups milk.
Allow to culture for 12 to 18 hours (faster than when activating starter). Check every few hours until set. Larger amounts will take longer to set. When set, refrigerate for 6 hours.

Your cultured yogurt can now be eaten as is, :flavored with fruit and/or honey, or added to smoothies. Remember to keep saving some back for your future batches.

Kombucha Starter Instructions

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

Note: if you're not planning to start your Kombucha SCOBY right away, store it in the refrigerator until you're ready.

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
1/4 cup sugar (evaporated cane sugar works best)
3 cups water (non-chlorinated & non-fluoridated is best)
2 tea bags (black or green tea is best) or 2 tablespoons
loose leaf tea in a tea ball or reusable tea bag
Kombucha starter (SCOBY)
1/4 cup plain, unflavored Kombucha (this is included with your NW Ferments starter - don't throw it away!)

Directions:

Heat water to nearly boiling. Pour water into jar. Stir in sugar until dissolved, then add tea & allow to steep. When cooled to room temp, remove the tea bags.
Add Kombucha SCOBY and included liquid. Cover with coffee filter & secure with rubber band. Do not use an airtight lid- your Kombucha needs to breathe, but you want to keep out any contaminants.
Allow to culture at room temperature - 68° to 78° F. is ideal. Choose a draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight, where your Kombucha won't be disturbed. You will see another SCOBY begin to form on the surface of the liquid. In a quart sized jar it will take about 7 days. You can taste it at this point to see if it's to your liking. Longer fermentation times produce a more sour Kombucha, and shorter times produce a sweeter product.

After your first batch, you can move up to a larger container. You will have more starter liquid (finished Kombucha) and an extra SCOBY starter to work with. Just use the same ratios: 1/4 c. sugar, 2 tea bags and 1/4 c. finished Kombucha per quart.

If you're new to drinking Kombucha, start with a small amount each day. You can increase consumption as your body adjusts to the beneficial bacteria. There are many ways to flavor and use your finished Kombucha. Check out our instructions for a Second Fermentation.

Tempeh Starter Instructions

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

Comes with 2 packets Tempeh starter culture.

Note: A food dehydrator is the best way to maintain the proper temperature (80° to 90° F.) while culturing your Tempeh. Use a thermometer to monitor temperature.

You will need:

Directions:

Store your finished Tempeh in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. Tempeh can be marinated & flavored however you'd like, and has endless uses.

Kefir Starter Instructions (Direct-set)

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

This direct-set culture is easy to use, and doesn’t require the maintenance of kefir grains. It can be used with cow or goat milk, as well as juice, coconut milk or coconut water. Comes with 2 packets starter culture.

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
4 cups milk
1 packet Kefir Starter culture (save 2nd packet in freezer for future use)

Directions:

Put 2 cups of milk in the jar. Sprinkle in the Kefir Starter and mix well. Add the rest of the milk and mix again. Cover with coffee filter & secure with elastic band.
Allow to culture at room temperature (70° - 75° F. degrees). Choose a draft free spot, out of direct sunlight, where your kefir won’t be disturbed.
Check Kefir after 12 hours. When ready, it will have thickened and have the consistency of heavy cream. If not set, allow to culture for up to 6 more hours, checking every hour or two. When set, cover with a tight lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
Reserve back 1/4 cup of the Kefir for a second batch. While this culture will not produce indefinitely, you often can get a few more batches. Reculture within a week to keep the culture strong. For the next batch, add 1/4 cup of finished Kefir to 4 cups milk. Mix well. Cover, secure and culture as before. Enjoy your Kefir as is, flavored with fruit &/or honey, added to a smoothie, or use in baking.

Sourdough Starter Instructions

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

Note: Directions are the same for all varieties of Sourdough starters- the only difference is the type of flour used.

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
1/4 cup flour (type depends on variety of Sourdough starter) for activation
1/4 cup lukewarm water (filtered or spring water is best) for activation
1 packet Sourdough starter culture

Activate your starter culture:

1) Put 1/4 cup water into jar. Sprinkle the starter culture into water, then stir until well mixed. Allow to sit for a few minutes to soften a bit, then stir again. Stir in the 1/4 cup flour, mixing well (stirring vigorously will incorporate bubbles into the mixture, which helps with activation). Cover the jar & secure with elastic band.

2) Allow to culture at room temperature (68 to 78 degrees is ideal) for 24 hours. Choose a draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight, where your Sourdough won't be disturbed. While not necessary, stirring again once or twice during this 24 hours will help get things going.

3) After 24 hours, "feed" your starter with another 1/4 flour and 1/4 cup water, stirring well. Let culture as before. Within the next 24 to 36 hours, you will start to see bubbles as your Sourdough starter wakes up.

4) Once your starter is activated, continue with once or twice daily feedings of equal parts flour & water. Frequent feedings will keep your starter active and will increase volume more quickly for baking (amounts needed depend on your recipe). Consistency should be like a thick pancake batter. As you use your starter in recipes, always remember to reserve some back for your continuing starter. If you plan to use it frequently, keep it in a warm place and continue with daily feedings. If it will be awhile until you use it, store it in the refrigerator in a covered jar or container. This will put your starter to "sleep", requiring less attention until you're ready to use it again. While refrigerated, feed your starter weekly to keep it happy.

Reviving refrigerated starter:

1) Remove Sourdough starter from refrigerator. Feed the starter with equal parts flour & water, mixing well. Cover with coffee filter & secure with elastic band.

2) Place in a warm spot for 12 to 24 hours. During this time you should begin to see bubbles, as your starter awakens.

3) Feed the starter again, and let sit for 6 to 12 hours. You should now have a lively starter again. All that is left to do is build it up to the quantity you want for your recipes with once or twice daily feedings.

Now it's time to Get Fermented!

Water Kefir Starter Instructions

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar, and elastic
band to secure cover
fine mesh plastic strainer (no metal)
wooden or plastic spoon
1/ 4 cup sugar ( rapadura, evaporated cane sugar, or a blend of the two work best)
3 cups water (non-chlorinated & non-fluoridated is best)
Water Kefir grains

Directions:

Heat one cup of the water. Put it in the jar and stir in the sugar until thoroughly dissolved. Add the rest of the water and stir again.
Add the Water Kefir grains to the sugar water. Cover & secure with elastic band. Allow to culture at room temp (68° to 78° F. is ideal). Choose a draft-free spot, away from direct sunlight, where the jar won't be disturbed. Dehydrated grains will take 3 to 5 days to rehydrate, live grains will be ready in 2 days.
When the dehydrated grains are plump & translucent, they are ready to make Water Kefir. Strain the grains from the liquid, using a plastic strainer. The first batch may have an off flavor when rehydrating- if so, it can be discarded.
For your next batch of Water Kefir, put the grains into fresh sugar water, following the same instructions. Let culture for 2 days. Longer culture times make a more sour product, shorter times make a sweeter product. As your grains increase in volume, you can move up to a larger container. Just use the same ratios: 1/4 c. sugar per quart. The more grains in the jar, the faster it will ferment.

There are many ways to flavor and use your Water Kefir. Check out our instructions for a Second Fermentation.

Yogurt Starter Instructions - Thermophilic (Heated Culturing)

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

Greek and Bulgarian Yogurts come with 2 packets starter culture.

You will need:

saucepan to heat the milk
wooden or plastic spoon
yogurt thermometer
yogurt maker
1 quart milk
1 packet Yogurt starter culture (save 2nd packet in freezer for future use)

Activate your starter culture:

Stirring frequently, heat 1 quart milk to 160° F. Clip yogurt thermometer to side of saucepan to monitor temperature. Once heated to 160° F., allow to cool to 110° F.
Pour the cooled milk into yogurt maker insert. Add starter culture packet and mix thoroughly. Cover and incubate in yogurt maker for 5-12 hours. Check after 5 hours to see if it has set (when set, it will move away from the side of the container in a solid mass, instead of running up the side of the container). If not set, allow to culture for up to 7 more hours, checking every 30-60 minutes. Once set, allow to cool a bit, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Your cultured yogurt can now be eaten. Be sure to reserve some back for your next batch.

Making the next batch:

Heat 1 quart milk to 160° F. Cool to 110° F.
Pour cooled milk into yogurt maker insert. Add 1/4 cup finished yogurt and mix well. Cover & incubate in yogurt maker for 5-8 hours (this batch will culture faster). After 5 hours, check every 30-60 minutes until set. Once set, allow to cool a bit, then cover & refrigerate for 6 hours.

Always remember to reserve back at least 1/4 cup of finished yogurt for the next batch. Try to make a new batch at least every 7 days to keep your culture strong. Always use the freshest batch as your starter.

For thicker yogurt, use 1 part heavy cream to 3 parts whole milk, or strain through a yogurt bag or layered cheesecloth to remove some of the whey ( save the whey for other uses!).

Buttermilk Starter Instructions

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

You will need:

one quart canning jar or other glass jar
coffee filter or paper towel to cover jar,
and elastic band to secure cover
wooden or plastic spoon
2 cups milk (avoid ultra pasteurized or UHT milk)
1 Buttermilk starter culture packet (save 2nd packet
in freezer for future use)

Activate your starter culture:

1) Put 2 cups milk in your jar. Add starter packet and stir until well dissolved. Cover with coffee filter & secure with elastic band.

2) Allow to culture at room temperature - 68° to 78° F is ideal. Choose a draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight, where your Buttermilk won't be disturbed. Check after 12 hours to see if it has set. When set, it will have a slightly gelatinous consistency and will pull away from the side of container when it is tipped. If not set, leave for up to another 36 hours, checking every few hours. When set, refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Your Buttermilk is now ready to enjoy. Be sure to reserve some back for your next batch.

Making the next batch:

1) Put 3 cups milk in ajar. Add 1/4 cup of your finished Buttermilk ( always reserve some back for your next batch) and mix well. To make larger batches, use the same ratio: 1/4 cup finished Buttermilk per 3 to 4 cups milk.

2) Allow to culture for 12 to 18 hours (faster than when activating starter). Check every few hours until set. Larger amounts will take longer to set. When set, refrigerate for 6 hours. Your cultured Buttermilk is now ready to enjoy as is, or used in all kinds of recipes.

Vegan Yogurt Starter Instructions (Direct-set)

Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 GMT

This non dairy, direct-set yogurt is easy to use and doesn't require the maintenance of an ongoing starter. It does require the use of a yogurt maker. Comes with 4 packets of starter culture. You will need: saucepan for heating milk yogurt thermometer wooden or plastic spoon yogurt maker 1 packet Vegan yogurt starter ( save the other packets in freezer for future use) 1 to 2 quarts alternative milk (soy or rice work best) Note: to get a thicker yogurt when using coconut, rice or almond milk, you can add a carbohydrate source (sugar) & a thickener (agar agar, pectin or gelatin). Directions: Stirring frequently, heat milk to 110° F. (clip yogurt thermometer to side of pan to monitor temperature). Pour milk into yogurt maker insert. Add starter packet and mix well. Cover and culture in yogurt maker for 6-8 hours. Once set (or after 8 hours), let cool for about an hour and then refrigerate for 6 hours. Yogurt may not appear to have thickened. Try stirring before refrigeration and again after a couple of hours. May take up to 24 hours of refrigeration to firm up. After refrigeration, separation may occur. Just stir the yogurt to blend. Your yogurt is now ready to enjoy as is, flavored with fruit and/or honey, or added to smoothies.