I’m getting better at this Kombucha thing.  I was able to get my kombucha to be a lot more fizzy by switching from roiboos tea to black or green tea.  (I found out that roiboos isn’t really a tea, which is probably why my kombucha was getting very vinegary).  I also placed the kombucha in the warmest place I could find in my house.

Kombucha fully ferments after 7 days at 75 degrees F.  If it’s colder, it will take longer to finish fermenting.

I’m trying out flavors this week:  dates, lime, and orange in separate bottles.  After the kombucha had fermented for 7 days (my house is usually around 69 degrees F) I bottled it and put it back in the cupboard.  I will allow it to ferment for 2-3 more days in the bottles with the flavors (the lids being on).  I expect it to be fizzy and delicious!

Of course, once it’s time to make a new batch of kombucha, I won’t use the flavored kind as a starter.  It’s important to use plain, as not to disrupt the delicate balance of yeast and bacteria that is requiered for kombucha.

Want some healthy whipped cream to top off your healthy hot chocolate?  (See my earlier recipe for hot chocolate).  Whip up some raw cream and add some stevia to taste and vanilla.  It’s delicious!

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil.

Mix in 1 c. sugar.

Put in 4 teabags (organic is best).

Allow to cool to room temperature, then remove teabags.  Place SCOBY (Symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria) on top of tea, along with 1/2 cup of Kombucha from previous batch (or instead omit the SCOBY but use 1 c. of Kombucha from the previous batch).  Cover with a clean cloth.  Leave at room temperature for 7-10 days (at 14 days it is fully fermented).

A new SCOBY will grow on top.  Start tasting after 7 days to discern if it’s ready.  It should loose it’s tea flavor and may become like ginger ale.  You may hear it fizz when pouring.  Every Kombucha batch turns out differently, depending on many factors.  If you keep things sanitary you should be able to use the same kombucha for many years.

Yoghurt was originally made by taking the stomach of a goat and filling it with milk.  The beneficial bacteria in the goat’s stomach would ferment the milk, turning it into yoghurt.  You probably don’t own a goat, so you’ll have to get your bacteria from another source:  The grocery store.  All you’ll need is some live active culture unsweetened yoghurt and 1 gallon of milk.

Recipe:

Start with raw milk, if at all possible.

Heat 1 gallon of raw milk to the temperature of baby bath water.  You can check it with your wrist.  It shouldn’t “sting” but should feel fine to the touch.

Take the pot off the stove and add 1 cup of unsweetened live active culture yogurt.  Put the lid on and wrap the pot in blankets (or if it’s really warm outside, just set the pot on your doorstep).  The yoghurt should be done after about 4 hours.

Keep in mind that if you heat the milk up too much it will 1) kill the enzymes in the raw milk and 2) kill the probiotics in the yoghurt.  It also might make the yoghurt runny.

Okay Guys.  It’s an easy, cheap and pesticide-free way to grow a superfood.  Especially in the wintertime when veggies are expensive.

Ameriherb is the best place I know of to buy sprouts or herbs.  They have well priced and good quality food.

Here’s the recipe I use for sprouting:

1.)  Put 2 tbsp of seeds or 1/2 cup of legumes/grains in a sprouts jar with three times as much water as seeds.  Soak overnight.  For many small seeds, five hours of soaking is sufficient.

2.) Drain the water from jar.  Rinse seeds in fresh, lukewarm water and drain again.  For well drained seeds/sprouts, lay jar at an angle in a warm (70 degrees) dark place.

3.)  Rinse and drain seeds twice a day.  In hot and dry weather, you may need to rinse the seeds three times a day.  In very humid weather, the seeds should be kept in a dry place.  Turn jar over gently.  Overturning the jar rapidly will cause shifting in the sprouting seeds.  This can break the tender shoots and kill the sprout  This breakage causes the sprout to spoil. Sprouts should be ready to eat in 3-5 days, depending on the seed used.