A Closer Look: Spelt Sourdough Starter

“I am a newby to making bread with starter. But when I received the starter and followed the directions, I was pleasantly surprised with my first loaf of bread – also discovered naan and spelt sourdough pancakes (I just couldn’t discard any of it). And the second loaf I made was even better! Can’t say enough good about this spelt starter. It’s terrific!” –PatB

Today we are going to take a closer look at the Cultures for Health Spelt Flour Sourdough Starter.

Details

Our Spelt Flour Sourdough Starter is available as a dried culture. Dried sourdough cultures are shelf-stable and do not have to be fed or cared for immediately. Dried sourdough cultures can be ready to create baked goods within 3 to 5 days.

Detailed instructions will be included with your order. Click here to view our dried sourdough starter instructions.

Click here for a comparison of our sourdough starters.

 What Others Are Saying

“I am SO HAPPY with this product. I have tried bread so many times and I have yet to be consistently successful, until now.” -Elizabeth

“It was so easy to get the sour dough started! I love the product!” -Michelle

Product Q&A

Q. Are the sourdough bread starters organic?
A. While our starters are not certified organic, we use only organic, non-GMO flours in growing our sourdough starters.

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Q. Can you use this starter easily with oat flour? Thank you!
A. The Spelt Sourdough starter must be activated using Spelt flour. Once active, you can separate the starter to change a portion over to a new type of flour. We recommend keeping some of your original activated starter in a sealed container in the fridge as a backup. The refrigerated starter should be fed weekly. You will find instructions for changing the flour type here: http://ift.tt/1Ni6tLR It is important to give the starter plenty of time to adapt to the new food.

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Sneak Peek: Cyber Monday – Save 20% Site Wide

Don’t miss out on the Cultures for Health Cyber Monday Sale!  You can save 20% off site wide… starting now!  Offer expires 11/30/15.  Use coupon code “HOLIDAY” at checkout.

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Testing Out Sprouting Seed Viability

One thing that we have to pay attention to here on our homestead is seed viability. After a few years of holding onto those seed packets, the germination rate in our garden begins to plummet. And so we generally only keep seed around for a year or two at the most, depending on our ability to keep it cool and dry.

Sprouting seeds are no different. After exposure to certain elements and when enough time has passed since the original seed harvest, these seeds begin to lose their livelihood, eventually refusing to sprout under any conditions.

And so when I recently came across a mix of sprouting seeds that we’ve had for literally 4-5 years, I figured things could be a bit hit or miss when it came to their ability to sprout. I also knew that I had a good use for them, even if it wasn’t in our salad.

Here’s what happened…

The first thing I do when sprouting any seed is to give them a good soak. This mix of seeds is a salad sprout mix containing fenugreek, mustard, and broccoli seeds that I had purchased nearly five years ago. Because they are smaller seeds, they only need a 4-6 hour soak.

Have I mentioned how much I love this multi-level sprouter? I am so not a kitchen gadget person but this little tool makes sprouting not only doable, but so easy. You can soak the seeds right in the white base. Then drain and rinse the seeds and distribute them among the four sprouting trays.

After the initial soaking, I poured two cups of water into the top tray of the sprouter and it then trickles down to the other trays, giving each layer a rinse with just the initial pour. You then empty the white base before the next rinse.

So I followed this routine – rinsing 2-3 times per day – for five days. Now, I generally will begin to see a bit of “life” emerge from sprouting seeds after about two days, three at the most. By day four the fenugreek seeds were just starting to open up but even by day five wouldn’t fully sprout. The mustard and broccoli seeds were completely lifeless.

While I was just a little bit disappointed, I kind of expected this result. Five years is a very long time to keep sprouting seeds around, especially when making little effort to keep them in a cool, dry place, as I had.

So what will I do with all of these seeds?

Soak them and feed them to our chickens, of course! They love all sorts of seeds and while they didn’t sprout, there is still some nutritional value to these little guys.

I’ll also be using some new sprouting seeds that I know are viable and healthy.

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Twenty Ways to Include Fermented Foods in Every Meal

Fermented and cultured foods are a wonderful source of probiotic bacteria needed to support good health. If you’ve been thinking about adding more of these foods to your diet, but are unsure of exactly how to accomplish this, these twenty suggestions for including fermented and cultured foods into your meals and snacks may help you out.

Breakfast

• Cultured dairy (yogurt, kefir, buttermilk) are naturals for breakfast. Add yogurt, kefir or buttermilk to your morning smoothies or top granola or oatmeal with fruit and homemade yogurt. Don’t do dairy? Try homemade coconut yogurt.
• For the more adventurous, make breakfast bowls with yogurt and cooked beans and grains.
• Top your scrambled eggs with fermented salsa.

Lunch

• Add chopped fermented pickles to tuna, salmon, or ham salad sandwiches.
• Use fermented mayonnaise in place of store-bought mayonnaise.
• Tuck some lacto-fermented dilled carrot chips into bagged lunches. These are always a favorite with kids.
• Put lacto-fermented ketchup on hot dogs and hamburgers.

Dinner

• Have a small portion of raw sauerkraut with dinner. It pairs well with almost everything. Start with a tablespoon and slowly increase the amount to avoid gastro-intestinal discomfort. When you are ready, experiment with different kinds of sauerkraut such as:
  • Cortido (Latin American Sauerkraut)
  • Southwestern Kraut
  • Golden Kraut
  • Chlorophyll Kraut
• If you are having soup, let the soup cool a bit before stirring in some homemade sour cream or juice from any lacto-fermented vegetable.
• For salads, try making your own ranch dressing using lacto-fermented mayonnaise and cultured buttermilk or Italian dressing made with kombucha.
• Serve some fun lacto-fermented chutneys with dinner entrées.
• Make tacos and top with sliced fermented jalapeños and cultured sour cream.
• Experiment with a new kind of vegetable salad.

 Snacks and Extras

• Pair your favorite chips with a cultured dairy ranch dip.
• Serve cut-up veggies with a kefir dill dip.
• Slice and dry sourdough bread and use to dip in fermented hummus.
• Snack on an old-fashioned lacto-fermented dill pickle.
• Make fun and fizzy water kefir sodas or lacto-fermented ginger-ale.
• Make some fun-shaped dairy-free gummies.
• Serve a probiotic-rich dessert like a kefir-gelatin, fresh fruit with yogurt sauce, or a kefir soft-serve ice cream.

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Bone Broth Tallow Soap

In this house we make a lot of beef bone broth. The byproduct is beef bones and all the other left-overs from making broth as well as the tallow that rises to the top of the broth and solidifies in the fridge.

In trying to have as little waste as possible, we use the bones and left-overs as food for our Black Soldier Fly maggot farm. What do we do with all the tallow? Freeze it. We have frozen tallow for years and when we build up a huge enough supply (or run out of soap), we render it all together and make a big batch of soap.

Soap is actually quite easy to make and you only need a few tools, lye, fat and a good recipe. We also used Red Oxide Powder for color, and Euphoria Essential Oil Blend for the scent.

Lye can be somewhat dangerous to work with if you are not careful, so this is not a project for young children.

The basic method for making soap is to measure out (by weight) the amount of fat you have and then use the appropriate amount of lye based on a lye calculator such as this one: http://ift.tt/1ShfWaE

You must first mix the lye with water and let it cool. The chemical reaction between the lye and water will heat up the water quite a bit, so always use caution in this step. Always wear protective gloves when handling lye.

When the lye and fat both reach your desired temperature (about 85 Degrees F and 90 Degrees F respectively), You can add the dye (if using) to the fat. Then slowly stream in your lye/water solution into the fat while stirring.

We use a hand held mixer for this part. Add the essential oils here as well. You will want to stir/blend until it reaches a thick consistency.

The next step is to pour it into your mold! We used some of these molds. Aren’t they pretty? But you can use any container you would like. Let your soap set in the mold for about 24 hours and then take it out and cut it to your desired shape and size. Then you need to let them set for about 2 more weeks! I know, it is so hard to wait!!

That’s it! Soap for a year!! I am thinking that if we can swirl some red and green soaps together, this would make awesome homemade holiday gifts! And what a way to use broth making leftovers right?

Do you make soaps?

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A Closer Look: New England Sourdough Starter

This is an easy sourdough to activate and work with. Someone else has used the word “robust” and that seems a perfect description. It might be a mild flavor but it still does have a sourdough flavor that is very popular at our house. I thoroughly enjoy making bread with this starter. -Bonnie

Today we are going to take a closer look at the Cultures for Health New England Sourdough Starter.

Product Highlights

Our New England Sourdough Starter originated in the 1800s and is an easy sourdough starter to use and maintain. It rises quickly, and makes wonderful bread and other baked goods, like Sourdough Dinner Rolls, Sourdough Crepes, and more!

Your New England Sourdough Starter: What’s in the Box?

• Each box contains 1 packet of dehydrated New Englad Sourdough Starter Culture
• Store in a cool, dry place until ready to activate.
• Activate using white flour and unchlorinated, unfluoridated water.
• Our New England Sourdough Starter is easy to use and maintain. Feed daily for frequent use or weekly, if baking infrequently.
• Learn more about maintaining a sourdough starter and baking with sourdough.

New England Sourdough Starter Ingredients:

• Organic white wheat flour, live active cultures
• Non-GMO

New England Sourdough Starter Instructions and Troubleshooting:

• Dried sourdough starter cultures can be ready to create baked goods within 3-5 days.
• Sourdough starters culture at room temperature, 70-85ºF.
• Instructions for using this starter are included and can be found here.
• Having trouble activating your sourdough starter? Browse our Sourdough Troubleshooting Articles or contact us for assistance.

New England Sourdough Starter Shipping Information and Shelf-life:

Our New England Sourdough Starter Culture is shipped in a barrier-sealed packet as a dehydrated culture. The starter is best if stored:

• At room temperature (68° to 78°F): 12 months
• In the refrigerator (40° to 45°F): 12+ months
• In the freezer (0° to 25°F): 12+ months

New England Sourdough Allergen Information:

Manufactured in a facility that produces products made with gluten and dairy.

Product Q&A

Q. I bought this starter a few months back, but haven’t opened it yet. It has been in my cabinet since I bought it. Is it still good?

A. Although we recommend storing your unopened sourdough starter in the freezer to maximize shelf life, under normal circumstances the starter will be fine at room temperature for up to 12 months.

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Q. What ingredients are in this sourdough starter?

A. Our sourdough cultures contain water, flour, and wild yeast. We use only organic flour and filtered water to perpetuate our sourdough cultures.

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You can read more Reviews and Q&A for the New England Sourdough Starter here.

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Weekly Recap – November 21st Edition

It’s time for the weekly recap.  Leave your favorite links or ideas in the comments below!

This Past Week on the Blog

In case you missed them, here are a few highlights from this past week:

A Closer Look: Salad Sprouts Seed Mix

My Adventure with a Piesporter Wine Kit – Join Sarah as she tries out one of the new wine kits!

Tangy Citrus Water Kefir Gelatin Dessert – Citrus juice and water kefir have a delicious affinity for one another. The slightly sweet and fermented beverage just cries out for a hit of tangy brightness. This gelatin dessert combines the two in a delicious dessert or snack that you can gladly hand out any time of day.

Raw Goat Milk Yogurt (you eat with a spoon) – I finally made a raw milk yogurt that turned out thick and creamy.  Read about how I did it!

Calendula and Olive Leaf Healing Salve – This all-purpose salve can be used for any and all minor injuries to replace commercial anti-bacterial creams.

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Calendula and Olive Leaf Healing Salve

This all-purpose salve can be used for any and all minor injuries to replace commercial anti-bacterial creams.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons calendula flowers
• 3 tablespoons olive leaf
• 2 tablespoons lemon balm leaf
• 4 tablespoons beeswax granules or emulsifying wax
• 2 tablespoons rosehip oil
• 15 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:

1. Create an herbal-infused oil using one of the following methods:
   • Quick method: Combine the coconut oil, olive oil, and dried herbs in the bowl of a double boiler. Simmer for 30 minutes.
   • Solar method: Omit coconut oil. Add an extra ½ cup olive oil; combine the oils and herbs in a jar. Allow them to sit in indirect sunlight for several weeks.
2. Carefully strain the herbs from the oil using a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth. Be quick with this step if using the quick infusion method, as the oil must remain warm in order to strain it from the herbs. Press the herbs gently to extract all of the oil.
3. Return the strained oil to the double boiler and add the wax. Warm gently until the wax has melted into the oil. Remove the mixture from heat and immediately mix in the rosehip oil, tea tree oil and lavender oil.
4. Pour into a clean, sterile airtight container to cool and set.

How to Use Calendula and Olive Leaf Healing Salve:

Apply liberally to minor scrapes, scratches, cuts, bug bites, and sores.

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Raw Goat Milk Yogurt (you eat with a spoon)

I really didn’t mean to write yet another post about cultured dairy today. It’s not like it’s the only DIY project I’ve got going on right now with melt and pour soap, fermented vegetables, beet kvass, goat cheese, kefir of all kinds, and sourdough all hanging out in my kitchen.

But, raw milk yogurt is an elusive thing for those of us with a real food bent – like perfectly brewed kombucha and super-gelatinous bone broth. Before I get too nerdy on you though, let me just say that I tried out a new method, it was simple, and it worked.

So this may be my new method for making homemade raw yogurt because it was thick and creamy.

There are as many ways to make yogurt as there are ways to eat it and many of us don’t even make it the same way twice.

But, if you’re looking for a raw milk yogurt recipe that can be used with any culture and is thickened with gelatin, might I recommend this recipe?

Equipment

If you are using an electric yogurt incubator, she recommends this one for its low-temperature methods. I generally just use a warm water bath atop my stove to do the incubating. Whatever method you use, keep the temperature around 110 degrees to avoid pasteurizing your beloved raw milk.

Ingredients

Besides fresh milk, you’ll need some yogurt culture as well as gelatin. You can use any culture you prefer and notice that they have different attributes, flavors, and consistencies. Whatever you happen to have should work, though be sure to save some culture for future batches since raw milk can fuss with the bacteria present in the culture.

The Results

If you’ve ever attempted raw milk yogurt, then you may know how, um, pourable the stuff can be. Pourable as in the same consistency as milk or kefir on a good day type pourable. Which is why decently thick raw milk yogurt is the prize.

And I’m happy to say that this stuff made great yogurt that you actually eat from a bowl! Whenever I make raw milk yogurt – testing this alteration in incubation or that tweak in thickening agent – I keep in mind that smoothies are the worst case scenario. But this stuff pleased all of my big and small yogurt-eaters who are used to Mama’s thick yogurt made from milk heated to 160-180 degrees.

So thank you, Domestic Soul, for a raw milk yogurt technique that really works!

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Tangy Citrus Water Kefir Gelatin Dessert

Citrus juice and water kefir have a delicious affinity for one another. The slightly sweet and fermented beverage just cries out for a hit of tangy brightness.

This gelatin dessert combines the two in a delicious dessert or snack that you can gladly hand out any time of day.

Ingredients:

• 3-3½ cups water kefir, (less with orange or grapefruit juice, more with lemon or lime juice)
• Citrus fruit juice (choose one)
  • ½ cup lemon or lime juice
  • 1 cup orange or grapefruit juice
• 4 tablespoons raw honey, to taste
• 5 tablespoons gelatin powder

Instructions:

1. Combine 2 cups water kefir (2½ cups with lemon or lime) with the citrus juice, whisking well. Taste and add as much honey as desired.
2. Pour 1 cup water kefir into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top and put over a very low burner. The mixture should be just barely warm in order to dissolve the gelatin powder and to protect the beneficial probiotics and enzymes of the water kefir.
3. Once the gelatin begins to dissolve, remove from heat and whisk well, scraping bottom and sides of pan.
4. Once gelatin has completely dissolved, combine with the water kefir-citrus juice mixture. Pour the liquid into a large glass bowl or baking dish, then place immediately in the refrigerator to chill for 4-8 hours.

Once set, serve cold, plain or with whipped cultured cream or whipped coconut cream.

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My Adventure with a Piesporter Wine Kit

I was really excited to try one of our new wine kits. The problem was deciding which one to start with when there are so many great options! Initially I thought I’d try more than one kind, but I checked myself. There is only so much space in a house, right?  To make the decision easier, I thought of some questions to help.

• How do I want to enjoy the wine?
• Is there a particular type of meal I want to serve it with?
• Do I want something different or tried and true?
• Do I want to share it as gifts, or keep it all to myself?
• Where will I be brewing?  What is the environment like in my brewing space?

I finally chose the Piesporter because it’s a light wine and fairly easy to make. Piesporter comes from the Piesport region of Germany. According to QbA (a certification that declares a food made in accordance to local governing boards) this isn’t a true Piesporter, since it’s fermenting happily in Oregon. However, it meets my criteria for a mild, white wine. It pairs very easily with almost any food. Seafood for dinner? Check! Takeout Thai food? Check! Leftover kids Halloween candy? Sure, why not!

A mild wine also means that it’s easy to gift. Bold red wines are very famous and preferred in my area, but not everyone likes the strong flavors. This is a fun, easy-to-drink accompaniment to your kids’ candy evening snack.

The Piesporter does not need extra, special ingredients or temperature acrobatics. I did use bottled spring water to avoid any off flavors from my city tap water, and I have found it necessary to insulate the wine with a box to make up a couple of degrees. Other than that, it looks like a winner!

I started my wine in early October, so it won’t be ready to taste for some time yet. Naturally, I have had samples though. Each time I take a hydrometer reading, I check the flavor too. There’s no sense in throwing out perfectly good fermented grape juice.  I have greatly enjoyed the process of watching the bubbles, seeing the sediment clarify, and then stirring it all up again. I’m looking forward to looking after my bottles like a mother hen.

This kit makes a full 6 gallon carboy of wine, so it’s easy to share with friends. While I love eating and drinking all the things I make, sharing with others is my favorite part. It definitely looks like a lot of wine, and even more so when I bought 30 wine bottles! I am glad that I decided to start with just one flavor. I don’t think my equipment will sit empty for long, though. With the Piesporter brewing and almost ready for bottling, I have to admit, I am eyeing the other ingredient kits. Maybe I will try a nice Pinot next. Or a Moscato. So many choices!

Wine making at home is far easier than I imagined. I think I’ll be giving wine for holiday gifts, housewarming gifts, birthday gifts, thanks for giving my kids lots of candy gifts… you get the idea! And in typical Sarah fashion, I’m already considering all the fun ways to make wine from local fruits. Stay tuned! But grab a wine kit while you wait.

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A Closer Look: Salad Sprouts Seed Mix

Today we are going to take a closer look at the Salad Sprouts Seed Mix.  This seed mix is just one of the many sprouting supplies available on the Cultures for Health website.

Product Details

3-Part Salad Sprout Seed Mix is a tasty blend of alfalfa, broccoli, and radish, which adds a little kick to your salad bowl.

• Certified Organic
• High germination rate
• Fast and easy to grow
• Perfect for planting, gardens, cooking, or food storage
• High in Vitamins A, B-1, B-6 and C, Folic and Pantothenic Acids, Niacin, Potassium, Iron and Phosphorous & Chlorophyll.
• All seeds grown in North America

3-Part Salad Sprout Seed Instructions:

• General information and step-by-step instructions for sprouting seeds can be found here.
• Use 2 tablespoons seeds per quart jar.  Soak in water 10-12 hours, then drain. Rinse seeds 2-3 times a day until ready to use (approximately 5 days).

Ingredients: Organic alfalfa seeds, organic broccoli seeds, organic radish seeds

This product contains no GMO ingredients.

3-Part Salad Sprout Seed Storage Information and Shelf Life:

Store in a sealed container in a cool dry place.  Shelf life is 6 months to 1 year although they may keep longer (germination rate will drop over time).

Explore all of the Cultures for Health sprouting seeds and supplies here!

 

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Weekly Recap – November 14th Edition

It’s time for the weekly recap.  Leave your favorite links or ideas in the comments below!

This Past Week on the Blog

In case you missed them, here are a few highlights from this past week:

Homebrewing Books: The Beer Edition – A Good Place to Start

Tempeh Soy Curls – Join Eve as she ventures where perhaps no one has gone before… and ends up with something tasty.

Warm Blue Cheese Dip – This warm dip is amazing with natural baked corn chips or still-sizzling, coarsely-salted sunchoke or potato chips. You can also spice this recipe up by adding freshly chopped basil or rosemary. It is a great appetizer idea…

Home Dairying: Raw Feta Cheese – From the moment I ate my first hunk of mediocre store-bought feta, I was hooked on this tangy, salty cheese. So you can imagine that once I tasted small-batch feta from a local farmer, I was sold for life.

What’s New: Delicious Gluten-free Sourdough “Flour” Tortillas – Thin and flexible with a slight chew and enough surface area to let the fillings shine, these little tortillas are good enough to never miss wheat tortillas again come taco night. The key to soft, pliable tortillas is to place the hot tortillas into a sealable container to “steam” before serving

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What’s New: Delicious Gluten-free Sourdough “Flour” Tortillas

Thin and flexible with a slight chew and enough surface area to let the fillings shine, these little tortillas are good enough to never miss wheat tortillas again come taco night. The key to soft, pliable tortillas is to place the hot tortillas into a sealable container to “steam” before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sorghum flour
• ½ cup sweet rice flour
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• ¼ cup palm shortening or cold butter
• 1 cup gluten-free sourdough starter
• ¼ – 1/3 cup milk, depending on the hydration of the starter and the humidity of your environment

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Cut the palm shortening or cold butter into the flour mixture. Pour in the gluten-free sourdough starter and ¼ cup of milk and stir to combine. Mix together with clean hands. If the dough is still crumbly or does not completely come together, add additional milk, one Tablespoon at a time, up to 1/3 cup total.
2. Moisten hands with water and knead dough for 2-4 minutes or until it is well-mixed and smooth. At this point the dough can be made into tortillas straight away or it can be fermented for 6-24 hours, depending on your preference.
3. To prepare tortillas, heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Pull off ping pong ball-sized pieces of dough to roll or press. Dust with sorghum flour if sticky.
4. If rolling, flour a clean work surface with sorghum flour and roll out carefully using a floured rolling pin.
5. Tortillas can also be pressed in a corn tortilla press. To do so, line the tortilla press with wax paper or a freezer bag cut on three sides to fit the tortilla press. Place dough balls between the wax paper or plastic sheets, dusting the dough with sorghum flour if it is sticky. Press the dough gently until thin.
6. Transfer rolled or pressed tortillas carefully to preheated griddle. Cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes or until brown and set. Flip and cook two more minutes or until brown spots begin to appear.
7. Transfer tortillas to a bowl and cover bowl with a lid or tight-fitting plate. This will continue to steam the tortillas and make them flexible and tender when served. Continue with remaining tortillas until all of the dough has been cooked.

Serve with favorite taco or other fillings. Best eaten directly after cooking.

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Home Dairying: Raw Feta Cheese

From the moment I ate my first hunk of mediocre store-bought feta, I was hooked on this tangy, salty cheese. So you can imagine that once I tasted small-batch feta from a local farmer, I was sold for life. It’s one of my favorite additions to salads and is great in omelets or atop pizza.

I also recently discovered, in my quest to find cheeses easy enough that even I can make them, that feta is another fairly simple cheese that can be made at home using raw milk. Once I found that out, I decided to move past yogurt, kefir, and chevre and give this personal favorite a try. It really is easy and our whole family is really excited about the results, so much so that I think it will become a regular staple so long as we have milk.

Here are the photos to prove that if I can make it, anyone can… it really is that simple and tasty.

To get started, all you need is the feta cheese culture, rennet, and milk. I used a gallon of raw goat milk.

After heating the milk briefly until it hit 86 degrees, I sprinkled over the feta cheese culture, which has an orange hue to it. Then I whisked it in and let it sit for an hour.

Next I added rennet. The recipe in the culture calls for ½ teaspoon so I diluted that in ¼ cup filtered water and gently mixed it in. Then I covered the pot and let it sit on my counter for hours.

After 6-8 hours I checked and noticed the curd separating from the whey. I put the lid back on the pot and let it sit for about six more hours.

That night, after the children were safely tucked in, I cut the curd into 1/2″ pieces. This is very approximate. Then I stirred the curds off and on for 20 minutes while piddling around in the kitchen with other things. I rebooted my water kefir, washed the milking pail, and helped my husband chase a stray pig out of our yard, all between stirring the curd about a half a dozen times.

I then scooped the curd into the Greek Yogurt Strainer. I really like this guy a lot more than butter muslin, for cleaning purposes. It holds exactly the amount of curd I have when making cheese from a gallon of milk. One tip I have is to pour boiling water from a tea kettle over it just before adding the curd. This kills off any stray yeasts that might infest your cheese while it is straining.

I left the curds to drain overnight, though the recipe says four hours will do the trick. In the morning they were firm enough to remove from the strainer, though still a little softer than what finished feta might look like.

So I put it into a tupperware container to age for a few days. I find that after 3-5 days the feta is firmer in texture and has a more pronounced feta flavor.

This batch, which I made last week, is delicious. It is dry and crumbly, like feta, though I didn’t brine it. I find the curd just a bit too soft to brine so I may do some troubleshooting to firm it up a bit after the initial draining period.

Overall, I find this cheese super easy to make and really tasty when salted generously for that distinctive tangy-salty feta flavor.

Have you tried making feta?

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Warm Blue Cheese Dip

This warm dip is amazing with natural baked corn chips or still-sizzling, coarsely-salted sunchoke or potato chips. You can also spice this recipe up by adding freshly chopped basil or rosemary. It is a great appetizer idea and can be made with sour cream instead of yogurt, for a sharper cultured taste and a richer flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
• 5 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 chives, chopped finely

Instructions:

1. Warm yogurt in a small pan over low heat.
2. Add blue cheese and stir gently, keeping the mixture moving to prevent scorching. Keep the heat low while warming.
3. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and watching carefully for scorching.
4. Add pepper and turn off heat.
5. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

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Tempeh Soy Curls

If you’ve never experienced the delicacy that is Soy Curls™ , you’re missing out. Quite often I avoid soy that has not been fermented, but the taste and texture of well prepared Soy Curls™ can be exquisite. Created in Oregon, Soy Curls™ are great in many recipes and according to their website they are:

• 100% Natural
• Contain the whole soybean
• High in protein
• High in fiber
• Gluten-free
• Vegan
• Non-GMO – no chemical pesticides
• Grown & made in the USA
• 0 trans fats
• No sodium
• No cholesterol
• CHIP approved

If done right, Soy Curls™ can have the same texture and taste as chicken!

Recently I’ve become rather hooked on Soy Curls™, but lamented that they were not fermented. Then a devious thought crept into my mind: Tempeh Soy Curls™!

Is the world ready for this?! Only time will tell. As far as I know I’m treading into uncharted territory. I expect that more experimentation is needed.

I’ve made tempeh using soybeans and tofu, but using Soy Curls™ has been my easiest attempt so far. My batch did over-culture and the ammonia smell was pungent, but once cooked the tempeh Soy Curls™ were delicious. With the Tempeh Soy Curls™, I made fajitas and brought them to a Vegan potluck. Both Vegans and non-Vegans gave their seal of approval.

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Homebrewing Books: The Beer Edition – A Good Place to Start

Are you wondering how to get started with homebrewing? Check out these new beer, wine, and cider making books at Cultures for Health.  Today we will take a look at two beer making books.

Sustainable Homebrewing

Beginning to brew at home can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! From equipment and supplies to tips for locating organic ingredients to how to create your own recipes, Sustainable Homebrewing provides a comprehensive guide for homebrewers of all levels on how to brew sustainably.

What’s Inside Sustainable Homebrewing:

Introduction
Part 1 – The Allure and the Art of Homebrewing
1: Looking at Essential Equipment and Supplies
2: Finding Organic Brewing Ingredients
3: The Basics of Brewing Good Beer
4: Kicking It Up: Brewing From Scratch
Part 2 – Sustainable Brewing in the Kitchen and Garden
5: The Homebrewer’s Kitchen
6: The Homebrewer’s Garden
Part 3 – Brewing Organic Beer
7: Easier Recipes for Beginning Brewers
8: Advanced All-Grain Recipes
9: Creating Your Own Organic Beer Recipes
LIST OF BEER RECIPES
METRIC CONVERSION CHART
RESOURCES
INDEX

About the Author:

Amelia Slayton Loftus has over 20 years of organic homebrewing experience. She currently lives in Santa Cruz, California where she focuses on homesteading and writing.

Brewing Made Easy

Although there is always a learning curve when brewing at home for the first time, Brewing Made Easy outlines all the basics a beginning brewer needs to know to start brewing with confidence.

What’s Inside Brewing Made Easy:

You Can Brew It!
Chapter 1: Brewing with Malt Extracts
Chapter 2: The Second Batch
Chapter 3: Ingredients and Recipe Formulation
Chapter 4: Recipes and Styles
Glossary
Appendix A: Amounts and Conversions
Appendix B: How to Use the Hydrometer
Sources for Supplies and Information
Index

About the Authors:

Brothers Joe Fisher and Dennis Fisher also wrote The Homebrewer’s Garden. They are organic farmers and homebrewers in Maine and members of both the Maine Organic Farmers’ and Gardeners’ Association and the America Homebrewer’s Association.

 

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Weekly Recap – November 7th Edition

It’s time for the weekly recap.  Leave your favorite links or ideas in the comments below!

This Past Week on the Blog

In case you missed them, here are a few highlights from this past week:

A Closer Look: World Vineyard California Pinot Noir, 1.65L Wine Kit

My First DIY Pear Cider – Join Jerri as she makes her first Pear Cider with some of the new homebrewing equipment!

Sour Cream Mayonnaise Substitute – Tired of the same old mayo? Liven things up with this sour cream-based spread, for a rich, thick mayonnaise that adds flavor to any sandwich.

Easy, Lovely, Affordable: Homemade Foaming Hand Soap – Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that something can be inexpensive, good for people and environment, and easy to make…

Customer Testimonials

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Customer Testimonials

Often people who use and share products with others are the best form of advertising.  The things you say are genuine and often accompanied by amazing health journeys.  You use and enjoy the products and are excited about the health benefits.  Many of you have had a great experience with customer support.  And the resources such as the free e-books continue to help many people move forward in learning how to make their own healthy foods at home.  Whatever the case, keep telling us what you like about Cultures for Health and thank you for letting us know!

I just thought you should know that as a company, yours is an inspiration. I appreciate the information and product you have available. Thank you, Andrea

I really appreciate your promotion of these wonderful life giving foods! The tutorials on sourdough are so comprehensive!! There is absolutely NO excuse that anyone can use not to make these foods a daily part of their lives and therefore saving an infinite amount of money on health care costs! Dawn, SD

I just wanted to say I found this site and used your e-book on brewing Kombucha, and have been for the last 6 months. It was so easy to get started from the advice you provided. I’m really looking forward to having time to do other projects like soap and bread making with your helpful guides. Thanks again for providing this information! If you ever want pictures of the brew, web or graphic work done, I’d love to repay you all somehow! Emma

I am so happy to find your web site. My husband and I have been struggling with digestive and weight issues for a few years now. We have tried many different things, adding yogurt and kefir to our diet, to find out it is almost impossible to find good healthy quality product. Little over 10 years ago we sold our small farm and we raised our own dairy goats. Sure miss the goat milk, we made our own cheese, yogurt and so on. Our health was so much better. The last couple of seasons we have been growing our own garden again and canning our own foods. So I am looking forward to learning more from your Lacto-fermentation eBook. I would just like to say thank you for your great efforts on putting together a great website and easy access to great homemaking processing and products. Very happy, Tammie

I just want to say thank you very much for the e-books on fermentation, kefir milk, kombucha, sourdough etc. They are easy to read, very extensive, answer all the questions and I am trying some of the recipes out. My kombucha, water kefir and milk kefir culturing is working out perfectly and I have referred many people to your site to obtain the ebooks. I would love to see some more recipes using just kombucha or water kefir grains – but less salt. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the books. I have really appreciated all the information and my health has made a 360 degree turnaround for the better. I am also passing on extra scoby’s to help inspire a healthier South Africa. Please keep doing what you are doing. Linda, South Africa

I just wanted to drop you a note to say that I think you are doing an amazing job! I love your newsletter and your recipes/resources continually inspire me to be adventurous with my ferments. As a business owner, I think you are doing a wonderful job of keeping in front of your clients and engaging them without being salesey. Anyways, just thought I’d pass on how much we love and recommend your website! Katrina, AZ

Thank you so much! Fantastic customer service! Ingrid, DE

This company has the greatest customer support. I love doing business with you. You all have inspired me to get into all sorts of new things. I started with kefir grains, both milk and water and have now ventured into mesophilic yogurt and kraut. Next week be cheese! I’m so excited about finding your website. I’ll bet it’s a great place to work. Thanks to all of you for your help. Emily, Novato, CA

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Easy, Lovely, Affordable: Homemade Foaming Hand Soap

In our super busy, hyper-consumerist culture it is often hard to discern what we should spend a little more time and money on. And sometimes it’s hard to imagine that something can be inexpensive, good for people and environment, and easy to make.

But not all DIY projects have to be super time or cash-consuming. Some are inherently more hands on while others, like this simple Foaming Hand Soap, are easy enough to allow you to get all of those other DIY projects done. As if that isn’t enough, the final product is infinitely safer than anything you can buy in the store as well as more affordable.

Let’s take a look at the cost breakdown and just how simple it is to throw together this family-friendly personal care product.

Ingredients & Equipment

Organic Unscented Castile Liquid Soap – $6.99

Foaming Soap Bottle – $2.99

Cost Per Bottle

The organic castile liquid soap contains enough soap for six refills of the foaming hand soap bottle. That breaks down as

$1.66/refill with initial purchase of foaming soap bottle.

$1.19/refill for every bottle thereafter.

You’ll notice I didn’t count in the cost of a bottle of essential oil to give fragrance. I generally use whatever oils or botanicals I have on hand for other projects and then mix and match to create a lovely-smelling, all natural, and effective hand soap that I know is safe for my family. Of course, you can do without the oils but you can also purchase this cool Foaming Hand Soap bundle for a discount on the soap, dispenser, and essential oils.

To find something that meets all of the above criteria, I would have to spend at least $3/bottle and still wouldn’t have the assurance of the quality of the product that I do when I make it at home myself.

But how long will this really last? In a house full of six people living on a homestead where dirt and grime are the most common currency, I’m halfway through that bottle of castile soap after several months.

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