The Ingredient that Greatly Improved my Water Kefir: Giving Cultures What They Need

I continuously find that cultures are like so many things: what you get out of them is dependent upon what you put into them. I also find that there are often very different circumstances under which we culture. Where we live, our current temperature, the water we use, and the ingredients we choose all play a huge part in how well a culture will perform.

Which is why I’m forever experimenting and tweaking. Sometimes these experiments fall flat on their face – like the time I tried to make a water kefir eggnog. But sometimes I find that changing up the routine just a little results in a big improvement in the product my culture is giving me.

Over the years I’ve wrapped kombucha vessels in blankets, buried jars of sauerkraut, and meticulously divided my milk kefir grains all in order to adapt to my current culturing situation. Recently I found that a small amount of a single ingredient seemed to really improve my water kefir’s activity.

I have tried various things to boost the activity of my water kefir when it seemed to be in need of a boost. The water kefir was culturing the sugar water, it was just taking a bit longer than I thought it should or the grains didn’t seem to have the vigorous nature I have seen before.

After trying sea salt and trace mineral supplements to boost the mineral content I tried adding just about 1.5 teaspoons of molasses per quart of water kefir. The salt and mineral supplement did boost the water kefir’s activity a bit but not nearly as much as the molasses all on its own.

I am theorizing that it has to do with the minerals and the sugar and other constituents found in the molasses that make it what it is. And for some reason, my water kefir grains really respond to being fed just a small amount along with the organic, semi-refined sugar I’ve been using.

My grains seem to convert sugar water to water kefir at a better rate. There is more activity to the grains in that I see plenty of bubbles coming up from the grains in the bottom of the jar as well as on the surface of the water kefir. The finished water kefir tastes more cultured to my palate and has a very vigorous carbonation to it once bottled. And the grains seem to be more willing to multiply than ever – meaning more water kefir!

And just like using fewer milk kefir grains improved my milk kefir and less salt made my kraut better and an heirloom flour made my sourdough rise higher, I think I’ve finally figured out what my water kefir needs.

Are there any little tweaks that make your cultures happier?

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What’s New at CFH: DIY Warming Muscle Relief Balm

For sore, tired muscles, the warming oils in this balm provide soothing relief. A deodorant push up applicator is ideal for this recipe, as it will be much easier to apply on yourself, and you won’t need to get the balm on your hands. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tabelspoon beeswax
• 4 teaspoons sweet almond oil
• 5-10 drops essential oils

Choosing Essential Oils for Muscle Relief Balm:

More drops will create a stronger sensation. Use a few drops of each oil, or choose your favorites from the list below:

• Eucalyptus
• Roman Chamomile
• Clary Sage
• Clove Bud
• Lemongrass
• Fir Balsam
• Cypress
• Rosemary

Instructions for Making Muscle Relief Balm:

1. Melt beeswax in a double boiler.
2. Add sweet almond oil and stir.
3. Once mixture has cooled slightly but is still liquid, add essential oils.
4. Pour into desired container: push up applicator, jar or tin.
5. Store in a cool, dark place.

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How to Sprout Broccoli and Other Brassica Seeds

Broccoli sprouts have gained in popularity over the past few years. Instead of buying expensive sprouts at the grocery store, sprout your own at home with our Organic Broccoli Sprouting Seeds!

Other Brassica Sprouting Seeds

Follow the instructions below to sprout all our seeds in the brassica family:

• Organic Broccoli Sprouting Seeds
• Organic Radish Sprouting Seeds
• Chinese Cabbage Sprouting Seeds
• Organic Brown Mustard Sprouting Seeds

Instructions for Sprouting Broccoli and Other Brassica Seeds:

1. Rinse ¼ cup seeds, removing any debris or floating matter.
2. Place seeds in a quart jar or other sprouting container. Add ½-¾ cup cool water, cover with a sprouting screen or mesh sprouting lid and soak 8 hours or overnight.
3. Drain all water off the seeds.
4. Invert the jar over a bowl at an angle so that the seeds will drain and air will be able to circulate.
5. After 6-8 hours of draining, rinse and drain again.
6. Repeat rinsing and draining 2-3 times daily.
7. Tiny sprouts should begin to form in 3-4 days. Once sprout tails appear, move sprout container to indirect light for growing green leaves.
8. Once sprouts reach desired length, usually 1-2 inches, drain well and enjoy immediately or transfer to a covered container. Sprouts will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

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Lacto-Fermented Verde Sauce

So far in my culturing experience I have only lacto-fermented a few things: cabbage (of course), carrots, and garlic. I’ve been a little nervous to attempt more daring ferments with my summer harvest now finishing up from my garden. Then a few weeks ago I found myself pulling a pile of hot peppers from the plants, which my husband added to our normal selection with no idea they would take off so well!

Not thinking about what to do with all of them, I decided a nice hot sauce for him would be better than trying to add them into our family’s daily meals. I don’t think my two year old would be too happy about that. So, a makeshift verde hot sauce was born from all my serranos, habaneros, anaheims, jalapenos, and a few bell peppers.

I roughly chopped them all into chunks, added a few cloves of garlic, half an onion, salt brine, and a shot of very vinegary kombucha. Stuffed all of it into a quart size mason jar with a stone weight, and I let it ferment for about two weeks, burping the jar every few days at first, then every day towards the end when they got very, very bubbly!

I was surprised how wonderful it smelled, and how ferociously bubbly it became the longer it went. I let it culture until the bubbles relaxed and pressure was no longer building up in the jar. I kept it in the refrigerator for about a week once it was done culturing. Then I was ready for some blending!

I poured off most of the brine liquid, but left about a ¼ cup to get things moving when I went to blend the mix. The result was a great hot flavor that I actually enjoyed as well! My husband has now officially put it on every meal so far this week! I’ll admit, with having two habaneros in the mix I was terrified to try it, but the onions, garlic, and bell peppers really mellowed the heat to a tolerable level instead of an “Am I on fire?” kind of heat.

Now, I’m hoping to try some salsa next, as my tomato plants are starting to explode with plump red little goodies… Lots and lots of tomatoes to come! Sometimes you need to dive right in and try some new recipes, and even make up your own. I’m sure glad I did!

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A Closer Look: San Francisco Sourdough

“Real San Francisco flavor and aroma. Has developed beautifully over the last two weeks and makes a great loaf.” -Bill

“The bread I make with this starter has the best flavor of any sourdough I’ve eaten. Have been making sourdough for years and absolutely love this. I plan on trying other starters as well.” -Tracie

Today we are going to take a closer look at San Francisco Sourdough.

Product Highlights

If you crave sourdough bread from San Francisco, our San Francisco Sourdough Starter Culture is the perfect sourdough starter for you.

Our San Francisco Sourdough Starter Culture contains Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis bacteria and wild yeast Candida humilis,giving this sourdough starter that famous San Francisco taste. Use it to make sourdough bread, chocolate chip sourdough cookies, and a wide variety of other sourdough baked goods.

Using Our San Francisco Sourdough Starter Culture

• Each box contains 1 packet of dehydrated San Francisco Sourdough Starter Culture
• Store in a cool, dry place until ready to activate.
• Activate using white flour and unchlorinated, unfluoridated water.
• Our San Francisco Sourdough Starter is easy to use and maintain.
• Learn more about how to feed your sourdough starter and sourdough baking.

Recipes for Sourdough Bread and More

Sourdough starters are not just for baking bread. Any baked good can be made better with sourdough. Browse our wide selection of sourdough recipes for a new take on old favorites.

• Simple Sourdough Baguette
• Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes
• Savory Sourdough Fritters
• More Sourdough Recipes

San Francisco Sourdough Starter Ingredients:

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

San Francisco 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 sourdough starter are included and can be found here.
• Having trouble activating your sourdough starter? Browse our sourdough troubleshooting articles or contact us for assistance.

San Francisco Sourdough Starter Shipping Information and Shelf-life:

Our San Francisco Sourdough Starter Culture is shipped in a barrier-sealed packet as a dehydrated culture. The San Francisco Sourdough 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

San Francisco Sourdough Allergen Information:

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

Product Reviews

Love it! I am making einkorn sourdough bread, it’s exactly what I was looking for! -Angel

I LOVE this starter! I have made pancakes twice with it, I have 2 loaves of bread proofing right now, and I plan to try out some pretzels this week. It is so easy to maintain. I keep about a cup in my fridge and I’ve been keeping some out for daily use. LOVE it! Next I plan to freeze some so I will truly never be without sourdough again! -Lauren

Product Q&A

Q.  Can this starter be used with white whole wheat flour, or should I stick with regular white flour?

A.  The San Francisco Sourdough Starter should be fed with regular white flour. Once your starter is well-established and active, you can switch a portion of it to a different type of flour, such as white whole wheat flour. Always retain a portion of your master starter as a back-up.

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Q.  Hi.. Just wondering if these Sourdough starters are in a dried form or in a ball of dough of some sort? I’ve tried other cultures from elsewhere that came in a dried format and I’m likely not going to be around when they arrive in the mail.. I just need to inform the neighbor kid to put it in fridge or a cool spot if required (since it’s almost winter here).. Thx!

A.  They are in fact dried! The sourdough starters are fine at room temperature for 6+ months. So even if your neighbor simply put the package in your home where it’s room temperature, it would be fine!

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Q.  My starter come up very sour. And the bread was very sour as well. I used the right proportions but somehow it’s really VERY sour. Should the proper starter be sour?

A.  The San Francisco Sourdough Starter makes a traditionally sour bread. To reduce or increase the sourness of your bread, there are several tips in this article: http://ift.tt/1jqHhvm

You can read more about the San Francisco Sourdough Starter here.

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Weekly Recap – October 10th 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: Mild Flavor Yogurt Starter

Deodorant Making Part 1: Testing Two Kinds – Join Erin as she compares two different DIY deodorant recipes containing baking soda and clay.

How to Dilute Essential Oils – Essential oils are concentrated natural oils distilled directly from fresh herbs and other plants. Because of their high concentration, essential oils should always be diluted with a carrier oil prior to topical application.

Simple Three Ingredient Tooth Powder – Join me as I share a simple way to clean your teeth!

What’s New at CFH: Gluten-Free Sourdough No-Cut Doughnuts – Try some delicious gluten-free doughnuts!

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What’s New at CFH: Gluten-Free Sourdough No-Cut Doughnuts

Light and airy with a hint of crispness around the edges, these yeast-risen doughnuts don’t fall too far from their wheat-filled counterparts. In order to keep them light, the dough is not rolled and cut as wheat-based doughnuts are. Instead the dough is left loose, helping it to rise beautifully. When it comes time to fry, the dough is either spooned in for doughnut holes or piped onto parchment for easy round doughnuts.

Note that instant yeast can be added to this recipe to add more yeast-risen flavor and texture, but the sourdough starter can be used alone as the leavening.

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Fermentation Time: 2-6 hours | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: Makes 12-16 large, round doughnuts or 30-40 doughnut holes

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Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups milk, warmed to room temperature
• 1/3 cup melted butter, cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup gluten-free sourdough starter
• 2 cups gluten-free oat flour
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• ½ cup sweet rice flour
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast (optional)
• Coconut oil for frying

Instructions for Preparing Dough:

1. Combine the warmed milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine all of the ingredients and then stir in the gluten-free sourdough starter.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, flax seed, sugar, salt, and instant yeast (if using).
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir well. The dough will turn into a sticky cake batter-like consistency. Stir two more minutes to develop the structure of the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and collect all of the dough into a mound in the middle of the bottom of the bowl.
4. Cover and set aside to rise for 2-6 hours, or until doubled. If the commercial yeast was added, it will only take a couple of hours. If sourdough is the only leavening agent used, it could take up to six hours to double, depending on the temperature at which it rests.
5. Once the dough has doubled, fill a pot with at least 3 inches of coconut oil. Be sure to choose a pot that can comfortably fit this oil without filling more than half full. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F over medium heat.
6. Meanwhile, if preparing large, round doughnuts, cut a sheet of parchment paper into squares the size of the doughnuts you wish to make. A three inch diameter is the largest you would want the doughnuts, in order for them to fry evenly.
7. Lay these parchment squares onto a clean surface. Carefully spoon the risen batter into a quart-sized ziploc bag, being careful not to deflate it too much. If doughnut holes are desired, half the batter can be left in the bowl for those.
8. Once the batter is in the bag, seal it carefully and snip the bottom corner to create a ½ inch opening. Gently coax the batter down to that end and slowly squeeze the batter onto the parchment squares to form a round doughnut shape. (They round off in the oil so they do not need to be perfectly shaped.)
9. When the oil is hot and the doughnuts ready to fry, test the oil with just a teaspoon of batter. Once dropped in, it should immediately sizzle and float. If this doesn’t happen, turn the heat up slightly. If this happens but the dough cooks too quickly, lower the heat.

Instructions for Frying Doughnut Holes:

1. Spoon a tablespoon of batter from the bowl and gently scrape the dough into the hot oil using a second spoon.
2. Cook small batches of these for 30-45 seconds or until a deep, golden brown, turning them once during the cooking process.
3. Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on a paper towel-lined platter.

Instructions for Frying Round Doughnuts:

1. Carefully lift the parchment and doughnut together and invert into the oil so that the doughnut is facing down in the oil and the parchment is floating at the top. The parchment will quickly come away as the doughnut fries and the parchment can then be removed with tongs or a spatula.
2. Allow the doughnut to cook for 60-75 seconds or until deep golden brown, turning once during the cooking process.
3. Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on a cooling rack set over a baking tray.

Once the doughnuts have all cooked and cooled, glaze them in powdered sugar glaze or honey-based chocolate and cinnamon glazes. Best served on the day they are made.

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