Grapefruit Kombucha

This grapefruit-flavored kombucha is reminiscent of a grapefruit-flavored soda. Like all flavored kombucha, this beverage is made through a second fermentation. Be sure to use freshly brewed kombucha in this recipe and cap the lid tightly to create a refreshing carbonated finished product.

Ingredients:

• Juice of ½ medium grapefruit or 2 grapefruit sections
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Enough kombucha to fill a 16-ounce vessel.

Instructions:

1. Add the grapefruit juice or fruit and sugar to a 16-ounce vessel.
2. Fill with kombucha, leaving about ½-inch of headspace.
3. Cap tightly and culture 3-7 days or until kombucha is carbonated to your liking.
4. Move bottles to refrigerator for storage.
5. Open carefully when ready to drink, without shaking, to avoid spilling the bubbly kombucha over the top of the bottle.

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Soap With Pippa

I’m a nervous Nellie when it comes to lye, having read all the horror stories newbies can read. I’ve seen awful pictures of what lye can do. Even though veteran soap makers say that if you’re careful, there’s nothing to worry about, I WORRY. So I enlisted the help of my good friend, Pippa. She’s crazy about this addicting and self-satisfying hobby, and she does house calls.

You can’t really learn how to make soap using lye from this blog post… it’s much more involved than what I can highlight here. So before you get started I recommend doing some of your own research.

It was fun to be led step-by-step. She gave me some history as well as a chemistry lesson before we got started. The protective gloves were donned and we prepared the work area with the supplies, including the dedicated SOAP spoon labeled with a Sharpie.

We measured the oils carefully with a scale, and later the lye separately. We went outside to mix the lye into the water (ALWAYS mix the lye INTO the cold liquids, never the other way around). Wow, does that jar get HOT! Once it cooled a bit, I used a stick blender to mix the lye solution into the oils. Once we got trace, the point where the soap leaves a little trail “lump” when you drip it back into the soap mixture, and had cooled a bit, it was time to pour the soap into molds.

Then the molds were covered with cardboard, and wrapped in a towel. They were placed up high, where curious little humans would hopefully not trespass…they were duly warned not to touch the soap while curing. Now it was time to wait. And wait. And wait.

The biggest thing I learned is that soapmaking is like culturing foods – unforeseen things just happen! I did everything right with my mentor, but my soap was not un-moldable at end of Day 2. I let it sit another 5 days and still it wouldn’t unmold. Pippa did some research and found out when using these types of molds, you often need sodium lactate in your recipe. Live and learn! Two weeks later I barely got the whole “loaf” out, and it was still soft. Pippa said, “TRUST ME…they’ll harden!” so I cut them apart to finish curing. I flipped them over every few days to dry evenly. At 4 weeks the soap was pretty much hardened. At 5 weeks they felt about the same, and Pippa checked her handy dandy phone app (yes, soap phone app) to see if enough time had passed. Yep, time to use it!

I stored in a plastic bag all but one bar of soap. That one bar is now in my shower… not only does it cleanse (in the words from Finding Nemo, “BUBBLES!”), but it reminds me that I created this. Not only that, but I created memories with my friend in making the soap come to life.

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A Closer Look: Greek Yogurt Starter

“One of the HUGE advantages this has is that as long as you re-culture yogurt every 7 days you never have to buy another start! This start works fantastically well, and when paired with a strainer it makes some delightfully thick yogurt. Almost sour cream consistency if I let it strain long enough.” -Chris

Today we are going to take a closer look at the Cultures for Health Greek Yogurt Starter.  This is used for making semi-soft and fresh cheeses including Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Feta, Chevre, etc.

Product Highlights

Authentic Greek yogurt! Deliciously rich and tangy, this heirloom thermophilic starter can be re-cultured indefinitely. Drain whey from the finished product to replicate super-thick commercial Greek yogurt or enjoy as-is.

• Each box contains 2 packets of yogurt starter
• Activate 1 packet using 1 quart pasteurized milk; store 2nd packet in the freezer as a back-up
• Cultures at 110ºF using a yogurt maker or other appliance.
• This culture is also suitable for use with raw dairy milk or non-dairy milk, with special care.
• For an even creamier consistency, make a batch with 1 part heavy cream to 3 parts whole milk.
• Yogurt is delicious with added fruit or sweetener, and great in many recipes.

Greek Yogurt Starter Instructions and Troubleshooting: 

• Instructions for using this culture may be found here.
• Having trouble making Greek yogurt? Browse our Yogurt Troubleshooting Articles or contact us for assistance.

Ingredients: Organic milk, live active bacteria (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus).

This product contains no GMO ingredients.

Shipping Information and Shelf-life: Our Greek starter culture is shipped in a barrier-sealed packet as a freeze-dried yogurt culture. The starter keeps

• At room temperature (68° to 78°F): 3 to 4 months
• In the refrigerator (40° to 45°F): 9 months unopened
• In the freezer (0° to 25°F): 12 months unopened

Allergen Information:

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

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Product Q&A

Q. Can I use this starter even if I do not use a yogurt Maker?

A. Yes, any of our thermophilic starters can be used without a yogurt maker. All you need is a way to keep them at the right temperature for the amount of time it takes to culture them. Here’s an article with some tips: http://ift.tt/1KtViiE

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Q. The ingredients say it contains milk. Pasteurized or non-pasteurized, or would that matter in this state?

A. It is pasteurized milk. But, that really does not make a difference in the dried powder.

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Q. Why does the Greek yogurt contain fewer bacterial strains than that of the traditional?

A. The Greek Yogurt Starter has a few strains of bacteria that work well together and can be re-cultured. The Traditional Yogurt Starter is a “direct-set” or limited use starter, having more strains of bacteria, but incapable of indefinite re-culturing.

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Learn more about Greek Yogurt Starter.

 

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Weekly Recap – September 19th 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: Body Ecology Starter Culture

67 Natural Food Bloggers You Probably Should Be Following – Megan provides a fantastic list of healthy living blogs you may want to check out!

Elderberry Water Kefir – Make delicious elderberry syrup and use it to flavor water kefir or your favorite fermented beverage. Delicious!

The Versatility of Sourdough Rolls – Join Erin as she shows how easy it is to make exciting new things from a basic sourdough roll recipe.

What’s New at CFH: Clay-Based Deodorant

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What’s New at CFH: Clay-Based Deodorant

There are often questionable ingredients in mainstream deodorants, which some people prefer not to put on their skin. Here is another area where a DIY recipe can provide you with a healthier option. The use of clay in this recipe gently but effectively absorbs moisture while other ingredients act to combat odor-causing bacteria.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
• 2 tablespoons beeswax
• 2 tablespoons shea butter
• ⅓ cup kaolin clay
• 10 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops rosemary essential oil
• 10 drops lemongrass essential oil

Instructions:

1. Add the coconut oil, almond oil, beeswax. and shea butter to the bowl of a double boiler. Slowly melt these ingredients together, stirring occasionally.
2. As soon as all ingredients are melted, remove from heat and gently stir in the clay and essential oils until everything is completely combined.
3. Transfer to a deodorant dispenser or sealable container of your choosing. Allow to harden completely before using.

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The Versatility of Sourdough Rolls

In the past I have shared this recipe for sourdough cinnamon rolls and they are still a BIG hit in this house, one of our favorite special occasion breakfasts!

Then I thought, wait a second, I could really put ANYTHING in these rolls! Sweet savory, anything!

Naturally I started out with sweet: peanut butter, honey and raisin rolls! For these I creamed a bit of cream cheese, peanut butter and butter together (about equal parts of each) and spread it onto the dough. I then drizzled it with honey and raisins and a bit of cinnamon! Rolled it up, cut it with floss and put it in the fridge until I was ready to bake it in the morning. Delicious!!

Since my daughter is in school, I am always trying to figure out new and exciting lunches for her lunch box. The next idea came from her: pizza rolls. Using the same process as the cinnamon rolls again, but this time we added tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, olives, mushrooms, onions, salami and italian spices. These made an amazing dinner and will be a perfect lunch addition for the rest of the week!

My daughter has since requested chicken pesto rolls! Sounds amazing right? What are some other flavoring ideas? Leave your tasty ideas in the comments. I have a feeling these rolls may become a weekly occurrence because they are so easy and versatile!

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Elderberry Water Kefir

Make delicious elderberry syrup and use it to flavor water kefir or your favorite fermented beverage. Delicious!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup dried elderberries
• 2 cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (optional)
• 1-2 whole cloves (optional)
• 1 cup raw honey
• 3-4 cups water kefir, grains removed

Instructions:

1. Heat elderberries, water, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a saucepan over low heat. Simmer until water reduces by half.
2. Cool and strain solids from the liquid.
3. Stir in honey.
4. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the elderberry syrup to finished water kefir. Pour into airtight bottles.
5. Ferment at room temperature for up to 72 hours, or until desired flavor and carbonation is achieved.
6. Store in the refrigerator. Open carefully in case of extreme carbonation and serve chilled.

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