Jen Mayer

KOMBUCHA!
It really is a great word. Kom-bu-cha. I just started brewing another batch today. Last fall my neighbor gave me a SCOBY and I was brewing a new batch every other week. Then I took a break over the holidays by ending all the batches I had going. Now I am back, thank you craigslist.org. Within 24 hours of posting a WANTED: kombucha scoby I had two in my hands.

BTW: a SCOBY is a “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast” and it is what ferments the sweetened tea to make kombucha

How to Make Kombucha- simplified

1. use a glass container 1/2 to 2 gallons large
2. wash hands with hot soap and water, clean workspace
3. clean glass container well
4. boil water to make enough tea to fill your container
5. add sugar, 1 cup per every 3 quarts
6. use only pure green or black tea with caffeine and brew tea
7. allow sweet tea to cool to room temperature (70 °)
8. add SCOBY and cover with a lint-free cloth (dishtowel) and secure with rubber band
9. allow to brew undisturbed
10. check on kombucha brew. it could take 7-14 days to ferment

A good link with more intensive directions and a video can be found here: Wikihow page on making kombucha

I’ll let you know how these new batches turn out!

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Thanks for all the support at Ignite Boulder 3 last night! I had a great time presenting.

For those of you who are interested in making yogurt, detailed instructions are below.

Yogurt

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 qt. whole, lowfat, or nonfat milk
2. 1 1/2 tbsp preservative-free, all-natural yogurt with live cultures. live cultures is the important part

MATERIALS

1. A heavy bottom stainless steel pot
2. Food/candy thermometer
3. Large bath towel
4. Oven
5. Glass quart jar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 200º
2. Bring milk to 180º, just before boiling over medium to low heat
3. Remove milk from heat and let cool to 110º
4. When milk is cooled to 110º add the 1 1/2 tbsp of yogurt
5. Turn off oven
6. Place a lid or plastic wrap over the pot, wrap in the bath towel and set in the warmed oven
7. It will take between 6-14 hrs for the yogurt to set
8. The yogurt is done once it gels, and looks like yogurt!
9. Place in glass quart and refrigerate

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“The World Is Burning But I Still Have My Yogurt”

watch the live stream at igniteboulder.com

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Kimchi

I am trying my hand at producing lacto-fermented vegetables. Commonly known as sauerkraut and kimchi, these foods are known for their various health benefits. From the Weston A. Price Foundation website:

• Many sources say raw fermented foods are beneficial to the digestive system by increasing the healthy flora in the intestinal tract or creating the type of environment for them to flourish. Sauerkraut and its juice are traditional folk remedies for constipation. Fermentation actually increases nutrient values in the cabbage, especially vitamin C. Fermented foods are also said to facilitate the breakdown and assimilation of proteins. They have a soothing effect on the nervous system.

• Before the days of refrigeration, sauerkraut served as the only source of vitamin C during the winter in northern climates. It was used on long ship voyages to prevent scurvy.

• During the Civil War, some enlightened doctors fed sauerkraut to prisoners of war, reducing the death rate from smallpox from 90 percent to 5 percent–something we should take note of with the current concerns about the use of smallpox germs as part of biological warfare.

• Best of all, sauerkraut makes a synergistic combination with heavy, greasy and cooked foods such as sausage and cooked meat, the kinds of foods that nourish us through the winter. And because it aids digestion, you can eat these foods without feeling tired afterwards just by adding sauerkraut to your plate as a condiment.

I did a little research online and basically followed the guidelines Ran Prieur has on his website. Here is a picture of what I have so far… It’s been 2 weeks and the fermenting process takes about 4 weeks to complete. Already it has a pungent odor. My friends are concerned about the “rotting” vegetables in my cabinet. Alas we will just have to wait and see how it turns out.

kimchi

I will be speaking at Ignite Boulder 3 on other food projects and why I think it’s important to learn how to make your own food. Boulder’s KBFR pirate radio will be broadcasting the event. Check it out!

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