pH Test Results for 1 Week - Kimberly Frank

pH Strips can be purchased at any pharmaceutical company or online.  You can either test your pH by salvia or urine.  It's best to test first thing in the morning, then afternoon and evening if you're trying to keep a good balance.  Be consistent and log all your ranges to help neutralize your numbers and pH in your body.  There is much help on the internet as to why alkaline forming foods promote wellness and why acid forming foods invite disease.  There are many logs you can find or create your own to keep track of your alkalinity.

FERMENTATION DEFINED - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

FERMENTATION DEFINED

WHAT IS FERMENTATION?

Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of processing foods into a form that is suitable for presentation.  It is at a low cost means of using bacteria, yeast and molds in preserving food and enhancing it's flavors and nutritional value.  Fermentation happens when micro organisms feed on the sugars and starches in food converting them into lactic acid in ta process known as lacto fermentation.  Lacto fermentation provides the most health benefits creating beneficial bacteria, enzymes, vitamins and many strains of probiotics.  

HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE FERMENTED FOODS INTO YOUR LIFE?

I incorporate fermented foods in my life daily.  It's difficult for all 3 meals daily but I make sure to incorporate them at least once daily with my meal.  Or if I know that I've eaten something I probably shouldn't have or where I need more help with digestion, I definitely reach for some type of ferment.  My favorite "go to" would be sauerkraut, I have several flavors so my taste buds don't get tired of the same flavor and I usually digest 2 tablespoons.  Every evening I also incorporate Apple Cider Vinegar  in my diet.

WHAT IS THE DRIVING FACTOR?

My driving factor for fermented foods is due to my past and present health issues.  Along with the GI issues that formed due to my failing health.  I have found with incorporating fermented foods, along with changing my diet, I have reached a whole new level of health and am in remission.  My body now craves fermented foods, so I know it needs it to flourish.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU CURRENTLY FACE WHEN YOU START A NEW FERMENT?

The biggest challenge I face when starting a new ferment is getting my hands on one that I know is not store bought and pasteurized but yet homemade and full of all the beneficial probiotics.  This is why I took this class was to learn how to begin to make my own ferments and then teach as many as I can.  Another challenge is finding cultures that are supplied by trusted individuals or companies when you're dealing with the internet.  I also find acquiring tastes for new ferments can be a challenge such as tempeh, I don't love it.  

WHAT BENEFITS DO YOU EXPERIENCE FROM FERMENTED FOODS?

The benefits that I have found is that when I eat fermented foods, it helps with my digestive issues, bloating, gas, et.  I have a "clean feeling" through my digestive tract and no issues.  I wake up with a flatter stomach and just feel over all healthier eating fermented foods.

WHY DO YOU NOT RECOMMEND FERMENTED FOODS TO CLIENTS, CO-WORKERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS?

You mean why "DO I"?  I do recommend fermented foods to everyone, BUT, starting out slowly and with one they're already familiar with like sauerkraut or kimchi.  I just have them start incorporating it into their dietary means and lifestyle.  Have them take notations as to what changes they are seeing.  The fermented foods speak volumes for themselves, I don't have to convince them:)

Idli - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Idli

Ingredients:

1 Cup Red Lentils
2 Cups White Basmati Rice

Directions:

 1.  Soak red lentil beans along with rice in water and let sit 2-4 days.
 2.  Put your mixture in the blender to create a paste.
 3.  Take your mixture, put back in bowl to ferment for another 2-4 days.
 4.  Place mixture in an Idli steamer/cooker or you can use a poacher or muffin tin.
 5.  You will cook for 20 minutes.
 6.  Scoop them out and eat like biscuits!  Enjoy!

















Idli proved me wrong - it is actually a very enjoyable ferment that I fell will take the place of my bread and carb cravings!  I began this ferment on September 12, 2016 and baked in on September 15th in a Idli's steamer that I purchased from Amazon.  These did turn out like little biscuits that family enjoyed and we will be making these on holidays and replacing our buns with idli's - Enjoy!

Tempeh - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Tempeh

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Aduki Beans

Tempeh Starter Culture
Ziplock Plastic Baggie

Directions:

1.  Soak the beans for 8 hours.

2.  Cook the beans and once they get to 105 degrees put them in a bowl.
3.  Start to dehull each bean and separate them by massaging each bean.

4.  Add your Tempeh starter culture and mix thoroughly.

5.  Add your mixture to the plastic baggie that has several holes in it to breath and grow.
6.  Flatten out your mixture in the plastic bag.
7.  Incubate between 95 - 105 degrees in a dehydrator or oven for 24 hours.
8.  Remove the Tempeh from the bag.
9.  Slice the Tempeh and fry up - NEVER EAT WITHOUT COOKING! - Enjoy!

Tempeh for the first time and it was perfecto!!!!  I started this process on September 20, 2016 and tried it on September 22, 2016.  The only problem I have is that I never enjoyed tempeh in the first place but I will tell you that mine was much better tasting then the store bought.   I purchased the tempeh starter from the internet and used aduki beans in which I love, maybe that's why it tasted much better since the store bought usually uses the soy bean.

Nut Cheese - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Almond Nut Cheese

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Raw Almonds

1Cup of Spring or Filtered Water
2 Capsules live probiotics

Directions:

1.   Soak your nuts overnight in a salt/water liquid that is filled about the nuts.

2.   Cover and let sit overnight.
3.   The next day, you need to dehull the skin off.

4.   Once you have all your almonds delude, add to your Vita-Mix or high speed mixer. 

5.   Add 2 capsules of live probiotics by opening up the capsules and pouring in.
6.   Add 1 cup of filtered or spring water to the nut mixture.
7.   Blend until creamy.
8.   Pour into a cheesecloth that is sitting a either a colander or strawberry/tomato basket so
      it can drain.
9.   Let sit on counter top for approximately 12 hours to ferment, then transfer to the
      refrigerator to sit for another 8 - 12 hours to set.
10. Unwrap your Almond nut cheese and enjoy!











This ferment began in my kitchen on September 13th and we were eating it on September 16th.  This is definitely one recipe I'm going to have to play with.  It turned out perfectly according to following directions with taste and consistency but I would like to try other nuts and add flavors.  Not my favorite, but experimenting with nut cheese may bring me back around to enjoying it.

Injera - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Injera

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Teff Flour

1-1/2 Cups of Spring or Filtered Water
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions:

1.  Mix Four and Water together and stir until completely mixed.

2.  Cover and let sit for 24-48 hours.
3.  Once it's fermented - add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda & 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, mix well.

4.  Fry up in Coconut Oil and in a cast iron skillet.
5.  Makes 1 dozen Injera pancakes. - Enjoy!

This is the husbands favorite ferment so far!  I began this process on August 17th and we were eating like Ethiopians on August 20th!  This is their staple food and made from the smallest grain in the world with a big punch of flavor.  My husband eats them like pancakes and adds butter to finish his off. 

Kombucha - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Kombucha

Ingredients:

1 Gallon Spring or Filtered Water

5 - 6 Black or Green Organic Tea Bags

1 Cup Organic Sugar

1 Mother Scoby

Directions:

1.  Bring water to boil, turn off and add tea bags and sugar - stir until dissolved.

2.  Wait until the liquid cools - remove tea bags.

3.  Add liquid to mother scoby in fermentation vessel.

4.  Repeat every week to feed the mother:) - Enjoy!

How fun is this?!?!  We LOVE Kombucha, we LOVE watching the process of Mothers and Baby Scobies, it's a great family experiment with such beneficial benefits.  We started with a borrowed Mother in August and as of today we have two hotels of babies and drink Kombucha daily.  Weekly we feed them and we're just now beginning to learn how to F2 with many flavors - so stay tuned!

Water Kefir - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Water Kefir

Ingredients:

3 Cups of Spring or Mineral Water
Kefir Grains - approx.1/4 cup
1 Teaspoon Organic Sugar

Directions:

1.  In a 1 quart jar, add 3 cups of spring or mineral water.
2.  Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
3.  Add the kefir grains.
4.  Cover with a cloth or coffee filter and rubber band.
5.  Set in a warm location to begin fermentation for 24-48 hours.
6.  When desired sweetness is in the liquid, strain the kefir grains
     with a cheesecloth and drink the liquid.
7.  Gently rinse your grains in non-chlorinated water to be used again.

Second Fermentation - Fruit Flavored Kefir:

1.  Add 1/4 cup fruit ( I addd raspberries) to each quart of water kefir.
2.  Cover and culture for another 24-48 hours.
3.  Discard or eat fruit - then refrigerate your flavored Kefir.  Enjoy!






Our new favorite drink in the house - out with the soda in with the flavored water kefir!  This recipe was so easy, just hard once again finding the right grains in which you can order on the internet.  But simple and delicious.  The family is looking forward to making several flavors and bottling them up and keeping them in the refrigerator.  This process began on September 3 and we were drinking our flavored water kefir by September 8 after the second fermentation process - Delicious!

Red Miso - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Red Miso

Ingredients:

1 Cup Aduki Beans
1 Cup Dried Koji
4 Tablespoons Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon Seed Miso Starter

Directions:

 1.  Soak beans overnight in salt water
 2.  Drain the beans but save the liquid
 3.  Make a brine with 1/2 cup of liquid, dissolve 1/2 salt and beans
      and cook either in a pressure cooker or pot.
 4.  While waiting for the liquid to cool, mash beans into a paste.
 5.  When brine is below 105 degrees, mix in seed miso starter.
 6.  Add mashed beans to the liquid mixture.
 7.  Salt (1/2 tsp) your fermenting vessel at the bottom, add bean 
      mixture and smash down firmly.
 8.  Sprinkle salt on the top of your mixture, add wax paper and a weight.
 9.  Cover miso with a cloth to keep the flies out.
10. Label and date your ferment as it will sit for 6 months.




What can I say - love me some MISO!  Isn't this beautiful?  It's just too bad that it takes at least 6 months to ferment!  I started the ferment August 25th and I still have a least a week to go in order to taste it - I may even go with the fermentation process a little longer, but I'm looking forward to my fist Miso attempt and by the looks of everything, it's going to be delicious!

Kimchi - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Kimchi

Ingredients:  

Kim Chi

(makes 1 quart) 

.75 Pounds Napa cabbage
1 carrot (grated or coined)
1/4 Cup daikon radish
3 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 Tablespoon ginger
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoon red chili flakes (less or more if desired)
1 Tablespoons sea salt (non-iodized)

Directions:

1.  Shred cabbage, carrots, and radish. 

2.  Add the salt and mix together. 

3.  Place onions, ginger, and garlic in a food processor or blender. 

4.  Blend into a paste and add to the vegetables. 

5.  Tamp into crock and let it ferment for 3-5 days in a warm place. 

6.  Jar and place into the fridge. 

Oh my goodness - this recipe was the "bomb"!  This is deliciousness that will be a staple in the fridge for a long time.  I started my ferment on July 9th and put in the refrigerator on July 15th.  A tad bit on the spicing side, but I love it.  It's beautiful in color and in taste.  My mouth is watering just thinking of it. Enjoy this one!

Red Wine Vinegar - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Red Wine Vinegar

Ingredients:

Red Wine Pellicle

1 Cup Organic Wine - No sulfites

1/2 Cup Filtered Water

Directions:

1.  Place your vinegar mother (pellicle) in a wide mouth glass jar or other wide opening 

     vessel.  

2.  Add 1 Cup Organic Wine preferably with no sulfites and organic.  *Trader Joes carries 

     two brands that you can purchase.

3.  Add 1/2 Cup filtered Water to the wine liquid.

4.  Taste your liquid, you will find that over time it is going to turn more vinegary and less like 

     wine.

5.  Cover the jar with a cloth and rubber band to prevent bugs from entering but allowing 

     oxygen in.

6.  Date the jar and place in a dark cool location.

7.  Process takes approximately 6-12 weeks.  Begin tasting in intervals to notice the flavor 

     and your liking.

Began my Red Wine Vinegar ferment on August 31st and it's still in the process of fermentation.  This was my first attempt and the hardest part of this process was finding a pellicle starter, eventually I would like to start my own.  And the second hardest part was finding an organic "no sulfites" red wine.  Trader Joes does carry only 1 brand - fyi.  Looking forward to tasting this amazing vinegar!

Yogurt - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Yogurt

Ingredients:

5 Cups Whole Organic Milk

1 Package Greek Yogurt Culture Starter

Directions:

1.  Heat 5 cups of your whole milk in a stainless steel pot stirring at all times while keeping a 

     thermometer in place.  Heat the milk to 160 degrees then turn your burner off.

2.  Once the temperature drops to 110 degrees, you will add your 1 package of greek yogurt 

     culture and keep stirring until blended well.

3.  Pour your liquid into your yogurt jars and place without lids into the yogurt maker and set 

     for 12 hours.

4.  Once your 12 hours have passed, take each jar and stir yogurt, place lid on jars and 

     they're ready for the refrigerator.

5. You can add any type of fruit or granola to your yogurt.

Simple and Bon Appetit! 

Well this is my first attempt at Yogurt - and it was a fail the first and second time.  After a bit of research I learned with making yogurt, it's best to use a yogurt culture vs. a enzyme powdered culture starter.  I started the process on August 3, 2016 but it took 3 attempts and a week of experimenting to get it right!  We will be experimenting different yogurts and flavors in the future and I hope you do too!  Enjoy!

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Pickles - A Day in the Life of Fermenting!

Pickles

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs of Pickling Cucumbers

5-6 tbsp Sea Salt

2-3 Heads of Garlic

Bunch of Flowering Dill

2 tbsp of Whole Coriander Seeds

1 tsp of Peppercorns

Directions:

1.  Rinse the cucumbers making sure the blossoms are removed.  Soak them in very cold water for a

     couple of hours.

2.  In a separate clean jar (not the one you'll be using for the picks), dissolve the salt into the 1/2 

     gallon of warm water.  Set aside as this brine will be one of the last things you'll add.  Into the 

     clean, gallon jar or crock you'll be using for the pickles, drop in the garlic, dill, coriander and

     peppercorns.  Then, put the cucumbers into the jar.  If you've sliced large cucumbers into spears, 

     pack the spears vertically into the jar.

3.  Pour the salt water solution (a.k.a. the brine) over the cucumbers.  You want your cucumbers to be 

     completely submerged in the vine at all times.  If they're sticking up above the line, they'll get 

     moldy. Another idea is to nest a smaller glass jar into the opening of the larger jar to keep 

     everything down.

4.  Your pickles will be ready after 1-4 weeks depending on the temperature in your house.  Every 

     couple days do a taste test of your pickles.  They're ready when they taste done to you.  Once they 

     do taste done, transfer the jar into the fridge to slow fermentation.  

Enjoy!

   

I love this "so simple" pickle recipe and you will too!  Pickles are a short harvest, I began mine on July 8th and starting munching away on July 16th!  It only takes a few days to a few weeks for pickles depending on how crunchy you like them.  So many ways to ferment pickles with different recipes from sour to sweet.  Keep in refrigerator, they last a very long time fermenting.  Enjoy!