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Shocking Experiment - What happens when you boil Soft Drink? Pepsi/Coca Cola & Others

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Shocking Experiment - What happens when you boil Soft Drink? You will be shocked to see the results!!! We bet you will not drink any "Soft Drink" ever again after seeing this video. One glass of 300 ml Soft Drink which we drink in movie theaters contains 23 tea spoons of Sugar.

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Dan-O at http://danosongs.com BUY KNIVES AND OTHER ITEMS ON MY WEBSITE! website- http://woometalworks.com/apps/webstore/ Email- nickwoo22@gmail.com facebook- http://www.facebook.com/WooMetalWorks in

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Easier Air Lock in Vid

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Easiest Homemade wine - strong, pineapple, organic & sweet ( by Abhishek Vishwe )

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Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AroundTheNextCurveWithAV The wine is strong, slightly sweet and has a slight bite to it. Best enjoyed when served at 6 - 7 degrees Celsius. Ingredients: 1.35 kg Pineapple 1.5 kg sugar 3.75 Liter water Dry yeast 2 tsp Email: abhishekvishwe@gmail.com

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How to Build a Cheap Mason Jar Airlock for Fermenting Vegetables

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If you are new to lacto-fermentation and don't want to dump a bunch of money on an expensive crock, mason jars can be a lifesaver. I like them because I can make small batches of vegetables without having to commit to an entire crock.

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Homemade Airlock - Simple & Cheap $0.10 (Easy How To)

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Air lock for beer brewing made for less than $0.10. Air lock Beer Brewing Homebrew Do it yourself How to make airlock household items how to make beer how to make hard cider

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Can be extreme for Americans
Green Onions and Sauce can help

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BEFORE MAKING NATTO

Be sure the entire process, including all utensils, pots, cheese cloth, etc. are as sterile as possible. (Boil utensils for 5 minutes prior to using.)

The jar of natto spores comes with a special small spoon; be sure to use the small spoon to measure the appropriate quantity for the recipe.

The fermentation process requires the natto be kept at approximately 100°F degrees for 22 to 24 hours. Ovens with a low temperature setting can be used, as can large cube-shaped food dehydrators.

Natto is quite odorous while fermenting, and you may want to isolate the natto during the fermentation time.

Supplies:

Sterilized Cheesecloth or butter muslin

Non-reactive pot (i.e., stainless steel, enameled, etc.)

Large stainless steel spoon

3-4 oven-proof glass containers with lids

Ingredients:

4 cups soybeans

2 tsp. water, boiled for 5 to 10 minutes to sterilize

1 spoonful Nattomoto Powder (use the special spoon that comes with the Natto Spores)

Instructions:

1. Wash the soybeans and soak for 9 to 12 hours (longer soaking time recommended during colder months). Be sure to use approximately 3 parts water and 1 part soybeans to allow for expansion. You will end up with 8 to 12 cups of beans.

2. Drain the beans from the soaking water. Place beans in a large pot, fill with water and boil for 9 hours.

3. Drain the cooked beans and place in a sterilized pot. Dissolve one special spoonful of natto spores into 2 teaspoons of sterilized water.

4. Immediately pour the natto spore solution over the beans while the beans are still warm. Stir the beans and water mixture together carefully using a sterilized spoon.

5. Place a thin layer of beans in each of the 3 to 4 containers. If at any point during the process some beans are spilled on the counter, etc., discard the spilled beans as they can contaminate the other beans if added back in to the batch.

6. Place the sterilized cheese cloth over the top of the containers and place the tight-fitting lid over the cheese cloth. Preheat the oven or a dehydrator to 100°F. See our article on Incubating Tempeh for more incubation ideas.

7. Place the covered containers in the oven, dehydrator, or warmer and allow the natto to ferment for 22 to 24 hours being sure to keep the temperature steady at 100°F.

8. At the conclusion of the fermentation period, let the natto cool for a couple of hours, then remove the lid and the cloth, replace the lid, and store the containers in the refrigerator at least overnight. The Natto can be consumed as early as the next morning and are often served as a Japanese-style breakfast. Natto can also be aged in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Smaller portions of finished natto can be stored in the freezer and thawed for later use.
Ready to Learn More?

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Be sure the entire process, including all utensils, pots, cheese cloth, etc. are as sterile as possible. (Boil utensils for 5 minutes prior to using.) The jar of natto spores comes with a special small spoon; be sure to use the small spoon to measure the appropriate quantity for the recipe.

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Our fermented grape leaves recipe is a way to naturally pickle raw grape leaves that doesn't involve traditional food canning methods, vinegar or boiling mason jars in a hot-water bath. In this recipe we instead use a probiotic inoculated saltwater brine solution to achieve that familiar delicious pickled flavor.

While it is possible to purchase commercial grape vine leaves in many grocery stores or specialty markets, these varieties are always made by first blanching the leaves, then preparing them in a vinegar/salt brine and further processing via customary food preservation techniques, a heat process which essentially destroys all enzyme and nutrient content.

Many manufacturers also frequently add a list of artificial preservatives like sodium benzoate, sodium bisulfite and potassium sorbate, not chemicals you want to consume as part of a health promoting diet.

The brine used in homemade ferments basically supports the growth of favorable strains of lactic acid bacteria and creates a fermented food with a tangy taste and soft texture that is similar to canned versions but still retains nutritive value along with beneficial microflora and enzymes that help to aid digestion.

When the leaves are fermented for a number of days in the brine, it produces a perfectly flexible leaf that is easy to roll around foods without tearing. One of their primary uses is, in fact, as a type of wrap for number of filling combinations. This creates a tightly rolled mini burrito-style finger food that is commonly enjoyed as an appetizer but also can be consumed as a main meal.

Historically, this is the most popular way to use grape vine leaves in many different Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, otherwise known as "stuffed grape leaves." A few examples of common dishes include dolmas, sarmas or yalangi, but they are likewise used in many other cultural delicacies around the world specific to regions where grape vines grow wild or can be cultivated.

Grape Leaf Nutrition

According to Nutritional Data, raw versions are significantly higher in nutrients than heat treated leaves.

Raw grape leaves additionally provide a great source of hardy fiber and contain a nutritious blend of some minerals and vitamins. They are high in beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium and manganese. When the leaf is cultured and its tannic compounds broken down, these nutrients become more bioavailable.

What are Lacto-Fermented Grape Leaves?

The fermented grape leaf recipe below is a lacto-fermentation process that cultures and preserve foods via the actions of microorganisms, like Lactobacillales, which are naturally present on the leaf surface. These strains of lactic acid bacteria convert the sugar and starch content into lactic acid, which acts as a preservative as well as pickling agent, boosting enzyme levels and beneficial microflora.

The lacto-fermentation process is achieved in much the same way as making other cultured vegetables by surrounding the leaves in a saltwater brine solution. When kept at the appropriate temperature between 65-75°F (18-24°C), this oxygen-free (anaerobic) environment supports the growth of desirable lactic acid bacteria (LABs) and eliminates pathogenic bacteria and mold contamination.

This liquid includes sea salt, pure filtered water and pickling spices. Adding a small amount of culture starter or probiotic powder can also help activate the growth and development of various LAB strains, so we also include about a 1/2t of Healthforce Nutritionals Friendly Force or Body Ecology Veggie Culture Starter, but any high quality acidophilus or probiotic powder also works fine.

Making Fermented Grape Leaves

When preparing to make your own homemade jar of pickled grape leaves, you must, of course, have access to either wild or cultivated leaves. Once you have about 30 leaves collected, the brine ingredients are fairly simple and take less than a few minutes to put together.

Harvesting Grape Leaves

In this recipe we use raw, fresh, wild grape leaves straight from the grapevine. Essentially, anywhere that wine grapes can grow you will also find wild varieties typically growing in abundance in forested regions, fields, meadows or along riverbanks.

As a prolific vine-growing species grapevines need something to trellis on and can often be found weaving their way through tall trees, brush, over rocks or homestead fencing. Because they tend to produce many leaves in just one small area of growth, it usually doesn't take long to gather a good supply for making one or more quarts of fermented grape leaves to last you for the year.

Likewise, any grape leaves from the genus Vitis can also be harvested. However, cultivated garden grapes and wine grape species are considered less preferred as far as taste quality and nutrition. This is because most of the energy goes into creating the fruit rather than the leaf growth. Wild grapes are often small and very sour, but have soft, tastier and tender leaves.

Identifying and Selecting Wild Grape Leaves

Grape leaves are very easy to identify, but can have a number of different shapes and edgings depending on the specific species or age of leaf growth. As with any wild food it is always recommended to positively identify any leaf variety before you consume it as there are many toxic plants integrated into wild habitats. In some countries, grape vines can also grow next to poison oak, which it good to be aware of when collecting your leaves.

The best grape leaves to select are those that are relatively young and tender, often emerging in the late spring or early summer months. Usually they are a vibrant green color and can have a slightly shiny appearance. However, you can also find harvestable leaves throughout the summer season especially when the leaves are located by a natural water source like a river, lake or stream.

It is, of course, best to forage for wild edibles that are not fed by polluted waters or close to industrial facilities or roads with a high amount of traffic exhaust.

The leaves can range in size, but generally the best for wraps are the larger leaf types, typically about the size of one's hand or roughly about 5-6 inches wide. We have, however, used much smaller leaves and they do work fine, they just provide for a much smaller wrapped finger food portion.

Tips for Fermenting Grape Leaves

Rolling Your Leaves - One of the best ways to pack the leaves into the jar is to roll them. This means that you will stack about 10 leaves, going in the same direction, then roll them and secure by tying with a grape vine. We have found they roll best with the veins showing on the outside. When selecting the best grape vine "ties", choose flexible new shoots from the very ends of the vines. This is typically the part of the plant searching for something to trellis on to continue its growth.

Prepare Using Fresh Leaves - Make your ferment the day you harvest your leaves. It often helps to prepare brine solution ahead of time, so all you need to do is wash and roll your fresh raw leaves, place them in a jar and add the pre-made brine liquid. Leaves can, however, be kept in the fridge like any leafy green vegetable, but we recommend washing them first.

Using a Top Layer of Leaves - After placing your rolled leaves into the jar with the stem at the bottom, sometimes they tend to float to the surface above the brine solution. This means that some of your leaf tips may not ferment appropriately. To avoid this we always place about 3-5 folded grape leaves on top to keep the rolls packed under the liquid. This will eliminate their exposure to air at the top of the jar. This method is similar to using a cabbage leaf layer on top of sauerkraut and kimchi recipes.

Fermented Grape Leaves Recipe

This recipe calls for about 30 grape leaves, which will be fermented in a one quart jar of liquid brine. From start to finish the fermentation process usually takes about 7-10 days at 65-75°F (18-24°C) for a nicely pickled and flexible leaf.

As with any fermented food, it is important to sanitize all equipment and tools before use.

Ingredients:

30 raw grape leaves

3-5 raw grape leaves (for the top layer)

3 flexible grape vine "ties", about 1/2 a foot long

Brine Solution:

3C pure filtered water (or enough to cover your leaves)

2 whole cloves of garlic, sliced in half

2T sea salt

2t dill seed

1t black peppercorns

1/2t probiotic powder or culture starter

1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Make your liquid brine solution using the above ingredients directly in a one quart glass jar, cover with a lid and shake to dissolve salt.

2. Rinse off your freshly harvested grape leaves in a colander using pure filtered water.

3. Remove stems.

4. Stack them facing in the same direction, in 3 stacks of 10.

5. Roll each stack, with vein-side facing out, and tie with a grape vine (snug but not too tight).

6. Place the rolls one at a time inside a clean sanitized quart jar, with the stems on the bottom.

7. Pour brine solution over the top. Add more water if necessary to cover your leaf rolls.

8. Take one of your extra grape leaves and fold into a square shape and place on top. Repeat adding more leaves, until rolled leaves are fully submerged underneath the brine.

9. Screw on a loose lid and cover with a clean cloth (or use a kraut cap airlock) for approximately 7-10 days, depending on temperature. Warmer locations will take less time, while cooler ones will take about 10 days.

10. Allow to ferment in a cupboard or counter-top space out of direct sunlight.

Remember that the culturing process will turn the green leaves a duller olive-brown color, this is normal. The end result should be soft and pliable and have a pleasant pickled aroma.

Fermented grape leaves very rarely go bad, but on occasions if temperature gets too hot, mold can develop (especially if you're not using a kraut cap airlock). If so, it is best to discard the ferment and begin again at appropriate temperature.

The leaves should be stored in the brine liquid and will last for many months or much longer when refrigerated. They make wonderful wraps for all kinds of foods and are especially great to eat with cooked foods and grains to help predigest them.

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Return from Fermented Grape Leaves to Medicinal Mushrooms

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Fermented Grape Leaves, A Homemade Recipe Using Wild Leaves

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Our fermented grape leaves recipe is a way to naturally pickle raw grape leaves that doesn't involve traditional food canning methods, vinegar or boiling mason jars in a hot-water bath. In this recipe we instead use a probiotic inoculated saltwater brine solution to achieve that familiar delicious pickled flavor.

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Fermented foods are a special group of foods that have gone through a fermentation process, creating a deliciously pickled or strongly flavored condiment, food or drink.

Some of the most commonly known food ferments include wine, cheese and pickles. However, there are many others that involve the use of vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans or liquids such as vegan milks, teas or even water.

These "cultured foods", like sauerkraut and coconut kefir, contain communities of friendly microscopic bacteria that are extremely beneficial to the health of the colon and the entire digestive tract.

Others, including tempeh, vegan seed cheese and miso, provide necessary components that help to predigest whole foods, like beans and seeds, breaking them down into usable nutrients and amino acids.

Whether you are consuming a high raw diet or a fast food diet, it can be very beneficial to a health promoting lifestyle to add in some variety of these cultured superfoods and drinks on a regular basis. All of our top 7 fermented foods listed further below are additionally easy and fun to make at home with minimal tools or supplies.

Alive and Unpasteurized Fermentation

The types of ferments we are referring to are alive and unpasteurized, each containing unique groups of activated bacteria and yeasts microbes. These beneficial microorganisms, and the enzymes they produce, are destroyed by heat and pasteurization.

You don't need to add artificial food preservatives to food ferments, they are already naturally preserved, some lasting for weeks, while others increase in flavor and nutritional value by slowly developing over many months or even years in some cases.

Fermentation is essentially the bacterial conversion of starches and sugars into lactic acid and acetic acid. It is one of the most ancient forms of food preservation.

"Humans have been fermenting longer than we've been writing words or cultivating soil." Sandor Katz

Since early times, people worldwide have been fermenting or culturing foods as a nourishing and flavor enhancing way to preserve food when refrigeration was not possible.

Food fermentation is practiced on nearly every continent with many varying techniques, using an assortment of different foods and liquids. Many of our favorite fermented foods we list below are still consumed today, adopted as main condiments, foods or beverages in the cultures where they first originated.

"It is important to recognize that fermentation is a natural phenomenon much broader than human culinary practices; cells in our bodies are capable of fermentation. In other words, humans did not invent or create fermentation; it would be more accurate to state that fermentation created us." The Art of Fermentation

Benefits of Fermented Foods

Healthy Microbial Balance and Diversity

There are approximately one hundred trillion microorganisms, between 400-500 different species, present in healthy human intestines. "The metabolic activities performed by these bacteria resemble those of an organ, leading some to liken gut bacteria to a 'forgotten' organ." ( Source) Many health experts agree that a healthy balance of gut flora, or also called gut microbiota, in the digestive tract and specifically the intestines is extremely important for maintaining the health of the entire body, organs and systems.

Achieving a healthy ratio of bacteria and yeasts within the body helps to improve metabolism, enhance hormonal production and increases the synthesis certain B complex vitamins and other nutrients, increasing their uptake.

Because gut flora is fed through dietary intake, when you consume an assortment of different live ferments, you encourage greater microbial biodiversity in your body that can be helpful for reestablishing a stable "inner ecosystem", improving overall health and enhancing immune function. When the fungal group of microorganisms, which are naturally helpful in small amounts, take over we become more susceptible to disease and yeast infections.

One of the leading causes of this type of overgrowth is the ever so common use of antibiotics (against-life) which kill the friendly bacteria and cause the fungal species, like candida, to dominate. Fermented foods, including sauerkraut, kefir and others, contain billions of natural probiotic (pro-life) organisms, like Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus strains, and can be very beneficial for counteracting the negative impacts that antibiotic (anti-life) use can have on gut flora.

In addition, unbeneficial yeast overgrowth's can also occur from the frequent consumption of low quality foods, obesity, stress, diabetes as well as a number of prescribed medications. In extreme cases, it is additionally helpful to eat these cultured foods when supplementing with lab-produced probiotic powders, which increases their effectiveness.

Digestive Aids, High in Enzymes

As the beneficial microflora grow in fermented foods, they produce enzymes that are extremely helpful for increasing "digestive fire" and improving nutrient absorption of the foods we eat. These enzymes additionally help to digest other foods that are eaten with them. For those of you who tend to eat a lot of cooked or packaged foods void of enzymes, adding them to your diet can greatly enhance nutritional uptake.

"Neither vitamins, minerals, or hormones can do any work - without enzymes." Dr. Edward Howell

Most all disease originates in the gastrointestinal tract, specifically the colon. When there is an excess accumulation of waste material and toxins in this region, negative implications can impact the rest of the digestive system and eventually will effect vital organ, like the kidneys and liver. This may produce various symptoms like headaches, inflammation in the joints, chronic muscle pain, skin issues and other more serious health conditions.

Consuming only small amounts of enzyme-rich cultured food can be particularly beneficial as a natural detoxifier, processing undigested waste material and the toxins they create in the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes, fermented drinks and foods have a mild laxative effect on the bowels and can help to prevent constipation and encourage regular healthy bowel movements.

Most ferments are meant to be eaten in small portions rather than large quantities. More is not necessarily better when it comes to eating or drinking them daily as they tend to move things through the body quite rapidly and may cause adverse effects and stomach upset if over consumed.

A Predigested Food

Culturing foods "predigests" them and makes their nutritional components more bioavailable to the digestive system. This is because these types of foods or drinks have already converted the natural sugars, starches and proteins, predigesting them so you don't have to use your own digestive enzyme reserves to accomplish the task. When we ferment foods, like beans used to make tempeh for instance, the proteins as a result are broken down into amino acids, that can be readily assimilated.

Kefir is another good example of a fermented food that predigests the lactose content in dairy, which can make it more digestible for those who are lactose-intolerant. Also, when making raw aged vegan cheeses, this process is essential for increasing flavor and making the ingredients like nuts and seeds more easily absorbed and utilized nutrition-wise.

Nuts and seeds also contain a compound called phytic acid, which is known to block the bioavailability of certain minerals. Other toxins naturally present in some foods, like oxalic acid, nitrites, prussic acid, glucosides and nitrosamines are reduced or eliminated altogether with the fermentation process.

Our Top 7 Fermented Foods List

Here is our list of fermented food favorites, some of which you may wish to explore according to your own personal needs, desires and health goals. All of them can be produced "homemade-style" which is, in our opinion, the best way to consume them for the highest possible nutritional benefits as well as flavor. They are also quite fun to make and "grow" yourself and much more cost effective than buying unpasteurized commercial brands.

You can enjoy these top fermented foods as zesty condiments, tangy beverages, rich flavorings and some of the most savory of foods all by themselves.

Kombucha is a tangy and slightly fizzy beverage drink made from fermenting a sweetened tea liquid with the kombucha "mushroom" culture, a thick gelatinous mat made up of multiple species of bacteria and yeasts. Cultured kombucha is a refreshing, non-caffeinated, yet energizing drink that can be a great alternative to sodas or caffeinated beverages. It contains a number of nutritious elements including amino acids, polyphenols, vitamin C and is known to be high in B vitamins.

Kombucha is recognized as a helpful detoxification aid, containing an ingredient called glucuronic acid, a compound that binds with toxins in the body and safely removes them. It is also known for its immune boosting effects due to certain antioxidants like epigallocatechin gallate and Vit. C, in addition to the organic acids including lactic, gluconic, glucuronic and acetic acids.

It is very easy to make a homemade kombucha and these versions are often higher in quality and nutritional components compared to uniform store bought products.

2) Cultured Vegetables or Sauerkraut

Raw cultured vegetables, also referred to as " sauerkraut", is a fermented food made by culturing chopped or shredded cabbage in its own juice or brine solution. This can be achieved with or without the use of a probiotic culture starter as cabbage has naturally occurring beneficial microbes present on its leaves. Many other vegetables and spices can be added for extra flavor and variety, but cabbage is usually always a main ingredient. Over time, between 4-10 days (or much longer depending on how you like them), the vegetables become slightly pickled, zesty and incredibly tasty.

The original version of sauerkraut, or types of cultured cabbage, are thought to have originated north of China as far back as 200 B.C. and were later introduced in European countries, like Germany where the word "sauerkraut" was coined. Sauerkraut is still used as a pickled condiment served all across Europe, as well as in Asian countries with the popular Korean version known as " kimchi."

Unpasteurized raw sauerkraut is known for its diverse array of beneficial lactic acid bacteria and enzyme content, properties of which became especially popular in the U.S. in the mid 1990's with the introduction of the Body Ecology Diet. This diet largely promotes the use of naturally fermented sauerkraut as a condiment for improving digestion, inhibiting candida overgrowth and boosting immune health.

Visit our basic sauerkraut recipes page for more on how to get started making your own cultured vegetables. Also, check out our page on how to make fermented grape leaves.

Tempeh (pronounced "tem-pay") is a fermented bean cake known to have originated from the Indonesian island of Java, one of the main chain of islands located next to Bali. It is traditionally made with soybean but can also be made with a single bean variety or a mixed combination of beans and grains. The white mycelium spore cultures (Rhizopus oryzae and Rhizopus oligosporus) form the tempeh cake, which can be sliced raw, fried or steamed as an alternative to meat.

It is always best to eat cooked beans as a fermented food because they are easier to digest, enabling greater absorption of the protein and amino acid content. Tempeh is a quick ferment, only taking about 24-36 hours at optimal temperature. For more details on how to make your own, you can visit our homemade garbanzo bean tempeh recipe, black bean tempeh or our recipe using black-eyed peas.

We always recommend the fresh handmade variety rather than store bought brands that are exclusively made with soybean. Homemade tempeh has a rich taste, like gourmet mushrooms and is really incomparable to any commercial tempeh product. (Learn more about how to prepare tempeh here.)

Kefir is believed to have come from somewhere in the Caucasus Mountain region, specifically Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Iran, where it has thrived as a sacred cultured food for centuries. It is a tart yogurt-like drink that is traditionally made by fermenting dairy milk, but other vegan milk varieties can also be used such as coconut milk and nut milks. There are also versions of water kefir that are lower in calories and fat content. Kefir is originally made using "kefir grains" but can also be fermented these days with a powder culture starter.

During the fermentation process, kefir develops a complex matrix of beneficial microorganisms that can greatly improve the health of the colon and entire gastrointestinal tract as well as boost immune functions. Providing natural probiotic properties that can be extremely helpful for reestablishing healthy gut flora, drinking a glass in the morning on an empty stomach is especially recommended for those who have a past history of antibiotic use as these drugs tend to kill all microflora in the body.

You can learn how to make your own homemade raw vegan version using our coconut kefir recipe.

Miso is a traditional fermented food native to China and Japan, but is used in all parts of Southeast Asia especially Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia. It is a rich salty bean paste, created by fermenting mashed cooked beans and salt with a culture starter called "koji" or Aspergillus oryzae. Soybean is often the main ingredient found in Asian miso's, but it can alternatively be made with other types of legumes.

Most people worldwide are familiar with "miso soup", which is the paste dissolved in hot water heated below boiling temperature to preserve its nutritional components. Containing a certain compound, called dipicolinic acid, miso soup consumption has been proven helpful for chelating the effects of radiation exposure and may help offer protective properties against certain types of cancers, especially breast and prostate.

For those of you inspired to make your own cultured miso using garbanzo bean, visit our homemade miso recipe and our page on how to decant it.

6) Seed Cheese

Seed cheese is a delicious tangy vegan cultured cheese commonly made from sunflower seed, pumpkin seed as well as other seeds, nuts or combinations of both. The process of fermenting seed or nut based cheeses involves soaking, straining and blending the mix with a probiotic powder to initially inoculate the ferment. Similar to making dairy milk cheese, the whey is drained out allowing the kurds or cheese to thicken to either a ricotta-type consistency or a firm sliceable cheese.

This is a very good way to consume nuts or seeds as the process of fermentation, producing enzymes and beneficial microflora, helps to break down the phytates and plant proteins. This essentially predigests them, making the nutrients and especially minerals more bioavailable to the body.

The original seed cheeses were invented and popularized by Dr. Ann Wigmore in the 1960's along with wheatgrass and rejuvelac. You can visit our seed cheese recipes page for more details on how to make them and we also have a homemade cheese its cracker recipe that uses a fermented nut cheese for a healthy vegan version of the famous "Cheez Its" cracker.

7) Rejuvelac

Rejuvelac is a refreshing, slightly sour and fizzy liquid ferment made from a combination of sprouted grain and pure water. The traditional grain used is wheat berry but rejuvelac can be made from most any grain including gluten-free versions like millet or quinoa. All grain selections have their own unique bouquet of flavors and some are preferred over others.

The beverage first became popular in the 1960's under the influence of living food enthusiast Dr. Ann Wigmore, the original founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute. The fermented drink is believed to have Baltic origins and is closely related to the traditional Romanian drink, called Bors, a fermented wheat bran used to make a sour soup called ciorba.

Rejuvelac is used as an enzyme-rich digestive aid that is best when consumed in small amounts first thing in the morning or between meals on an empty stomach. The beverage is also particularly helpful as a natural gentle laxative, which assists in relieving constipation and breaking down potential undigested waste material in the large intestine.

Visit our fermented food recipes page for a complete list of all our cultured recipes using easy, simple, step by step instructions for making your own fermented foods at home.

Precautions:

When first introducing ferments into the diet it is normal to experience some initial gas and bloating, excessive amounts however can cause stomach upset and loose stools in some cases. It is important to consider avoiding food ferments if you have severe allergies to molds.

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Top 7 Fermented Foods to Add to Your Diet

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Fermented foods are a special group of foods that have gone through a fermentation process, creating a deliciously pickled or strongly flavored condiment, food or drink. Some of the most commonly known food ferments include wine, cheese and pickles.

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http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/fermented-food-recipes.html

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This is our list of fermented food recipes that we offer for FREE on the pages of this website. We have long adopted them as vegan staple foods and dietary condiments that we make on regular basis for their flavor as well as their nutritive health qualities.

Most of these recipes are perfect for those new to food fermentation with simple step by step instructions, helpful tips and basic tool requirements. The only thing you will need to acquire in advance is your culture starter, which varies depending on the food or liquid you choose to ferment.

Some of these starters are hard to find items not commonly found in stores, but must be purchased from online suppliers. We list some of our top recommended favorites by category in our Fermented Foods Store.

Benefits of Making Homemade Fermented Food Recipes

We are "make it homemade" enthusiasts and always encourage do-it-yourself versions over commercially manufactured foods whenever possible. Whether you are creating whole food or raw vegan meals, growing sprouts, concocting herbal tea formulas or making your own cultured foods, there is nothing quite like a creation made by your own two hands.

In addition, handmade foods can not only be higher in nutritional properties but are also extremely cost-effective, often giving you way more quantity for the price of ingredients used. When it comes to making fermented foods, they are typically made in large batches and, as a naturally preserved food, can be easily stored for later use.

This means that the time and effort you spend making your recipe is worth much more than just one small serving. Our fermented food recipes average out to about 8 portions of tempeh and seed cheese, 16 shot-size glasses of rejuvelac, a quart of coconut kefir, a gallon of kombucha and miso and half a gallon of sauerkraut.

Because these foods and drinks must go through a fermentation process in order to fully mature and become beneficial to health, it may take a bit of practice when you initially begin to cultured your own food and drink. One of the main things we have discovered over the years, when sharing recipes with others, is to keep it simple with very basic fermented food recipes that you can later build as you develop more experience.

What is a Fermented Food?

Fermented foods are foods (and drinks) that undergo the process of fermentation in which various microorganisms, like lactic acid bacteria, transform vegetables, beans, milks, liquids, nuts and seeds into savory, soured or pickled foods.

This is accomplished by using a starter culture or specific bacteria species, usually in the form of a powder or grain-like substance. These bacteria when added to the food substrate literally feed on it, producing as a by-product many enzymes and bacteria beneficial for healthy human gut microbiota and enhanced digestive functions.

Any one culture starter is usually made up of a microbial community of different species that work together collectively to create a beneficial environment for their continued proliferation. Placed in the appropriate environment conductive to their growth, often an anaerobic oxygen-deprive one, beneficial microbial species dominate and protect the food from less beneficial molds and harmful microorganisms.

The fermented food recipes we list below are the transformative action of these microscopic organisms, producing a flavor enhanced condiment, food or drink with additional health promoting compounds specific to each variety.

Fermented Food Recipes List

1) Kombucha Recipe

Our homemade kombucha recipe is incredibly easy to make and just as delicious, if not more, as any store-bought variety. If you can make a pot of tea, you can make kombucha.

Containing 4 simple ingredients, plus a kombucha mushroom, the initial process involves steeping your tea, dissolving the sugar and placing everything in a gallon jar with the "scoby" and a small amount of active kombucha liquid. During a period of about 10-14 days, the liquid will begin to culture producing an effervescent beverage and health enhancing drink.

Making your own kombucha is a fun experience for the whole family and saves you major costs on commercially manufactured brands that are rendered to produce a more uniform product with potentially less health benefits. Over time you can experiment with using different types of teas, sweeteners and adding in herbs, spices, fruit juices and various superfoods. (See our kombucha mojito recipe for a energizing cocktail replacement.)

Culture Starter: Kombucha is made using a scoby mushroom culture, which is a thick gelatinous mat that contains strains of yeast and bacteria. Not all cultures provide exactly the same varieties or proportions of each, but all are generally comprised of two specific kombucha strains: the Gluconacetobacter kombuchae bacteria and the Zygosaccharomyces kombuchaensis yeast. ( Source)

You can grow your own scoby using a bottle of active kombucha liquid or you can buy them from online suppliers.

2) Raw Cultured Vegetable Recipes

Unpasteurized raw cultured vegetables are zesty, pickled taste sensations packed with enzymes and probiotics, extremely beneficial for a healthy digestive tract. Many people these days are learning to make their own raw sauerkraut from scratch the way many cultures around the world have been crafting it for centuries. Homemade sauerkraut is very affordable to prepare with minimal kitchen tools and ingredients.

Sauerkraut is one of our top favorite fermented food recipes to prepare and we have been making it homemade-style for many many years. One of the benefits to handcrafting your own is that you get to select from the wide variety of vegetables, spices and seasonings that correspond with your personal tastes as well as health goals.

Here on this website, we provide our cultured vegetables recipe, plus two basic sauerkraut recipes to get you started fermenting quarts or gallon jars with helpful tips to guide you through the process. (Also, visit our homemade kimchi recipe for a spicy Korean-style version, in addition to our recipe for fermented grape leaves.)

Culture Starter: There are naturally occurring Lactobacillus cultures present on most vegetables, especially cabbage, which act as a natural culture starter that will eventually proliferate your veggies and promote lacto-fermentation.

To help this along many people also add in small amounts of different powdered probiotic strains of the lactic acid bacteria called Lactobacillales. This includes species from the genus Leuconostuc, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus and Pediococcus.

3) Kefir Recipe

Kefir is a thick, yogurt-like cultured drink traditionally made from dairy milk, but can also be made from coconut milk or various nut milk varieties. It is a sour, yet refreshing, fermented food inoculated with valuable bacteria and yeast that break down the lactose in milk, or other sugars found in vegan milks, into lactic acid and propionic acid.

As it ferments, it develops a complex matrix of beneficial microorganisms that can be helpful for reestablishing healthy gut flora and boosting immune functions. Regular or periodic consumption coats the lining of the digestive tract and intestines where these friendly bacteria can further incubate and colonize.

If you decide to make kefir from dairy milk, we would advise using organic raw milk as oppose to pasteurized. For those of you who would like a raw vegan option, try out our coconut kefir recipe created using fresh Thai coconut water and meat. Fermenting kefir is a short event, only taking about 24 hours to produce a completely cultured drink.

Culture Starter: To ferment dairy or vegan milks you will need either a powdered culture starter or "kefir grains", a rubbery cauliflower-like mass that continues to grow the more you use it.

Using kefir grains is the traditional way to make "true" kefir as the culture contains a complex array of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, unlike the powdered kefir starters. Kefir grains can also be used over and over for new batches or kept in the fridge or freezer for later use. We have had our kefir grains for over 15 years!

4) Seed Cheese Recipes

Seed cheeses are made using a combination of nuts and seeds, soaked and blended with seasonings and probiotic culture. The fermentation process can take anywhere from between 6-48 hours or much longer for advanced cheesemaking. The procedure is very similar to making aged dairy cheeses, using the same techniques employed to separate the curd solids from the whey liquid. In this case the curds are a non-dairy plant-based variety that is cultured for a period of time to develop certain flavors and textures.

The initial form of "seed cheese" was a short ferment created using mostly sunflower seed and sometimes pumpkin seed back in the 1960's, but since this time there have been some new developments in the raw vegan world.

Cultured non-dairy cheeses are now being made with other nuts and seeds like hemp, almonds, cashews and macadamia and fermented with weights to create a sliceable cheese consistency. On our seed cheese recipes page, we share our basic seed cheese recipe, in addition to a cultured cream cheese and a turmeric Parmesan variety.

Culture Starter: Seed or nut cheeses are usually inoculated with a probiotic culture. The one most predominantly used among gourmet raw vegan chefs is the Lactobacillus acidophilus species.

This can be purchased as a probiotic supplement available in powdered form. Alternatively, many people still use rejuvelac to culture seed cheese, the traditional way it was accomplished back in the old days.

5) Tempeh Recipe

Although you may think that making homemade tempeh is a very involved procedure, it couldn't be more rudimentary. It essentially encompasses fermenting cooked beans together with small amounts of vinegar and tempeh starter, which is then cultured over a 24 hour period at a temperature between 85-90°F (29-32°C).

As far as fermented food recipes go, this one is probably the pickest as far as incubation temps, which need to be fairly stable during this process. We share several ways to do this on our recipe pages for black-eyed pea tempeh, garbanzo bean tempeh and black bean tempeh.

If you are not necessarily a tempeh lover, we would like to reassure you that homemade tempeh tastes nothing like the bland and rubbery tempeh you find in most health food stores. Fresh tempeh has a rich exquisite flavor much like that of gourmet mushrooms with a firm sliceable but pleasant texture.

The added bonus to making your own from scratch is that you don't have to use soybeans. Tempeh can be created using most any bean variety. Over time, as your skills improve, you might also want to add in grains and any number of seaweeds and spices.

Culture Starter: To make tempeh you will need to purchase a starter, which is basically the Rhizopus oligosporus/oryzae mold spores on a dried rice substrate, usually in powdered form.

Once you have a good starter (preferably an Indonesian variety) you can actually propagate more of your own by dehydrating thin slices of over-ripened tempeh and blending it into a powder. This is an advance technique, however, not recommended for beginners.

6) Miso Recipe

Miso is by far the longest ferment on this list of fermented food recipes. Taking anywhere from 6 months to 2 years or longer, it is however well worth the wait. Once you get into the habit of making a new batch every time you decant a fermented one, you will always have many jars of homemade miso available as a back stock.

There are a number of benefits to making your own and, like tempeh, one of them is that miso can also be made from other beans, not just soybean. Soybeans are a traditional bean used in Asian cultures, but some of our favorite miso's are made using black bean and garbanzo bean (or chickpea).

We show you how to make miso using garbanzo bean on our homemade miso recipe page and using black bean on our black bean miso paste recipe page.

The actual action required to create the initial paste takes less than 3-4 hours, including bean cooking time. The rest is simply waiting for the culturing process that occurs most rapidly in the warmer seasons. Miso years are calculated by the number of summers it has aged. So, if you have gone through one summer of fermentation, then you have one-year-old miso, technically speaking.

It is always best to allow 6 months for a higher quality end result. We usually ferment ours for at least one entire year, decanting miso made in winter the following winter season.

Culture Starter: Miso requires the culture starter called "koji" which is usually a rice grain inoculated with the Aspergillus oryzae mold species. This is a B-12 synthesizing organism that produces lactic acid bacteria, which not only cultures the beans but helps to protect the miso from spoilage. It is also used to make amazaké, soy sauce, saké and pickles.

7) Rejuvelac Recipe

Rejuvelac is probably the easiest ferment to make out of all our fermented food recipes. It doesn't require special culture starters and only involves two ingredients: water and grain. The grains, usually wheatberries, are sprouted in advance and added to a jar of pure water for a 1-2 day period.

The end result produces a slightly tart, lemony-tasting liquid that acts as a digestive aid via its increased enzyme content. The beverage is also particularly helpful as a natural gentle laxative and also contains beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria.

It can be made from a variety of grains like rye, kamut, barley, millet or quinoa, each producing their own unique flavors. Some grains like quinoa and millet may also be more suitable for those on a gluten-free diet.

The one thing you do need to prepare in advance is the sprouted grain of your choice. Sprouting grains is a very simple process that involves soaking and straining the grain in a jar for several days until until it produces tiny white sprouts.

Rejuvelac is one of those fermented drinks that can't be purchased from the health food store, but must be created homemade-style. We have two recipes for making rejuvelac, one using the traditional sprouted wheatberry and the other is made using sprouted quinoa.

Culture Starter: Rejuvelac is a bit different than other ferments in that you are not using a specific culture starter, like you would when making other fermented food recipes. It is considered a "wild fermentation" because the beneficial microorganisms needed to successfully culture the water are naturally present on the grains and sprouts themselves. No added starter is therefore required.

Precautions:

When first introducing homemade fermented food recipes into the diet, it is normal to experience some initial gas and bloating. Excessive amounts of fermented food and drink, however, can cause stomach upset and loose stools in some cases. It is important to consider avoiding homemade fermented food recipes if you have severe allergies to molds.

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Our Fermented Food Recipes, How to Make Your Own Homemade Ferments

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This is our list of fermented food recipes that we offer for FREE on the pages of this website. We have long adopted them as vegan staple foods and dietary condiments that we make on regular basis for their flavor as well as their nutritive health qualities.