Honey Fermented Garlic

What is the difference between fermented garlic and honey fermented garlic? The difference is mostly sweetness, but fermented garlic uses a saltwater brine, whereas honey garlic uses the liquid from the garlic cloves combined with the live enzymes and microbes in the honey to ferment. Both are very useful to support the immune system, but honey garlic has the additional benefit of raw honey. Most children like the sweetness, so it may be easier to get garlic into the children.

How long does it take to ferment? Fermentation will be well on its way in about a week, but most prefer to ferment for about a month. Even in this thick honey the garlic did float, so make sure to turn it over every day to make sure the garlic stays coated while it ferments. Check the lid before, it may come loose from the gassings.

Where do I source local, raw honey? You want to get your honey from a local farmer. One, because they’re the best. Two, local honey can help with allergies. When you buy your honey, ask the following questions to see how aligned your beekeeper is with your priorities of healthy honey:

• Where are your bees located?

• How do you process your honey?

• Is it cold pressed or raw?

Their answers will give you an idea how close they are to pesticide areas and will give you an idea if your beekeeper is trying to avoid pesticide areas. The process they describe should include harvesting their honey, putting it in a cold spinner, and spinning the honey while filtering out pieces of beeswax and bee parts with a mesh filter. The honey then goes into buckets and is divided into the containers that you purchase. You want to find honey that is processed with no heat, and only the basic filtering. Most people who do this process will do only small batches, which is ideal.

Ingredients for Honey Fermented Garlic:

• Garlic, peeled

• Raw Honey

Directions for Honey Fermented Garlic:

Peel enough garlic to fit in your jar, you want both the honey and the garlic to be raw. Do not crush garlic. The bacteria and wild yeast in the raw honey and the juice in the garlic is what is used for the fermentation.

Add enough raw honey to the jar to cover the garlic cloves.

Place a lid on the jar and find a cool place for it to rest. The mixture can bubble up, so I recommend keeping a plate underneath. Turn over every day or so. Eat anytime, but it takes a month to be finished. 

A few notes:

• Garlic cloves can turn blue or green while fermenting. Not to worry, this is related to the sulfur content in the garlic.

• Honey Fermented Garlic can be stored for long periods of time in a cool dark place.

• The longer you ferment, the milder the flavor. 

To eat, you eat with the honey. Keep them together. Because it has medicinal properties. Enjoy!!

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Honey Fermented Garlic

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Fermented Garlic is very useful to support the immune system, and honey fermented garlic has the additional benefit of raw honey. Most children like the sweetness, so it may be easier to get garlic into the children.

Ingredients

• Garlic, peeled
• Raw Honey

Instructions

1. Peel enough garlic to fit in your jar, you want both the honey and the garlic to be raw. Do not crush garlic. The bacteria and wild yeast in the raw honey and the juice in the garlic is what is used for the fermentation.
2. Add enough raw honey to the jar to cover the garlic cloves.
3. Place a lid on the jar and find a cool place for it to rest. The mixture can bubble up, so I recommend keeping a plate underneath. Turn over every day or so. Eat anytime, but it takes a month to be finished.
4. To eat, you eat with the honey. Keep them together. Because it has medicinal properties. Enjoy!!

Kid Friendly Rainbow Ferment

One of the best ways to get kids excited about eating real food is to make it fun! You can do this by making the preparation or cooking process fun, giving it a fun name, or making the presentation fun, like eating “Ants on a Log”.

When giving fermented food to your children, it’s best to consider what vegetables they already like and in what forms. For example, if your child really likes coleslaw, then sauerkraut will likely be a favorite but if they like carrot sticks, ginger carrots will probably go over well.

Feel free to discuss and replace any of these vegetables with vegetables of similar color that your family likes better. You should be able to make this fun and interactive ferment a family favorite.

Some of my favorite salts for ferments are baja gold and Redman’s real salt. 

Ingredients for Rainbow Ferment:

• Red Beets

• Carrots

• Yellow Pepper

• Broccoli

• Purple Cabbage

• Baja Salt

• Water

Directions for Rainbow Ferment:

Fill a quart mason jar most of the way with cold filtered water. Remember filtered water is very important here otherwise you will kill your ferment.

Add 3 tbsp of salt. Stir to dissolve completely.

Cut the vegetables into bite size pieces and layer them in the jar in rainbow color order. Try not to overfill the jar. The vegetables should not come any taller than the shoulder of the jar. A jar that is too full is more likely to leak and make a mess in your kitchen.

When you get to the cabbage, set aside one full small leaf. Fill the jar with the brine up to the shoulder. Add the cabbage leaf to the top to hold all the vegetables under the level of the water.

Wipe off the top of the jar & add a lid and band. Close to finger tightness.

Leave on the counter for 5-7 days. Then move to cold storage.

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Kid Friendly Rainbow Ferment

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• Red Beets
• Carrots
• Yellow Pepper
• Broccoli
• Purple Cabbage
• Baja Salt
• Water

Instructions

1. Fill a quart mason jar most of the way with cold filtered water. Remember filtered water is very important here otherwise you will kill your ferment.
2. Add 3 tbsp of salt. Stir to dissolve completely.
3. Cut the vegetables into bite size pieces and layer them in the jar in rainbow color order. Try not to overfill the jar. The vegetables should not come any taller than the shoulder of the jar. A jar that is too full is more likely to leak and make a mess in your kitchen.
4. When you get to the cabbage, set aside one full small leaf. Fill the jar with the brine up to the shoulder. Add the cabbage leaf to the top to hold all the vegetables under the level of the water.
5. Wipe off the top of the jar & add a lid and band. Close to finger tightness.
6. Leave on the counter for 5-7 days. Then move to cold storage.

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Apple Scrap Vinegar

This recipe makes a type of apple cider vinegar. The difference is it’s made with apple scraps, as opposed to starting with apple cider that gets turned into apple cider vinegar. I love the idea of apple scrap vinegar because you utilize the entire apple! 

My main use of apple cider vinegar is detox baths so I don’t necessarily need apple vinegar as rich in taste as apple vinegar made from cider. You can also use it to make this salad dressing.

This is so simple and easy that you can throw a jar together any time you are creating anything else with apples like dried apples or applesauce.

Ingredients for Apple Scrap Vinegar:

• Apple Scraps from 5-6 Apples

• Filtered Water

• Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother

Directions for Apple Scrap Vinegar:

Add your apple scraps to a jar. You want the scraps to be packed into the jar fairly tightly.

Add filtered water almost to the shoulder.

Top with 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to jump start the fermentation process.

Seal with a lid. Leave on the counter for 3 weeks. 

Strain out liquid into a separate jar.

Put the lid back on and set aside for 2-4 additional weeks.

It will develop a vinegar smell and taste. If, after 2 weeks, it does not have that, wait an additional two weeks. 

Once it’s done, keep it in the fridge if it will take you a while to use it.

Fermented Ginger Carrots

These are a kid favorite!  This recipe is based on the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook but I’ve found most kids prefer carrots sliced rather than grated.

If you’re new to fermenting, read this section first! Otherwise, skip down to the recipe. 

Jars: I prefer using wide mouth jars for almost everything because small mouth jars are difficult to clean and access. There’s no need to sterilize jars for fermenting. If you clean your jars in your dishwasher, I recommend a quick rinse under hot water to remove any dishwasher soap residue.

Lids: Start with clean jar lids. You can reuse them as long as they are not very broken down or rusted. You can reuse lids from previous projects like water bath canning or other ferments as long as it is not rusty or the plastic is not visibly broken down.

Water: Be sure to use filtered water. The chlorine added to tap water kills microbial creatures so if you use it in your ferments, it will kill the good bacteria that we are trying to grow in our fermented food.

When you are jar fermenting, you need to have a tight seal with the metal lids but after you open a ferment, you can switch to a white plastic lid which will also save your metal lids from rusting and breaking down. 

I have found that simple tight lids work best, I do not use any gas releasing lids as I find them unnecessary and even detrimental. 

This is a super simple ferment to make and because these carrots taste almost fresh, it’s a great option for getting ferments into your children.  

I have just started creating a brine in a separate jar from the ferments. I really like it because it makes fermenting so much faster. All I have to do is pack my jars and then pour my liquid over it. This is especially great if I’m doing multiple types of ferment mixtures or vegetables.

Fun fact about carrots: if you’re growing your own carrots, leave them in the ground until after the first frost. They become sweeter. 

Ingredients

• 3-4 tbsp Sea Salt (I find in Colorado, 3 is plenty!)

• 5-6 Carrots

• 2 inches Fresh Ginger

Directions

Create a brine for the carrots. Fill a quart size jar with filtered water. Add salt. Stir. 

Slice carrots into jar sized spears. Cut off the ends. 

Add carrots to jars. Shake them to make sure they fit completely. Leave 1 inch head room. 

Peel ginger with the back of a spoon or a knife. You can grate it or slice it. I prefer sliced because I don’t like the spice of ginger. 

Wedge the slices of ginger in between the carrots so they don’t float.

Pour the brine of the carrots to the shoulder of the jar.

Make sure all the carrots and ginger are under the water. 

Wipe the edge of the jar with a wet paper towel. 

Put a lid on the jar and seal to hand tightness. You’re not securing it for take off!

Let set on the counter for a week because of the thickness of the carrots. You can always ferment longer or shorter. As long as there is pressure on the metal lid for at least 24 hours, I consider that fermented. The longer you ferment, the softer they will get. Because carrots are so hard, it will take a long time to get them too soft. If they do get too soft, you can simply cook with them!

I do not recommend burping ferments unless it appears that the jar lid is going to break. In general, I find this is only a problem when you have over filled your jars or when you are making garlic.

After a week, move the ferment to “cold storage.” This can be defined as the fridge, a cool place in your basement or a dark pantry. The lower the temperature, the slower the fermentation action will continue to happen. When you’re ready to eat it, switch the lid to a plastic lid. Wash and dry the metal lid to be used again.

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Fermented Ginger Carrots

Author: The Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp Sea Salt (I find in Colorado, 3 is plenty!)
• 6 Carrots
• 2 inches Fresh Ginger

Instructions

1. Create a brine for the carrots. Fill a quart size jar with filtered water. Add salt. Stir.
2. Slice carrots into jar sized spears. Cut off the ends.
3. Add carrots to jars. Shake them to make sure they fit completely. Leave 1 inch head room.
4. Peel ginger with the back of a spoon or a knife. You can grate it or slice it. I prefer sliced because I don’t like the spice of ginger.
5. Wedge the slices of ginger in between the carrots so they don’t float.
6. Pour the brine of the carrots to the shoulder of the jar.
7. Make sure all the carrots and ginger are under the water.
8. Wipe the edge of the jar with a wet paper towel.
9. Put a lid on the jar and seal to hand tightness. You’re not securing it for take off!
10. Let set on the counter for a week because of the thickness of the carrots. You can always ferment longer or shorter. As long as there is pressure on the metal lid for at least 24 hours, I consider that fermented. The longer you ferment, the softer they will get. Because carrots are so hard, it will take a long time to get them too soft. If they do get too soft, you can simply cook with them!
11. I do not recommend burping ferments unless it appears that the jar lid is going to break. In general, I find this is only a problem when you have over filled your jars or when you are making garlic.
12. After a week, move the ferment to “cold storage.” This can be defined as the fridge, a cool place in your basement or a dark pantry. The lower the temperature, the slower the fermentation action will continue to happen. When you’re ready to eat it, switch the lid to a plastic lid. Wash and dry the metal lid to be used again

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Fermented Sourdough Tortillas

Ingredients for Sourdough Tortillas:

• ½ cup Sourdough Starter

• 3 tbsp Melted Lard

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ½ cup Raw Milk

• 2 cups Einkorn All Purpose Flour (Jovial) + more for dusting

• Cheese for Quesadilla 

Directions for Sourdough Tortillas:

24 hours before:

Melt lard slightly in a saucepan. Transfer lard to a large bowl. Add in milk and salt. Stir.

When cooled slightly, add in the starter and stir. Add ½ cup of flours until you reach 2 cups.

Remove from the bowl and add to a slightly floured surface. Knead for 3 minutes.

Put in a bowl on the counter. Cover. If you live in a dry climate like me, you may want to put a little bit of filtered water on top of your dough and cover with a wet towel.

After 24 hours:

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll into balls and set aside.

Heat a little bit of lard or tallow in a pan, enough to cover the bottom.

Add a light dusting of Einkorn flour to a board or the counter. You can also use cornstarch, tapioca starch, cassava flour, rice flour, or potato starch for this part of the process -anything that you can tolerate if you can’t tolerate un-fermented wheat.

Roll tortilla balls 1 by 1 flat into a circle.

When the pan is hot, add the tortilla.

When there are cooked bubbles and it peels away from the pan easily, you can flip the tortilla and cook the other side.

When both sides are cooked, add cheese and top with another tortilla.

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Author: The Be Well Clinic

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Sourdough Starter
• 3 tbsp Melted Lard
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ cup Raw Milk
• 2 cups Einkorn All Purpose Flour (Jovial) + more for dusting
• Cheese for Quesadilla

Instructions:

1. 24 hours before:
2. Melt lard slightly in a saucepan. Transfer lard to a large bowl. Add in milk and salt. Stir.
3. When cooled slightly, add in the starter and stir. Add ½ cup of flours until you reach 2 cups.
4. Remove from the bowl and add to a slightly floured surface. Knead for 3 minutes.
5. Put in a bowl on the counter. Cover. If you live in a dry climate like me, you may want to put a little bit of filtered water on top of your dough and cover with a wet towel.
6. After 24 hours:
7. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll into balls and set aside.
8. Heat a little bit of lard or tallow in a pan, enough to cover the bottom.
9. Add a light dusting of Einkorn flour to a board or the counter. You can also use cornstarch, tapioca starch, cassava flour, rice flour, or potato starch for this part of the process -anything that you can tolerate if you can’t tolerate un-fermented wheat.
10. Roll tortilla balls 1 by 1 flat into a circle.
11. When the pan is hot, add the tortilla.
12. When there are cooked bubbles and it peels away from the pan easily, you can flip the tortilla and cook the other side.

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Fermented Ketchup

Most of what I’ve learned about ketchup is from Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions. As she points out, ketchup has historically been a term for a fish sauce added to foods for flavor. Various cultures added available ingredients to it to make sauces with unique flavor profiles. Tomato ketchup was created by Americans by adding tomatoes from their neighbors in Mexico. 

Store Bought ketchup, while reminiscent of the traditional flavor, is an unhealthy food choice due to the added sugar. Traditional ketchup, such as this recipe based on Nourishing Traditions, is a live food, and thus healthy and beneficial to your body.

I’ve heard that some parents add this ketchup to empty store bought ketchup bottles because their kids will eat anything from the bottles. Try it if you’re worried about your kids enjoying this version of ketchup!

This ketchup can be used in any way that modern ketchup is used! Add it to our burgers, dip fries in, or top scrambled eggs if that suits your fancy. It is also one of the two homemade sauces in this BBQ sauce recipe. 

You could also choose to make your own fish sauce. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has a great recipe for how to make it at home. For this recipe I chose not to.

As some of you may also know, my current favorite form of ketchup is another traditional recipe of mushroom ketchup. It’s tomato free so it’s great for anyone with nightshade intolerance. 

I’m unsure exactly how long this will keep in the fridge. However, similar ferments are fine for 1-3 months. If there’s any obvious mold or any putrefied (vomit like) smells, it’s probably time to make a new batch!

Ingredients for Fermented Ketchup:

Makes one pint of ketchup

• 1 ½ cups of  tomato paste, ideally glass canned and organic

• ⅛ cup whey

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed

• ½ cup fish sauce

Directions for Fermented Ketchup:

Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Add to a mason jar with a lid tightly closed. Allow to ferment at room temperature for two days.

Be sure to give some head space, at least an inch at the top of the jar.

After two days, move the ketchup to the fridge. 

Enjoy!

Recipes for Fermented Food

FERMENTING - ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I DISCOVERED ON MY JOURNEY OF HEALING!

The process of preserving food by fermenting it is something that’s been around for centuries and is practiced all other world. It’s not just the process of creating alcoholic beverages like beer or wine, or creating different types of dairy like cheese or yogurt.  Eating fermented foods is a huge part of the GAPS Diet, but anyone who adds fermented foods to their diet will see some benefit.

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Videos About Fermenting

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Blogs About Fermentation

Vintage Food Hacks Part 1

Today, let’s talk about what in the world lacto-fermentation is, and how you can start doing it yourself!

Vintage Food Hacks Part 2

Today, let’s talk about what in the world lacto-fermentation is, and how you can start doing it yourself!

The Best Way to Add Fermented Food to Your Diet

Today, let’s talk about what in the world lacto-fermentation is, and how you can start doing it yourself!

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Recipes for Creating Your Own Ferments

Beet Kvass

Beet Kvass is a liver tonic. Anyone can make this simple fermented drink! It requires only a few ingredients, and only a few minutes to "put up."

Vegetable Medley

One of the most important ferments in the GAPS™ diet is the vegetable medley. You can find this recipe in Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Her recipe is for a bowl ferment, but you can also make it in a jar, which is how I prefer to make it.

Fermented Garlic

Most of us have heard that garlic supports our immune system. But did you know that only applies to raw garlic?

Cooked garlic does have some benefit, but most of the health properties are lost when the garlic is heated. Raw garlic, however, has many supportive health benefits. And when raw garlic is fermented, many of these increase.

Fruit Chutney

This recipe is very simple—chop and combine ingredients, simmer for a while, then store in jars. It would be a great recipe to make in a crockpot... you really could fix it and forget it! But simple doesn't mean plain. It's delicious and adds flavor to any meat you are eating. And I'm told, quite excellent with turkey!  

Trail Mix

With all the hiking and camping that happens in Colorado, trail mix is almost a main food group. But commercial trail mixes contain candy, sweetened fruit, and unprepared nuts: not the superfoods they claim to be!

Swedish Gravlax

This is a brined fish meal legal on GAPS stage 2. You eat little pieces, one small piece a day.

Fermented Almond Flour

This is a great way to make fermented almond flour if your recipe calls for a very specific ratio of wet to dry ingredients. It’s also great for recipes that call for frying, like these onion rings!

You can also make fermented flour with almonds already made into flour. See the recipe here.

Fermented Almond Butter

Sauerkraut

While good quality sauerkraut can be obtained in most stores now, I still prefer to make my own as I think it tastes the best. I put a lot of love and anticipation into my sauerkraut, as I don’t eat it until it has been fermenting for at least three months.

Sourdough

I by no means consider myself a sourdough expert. But I’ve enjoyed learning about sourdough. Once you understand the basics of sourdough, you can experiment with lots of ways to prepare it. This post is just an intro into the amazing world of sourdough!

Fermented Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds also have an especially helpful quality in that they help rid your body of parasites by attacking the parasites and intestinal worms. If you suspect you have parasites or worms, consuming pumpkin seeds is a good idea. However, be sure to take it slow and don’t overdo it.

Cabbage Tonic

Fermented cabbage is very high in vitamin C which is essential for healing a leaky gut. This cabbage tonic can be taken from the beginning of the Intro Diet of GAPS. Use this tonic daily to help change your gut flora.

Kefir

Kefir is a fermented drink made from kefir grains. It’s a bit like a very thin yogurt and has great health benefits!

The great news is, like many fermented drinks, kefir is very easy to make on your own!

Make Your Own Ranch Dressing

My brother absolutely loves ranch dressing! I have fond memories of it as well but I mostly remember how much he loved it. Making your own ranch dressing is fairly simple and allows you to avoid the undesirable additives like MSG that are commonly found in commercially made condiments. 

Ranch dressing is typically used as a dip and you can definitely dip any number of cut vegetables into this mixture. However, you could also use this delicious blend as an added flavoring for lots of dishes, like on top of a steak, in this Chicken Pot Pie Soup or in this Pumpkin Soup.

This is legal on GAPS Stage 5 because of the herbs, even though we’re using fresh herbs. If you’re tolerating dried herbs, you could use a dried Italian Herb mixture. Otherwise, think Italian herbs like thyme, parsely, and oregano. 

Once I’ve mixed everything, I like to return it to the original container. I would suggest making this dressing about an hour before you’re going to use it so that the flavors can meld. If you use it immediately after you mix it, it’s still delicious but not as flavorful.

Ingredients for Making Your Own Ranch Dressing:

• 7.5 oz Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche

• Italian Herbs

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tbsp minced onion

• 5-6 Grinds of Pepper

Directions for Making Your Own Ranch Dressing:

Finely mince garlic, onion and herbs.

Add to a bowl with sour cream or creme fraiche. Mix well and enjoy!

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How to Make Your Own Ranch Dressing

Author: The Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 7.5 oz Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche
• Italian Herbs
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 5-6 Grinds of Pepper

instructions:

How to cook How to Make Your Own Ranch Dressing

1. Finely mince garlic, onion and herbs.
2. Add to a bowl with sour cream or creme fraiche.
3. Mix well and enjoy!
4. I would suggest making this dressing about an hour before you’re going to use it so that the flavors can meld. If you use it immediately after you mix it, it’s still delicious but not as flavorful.

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How to Make Almond Butter

Ingredients for Fermented Almond Butter

• 3 cups Almonds

• ½ cup Whey

• Filtered Water

• Salt

Directions for Fermented Almond Butter

Place your almonds in filtered water with whey. Allow to soak for 24 hours.

Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse with filtered water.

Place almonds into a food processor. Pulse them consistently until you get almond butter.

Once almonds are the consistency of almond butter, add four shakes of salt. Pulse for several more seconds. Add four more shakes of salt.

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Almond Butter

Author: Amy Mihaly

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 3 cups Almonds
• ½ cup Whey
• Filtered Water
• Salt

instructions:

How to cook Almond Butter

1. Place your almonds in filtered water with whey. Allow to soak for 24 hours.
2. Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse with filtered water.
3. Place almonds into a food processor. Pulse them consistently until you get almond butter.
4. Once almonds are the consistency of almond butter, add four shakes of salt. Pulse for several more seconds. Add four more shakes of salt.

Created using The Recipes Generator

DIY Almond Flour from Nuts

Any seed wants to be a plant. Seeds include nuts, seeds, beans, and grains. To protect itself, a seed has phytic acid and other enzyme inhibitors and anti-nutrients. These substances attack the body of the animal that ate the seed, preventing the digestion of the seed. This is why we see whole seeds in bird poop.

Manually grinding seeds into flours does nothing to negate these enzyme inhibitors and anti-nutrients. We may not necessarily see whole seeds in our stools but we don’t need to for our bodies to experience the effects of these substances. Inflammation, poor absorption of foods, and leaky gut are some of the effects on our bodies of eating seeds that are not properly prepared. To learn more about properly preparing grains, check out my video.

HOW TO PREPARE GRAINS PROPERLY

When we properly prepare our grains however, we begin the germination process, which changes the seeds chemical structure. It neutralizes the anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors, and the seed prepares to bring life. When we eat a seed in this state, it’s nutrients are available to us and it brings life to our bodies.  

All seeds can be prepared in three ways - soaking, sprouting or fermenting. Fermenting is by far the most simple and the most beneficial. All it requires is whey. These directions are for almond flour but you can use the same concept to any nut, seed, or grain. For specific instructions on how to do this with whole seeds, see my recipe on trail mix.

The other benefit of using fermented almond flour is that it makes a much lighter end product. The fermentation process acts somewhat like a baking soda or powder, increasing the air space as your treat bakes, making it less dense.

This is a great way to make fermented almond flour if your recipe calls for a very specific ratio of wet to dry ingredients. It’s also great for recipes that call for frying, like these onion rings!

You can also make fermented flour with almonds already made into flour. See the recipe here.

Ingredients for Making Almond Flour from Fermented Nuts

• 3 cups Almonds

• ½ cup Whey

• Filtered Water

Directions for Making Almond Flour from Fermented Nuts

Place your almonds in filtered water with whey. Allow to soak for 24 hours.

Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse with filtered water.

For the easiest almond flour, peel the almonds by squeezing them between your fingers until the skins pop off.

Drain the almonds well. If you don’t drain them well, your flour will be wet.

Place almonds into a food processor. Pulse them consistently for about 60 seconds in one second pulses. Scrape the sides of the food processor consistently to ensure almonds are all blended to the same size.

Don’t pulse for too long or you will get almond butter!

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DIY Almond Flour

Author: Amy Mihaly

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 3 cups Almonds
• ½ cup Whey
• Filtered Water

instructions:

How to cook DIY Almond Flour

1. Place your almonds in filtered water with whey. Allow to soak for 24 hours.
2. Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse with filtered water.
3. For the easiest almond flour, peel the almonds by squeezing them between your fingers until the skins pop off.
4. Drain the almonds well. If you don’t drain them well, your flour will be wet.
5. Place almonds into a food processor. Pulse them consistently for about 60 seconds in one second pulses. Scrape the sides of the food processor consistently to ensure almonds are all blended to the same size.
6. Don’t pulse for too long or you will get almond butter!

Created using The Recipes Generator

How to Make Sauerkraut - DIY Sauerkraut

Fermented cabbage is very high in vitamin C which is essential for healing a leaky gut. Vitamin C is anti-inflammatory and immune boosting.

While good quality sauerkraut can be obtained in most stores now, I still prefer to make my own as I think it tastes the best. I put a lot of love and anticipation into my sauerkraut, as I don’t eat it until it has been fermenting for at least three months.

Making your own sauerkraut is very cost effective if you are eating on a budget. Not only are you making it for pennies, fermenting vegetables increases the bioavailability of nutrients, making this a ‘food hack.’

I used to cut my cabbage in a food processor but I feel that all time considered, including clean up time, it’s actually faster to cut it yourself. Plus, I like touching the cabbage myself instead of letting a machine cut it.

Sauerkraut works anaerobically, meaning it does not require oxygen. Any vegetable that is above the level of the water can grow mold or undesirable bacteria strains.

I do my sauerkraut in one quart jars because I prefer to open a smaller amount at a time. You can use any size jar that you want. An open jar in the fridge will keep for six months to a year. If kept at cooler temperatures, unopened, like in a root cellar or in the fridge, sauerkraut will keep for two or more years.

You can add whey to your cabbage to make the sauerkraut. Not using whey is called wild fermentation. It allows for different bacteria to grow than using a dairy based whey. I prefer to make my sauerkraut without whey.

With all ferments, variety is key. Using both whey and simply salt to make your ferments provides good variety in your diet.

Ingredients for Making Your Own Sauerkraut:

• 1 Medium Cabbage

• 2 tbsp Salt

• Filtered Water

Directions for Making Your Own Sauerkraut:

Remove and rinse outside leaves and reserve them for the tops of your jars to keep the vegetables from coming up the level of the water.

Slice cabbage into slivers. As you slice it, keep turning it to keep yourself safe and keep your cabbage evenly sized.

Add a little bit of salt and massage with your hands for a few minutes. The salt starts breaking down the cell walls of the cabbage, which will save you from having to beat the cabbage a lot.

After you have massaged your cabbage, let it sit for 10 - 15 minutes.

Knead your cabbage again.

Once you have kneaded your cabbage to the desire texture, fill your jars. It’s best to continue kneading until you can squeeze a little bit of water from the cabbage.

Fermenting cabbage produces a decent amount of gas, Make sure to leave head room in your jars to accommodate. This means lightly packing cabbage into your jar, about ¾ full.

Add water to just under the shoulder of the jar.

Sometimes cabbage produces enough liquid while it's fermenting. If it doesn’t feel free to add more liquid.

Top your sauerkraut off with a whole cabbage leaf, packing it along the sides of the jar to keep all the vegetables below the level of the liquid.

Seal with a two piece lid.

Leave on your counter. No need to burp this ferment! This process works anaerobically, without oxygen. If your jars burp, overflow or explode, you simply packed your jar too tight with vegetables.

How to Make Cabbage Tonic

Fermented cabbage is very high in vitamin C which is essential for healing a leaky gut. This cabbage tonic can be taken from the beginning of the Intro Diet of GAPS. Use this tonic daily to help change your gut flora. As with all probiotic foods, make sure you begin with only a small amount, about a tablespoon at a time, keeping an eye out for symptoms of die off. If none are present, you can continue gradually increasing your daily amount and the frequency that you consume this tonic throughout the day.

Fermented cabbage is very high in vitamin C which is essential for healing a leaky gut. This cabbage tonic can be taken from the beginning of the Intro Diet of GAPS. Use this tonic daily to help change your gut flora. As with all probiotic foods, make sure you begin with only a small amount, about a tablespoon at a time, keeping an eye out for symptoms of die off. If none are present, you can continue gradually increasing your daily amount and the frequency that you consume this tonic throughout the day.

When you do ferments, your intention and energy really does affect the taste of the ferments. If you’re stressed, it will show in the food. Do ferments at a time that you’re relaxed and enjoying being in the kitchen. If this is not your mindset, take a couple minutes to reset, thinking about how this work is bringing such amazing health and healing to your body and your family. After your mindset is set, smile and preparing your ferment!

When doing ferments, it is important to hand wash your jars. A lot of dishwashers leave a film of soap, even if you’re using a natural soap. Make sure you rinse your jar well with hot water. It’s not necessary to sterilize your jar; we’re not canning. Fermentation creates a live food that will take care of the bad bacteria.

Tidbit from Nourishing Traditions: “Add ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper to 4 ounces of cabbage tonic for a gargle and sore throat remedy.

This recipe is based on the Nourishing Traditions cookbook by Sally Fallon on page 614.

Ingredients for Cabbage Tonic:

• ¼ Organic Green Cabbage

• 1 tsp Sea Salt

• ¼ Cup Whey (how to make whey)

• Filtered Water

Directions for Cabbage Tonic:

Shred cabbage finely with a knife. You want small even pieces so it ferments evenly. (Similar to cutting onions for even cooking.)

Add cabbage and salt to a bowl.

Using your hands, squish the cabbage for about a minute.

Let the cabbage sit for five minutes.

Squish the cabbage again for a minute.

Put cabbage in a 2 quart jar with whey.

Add enough water to fill the container.

Cover tightly.

Leave at room temperature for 2 days before transferring to the fridge.

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Cabbage Tonic

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• ¼ Organic Green Cabbage
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• ¼ Cup Whey
• Filtered Water

instructions:

How to cook Cabbage Tonic

1. Shred cabbage finely with a knife. You want small even pieces so it ferments evenly. (Similar to cutting onions for even cooking.)
2. Add cabbage and salt to a bowl.
3. Using your hands, squish the cabbage for about a minute.
4. Let the cabbage sit for five minutes.
5. Squish the cabbage again for a minute.
6. Put cabbage in a 2 quart jar with whey.
7. Add enough water to fill the container.
8. Cover tightly.
9. Leave at room temperature for 2 days before transferring to the fridge.

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The Best Way to Add Fermented Food to Your Diet

Fermenting - one of the best things I discovered on my journey of healing!

The process of preserving food by fermenting it is something that’s been around for centuries and is practiced all other world. It’s not just the process of creating alcoholic beverages like beer or wine, or creating different types of dairy like cheese or yogurt.  Eating fermented foods is a huge part of the GAPS Diet, but anyone who adds fermented foods to their diet will see some benefit.

There’s so many benefits to fermenting!  Fermenting food means you’re helping beneficial bacteria and yeast grow that aid in digestion. Fermented foods are packed full of probiotics, which helps your gut health. It also boosts immunity by producing lactic acid, which pathogenic bacteria cannot live in the presence of. It allows you to preserve food longer which means that you’re throwing less away! It also increases the nutritional availability without adding anything extra.

While any type of ferment that you consume is beneficial, there are good, better, and best ways to ferment.

Good: Buying a Ferment at the Store

There are a variety of common ferments that are available at most grocery stores. Starting small and adding just one ferment to your diet will bring some benefit to your gut health and overall wellbeing.

While purchasing a ferment from a store isn’t the most beneficial for your wallet or your health, if you want to dip your toes into fermented foods, purchasing one can be just fine. Find one that has the least amount of ingredients possible and has the least amount of processing. Fermented foods should be as close to the source as they can be.

Better: Buying Multiple Ferments at the Store

There are many kinds of fermented foods so experiment! Adding a variety of ferments to your diet is important because you and your gut will get a much wider variety of bacteria, all naturally. Fermented foods come in many different varieties, like pickled vegetables, sauerkraut, or even liquids like kombucha and kefir.

A better option for getting ferments into your diet is to purchase a variety of high quality ferments from the store.

Best: Making and Consuming Your Own Variety of Ferments

Making your own ferments is absolutely the best! I love making my own ferments because I can buy large quantities of food in season and locally and preserve it for a long time. I also know what I’m eating because I added it myself!

Consuming a variety of different kinds of ferments is important for our gut health. By making your own, you can save a lot of money and get all the variety you need!

When you make your own ferments, you’re intimately connected with what you’re eating. This is important for thoughtful eating.

If you’re interested in fermenting your own food, I’ve shared a lot about fermenting over the years! You can see more on the process of fermenting here and here, and specifically about lacto-fermenting here. Whey is a great way (get it!) to start the fermentation process for many ferments. You can learn about making your own whey here.

For recipes on fermenting food, check out my beet kvass recipe, my recipe for fermented garlic (learn more about the benefits of fermented garlic) or learn how to ferment almond flour for baking.

Swedish Gravlax Recipe

This meal is adapted from GAPS Cookbook by Dr. Natasha Campbell

This is a brined fish meal legal on GAPS stage 2. You eat little pieces, one small piece a day.

Swedish Gravlax Recipe

Ingredients for Swedish Gravlax:

• ½ lb Fresh Wild Caught Salmon

• Fresh Dill

• Freshly Coarsely Ground Black Pepper

• 4 cup Room Temperature Filtered Water

• 1 tbsp Honey

• 1 ½ tbsp Salt

Directions for Swedish Gravlax:

Thinly slice the fish.

Place fish slices into a deep tray.

Sprinkle with dill sprigs and pepper.

Dissolve honey and salt in water to make a brine.

Pour brine over fish.

Leave at room temperature for 1 - 1 ½ hours.

Pour the water out.

Serve on lettuce or eat alone.

Store in refrigerator and consume within two days.

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Swedish Gravlax Recipe

Author: Amy Mihaly

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• ½ lb Fresh Wild Caught Salmon
• Fresh Dill
• Freshly Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
• 4 cup Room Temperature Filtered Water
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 ½ tbsp Salt

instructions:

How to cook Swedish Gravlax Recipe

1. Thinly slice the fish.
2. Place fish slices into a deep tray.
3. Sprinkle with dill sprigs and pepper.
4. Dissolve honey and salt in water to make a brine.
5. Pour brine over fish.
6. Leave at room temperature for 1 - 1 ½ hours.
7. Pour the water out.
8. Serve on lettuce or eat alone.
9. Store in refrigerator and consume within two days.

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Almond Flour Cookies with Cacao Nibs

GAPS Legal Almond Cookies

Adapted from The Paleo Plan Makes 24 Cookies GAPS Legal on Stage 4

Ingredients for gaps legal chocolate chip cookies

• 2 cups Almond Flour

• ¼ cup Whey

• 2 large eggs

• 1/3 cup Room Temperature Coconut Oil

• 1 tsp Baking Soda

• ½ tsp Vanilla

• ⅛ tsp Salt

• ¼ cup Honey (or ⅓ cup date syrup)

• ⅛-¼ cup Raw Cacao Nibs

Directions for chocolate chip cookies on the gaps diet

24 Hours in Advance

Add whey to almond flour. Stir to moisten.

Leave covered on counter for 24 hours to ferment.

The Next Day

Preheat oven to 350. Add your baking sheet to the oven to preheat. These cookies bake better on a hot dish.To fermented flour, add eggs and stir.

Add coconut oil to mixture. The coconut oil should be room temperature. If it is melted, you won’t have the right consistency.

Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and honey (or date paste) to the mixture. Mix well.

Add cacao nibs to dough mixture.

Remove baking sheet from oven. Line with parchment paper.

Spoon approx. 1 tbsp size rounds of dough onto parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until edges are golden brown and cookies seem firm. Watch them closely after 8 minutes. They will go from raw to burnt quickly!

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Almond Flour Cookies with Cacao Nibs

Author: Amy Mihaly

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2 cups Almond Flour
• ¼ cup Whey
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup Room Temperature Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• ⅛ tsp Salt
• ¼ cup Honey (or ⅓ cup date syrup)
• ⅛-¼ cup Raw Cacao Nibs

instructions:

How to cook Almond Flour Cookies with Cacao Nibs

24 Hours in Advance

1. Add whey to almond flour. Stir to moisten.
2. Leave covered on counter for 24 hours to ferment.

The Next Day

1. Preheat oven to 350. Add your baking sheet to the oven to preheat. These cookies bake better on a hot dish.To fermented flour, add eggs and stir.
2. Add coconut oil to mixture. The coconut oil should be room temperature. If it is melted, you won’t have the right consistency.
3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and honey (or date paste) to the mixture. Mix well.
4. Add cacao nibs to dough mixture.
5. Remove baking sheet from oven. Line with parchment paper.
6. Spoon approx. 1 tbsp size rounds of dough onto parchment paper.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until edges are golden brown and cookies seem firm. Watch them closely after 8 minutes. They will go from raw to burnt quickly!

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GAPS Friendly Waffle Recipe

Recently the idea struck me to try to make a GAPS waffle. I had made many GAPS pancakes, so I thought maybe it could be done. And it turns out... it can! It was not a simple task, however.

The ratios are fairly different than a GAPS pancake... for one thing, putting in too many eggs caused it to overflow and made quite a mess. But after some trial and error I found a recipe that is delicious, and delivered consistent results (which is a big deal when cooking without flour).

I was also excited to make this a dairy-free recipe (except for the whey). Unfortunately, I can't make it nut free, the almond butter is essential! I hope you enjoy them!

GAPS Friendly Waffles

(makes about 8 waffle squares or 2 full-size waffles)

GAPs legal waffle Batter Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked butternut squash

• 4 TBS fermented almond butter (see note)

• 1 TBS melted lard

• 2 eggs

• ¼ tsp sea salt

Additional Ingredients

• About ¼ cup melted lard or butter to grease the waffle iron

Tools for gaps legal waffles

• Food processor or high-powered blender

• Waffle iron

• Chopsticks (this is very helpful to get the waffles off in one piece)

Directions for gaps legal waffles

This recipe is quick to put together if you do a little prep work first!

Prep the Fermented Almond Butter:
At least 24 hours in advance, ferment the almond butter. Add 2 TBS whey to 1 cup almond butter. Stir. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours. This will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.

Prep the Butternut Squash:
Cut the butternut squash in half and place face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 min until soft. Remove the squash flesh and place in a bowl.

For the GAPS Waffles:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth and mixed.

I recommend pouring the mixture into a bag and using it like a pastry bag. The more quickly you can get the waffle batter on the iron and close the lid, the better it turns out!

When everything is ready, and the waffle iron is hot, use the pastry brush to spread fat on the upper and lower waffle irons. Do this as quickly as possible.

Add batter to the waffle iron, then close the lid.

There is a lot of moisture in this recipe, so expect a lot of steam!

Wait for the green light to go on, and then another 30 seconds or so.

Slowly open the waffle iron.

Remove the waffles from the iron, using the chopstick in the groves in any areas it is sticking.Top with fried eggs, honey, date syrup, berries, homemade whipped cream, or anything you want to!

Enjoy!

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GAPS Friendly Waffle Recipe

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

Waffle Batter Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked butternut squash
• 4 TBS fermented almond butter (see note)
• 1 TBS melted lard
• 2 eggs
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Additional Ingredients

• About ¼ cup melted lard or butter to grease the waffle iron

Tools Needed

• Food processor or high-powered blender
• Waffle iron
• Chopsticks (this is very helpful to get the waffles off in one piece)

instructions:

How to cook GAPS Friendly Waffle Recipe

1. This recipe is quick to put together if you do a little prep work first!
2. Prep the Fermented Almond Butter:
3. At least 24 hours in advance, ferment the almond butter. Add 2 TBS whey to 1 cup almond butter. Stir. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours. This will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.
4. Prep the Butternut Squash:
5. Cut the butternut squash in half and place face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 min until soft. Remove the squash flesh and place in a bowl.
6. For the GAPS Waffles:
7. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth and mixed.
8. I recommend pouring the mixture into a bag and using it like a pastry bag. The more quickly you can get the waffle batter on the iron and close the lid, the better it turns out!
9. When everything is ready, and the waffle iron is hot, use the pastry brush to spread fat on the upper and lower waffle irons. Do this as quickly as possible.
10. Add batter to the waffle iron, then close the lid.
11. There is a lot of moisture in this recipe, so expect a lot of steam!
12. Wait for the green light to go on, and then another 30 seconds or so.
13. Slowly open the waffle iron.
14. Remove the waffles from the iron, using the chopstick in the groves in any areas it is sticking. Top with fried eggs, honey, date syrup, berries, homemade whipped cream, or anything you want to!

Created using The Recipes Generator

Vintage Food Hack: Fermenting (Part 2)

Recently we talked about why I love fermenting so much. If you missed the post, you can read it here. Today, let’s talk about what in the world lacto-fermentation is, and how you can start doing it yourself!

First, what lacto-fermentation is NOT:

• It is NOT making an alcoholic beverage (necessarily)

• It is NOT taking rotting vegetables and facilitating more rot (that is composting, and it belongs in the garden)

• It is NOT (necessarily) making things with dairy or into a dairy product

• It is NOT something only hippies do, modern-day people all over the world continue fermenting in the traditions of their ancestors

• It is NOT something new, it has been done for centuries, likely as long as humans have been around

And here is what lacto-fermentation IS!

• It IS a process of preserving food in a way that keeps the enzymes alive and the nutrition in its natural form

• It IS a way to eat those beneficial bacteria, which have been shown to aid in digestion, boost immunity, regulate metabolism, facilitate weight loss, and more

• It IS facilitating the growth of beneficial bacteria and yeast that produce lactic acid (a substance that pathogenic bacteria cannot live in the presence of)

• It IS easy to “put up” ferments, and very difficult to mess them up

• It IS safe to eat your own fermented foods, because if they turn rancid instead of fermented, there are obvious signs which clue you in that you should throw it away!

• It IS inexpensive to make ferments, your only recurring costs are the food you are fermenting, salt and water

• It IS a lot of fun, and an activity you can do as a group with other interested people

Have I convinced you yet?

Yes?

Good!

“How do I get started?” you might ask.

I’m glad you asked!

There are a lot of resources for fermenting.

• Books and blogs: Katz is a leader in the fermentation world, but there are many others as well

• Online groups: You can join the very active Wild Fermentation facebook group, and there are others

• Websites: Cultures for Health is a website I visit often. They offer instructional videos, a blog, books and other fermenting supplies, and different starter cultures for purchase.

• Classes: There are a variety of classes offered if you like the hands-on approach of fermenting. Many people, including myself, offer these classes. A real-foods chef, Monica Corrado of Simply Being Well, regularly offers and other classes--both locally here in Colorado, and around the Americas.

• Friends: Fermenting is becoming more popular, so ask around. Someone you know may already be fermenting, and probably would love teaching you as you do it together!

The most important thing about getting started is to just DO IT! There is an aspect of fermenting that can only be learned by doing, feeling and trying it out, and failing! And, because it doesn’t cost much, you can throw it away and try again! Next week I will post a simple ferment recipe--it’s an easy one to start with!

Disclosure: I am not an affiliate of any of the above resources, I just like them!

Happy Fermenting!

Onward!