Crème Fraiche

So you know what sour cream and yogurt are, maybe you’ve even dabbled with kefir a bit, but have you ever heard of creme fraiche? This is a go-to for my family, we try to make sure we always have a supply! It is not only delicious, but it is full of probiotics and high quality fat (so it’s very helpful for anyone dealing with constipation). For anyone who can do dairy, I recommend you try it out! A lot of the “sour cream” sold commercially in the United States is technically creme fraiche, but when you make it at home it is so much better (of course), and it is actually very easy to make! 

Check out the recipe below, and happy culturing! 

Ingredients for crème fraiche:

• 1 pint raw cream or organic heavy cream from grass-fed cows (pasteurized is ok, just not UHT pasteurized - note the difference between methods with raw and pasteurized)

• ¼ cup culture (whey, yogurt, or previous crème fraiche*)

Directions for Crème Fraiche:

• Pour cream into small pot, place on stovetop

• If using raw cream, slowly heat to 100-110F.

• If using pasteurized cream, slowly heat to 180F then let cool to 100-110F

• After appropriate heating is done, pour into a pint-sized wide-mouth glass jar (mason jar style)

• Add your culture, stir to combine

• Cover and leave on counter for 24-36 hours**

• Store in the fridge.

*If you use whey, you will have a thinner product. If you use yogurt, it will be thicker, if you use a previous crème fraiche, it will be creamier.

**The longer it sits, the more sour and more probiotic it will be.

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Crème Fraiche

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 1 pint raw cream or organic heavy cream from grass-fed cows (pasteurized is ok, just not UHT pasteurized - note the difference between methods with raw and pasteurized)
• ¼ cup culture (whey, yogurt, or previous crème fraiche*)

Instructions

1. Pour cream into small pot, place on stovetop
2. If using raw cream, slowly heat to 100-110F.
3. If using pasteurized cream, slowly heat to 180F then let cool to 100-110F
4. After appropriate heating is done, pour into a pint-sized wide-mouth glass jar (mason jar style)
5. Add your culture, stir to combine
6. Cover and leave on counter for 24-36 hours**
7. Store in the fridge.
8. *If you use whey, you will have a thinner product. If you use yogurt, it will be thicker, if you use a previous crème fraiche, it will be creamier.

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Switchel

What is switchel? Switchel is a fermented lemon/ginger drink that is especially refreshing during the summer when working in the heat! The fermented aspect provides probiotics for the gut, the apple cider vinegar helps you be able to drink greater amounts without feeling bloated, and the lemon and ginger help hydrate you more effectively! Plus, it is simply delicious. I try to always have a few bottles brewing throughout the summer.

Ingredients for switchel:

• 2-3 inches of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)

• 1 cup hot water + enough filtered water to fill the jar

• 4 Lemons (juiced)

• ¼ - ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar - raw, unfiltered with the mother 

• ¼ cup raw honey

• A ½ gallon mason jar (or similar vessel that can close tightly) 

Additional Supplies for switchel:

• ½ Gallon sized mason jar or similar vessel with a sealing lid

• Metal strainer

Directions for making switchel:

In a small bowl, combine the hot water with the honey. We want the water to be just hot enough to allow the honey to dissolve - it should not be boiling, or this will kill off the beneficial microbes in the honey. 

To the mason jar, add the chopped ginger, fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Add the honey-water mixture, then add filtered water to fill up to approximately 1 inch from the top of the jar. Cover tightly and give the jar a few shakes to mix everything up. Loosen the lid slightly and leave on the counter at room temperature for 24-36 hours.

Once done, strain the switchel into a clean glass vessel (I use just another mason jar or a swing-top bottle) and store in the refrigerator. 

Pour over ice and enjoy!

- Hollie

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Switchel

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 2-3 inches of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
• 1 cup hot water + enough filtered water to fill the jar
• 4 Lemons (juiced)
• ¼ - ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar - raw, unfiltered with the mother
• ¼ cup raw honey
• A ½ gallon mason jar (or similar vessel that can close tightly)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the hot water with the honey. We want the water to be just hot enough to allow the honey to dissolve - it should not be boiling, or this will kill off the beneficial microbes in the honey.
2. To the mason jar, add the chopped ginger, fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Add the honey-water mixture, then add filtered water to fill up to approximately 1 inch from the top of the jar. Cover tightly and give the jar a few shakes to mix everything up. Loosen the lid slightly and leave on the counter at room temperature for 24-36 hours.
3. Once done, strain the switchel into a clean glass vessel (I use just another mason jar or a swing-top bottle) and store in the refrigerator.
4. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard

Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

Ingredients for Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

• 1 cup cream 

• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2-3 tbsp honey

• (sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg if desired)

Directions for Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

1. Preheat oven to 340F

2. Place all ingredients in a blender, blend on low until just combined. Try not to blend too long - we don’t want it getting frothy. 

3. Pour equally into small oven-safe cups (depending on the size, it will fill 6-10 cups).

4. Place all of the cups in a baking pan with sides at least 1.5 inches high. 

5. Add water to the pan (careful not to get it in the cups!) to fill about ⅔ of the height of the cups to create a water bath. 

6. Place the baking pan in the oven, bake for 45 minutes or until custard is set and not runny when poked with a toothpick. 

*Note: depending on the size of your cups, you may need to adjust the baking time. If you take it out and it is still runny you can leave the custard cups in the hot water bath to set.

Practical uses:

• To help relieve headaches (while pregnant or not!)

• For help sleeping if you typically wake up around 1-3 am

• To help babies sleep (after you’ve introduced dairy/eggs) - for this one just omit the honey, it’s still great!

• For a pick-me-up snack in the afternoon when you might crave sugar or caffeine

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Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 1 cup cream
• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp honey
• (sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg if desired)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 340F
2. Place all ingredients in a blender, blend on low until just combined. Try not to blend too long - we don’t want it getting frothy.
3. Pour equally into small oven-safe cups (depending on the size, it will fill 6-10 cups).
4. Place all of the cups in a baking pan with sides at least 1.5 inches high.
5. Add water to the pan (careful not to get it in the cups!) to fill about ⅔ of the height of the cups to create a water bath.
6. Place the baking pan in the oven, bake for 45 minutes or until custard is set and not runny when poked with a toothpick.
7. Note: depending on the size of your cups, you may need to adjust the baking time. If you take it out and it is still runny you can leave the custard cups in the hot water bath to set.

GAPS Friendly Homemade Yogurt

Let’s make yogurt! Around here we are very into fermented and cultured foods. Not only are they delicious but they are so full of probiotics, vitamins and minerals that are easy for our bodies to utilize! 

Fermented and cultured foods can seem intimidating to those who have not made them, but once you’ve started in the world of ferments and cultures, you will see how easy, quick, and fun they are. 

Yogurt is one of my family’s favorites. We use raw milk, but you can use pasteurized milk if that is all you have access to. It will need to be whole milk, preferably organic, and grass fed, and it cannot be UHT (or ultra-high temperature) pasteurized. You’ll treat it a little differently than raw milk, so pay attention to those directions. You can also use numerous types of starters - whey, creme fraiche, another yogurt - if you have any of these on hand, you can make yogurt! Like the milk, if you are using yogurt as a starter, you can use one that you previously made, or you can use yogurt from the store. Just make sure it is whole milk, organic, plain, with no other ingredients added beside the milk and the probiotic strains. 

As far as cultured dairy products go, yogurt is high in protein versus fat. For this reason, we usually recommend it to people who are more prone to diarrhea or soft stools instead of people who are constipated (for whom we would recommend a higher fat content dairy like sour cream or creme fraiche). 

Let’s dive in! 

Ingredients for Homemade Yogurt:

• Milk

• Whey
  

Pour your milk into a pot and slowly heat it over the stove. Raw milk should be heated to 110 F. Pasteurized milk needs to be heated up to 180 F, then cooled to 110 F. 

This is very important because when milk is pasteurized, it starts growing bacteria that are not beneficial, and can actually be quite harmful (this is why pasteurized milk has an expiration date and why it “goes bad” when it is too old or left out of refrigeration). We have to kill these off first before we let the culturing process happen.

Once your milk is at temperature, remove from heat and add your starter. This can be yogurt, whey or crème fraiche. Whey generally makes a thinner yogurt, a previous yogurt will make a thicker yogurt, and crème fraiche tends to make a creamier yogurt. Stir briefly to combine.

Pour the milk/starter mixture into an insulated container. I use my instant pot with it unplugged and covered. Then I wrap a couple towels around it to keep any heat from leaking out. You can use a thermos, or place your milk in a jar and put it somewhere where you can regulate the temperature such as in a dehydrator or in the oven with the pilot light on. The goal is to keep the milk at 110 F for the next 24-36 hours. Many recipes will say 8-12 hours is fine. When trying to reduce the lactose level and predigest the proteins as much as possible, we aim for at least 24 hours. I find that closer to 28-30 hours produces my favorite consistency/flavor balance. (If you are following the GAPS nutritional protocol, stick to the longer timeframe.)

When the culturing process is done (24-36 hours later), your yogurt is complete! Pour into a glass jar, store in the fridge and enjoy!

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Homemade Yogurt

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• Milk
• Whey

Instructions

1. Pour your milk into a pot and slowly heat it over the stove. Raw milk should be heated to 110 F. Pasteurized milk needs to be heated up to 180 F, then cooled to 110 F.
2. This is very important because when milk is pasteurized, it starts growing bacteria that are not beneficial, and can actually be quite harmful (this is why pasteurized milk has an expiration date and why it “goes bad” when it is too old or left out of refrigeration). We have to kill these off first before we let the culturing process happen.
3. Once your milk is at temperature, remove from heat and add your starter. This can be yogurt, whey or crème fraiche. Whey generally makes a thinner yogurt, a previous yogurt will make a thicker yogurt, and crème fraiche tends to make a creamier yogurt. Stir briefly to combine.
4. Pour the milk/starter mixture into an insulated container. I use my instant pot with it unplugged and covered. Then I wrap a couple towels around it to keep any heat from leaking out. You can use a thermos, or place your milk in a jar and put it somewhere where you can regulate the temperature such as in a dehydrator or in the oven with the pilot light on. The goal is to keep the milk at 110 F for the next 24-36 hours. Many recipes will say 8-12 hours is fine. When trying to reduce the lactose level and predigest the proteins as much as possible, we aim for at least 24 hours. I find that closer to 28-30 hours produces my favorite consistency/flavor balance. (If you are following the GAPS nutritional protocol, stick to the longer timeframe.)
5. When the culturing process is done (24-36 hours later), your yogurt is complete! Pour into a glass jar, store in the fridge and enjoy!

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!!

Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Cocktail sauce can be used on any seafood. Traditionally it is used for shrimp, but can be eaten with other shellfish such as crab, lobster or different varieties of fish. It is is a great opportunity to add a ferment to your seafood dinner. This recipe serves two, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

*When you purchase seafood, it should always be wild caught and sourced from a location that is not off the coast of China. When seafood is fresh, it tastes very mild. As it ages, it will become more and more “fishy.” Flash frozen seafood is often the best because was preserved in the freshest state possible.

Ingredients for Fermented Cocktail Sauce

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

• ½ Cup Fermented Ketchup

• 2 ½ Tbsp. Horseradish

• Pinch of salt

Directions for Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Mix the fermented ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice and salt.

Defrost shrimp by running them under room temperature water.

Play with the flavors until you like the combination. If you like it to be more spicy, you may want to add extra horseradish. The fermented ketchup includes salt, so you may want to use less salt.

Once you have the ingredients already in your fridge, this recipe takes a quick three minutes to mix together. I am not sure how it stores, due to the how the lemon juice may interact with the other ingredients, but if you end up successfully keeping some in your fridge for a period of time, let us know.

I recommend making this delicious fermented cocktail sauce fresh with your meal. 

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Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Yield: 2

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Cocktail sauce can be used on any seafood. Traditionally it is used for shrimp, but can be eaten with other shellfish such as crab, lobster or different varieties of fish. It is is a great opportunity to add a ferment to your seafood dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• ½ Cup Fermented Ketchup
• 2 ½ Tbsp. Horseradish
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Mix the fermented ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice and salt.
2. Play with the flavors until you like the combination. If you like it to be more spicy, you may want to add extra horseradish. The fermented ketchup includes salt, so you may want to use less salt.
3. I recommend making this delicious fermented cocktail sauce fresh with your meal.

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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.

Created using The Recipes Generator

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

Created using The Recipes Generator

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!

Scratching the Surface of 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!

Sourdough is a traditional way of preparing bread that’s been used for centuries. Once you understand the basics, it’s an incredibly easy process. Properly prepared, it’s the preferred way to prepare and eat wheat flour. If you’re able to tolerate it, it’s a delicious way to make bread! Sourdough isn’t GAPS Legal.

Here’s an awesome video that will help keep your starter happy.

I got my sourdough starter from a friend. If you don’t have a friend with a sourdough, you can also purchase it from Cultures for Health. 

How to Feed Sourdough:

In the jar, add a few scoops of high quality white  (I use Central Milling Company unbleached white flour.) Mix until your sourdough has a crumbly texture.

Add filtered water, a little bit at a time, mixing often. Add enough water so the sourdough starter resembles wet playdough.

You want to store it four feet away from any open ferments.

Once you have sourdough started, it can be added to lots of different recipes. I make it into flatbreads, crackers and of course breads. I like this one, adapted from “Baking with Sourdough” which makes a very dense bread.

Ingredients for Sourdough Bread:

• 2 cups high quality organic white flour

• 2 cups high quality organic whole wheat flour

• 1 cup sourdough starter

• 2 cups warm water

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp sugar

• 4 cups unbleached white flour

Mix first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and light cover. Leave on the counter 10 - 24 hours, depending on how sour you want your bread to be.

When ready to bake bread, stir in salt and sugar. Add enough flour to make a handleable dough. Form the dough into a ball. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Knead the dough until it’s smooth and stiff so it will hold its shape.

Set the dough into a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise again. It should double in size, about an hour. Shape into 2 long loaves and place on a cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Let the loaves rise again until they have doubled, about an hour.

Brush the loaves with cold water and bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes until they are light brown and make a hollow noise when tapped.

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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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Roasted Fermented Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are like any seed (or bean or nut.) They should be properly prepared before consuming to neutralize the acid and make them easier to digest. Sprouting your seeds is essentially germinating. Germination changes the chemical structure of the seeds, chemically changing it from a closed off protector of the treasure inside to an open seed ready to bring nutrition.  It’s best to sprout or otherwise properly prepare your seeds to allow more nutrition to be bioavailable to you.

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.

Ingredients for Fermented Pumpkin Seeds:

• 3 small pumpkins

• ½ tsp Real Salt

• Water

Directions for Fermented Pumpkin Seeds:

Cut the pumpkins in half.

Remove the seeds from the inside and separate from the pumpkin flesh.

Rinse the pumpkin seeds.

Add the pumpkin seeds to a jar.

Cover the seeds with water, add salt and shake. Place in a sunny location and leave to soak overnight. As long as the jar is closed tightly, these can be put up next to other ferments.

Drain and rinse in the morning. Fill with new water.

Repeat draining, rinsing and adding new water until tiny sprouts have formed.

Rinse one final time. Season with salt and roast in the oven at 250 for several hours until cooked.

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Roasted Fermented Pumpkin Seeds

Author: The Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 3 small pumpkins
• ½ tsp Real Salt
• Water

instructions:

How to cook Roasted Fermented Pumpkin Seeds

1. Cut the pumpkins in half.
2. Remove the seeds from the inside and separate from the pumpkin flesh.
3. Rinse the pumpkin seeds.
4. Add the pumpkin seeds to a jar.
5. Cover the seeds with water, add salt and shake. Place in a sunny location and leave to soak overnight. As long as the jar is closed tightly, these can be put up next to other ferments.
6. Drain and rinse in the morning. Fill with new water.
7. Repeat draining, rinsing and adding new water until tiny sprouts have formed.
8. Rinse one final time. Season with salt and roast in the oven at 250 for several hours until cooked.

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Making Your Own Kefir from Milk Kefir Grains

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!

Kefir grains are very sensitive to metal so it is best if you use little to no metal when you’re preparing this recipe.

If you use a dishwasher, rinse your bowl thoroughly before using to ensure there is no detergent residue on it. 

You will need:

• A strainer (preferably not metal)

• A jar to put your kefir in

• A bowl

Ingredients for Kefir

• Fresh Milk (raw or freshly repasteurized, depending on what your grains are used to)

• Kefir with Grains, 4 to 5 healthy grains will make a pint 

Directions for Kefir

Separate kefir grains from kefir by pouring into a non metal strainer. Gently separate the kefir from the grains with a non metal spoon. Don’t push too hard - be very gentle! 

What falls below is your kefir. What stays in the strainer is the kefir grains. 

Leave out on the counter for about 24 hours to ferment. After 24 hours, put the grains into milk into the fridge. OR if you are not needing so much kefir, store it in the fridge directly.

If you store the kefir in the fridge, continue to feed your kefir in the fridge. It takes about two to three weeks before you need to feed it again by changing the milk.

You can use the kefir itself to make kefir cream.

Enjoy!

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Making Your Own Kefir

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• Fresh Milk (raw or freshly repasteurized, depending on what your grains are used to)
• Kefir with Grains, 4 to 5 healthy grains will make a pint

instructions:

How to cook Making Your Own Kefir

1. Separate kefir grains from kefir by pouring into a non metal strainer. Gently separate the kefir from the grains with a non metal spoon. Don’t push too hard - be very gentle!
2. What falls below is your kefir. What stays in the strainer is the kefir grains.
3. Leave out on the counter for about 24 hours to ferment. After 24 hours, put the grains into milk into the fridge. OR if you are not needing so much kefir, store it in the fridge directly.
4. If you store the kefir in the fridge, continue to feed your kefir in the fridge. It takes about two to three weeks before you need to feed it again by changing the milk.
5. You can use the kefir itself to make kefir cream.
6. Enjoy!

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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.

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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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How to Ferment Almond Flour

Fermenting Almond Flour for Proper Digestion

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.

Preparing fermented almond flour is quite easy. After letting it ferment for 24 hours, this base can be kept in the fridge for about a week. If you have a family that loves sweet treats, this is a food that you can keep on hand at all times to create a quick twenty minute cookie. Fermented almond flour is a great base for many baked goods.

Ingredients for Fermented Almond Flour:

• 2 Cups Almond Flour

• 1/4 Cup Whey

Directions for Fermented Almond Flour

Add almond flour to a glass bowl.

Pour whey over almond flour.

Stir to moisten. Add additional whey if needed. Flour should be moist and crumbly but not wet.

Cover and leave for 24 hours to properly ferment. During this time, your fermenting almond flour can be left with other jar ferments because it is covered.

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Fermented Almond Flour

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2 Cups Almond Flour
• 1/4 Cup Whey

instructions:

How to cook Fermented Almond Flour

1. Add almond flour to a glass bowl.
2. Pour whey over almond flour.
3. Stir to moisten. Add additional whey if needed. Flour should be moist and crumbly but not wet.
4. Cover and leave for 24 hours to properly ferment. During this time, your fermenting almond flour can be left with other jar ferments because it is covered.

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Making Whey

Easy Do-It-Yourself Whey from Yogurt

Whey is the other protein in milk aside from casein. It’s only present after milk products have been cultured and it’s a live food. This liquid is teeming with good lactic acid producing bacteria (LABs.) Whey is a basic to keep on hand because it can be used to ferment flours, seeds, nuts, vegetables, or as a starter to culture other dairy.

I use homemade yogurt to make my whey but you can use store bought yogurt to make your own whey. Make sure you get a full fat, grass fed yogurt that only contains milk and cultures. It’s ok if it’s pasteurized as the culturing process adds life back to this food! Greek yogurt will not work to make whey as there is very little whey naturally in that strain of yogurt. If you are sensitive to lactose or casein, you should leave your store bought yogurt out on the counter, unopened, for an additional 12 - 24 hours to finish culturing the yogurt before you strain the whey. (Essentially making it lactose free.)

If you strain your yogurt for a long time, it becomes almost like a cream cheese substance. It’s great to add fresh herbs to and make a dip!

To speed along the straining time, stir your yogurt well before adding it to the cloth.

I really like using the villi life culture from the Heirloom Yogurt Starter pack at Cultures for Health. Not only is it a mesophilic culture, meaning it cultures at room temperature instead of at 110 degrees like most yogurts, but it is a runnier yogurt and produces a lot of whey for my baking and fermenting needs.

I enjoy to the runniness of the ville life culture. If you don’t, simply separate some of the whey out of each batch for a thicker end product.

The cloth I used is the single fold diaper cloth, you can purchase it at Walmart or find something similar at Cultures for Health.

It’s best to use a plastic funnel because metal can be damaging to the good bacteria inside the whey.

Whey keeps in the fridge for about six months if you’ve successfully removed most of the milk solids and strained well.

Ingredients for DIY Whey

• 3 Cups Homemade Yogurt

Directions for DIY Whey

Set a plastic strainer inside a large measuring cup or bowl.

Fold the cloth four times and set inside the strainer.

Pour your yogurt into the cloth.

Gather the edges of your cloth and secure with a rubber band.

Leave to sit and strain for as long as desired.

If you want to simply thicken your yogurt, leaving it for only ten minutes is fine. If you’d like to strain all the whey out to make a cream cheese, you can leave it for much longer. I often leave mine out overnight.

Once you have strained enough whey out, pour it into a clean glass jar.

Rinse your cloth well in hot water. Don’t use soap! Hang to dry.

Use your whey to ferment flours, seeds, nuts, or vegetables, or as a starter to culture other dairy. What will you use your whey for?

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How to Make Whey

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 3 Cups Homemade Yogurt

instructions:

How to cook How to Make Whey

1. Set a plastic strainer inside a large measuring cup or bowl.
2. Fold the cloth four times and set inside the strainer.
3. Pour your yogurt into the cloth.
4. Gather the edges of your cloth and secure with a rubber band.
5. Leave to sit and strain for as long as desired.
6. If you want to simply thicken your yogurt, leaving it for only ten minutes is fine. If you’d like to strain all the whey out to make a cream cheese, you can leave it for much longer. I often leave mine out overnight.
7. Once you have strained enough whey out, pour it into a clean glass jar.
8. Rinse your cloth well in hot water. Don’t use soap! Hang to dry.
9. Use your whey to ferment flours, seeds, nuts, or vegetables, or as a starter to culture other dairy. What will you use your whey for?

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