Wondering the same thing. I know 3% salt is usually what you go for when fermenting and I'm wondering if it is just 3% salt by weight of the radish but not sure.@@codyrubbelke2978
Grate white raddish add little salt and little apple cider vinegar and eat as salad along with your meal...if lazy like me and dont have patience to ferment things or avoid any hassle ..
Great Video. I come from Poland where fermented cabbage, pickles, sourdough soup, sourdough bread, soup from pickles are pretty much the staples of our national kitchen and here you can buy kefir from various companies in every single grocery store. In last years there has been a significant growth of people that are getting into fermentation, to the point where now we have a chain of stores that are selling fermented goodies exclusively. I've been doing fermentation for about 8 years now and by talking to elders or people who are doing it with passion for dozens of years I've been able to collect many delicious recipes, like tomatoes with scallions fermented in yogurt, kimchi style cabbage with boletus mushrooms or mildly spicy pickles with cilantro. After watching this vid I just wanted to share with everybody one recipe that is on the top of my list which are lemons fermented in honey. You make them exactly the same like garlic in honey showed here, you just need to slice the lemons in circles, make sure they are all dipped in honey (orange honey is the best for this recipe in my opinion), turn the jar once a day and open the lid once every 2 days. After 8 to 10 days it's done (you can get the lemons out) and you' ll receive insanely tasty sour sweet "honey juice". If you put it in the fridge you can store it for 3 months and use it for example to sweeten your tea if you are a tea lover. I just eat one spoon a day mostly for the taste but also for the health benefits.
I have a super easy fermentation recipe... Mix any veggies in a jar. Make brine mixture of 2 cups filtered water and 1.5 tablespoon pink salt. Add brine mixture to veggies and ferment for 3 days on the kitchen counter. My favorite is carrots with cabbage and a few cloves of garlic. This makes a wonderful side dish and spices up any salad. I also make a separate crushed garlic only with the brine and it is the best natural antibiotic. Im so grateful I found out about fermentation.
Is this technically pickling? I get confused about the difference between pickling and fermenting, minus the obvious fact that fermentation has more probiotics.
@@birds_are_alrightOP’s taking about fermentation. Fermentation transforms food through microbial action, creating acids or alcohol. Pickling preserves food by immersing it in an acidic solution, extending its shelf life. So basically in pickling, you're using a fermented solution to conserve food, whereas in fermentation you're creating a gut-healthy way to preserve your food.
@@birds_are_alright If you haven't already answered your own question, @Lifebymikeg has another video that explains the differences really well! That video and this one have helped me a lot. :) th-cam.com/video/CVmtm6QNrMQ/w-d-xo.html
PSA: don't let the honey garlic thing stand on the lid, it will build up so much pressure from the fermentation that it will leak out. When you flip it, let the garlic run down and flip it again, so the lid is on top. I had a real mess my cupboard this morning.
@@haroldgregory2717 it's not meant to go in the refrigerator, we're fermenting here. the fridge stops the fermentation, or slows it down by a considerable amount, so don't try and talk down to people when you don't know what you're talking about.
My 5 cents about KEFIR: In Ukraine, to make a Kefir, you just put fresh home milk in a glass jar and close the top with some gauze cloth to protect it from flies and other insects. After 2-3 days it's done. This works only with home milk, because it already contains all the bacteria/other stuff that starts fermentation process. Regarding the usage of Kefir, my personal options: drink it raw; drink it with fried potatoes; blend it with some berries like raspberry; make a scrambled eggs with Kefir (mix it with eggs);
Kefir is one of the constants in our diet! A few tips: 1) Don’t use a metal strainer or other metal tools, including silverware, with kefir grains. Metal can have the potential to kill kefir grains. 2) Use kefir in baked goods that utilize a cultured product like yogurt or buttermilk! We make muffins and waffles with kefir quite frequently :)
@@Johnny__B I was just going to ask where she got her info from. I can imagine something such as copper, which will react with the acids, might screw things up, but stainless seems okay?
I m from Ukraine and we make kefir froum our milk (we used to have a cow and now we have a few goats) so we do it just leaving the milk at room temperature or adding brown bread / crackers (made of Rye bread) or sometimes we use smetana (sour cream) / yogurt to get those bacteria into it.
Poland here and we actually differentiate (I don't know how it works in Ukraine but perhaps the same way) so that there's sour milk (which occurs with natural bacteria present in fresh milk like you describe) and kefir (which requires a specific strain of bacteria). And yeah, you can use sour cream to get the bacteria even with the pasteurised milk.
My favorite use of Kefir is for Polish side dish called Mizeria. You can make mizeria with sour cream, yogurt or kefir (which is the healthiest option and my favorite). You simply mix one small cucumber (grated or thinly sliced, I prefer grated), chopped dill, and sprinkle of white vinegar (I use rice vinegar), salt ,pepper and pinch of sugar (not necessary). Mix all ingredients, let it sit for a few minutes to soften the cucumber, and add kefir last. I love it as a side dish especially with meats and potatoes, helps with digestion, too. Serve it in a small bawl, with a spoon.
@@Anna-gy9wx yeah, in my household it was always with kefir and grated cucumber. Then some vinegar and spices like dill, salt, pepper or maggi and it is a great and refreshing drink. Especially good in my opinion with eggs and potatoes.
@@Anna-gy9wx like I mentioned below, when you thin slice the cucumber, use yogurt or sour cream, or mix of both... if you grade cucumbers, use kefir, you can also add some sour cream to it for creamy taste. Always sprinkle on your cucumber some vinegar (white, can be rice or any white vinegar) prior to adding cream, kefir of yogurt, and wait for a few minutes. let me know if you liked it this way 🙂
I live in the tropics (Costa Rica), and don't have air conditioning so 65 degrees F is totally impossible. I have made kimchi though, and what I did was leave it out at "room temperature" (which for me is about 86 degrees) for approximately 6 hours and then put it in the fridge for a few days. Just a little tip for my fellow warm climate cooks!
I have the same issue (Grenada) and the temperature is 80-90 F. I have not tried it yet, but was going to try Making Kefir at night for a few hours, then in the fridge. I got a small cooler to experiment with too. Grains are not available unless I bring them from the States. I have had some moderate success with Sourdough by refrigerating the ingredients and the bowl with overnight refrigerated proofing.
do you have a yard where you can dig a hole? If so you can get a clay pot and a larger clay pot. put the larger pot in the hole, then the smaller in that. Surround the smaller one with wet sand. Cover with a lid and tada you have "Cold storage" at least colder than room temp. Similar to those underground store rooms
@@caseyp3447 interesting idea! If I can source some clay pots, I'll let you know how it goes! The humidity and rain might mess that up a bit though- maybe a roof over the hole?
I make mine starting late august early September in my kitchen right on my counter I never paid attention to temp just made sure it was submerged adequately in the brine
Regarding Kefir. After first fermentation, try adding about an inch of lime or any citrus peel to a quart of kefir along with some maple syrup. Let it sit for half a day to a day in the fridge and that’s it. The peel feeds the bacteria further and it continues to ferment, I put it in the fridge so the second ferment is very slow since I don’t like the bubbles. If you like it bubbly, leave it room temp and only add your preferred natural sweetener right before you move your kefir to the fridge. Enjoy!
I keep the garlic cloves in the honey and snack on them when I’m feeling ran down. It’s a natural antibiotic! I have come to love it so much I crave them!
You should press the garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes to release the allicin in the garlic. You can smell the aroma from it. THEN put it in a jar and cover it with honey. This is great for boosting your immune system.
Fermentation is how I originally found your channel & I instantly started a rose hip vinegar using your method. I’m too scared to eat it but seems legit lol keep the fermentation content coming please! Not too many folks talk about how vital it is for our health.
Leave the garlic in the honey. I have a jar going on two years that’s almost gone now. When I start to come down with a cold, I eat a clove or two about three times a day and my symptoms are gone within two days. I’ll put a spoon or two of the honey in a cup of warm water like a garlic honey tea. If I have a cough. Add lemon juice. I’ve also taken the garlic after fermenting for a few months and just blended it up with am equal amount of fresh ginger and enough lemon juice to help it blend well. Add a few spoons of honey back in. This can also be eaten by the spoonful for a cold or then used in this form for cooking. It makes a great flavour base for teriyaki, or stir fry, etc.
I have been making my Kefir at home for probably 5 years now. I share it with my dogs and cat. (Yes, I did the research and double checked with the vet! It's safe for all of them.) Kefir has really helped me with my allergies. I also make a type of soft cream cheese by draining it for a few days in the fridge. It goes nicely on toasted bagels and lots of other things. I can take the whey drained from the cheese to make kefir soda, too. I put kefir over my cereal instead of milk, and it goes nicely with granola.
@@solfh kefir is sour, the longer you ferment it the more sour, but then you can do what you want with it. Usually when people separate it into curds and whey they will flavor the whey when using in other ways. The whey is kept to use as a starter for other ferments or other uses
Little hack for you - when making Napa Kimchi or Sauerkraut, put the chopped veggies into a big sturdy baggie with a slide-top. THEN use your hands, knees, rolling pin, or whatever to bruise/break down the fibres. Squeeze the bag when it's starting to break down. Wait a bit, do it again. Repeat. Let it start fermenting in the bag for the first 2-3 days - just leave a small opening in the slide top - MUCH easier and less dangerous than burping a jar! We grew up making sauerkraut in crocks with sticks and our hands - my Korean in-laws laughed and said "Baggie. Use a baggie" and it's a life-changer!
Great suggestions! I’ve got a few tips to add. If you want your fermentation done quicker or with less risk of molding/other bacteria, add a probiotic supplement; they’re made to be ingested, so they’re food safe and it’s usually just lactobacillus! If you’re making a strained yogurt, add the acidic whey to your sauerkraut or lacto-ferments; it gives it a boost of protein and it’s a great way to use your food waste (it’s also a great addition when you’re cooking beans or lentils). Great work! I’m excited to see what comes next!
Probiotics are patented, slightly altered organisms. They are not ideal for our bodies, not even the ones of high quality. They suppress the body's inherent strains of microbes. The native microbes are gold if you have kept them alive. The natural Lacto-bacterias are much healthier, is my take. Not many health professionals are aware of this. Fermented food and eating fresh leafy vegetables, berries, and fruit straight from the garden without washing are good sources of microbes.
@@armoryourcastle Nano silver just kills any bacteria, right? Then it also kills positive bacterias made by fermentation, right? Then you can eat it raw withou fermentation.
After you strain the kefir grains and are ready for the second fermentation of kefir try putting orange peels or any other fruit slices you like and let it sit there for 24 hours. It would totally change the taste of kefir and will give it a very nice fruity taste.
I used to make milk and water kefir, but eventually gave up, because I couldn‘t keep up with it. I loved adding some milk kefir to salad dressings, but my favorite way of using it was doing a second fermentation with garlic and herbes and then straining it to get a fresh cheese.
Wow that sounds yummy!! Recently I started making milk kefir but use fruits in my second ferments. It never crossed my mind to use herbs like garlic. ❤ thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to try
I like to slow ferment my dairy kefir in the fridge for a few days. The flavors more intense but it’s really yummy. Another pro-tip is to start with grains from different parts of the country. When I lived in DC, I bought grains from New England and combined them with grains from Texas. It was crazy tasty.
@@TheSpecialJ11 Definitely, even if it's not from a different country, if you get some from someone local that got hers from a completely different source than you did you'd add to your bacterial strains.
Fun Suggestion, you can dehydrate your Kefir grains in a dehydrator or oven set at 90F - 95F. They shrink considerably and turn slightly brown. Then you can store them long term without needing milk or your fridge. To activate them, simply cover them with room temperature milk until they regrow.
I *always* have peppers and kraut fermenting now. I can't believe it took me this long to get into doing it, because I've always loved fermented veggies.
I love your videos, at least since you separated from the other gent that is, but I must say, I have been fermenting what feels like forever and I watch you doing your ferments and you have made the process so complicated and dear heart...you don't have to. And you certainly do not need those things sticking out the jar for releasing pressure, just open the lid once a day, you need to stir the ferment and push it down anyway. Just use good ol mason jars and their lids, wa-la. I have only failed fermenting once and that was in my beginning years ago listening to folks such as yourself and boy howdie it was a learning experience for me, learning to figure this out for myself and I have been successful ever since. Again, I love your videos, I love your food prep ideas and recipes keeps me inspired.
In Poland in summer, when it's hot, we make a really fast and simple lunch: boiled young potatoes with dill, fried egg (slightly runny is the best) and cold kefir in a glass to drink. Bonus points for adding boiled green beans.
I like to add orange peel and vanilla (sometimes a bit of honey too) on the 2nd ferment for kefir. It’s like an orange creamsicle and soooo delicious! Lemon peel is very nice as well
I make yogurt with kefir as well. One tip, if you want it to taste a bit tangier, you can leave the grains in for a bit longer. Also, if you strain it inside a cheese cloth bag, you can end with a finish product very similar to Greek yogurt. It's amazing.
@@vpambs1ptNo, it isn't actual yoghurt, it's *like* greek yogurt so don't boil the kefir, you will destroy the good bacteria. Just make the kefir like he says in the video, and after the second ferment when it has thickened up a little, you can pour it into a sieve lined with clean washed muslin (don't use new muslin straight from the shop, give it a hot wash first to remove chemicals). Leave the kefir sitting in the sieve over a jug or bowl. Clear liquid will collect in the bowl and the kefir will gradually get thicker. When it's thick enough tip it into a glass dish with a lid and pop it in the fridge. Keep the whey you strained off too. It's full of protein and goodness and has many uses. You can add it to smooothies or juice for extra goodness or google to find ways to use sweet whey.
I ferment milk kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. I use the kefir in place of yogurt and buttermilk in recipes and with granola. Love fermented stuff and wish I had a fermentation room!
Took a whole class on fermentation at my uni so this was a fun video! The only thing is garlic can be prone to botulism (more so than other fermented products) so you have to be super careful with it if you are fermenting at home. The easiest way to prevent that is to ferment in brine/water or with other vegetables to make the mix more anaerobic. If you ferment it in olive oil, just soak it in vinegar before putting it in the olive oil.
Don't you mean Non-anaerobic? My understanding is that Botulism is caused by a non-oxygen (anaerobic environment minus the acidity from a brine) environment. Per the CDC: The conditions in which the spores can grow and make toxins are: Low-oxygen or no oxygen (anaerobic) environment Low acid Low sugar Low salt A certain temperature range A certain amount of water So I would guess that the high-sugar environment of the honey-garlic combo would be safe? No?
Wouldn’t opening the jar and releasing the CO2 make it safe from those conditions-or would that not matter? I’ve been doing this honey/garlic thing for a little less than a year and I worry every time
For those trying the garlic honey, keep an eye on it. Mine just overflowed in my pantry after a few days (and I burped it). I just bought an airlock and I’ll try rotating the honey instead of a true flip.
Nice work man. As a suggestion on kefir use I would recommend KEFIR SOUP (yes, you read it right). Some people who first tried it, were pleasantly surprised and called it “ranch soup”. The recipe is simple, cut watery vegetables like cucumbers, radish, daikon, add greens (parsley, green onion, dill), hard boiled eggs pairs well too. Prep the base and store it in refrigerator until ready to eat. Dress it with cold kefir and sparkling water (in case kefir is too dense), salt pepper to taste. It’s a great soup for a hot summer day. Enjoy!
You don’t need pro or pre biotic supplements when you regularly eat the foods you show how to make in this video. 🎉 Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a kimchi guy, which my whole family eats, every night. Including tonight. That being said, I fermented my own wine and kombucha in the early ‘90s for around 6 years and around 2003 when my first child was 2, I started making kefir.
I agree and freeze dried probiotics have very little chance of doing much compared to a real live culture , natural things are always a 1000 times better than anything manufactured . Best way to take any probiotic is a liquid form on an empty stomach , this is scientifically proven - of your must use a commercial probiotic then the best by far is Symprove and they are the only one that have concluded medical trials in the UK to prove it , everyone else makes unsubstantiated claims
The book Nourishing Traditions has a lot of great fermentation recipes including ketchup, mayo, mustard, chutneys, etc. Delicious! And great way to spike up nutrition for my kids. They love sauerkraut too
As someone coming from the yogurt country, where we often use yogurt instead of milk into baking recipes, I can tell you, that you can add kefir to pancakes, different types of cakes, pastries and even omelettes.
Very new to this craft, this was a great intro into some new projects at my level! Been making milk kefir for about 9 months, I live in the UK so temperature is all over the place, but I have found first fermentation- 24 hours in the summer 48 in the autumn and 72 in the winter seems to produce really consistent results, and if you want to go for the second fermentation, it’s usually just 24 hours additional to any given season…. Either i’ve cracked it or the heating in my house is playing up! Last thing….A couple of slices of lemon before the fridge is an awesome addition 👌👌
I was surprised to see kefir in your video, cause I thought only eastern europe uses it. In Lithuania kefir is really common, mostly we use it to make Cold Beet Soup with hot potatoes on the side, or much simpler dish is just pan fried potatoes and we just drink it along the side. It may sound weird but both dishes combine really well with kefir. Also kefir is really good for intestine (digestion in general). I really recommend you to try the Cold Beet Soup, there are a lot of recipes on the internet and its pretty simple.
Once fermented, how do you store these foods? For example you said for sauerkraut you like it to ferment for 2-3 weeks, what do you do after the 2-3 weeks with it, assuming you made a big batch and won’t eat it all at once? Also, I make fermented beetroot juice. It’s nice to have as a drink everyday (half a cup) or used as a base of beetroot soup. If you like beets I think you would like this recipe. You just need to chop raw beets, add some garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorn, and cooled boiled salted water, put a jar weight and leave for around a week, I like to stir once a day to ensure no mould builds up.
This video is really neat. I enjoy watching all of your videos! There is one important instruction I would like to add regarding the honey/garlic. When flipping the jar over from bottom to top, make sure you wait an hour before loosening the lid to let gas escape. There will be honey clinging to the top of the lid and if you unscrew it immediately, the honey will ooze out down the side of your jar and you will have a small mess to clean up. I learned the hard way!
I make Kefir at home and made the honey garlic mixture that we always take a bit when we feel we’re coming down to some cold symptoms. Love your videos and many thanks for educating us all. Happy New Year!
Love this video, have been doing many similar ferments myself too …and Kefir Cream Cheese has been super easy and delicious: Pour finished kefir into cheesecloth and let drip drain overnight. Use the whey for other things and stir the white cheese curds/kefir cream cheeses with some seasoning and salt, crushed garlic or powder and you’re done . Healthy, easy, delicious!!!
I have been making milk kefir for a few years now. I love it in a large smoothie that I make with fruit, hemp bits, chia seeds & sometimes apple sauce. I keep it in my fridge & it gets 2nd fermented with the fruits. Very nutritious & fast breakfast! I’ve also made a cream cheese with kefir that has fermented longer by straining off the whey. The whey I add to krauts, etc.
We've been 2nd fermenting our kefir with a bit of fruit added. The best so far has been fig. We use it in almost every dressing, sauce and smoothie. Raw Jersey milk has been making incredibly thick and rich kefir.
As a Pole I do consume a lot of kefir, but maybe i'd be interesting for you to just make soured milk. I love it and it has more chunky consistency. If you use unpasteurized milk you can just let it sit in a room temperature and let it do it's thing, it'll ferment after a day (on a summer day or near a stove) or two. It'll be good once you have two layers - (drinkable and delicious) whey on top and this thick yoghurtlike soured milk on the bottom. You can eat it with a spoon and it's delicious on a hot day as a drink. Traditional Polish was is to eat it with potatoes and dill (I go in with a fried egg as well). Ps. If you can't get your hands on unpasteurized milk you can try with pasteurized one (but not UHT, that won't work). So then you need everything room temperature - milk and soured cream or soured milk from a previous batch. You can warm milk to 30C, and cream has to be room temperature. After warming the milk you take away from the stove, mix in some cream and put it somewhere warm. I do love fermenting. Nowadays I most often do kimchi or fermented cauliflower leaves (not throwing away), because they're the easiest for me, but I'm also obsessed with "Arugula kimchi" or fermented arugula (it's from this book Fermented Vegetables that not only has the best value for a buck in my opinion, given the amount of recipes, tricks and variety of veggies, I especially appreciate the sections of putting them into meals (lemonade from the soured juices is a life changer) (this is not sponsored, I just really like this book)
@@alexiachantel9725 That's awesome, happy fermenting. If you have the same edition as I do (SP 2014) try arugula ferment on p. 109. It's really refreshing. You can use brine for the brine-ade (pp. 324). I also suggest to really read into part 4 of the book, where they suggest recipes with the ferments. Gado gado kimchi schmear (pp. 284) is the perfect amount of sweet and salty. There is also a lot of simple recipes - try blaukraut with blue cheese and walnuts (318). Happy fermenting!
just FYI (from a beekeeper) if you cook with your honey, don't add it until after the heat processing is done. you went through all the trouble of using your neighbors raw honey, then denatured the healthful enzymes when you reduced your sauce.
Started making Kefir about a month ago and quite quickly started making daily smoothies with it. It has spurred me on to looking into other fermentations. Have already started a sauerkraut batch and now i have ideas on other things thanks to this video.
Milk kefir is often a very strong flavor for most people. In my experience, my family consumed it much better when I only let it ferment just until it was thick and not really separating at all. Which in the south of Texas was like 8-12 hours for a quart jar with not a very large amount of grains.
hello. I entered the world of fermentation a few weeks ago. Make sourdough bread, sauerkraut, and kefir from fresh goat's milk that we have. And soon I will start kombucha, I am very happy to see your videos and enrich my knowledge. You asked what else you can do with kefir. I really liked making sourdough and kefir pancakes, it raised the level of health and we really like them!
We have been making kefir for quite awhile to put in smoothies. We put the kefir grains in whole fat milk and also add maybe 1/4 to 1/3 C of heavy cream as well. Those little ‘buggies’ seem to love the extra fats. The result is very creamy and the grains multiply quickly. Thanks so much for your very informative videos.
@@pussypuffs just start with a bottle of unpasteurized kombucha and feed it with sweet tea like you usually would. it takes a while (a few weeks), but it works perfectly fine, I started mine completely from scratch years ago
I really like making a garlic cucumber sauce with my kefir for Turkish and Mediterranean dishes. I also pour it through a cheese cloth to separate the whey and make a type of cream cheese that flavors nicely as a thicker spread. The whey is even good to start a fruit ferment without needing as much salt
soo glad I found this channel (again). I had my first approach here 2 years ago and I said naaah (I wasnt skilled, had an old mindset about creative meals each time, no knowldge about smart shopping and reusing stuff, throwing stuff away went it went bad - that one I regret the most). I have new year resolution to become a non waste meal prep godess and your channel already helped me to think about shopping and meal prepping in such a different way... This week challenge is to go on one big groccery trip and this IT for a whole week. No take a ways, no small shopping on a way. Just being creative with what I have in my fridge and my pantry. Wish me luck!
Great vid! I love fermenting too. the only downside to fermenting as compared to canning is shelf life. So fermenting tends to be a smaller batch based ongoing process, compared to canning, which tend to be seasonal and once or twice a year. Both however are extremely beneficial and they are life skills that I believe are being lost in the most recent generations. My grandparents and parents canned and fermented regularly. veggies, meat, fruits, jams, and of course on my dad's side beer and wine.
Hey thanks for the video. For the cabbage, the ideal one is the whiter one( it is heavier as well) and after you cut it put salt in it and mix it gently so the salt gets all in ( do not press). Leave it for 40-60min to sweat.Then mix it with the carrots( I grate mine) and place it in the jar, pressing it. There will be PLEANTY of juice. Close the lead and in 2 weeks enjoy it.
I have only been making Kefir a short time. I once over fermented the milk and found it was just too sour to eat even if I added pureed berries, but, my husband makes sour dough bread and he used it to make a few loaves of bread and it was amazing that the kefir actually made the crust and crumb more tender and not so krispy with a great flavor. It was great that we didn't lose any of it.
kochujang is paste we call it go chu ga ru, meaning powder. great video! I just got a huge jar of honey, I'm going to do this as my weekend project. Thanks!
I wish to revise #1 to the following. Be in college and make frozen orange juice. Forget about it for a few weeks. Drink boozy orange juice one morning (or afternoon, or evening) and enjoy.
Thank you for this channel 🎉💞. I'm starting to be a little addicted to fermentation myself.....question,why are you taking probiotic capsules when you are making your own organic natural food probiotics? Am I missing something here???
Ever try fermenting coffee? It is very strange but totally worth it for sauces. It has this wacky Mole vibe to it. It taste like unsweet chocolate and also any of the notes in you coffee. Fantastic if you make your own hot sauce.
Just discovered your channel this evening and have already watched a bunch! I'll be making the garlic honey tomorrow. I have been making Kefir for over a year now and typically drink at least one cup first thing in the morning. I wait an hour for it to digest before having anything else. I have completely broken a way from caffeine and do not miss it at all! If a batch gets really thick, it is a good substitute for sour cream in pastas, cakes, breads, pancakes. Of course, the heat kills all that healthy bacteria, but it gives a very good taste to the food. It's also nice to have another use for it since my cultures can go crazy sometimes!
I just recently learned about fermented garlic honey with capsaicin. I've been making sauerkraut and kimchi for a while now and plan, next, to do the pickled peaches like in spice and wolf. My garlic is almost two weeks old. As time goes on it gets less of that garlic bite. It's still amazing
Garlic honey is the bomb ❤️ I got the "recipe" from Brad at Bon Appetit Had a BAD sinus infection once and took a shot of vodka with half a shot of honey and half a shot of apple cider vinegar. Was the absolute worst cocktail I have ever devised and the smell alone nearly made my mom sick 😂 but I woke up the next day fresh as a daisy
I've been making milk kefir for years and I was taught to keep it away from metal utensils. I use plastic strainer and spoons. Also I always keep the jar open, with just a piece of cloth to prevent bugs from entering.
We made ice cream/froyo out of kefir! 😁 added macerated fruit and blended with a tad of heavy cream. Churned in ice cream maker and swirled in a homemade jam before freezing. Super delicious. Gone very soon ^^'
I have a small organic banana farm in the Virgin Islands. I have around 500 trees, and I'm trying to find the most practical way to pickle or ferment banana flowers. Great video!
As an Eastern European, THANK YOU for pronouncing kefir correctly 😂 Also fun suggestion: put kefir into a coffee filter and strain out the whey to make kefir cheese! It tastes just like cream cheese but its 100% kefir 🙂
I make kefir almost everyday. Mine is very thick and creamy. I used organic milk once and that made it almost like milkshake consistency. I use it for baking breads and waffles. I make my overnight oats.
Can you do a poor man’s guide to food everything from fermentation too cooking, using liver, kidneys, pulses grains. I would be really excited to see that and it would/could help me positively impact my life and possibly loads of other people. Thank you for your time. Btw I’ve been watching your videos ever since Brother Green… is he ever going to wear shoes again?😂❤❤
Hey, I've watched most of your ferment stuff (and generally, a lot of the other stuff, too!) and first, thanks for getting me into it all and second after having tried a lot of things, I'm just curious if you've ever tried fermenting cacao? I'm also real big into making chocolate from scratch and oh my.. I haven't tried nibs or beans yet but powdered cacao is so easy to get fermenting. Water and sugar and after about 2/3 days I'd be scared it would blow the top off a glass jar! I've also grown kombucha scobbies that live off cacao instead of tea now. I'm quite certain I have cacao vinegar from it. The cacao seems to accelerate the process. I live in a pretty cold climate and even so, the kombucha/cacao mix only takes about a week or so to get real strong!
Can I ask how you transitioned the scobbies? I have a lot of cocoa beans and I'm interested in doing different things with it? We normally just make drinking chocolate
@@RachaelBally I added powdered cacao to a regular kombucha (black tea from memory and sugar) then when I separated the new scoby that formed from that one, I just added the cacao, sugar, water mix and it took to it very well! Not too difficult
Thanks to this video, I just successfully fermented daikon kimchi, honey garlic and broccoli slaw “sauerkraut”. 18 days and they’re delicious. I’ve also been making raw goat milk kefir, yum!!
The struggle you describe with fermentation needing time is something I relate to a lot. It gets discouraging for me as I really love fermentation but often will suddenly get too busy/tired/etc for a stretch of time to keep things going and alive and will often given up for several months at a time… One thing I would note about the garlic honey, which I’ve done several times now, is to watch your ph every once in a while to keep things safe and botulism free… honey is mostly inert and acidic (ph 3.8-4.0 on average) so botulism cannot develop, but… as the garlic ferments it will release a lot of water and dilute the honey. How much it dilutes is hard to predict as there are a lot of variables at play, and most of the time it’s likely fine, but I’ve monitored a few of my batches and after a week of fermentation the ph can get pretty close to 4.6 which is the botulism threshold… a little too close for comfort. An easy fix is just to give the solution a spritz or two of cider vinegar to lower the mix back to 3.8-4.0 levels. This does not affect the flavours or develop a sour taste since it just keep the acidity to the usual normal level of honey.
Yeah, the one thing that keeps me from trying a lot of recipes on YT channels is fear of C. botulinum et al. What's your preferred type of pH tester? I see that there are inexpensive digital models now.
@@Strattiffy I started with simple paper strips at first, but as I started doing more fermentation I got an electronic one off Amazon. Not particularly expensive like you mention and it seems pretty accurate, came with a calibration kit to do the initial setup. I always test it on some water to make sure it is still calibrated before use and so far so good.
@@PierrePblais Thanks! I will buy one, as I have had several batches of sauerkraut fail. They haven't turned acidic, so I think I'm taking a risk by tasting them.
Fantastic information! For a long time I did do Milk Keifr. My son gave me the grains and they came from Goat milk. Was so delicious! But a taste I did have to get accustom to. I made so many smoothies and my grandkids were crazy over my Keifr pancakes ! My grains died out ages ago. You have inspired me to go hunt for some grains. I did try water keifr at one time without much success.
I have been doing Milk Kiefer for about 7 years. Love it and drink it everyday. Love it with blueberries. Have you made Kiefer cheese yet. Play around with the amount of salt for a lot of different flavors.
I originally found your channel through your fermentation videos, and I'm so happy you're getting back to it. I absolutely love all of your content but I have to say this is a happy and very desired reunion with the old content used to make.
I never make kefir but in Poland we consme it very often. First of all I love to add some chives and dill and drin it during eating it with just unpeeled boiled or baked potato 😉 another great option if cold beetroot soup we call chłodnik litewski
I do many experiments with fermentation. Just few tips - garlic + miso paste is fantastic you can add some honey. Use Koji rice with veggies. Yogurt made from 12% fat goat milk- you can buy in stores closer to natural milk and bio- starter Bravo Yogurt. For kimchi would add some Koji and miso as well and honey.
How do you prepare your jars to ensure that all of the bad bacteria is killed off before you start fermenting? That's the biggest thing that's scared me off in the past from trying fermentation projects.
Honestly with salt based fermentations that are so short like kraut I don't even worry about it, but you can sanitize the jars by boiling them or adding sanitization liquid.
Just dry the jar in the sun(if it's clean..if u had kept sth in it then u obviously have to wash it first) .. In my country that's all we do.. And after the fermentation is complete don't use hands to take them out. Don't let water touch it (if u are using spoon or fork to take sth out use dry one.. That's it)
Usually a good rinse with water is all you need. That will wash out anything that has dropped into the vessel since washing it. Although I would probably tie a cloth over the kefir rather than leaving it open to the air for mold to drop in and start growing. But usually what keeps them from getting contaminated Is the acid they produce! If the pH is low enough mold won't grow.
I went from 0 to 100 overnight the last week. Yay ADHD 😂 Had no fermentation foods on my counter, to now having sourdough starter, a ginger bug going, and sauerkraut. About to start kombucha too for my husband since it’s his favorite. I used to make it a long time ago and it was my first intro with fermented foods lol. But I do feel overwhelmed already 🤣
I was reading about botulism and how it's more of a concern for garlic (low acid) and these bacteria are present in honey so mixing these 2 without acid, salt, is it harmful? Can it increase the chances of botulism in this type pickling? (Garlic in honey?)
I just made the radish kimchi, and it was so easy and fast. I love kimchi but had been intimidated to make it, so thanks for sharing this easy method!
Was this accidentally pinned? xd
Did you find the measurements somewhere? I want to make it but I can't find the measurements. :(
Wondering the same thing. I know 3% salt is usually what you go for when fermenting and I'm wondering if it is just 3% salt by weight of the radish but not sure.@@codyrubbelke2978
Grate white raddish add little salt and little apple cider vinegar and eat as salad along with your meal...if lazy like me and dont have patience to ferment things or avoid any hassle ..
Do you get intimidated easily?
Tip: Smash the garlic cloves a bit to release the allicin before you add the honey.
Great Video. I come from Poland where fermented cabbage, pickles, sourdough soup, sourdough bread, soup from pickles are pretty much the staples of our national kitchen and here you can buy kefir from various companies in every single grocery store. In last years there has been a significant growth of people that are getting into fermentation, to the point where now we have a chain of stores that are selling fermented goodies exclusively. I've been doing fermentation for about 8 years now and by talking to elders or people who are doing it with passion for dozens of years I've been able to collect many delicious recipes, like tomatoes with scallions fermented in yogurt, kimchi style cabbage with boletus mushrooms or mildly spicy pickles with cilantro. After watching this vid I just wanted to share with everybody one recipe that is on the top of my list which are lemons fermented in honey. You make them exactly the same like garlic in honey showed here, you just need to slice the lemons in circles, make sure they are all dipped in honey (orange honey is the best for this recipe in my opinion), turn the jar once a day and open the lid once every 2 days. After 8 to 10 days it's done (you can get the lemons out) and you' ll receive insanely tasty sour sweet "honey juice". If you put it in the fridge you can store it for 3 months and use it for example to sweeten your tea if you are a tea lover. I just eat one spoon a day mostly for the taste but also for the health benefits.
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Thank you for sharing your lemon honey recipe!
Amazing! thanks for that.
That was a great post!
City dweller here in Los Angeles with a lemon tree in the back yard. I am definitely going to make this with the honey. Thank you for the post!
I have a super easy fermentation recipe...
Mix any veggies in a jar. Make brine mixture of 2 cups filtered water and 1.5 tablespoon pink salt. Add brine mixture to veggies and ferment for 3 days on the kitchen counter.
My favorite is carrots with cabbage and a few cloves of garlic. This makes a wonderful side dish and spices up any salad.
I also make a separate crushed garlic only with the brine and it is the best natural antibiotic. Im so grateful I found out about fermentation.
Is this technically pickling? I get confused about the difference between pickling and fermenting, minus the obvious fact that fermentation has more probiotics.
Thank u 4 this!
@@birds_are_alrightOP’s taking about fermentation. Fermentation transforms food through microbial action, creating acids or alcohol. Pickling preserves food by immersing it in an acidic solution, extending its shelf life. So basically in pickling, you're using a fermented solution to conserve food, whereas in fermentation you're creating a gut-healthy way to preserve your food.
❤
@@birds_are_alright If you haven't already answered your own question, @Lifebymikeg has another video that explains the differences really well! That video and this one have helped me a lot. :)
th-cam.com/video/CVmtm6QNrMQ/w-d-xo.html
PSA: don't let the honey garlic thing stand on the lid, it will build up so much pressure from the fermentation that it will leak out. When you flip it, let the garlic run down and flip it again, so the lid is on top. I had a real mess my cupboard this morning.
honey, please don't tell me you left it in a actual cupboard and you just meant refrigerator.
@@haroldgregory2717 it's not meant to go in the refrigerator, we're fermenting here. the fridge stops the fermentation, or slows it down by a considerable amount, so don't try and talk down to people when you don't know what you're talking about.
@@simpson6700 chill man
@@haroldgregory2717you probably should hold off on giving advice until you LEARN how to ferment properly
@@haroldgregory2717no he’s right and was too polite dealing with your condescending ass
My 5 cents about KEFIR:
In Ukraine, to make a Kefir, you just put fresh home milk in a glass jar and close the top with some gauze cloth to protect it from flies and other insects.
After 2-3 days it's done. This works only with home milk, because it already contains all the bacteria/other stuff that starts fermentation process.
Regarding the usage of Kefir, my personal options: drink it raw; drink it with fried potatoes; blend it with some berries like raspberry; make a scrambled eggs with Kefir (mix it with eggs);
It is sour milk, different thing from kefir
Kefir is one of the constants in our diet! A few tips:
1) Don’t use a metal strainer or other metal tools, including silverware, with kefir grains. Metal can have the potential to kill kefir grains.
2) Use kefir in baked goods that utilize a cultured product like yogurt or buttermilk! We make muffins and waffles with kefir quite frequently :)
stainless steel will not harm kefir grains
@@Johnny__B I was just going to ask where she got her info from. I can imagine something such as copper, which will react with the acids, might screw things up, but stainless seems okay?
All I use is metal and its not made a difference.
Ignorant question: will the heat of baking kill the bacteria? Or does heat cause that bacteria to grow?
@@birds_are_alright Yes, the bacteria will die. The benefit in this case is the taste, which you may like or dislike of course.
Hey! One tip: If you want to further improve your cabbage fermentation project, add some onion and caraway into the mix. You won't be disappointed!
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I m from Ukraine and we make kefir froum our milk (we used to have a cow and now we have a few goats) so we do it just leaving the milk at room temperature or adding brown bread / crackers (made of Rye bread) or sometimes we use smetana (sour cream) / yogurt to get those bacteria into it.
Suddenly it seems that 75% by of internet users are from Ukraine, they are everywhere.
@@charles2521 🤣🤣🤣🤣🙉🙈🙊
@@charles2521 Thank you so much for keeping Ukraine in your prayers, mate 🙏🏻🫖☕💙💛now go feed yourself
Poland here and we actually differentiate (I don't know how it works in Ukraine but perhaps the same way) so that there's sour milk (which occurs with natural bacteria present in fresh milk like you describe) and kefir (which requires a specific strain of bacteria). And yeah, you can use sour cream to get the bacteria even with the pasteurised milk.
@@charles2521 You think they're bots?
My favorite use of Kefir is for Polish side dish called Mizeria. You can make mizeria with sour cream, yogurt or kefir (which is the healthiest option and my favorite). You simply mix one small cucumber (grated or thinly sliced, I prefer grated), chopped dill, and sprinkle of white vinegar (I use rice vinegar), salt ,pepper and pinch of sugar (not necessary). Mix all ingredients, let it sit for a few minutes to soften the cucumber, and add kefir last. I love it as a side dish especially with meats and potatoes, helps with digestion, too. Serve it in a small bawl, with a spoon.
I’m Polish and I never thought of using Kefir for mizeria! Always use sour cream or yogurt, thank you, I must try with kefir!!
@@Anna-gy9wx yeah, in my household it was always with kefir and grated cucumber. Then some vinegar and spices like dill, salt, pepper or maggi and it is a great and refreshing drink. Especially good in my opinion with eggs and potatoes.
Do you have any link of making and explaining it well?
@@Anna-gy9wx like I mentioned below, when you thin slice the cucumber, use yogurt or sour cream, or mix of both... if you grade cucumbers, use kefir, you can also add some sour cream to it for creamy taste. Always sprinkle on your cucumber some vinegar (white, can be rice or any white vinegar) prior to adding cream, kefir of yogurt, and wait for a few minutes. let me know if you liked it this way 🙂
I must have some Polish in my background(!) as my mother and grandmother made cucumbers with sour cream and dill as a side dish often.
I live in the tropics (Costa Rica), and don't have air conditioning so 65 degrees F is totally impossible. I have made kimchi though, and what I did was leave it out at "room temperature" (which for me is about 86 degrees) for approximately 6 hours and then put it in the fridge for a few days. Just a little tip for my fellow warm climate cooks!
I have the same issue (Grenada) and the temperature is 80-90 F. I have not tried it yet, but was going to try Making Kefir at night for a few hours, then in the fridge. I got a small cooler to experiment with too. Grains are not available unless I bring them from the States. I have had some moderate success with Sourdough by refrigerating the ingredients and the bowl with overnight refrigerated proofing.
Thank you. I live in Thailand, where the temperature is similar to where you live.
do you have a yard where you can dig a hole?
If so you can get a clay pot and a larger clay pot. put the larger pot in the hole, then the smaller in that. Surround the smaller one with wet sand. Cover with a lid and tada you have "Cold storage" at least colder than room temp.
Similar to those underground store rooms
@@caseyp3447 interesting idea! If I can source some clay pots, I'll let you know how it goes! The humidity and rain might mess that up a bit though- maybe a roof over the hole?
@@thejunglekitchen that might help, just make sure to dampen the sand again every once in a while :D
I fermented cabbage this fall. It is the best sauerkraut I’ve ever eaten. I eat a forkful right out of the jar. It’s great!
🎊 mate I have a (Mystery Box) package for you, Text the above username for acknowledgmen-'
What's the right temperature for cabbage fermentation he said 65degres. So I can't make it in summer? I'm a beginner, thanks so much
I make mine starting late august early September in my kitchen right on my counter I never paid attention to temp just made sure it was submerged adequately in the brine
Regarding Kefir. After first fermentation, try adding about an inch of lime or any citrus peel to a quart of kefir along with some maple syrup. Let it sit for half a day to a day in the fridge and that’s it.
The peel feeds the bacteria further and it continues to ferment, I put it in the fridge so the second ferment is very slow since I don’t like the bubbles. If you like it bubbly, leave it room temp and only add your preferred natural sweetener right before you move your kefir to the fridge.
Enjoy!
Sliced apple or cherry or berries work well with second ferment kefir too.
I keep the garlic cloves in the honey and snack on them when I’m feeling ran down. It’s a natural antibiotic! I have come to love it so much I crave them!
I do the same! It's so delicious!!
Very healthy too
Yes honey is highly antibacterial so it will keep the garlic from going bad or fermenting
@@seekerofthemutablebalance5228 But the garlic is literally fermenting..
@@seekerofthemutablebalance5228 fermenting needs bacteria or fungus so .. honey doesn’t prevent fermentation
You should press the garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes to release the allicin in the garlic. You can smell the aroma from it. THEN put it in a jar and cover it with honey. This is great for boosting your immune system.
Fermentation is how I originally found your channel & I instantly started a rose hip vinegar using your method. I’m too scared to eat it but seems legit lol keep the fermentation content coming please! Not too many folks talk about how vital it is for our health.
Same!! Im scared too lmao. The fermentation process makes me nervous lol
I made a rose petal vinegar. It was a beautiful color and so delicious
How did it come out ?
@@cynthiaissel1968 From this recipe here ? It was good ?
Leave the garlic in the honey. I have a jar going on two years that’s almost gone now. When I start to come down with a cold, I eat a clove or two about three times a day and my symptoms are gone within two days.
I’ll put a spoon or two of the honey in a cup of warm water like a garlic honey tea. If I have a cough. Add lemon juice.
I’ve also taken the garlic after fermenting for a few months and just blended it up with am equal amount of fresh ginger and enough lemon juice to help it blend well. Add a few spoons of honey back in. This can also be eaten by the spoonful for a cold or then used in this form for cooking. It makes a great flavour base for teriyaki, or stir fry, etc.
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Add ginger to the garlic and honey.
I have been making my Kefir at home for probably 5 years now. I share it with my dogs and cat. (Yes, I did the research and double checked with the vet! It's safe for all of them.) Kefir has really helped me with my allergies. I also make a type of soft cream cheese by draining it for a few days in the fridge. It goes nicely on toasted bagels and lots of other things. I can take the whey drained from the cheese to make kefir soda, too. I put kefir over my cereal instead of milk, and it goes nicely with granola.
Doesn’t it taste like vinegar? I have yet to try sweet kefir
I make lactic acid bacteria and my pets love it in their water, I presume.
How do you make the kefir soda! Thanks for sharing?
@@solfh kefir is sour, the longer you ferment it the more sour, but then you can do what you want with it.
Usually when people separate it into curds and whey they will flavor the whey when using in other ways. The whey is kept to use as a starter for other ferments or other uses
My dogs love it too 👍🏼
Got fermented garlic that’s about five years old. Take out a clove for a treat. Great taste - more like roasted garlic. Yum.
Little hack for you - when making Napa Kimchi or Sauerkraut, put the chopped veggies into a big sturdy baggie with a slide-top. THEN use your hands, knees, rolling pin, or whatever to bruise/break down the fibres. Squeeze the bag when it's starting to break down. Wait a bit, do it again. Repeat. Let it start fermenting in the bag for the first 2-3 days - just leave a small opening in the slide top - MUCH easier and less dangerous than burping a jar! We grew up making sauerkraut in crocks with sticks and our hands - my Korean in-laws laughed and said "Baggie. Use a baggie" and it's a life-changer!
Good tip...add some extra bioplastics in your sauerkraut,kimchi and your body!!
@@MultiLinda42 I agree. That baggie method does sound easy, but I would be highly suspicious of the plastic getting into my food. Glass I trust.
To avoid plastics you can use silicone bags like those made by Stasher.
Great suggestions! I’ve got a few tips to add. If you want your fermentation done quicker or with less risk of molding/other bacteria, add a probiotic supplement; they’re made to be ingested, so they’re food safe and it’s usually just lactobacillus! If you’re making a strained yogurt, add the acidic whey to your sauerkraut or lacto-ferments; it gives it a boost of protein and it’s a great way to use your food waste (it’s also a great addition when you’re cooking beans or lentils). Great work! I’m excited to see what comes next!
Probiotics are patented, slightly altered organisms. They are not ideal for our bodies, not even the ones of high quality. They suppress the body's inherent strains of microbes. The native microbes are gold if you have kept them alive. The natural Lacto-bacterias are much healthier, is my take. Not many health professionals are aware of this. Fermented food and eating fresh leafy vegetables, berries, and fruit straight from the garden without washing are good sources of microbes.
Or nano silver!
@@armoryourcastle Nano silver just kills any bacteria, right? Then it also kills positive bacterias made by fermentation, right? Then you can eat it raw withou fermentation.
@@armoryourcastle don't add silver to kefir it'll kill the bacteria
I make full fat coconut milk kefir. It's pretty great if you don't use dairy.
Do you have a specific coconut milk that you use? I’m lactose intolerant but would like to eat more fermented foods.
Have you tried it? I don't have any of those nasty lactose issues with the homemade kefir. I did however with the store bought kefir. Go figure.
Recipie
After you strain the kefir grains and are ready for the second fermentation of kefir try putting orange peels or any other fruit slices you like and let it sit there for 24 hours. It would totally change the taste of kefir and will give it a very nice fruity taste.
I used to make milk and water kefir, but eventually gave up, because I couldn‘t keep up with it. I loved adding some milk kefir to salad dressings, but my favorite way of using it was doing a second fermentation with garlic and herbes and then straining it to get a fresh cheese.
Wow that sounds yummy!! Recently I started making milk kefir but use fruits in my second ferments. It never crossed my mind to use herbs like garlic. ❤ thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to try
I like to slow ferment my dairy kefir in the fridge for a few days. The flavors more intense but it’s really yummy. Another pro-tip is to start with grains from different parts of the country. When I lived in DC, I bought grains from New England and combined them with grains from Texas. It was crazy tasty.
I like the idea of buying different grains from different places to get more diversity. I should try it. Maybe you'd get even more probiotic benefits.
@@TheSpecialJ11 Definitely, even if it's not from a different country, if you get some from someone local that got hers from a completely different source than you did you'd add to your bacterial strains.
Fun Suggestion, you can dehydrate your Kefir grains in a dehydrator or oven set at 90F - 95F. They shrink considerably and turn slightly brown. Then you can store them long term without needing milk or your fridge. To activate them, simply cover them with room temperature milk until they regrow.
nice tip! how long till they dry?
@@viky662 I don't recall exactly how long, but I went until they felt dry to the touch. They turned a slight brown color. Less than a day for sure
Sounds a bit risky. I’ve heard of people not successfully rehydrating
@@viky662 Sorry about not replying, I did not get a notification. It only takes a few short hours, less than 3.
@@shiraprez You can try it with a portion of your grains, they multiply so fast anyways.
I *always* have peppers and kraut fermenting now. I can't believe it took me this long to get into doing it, because I've always loved fermented veggies.
I love your videos, at least since you separated from the other gent that is, but I must say, I have been fermenting what feels like forever and I watch you doing your ferments and you have made the process so complicated and dear heart...you don't have to. And you certainly do not need those things sticking out the jar for releasing pressure, just open the lid once a day, you need to stir the ferment and push it down anyway. Just use good ol mason jars and their lids, wa-la. I have only failed fermenting once and that was in my beginning years ago listening to folks such as yourself and boy howdie it was a learning experience for me, learning to figure this out for myself and I have been successful ever since. Again, I love your videos, I love your food prep ideas and recipes keeps me inspired.
In Poland in summer, when it's hot, we make a really fast and simple lunch: boiled young potatoes with dill, fried egg (slightly runny is the best) and cold kefir in a glass to drink. Bonus points for adding boiled green beans.
I like to add orange peel and vanilla (sometimes a bit of honey too) on the 2nd ferment for kefir. It’s like an orange creamsicle and soooo delicious! Lemon peel is very nice as well
Also lemon peel and Apple slices! 😘
Sounds delicious ❤
Did you add any tyoe of vanilla flavor or just the peel?
this sounds perfect for me. thanks !! so you can add things after first ferment..
I make yogurt with kefir as well. One tip, if you want it to taste a bit tangier, you can leave the grains in for a bit longer. Also, if you strain it inside a cheese cloth bag, you can end with a finish product very similar to Greek yogurt. It's amazing.
how do you make the yogurt? You boil it and then add a bit of yougurt?
@@vpambs1ptNo, it isn't actual yoghurt, it's *like* greek yogurt so don't boil the kefir, you will destroy the good bacteria. Just make the kefir like he says in the video, and after the second ferment when it has thickened up a little, you can pour it into a sieve lined with clean washed muslin (don't use new muslin straight from the shop, give it a hot wash first to remove chemicals). Leave the kefir sitting in the sieve over a jug or bowl. Clear liquid will collect in the bowl and the kefir will gradually get thicker. When it's thick enough tip it into a glass dish with a lid and pop it in the fridge. Keep the whey you strained off too. It's full of protein and goodness and has many uses. You can add it to smooothies or juice for extra goodness or google to find ways to use sweet whey.
I ferment milk kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. I use the kefir in place of yogurt and buttermilk in recipes and with granola. Love fermented stuff and wish I had a fermentation room!
Took a whole class on fermentation at my uni so this was a fun video! The only thing is garlic can be prone to botulism (more so than other fermented products) so you have to be super careful with it if you are fermenting at home. The easiest way to prevent that is to ferment in brine/water or with other vegetables to make the mix more anaerobic. If you ferment it in olive oil, just soak it in vinegar before putting it in the olive oil.
This was a honey ferment.
Honey is naturally antibiotic. It is even used in hospitals on wounds where man made antibiotics aren't working.
@@k.h.6991 yes and honey can contain C. botulinum. Without the acid or brine content this can theoreitcally cause botulism.
Don't you mean Non-anaerobic? My understanding is that Botulism is caused by a non-oxygen (anaerobic environment minus the acidity from a brine) environment. Per the CDC: The conditions in which the spores can grow and make toxins are:
Low-oxygen or no oxygen (anaerobic) environment
Low acid
Low sugar
Low salt
A certain temperature range
A certain amount of water
So I would guess that the high-sugar environment of the honey-garlic combo would be safe? No?
Wouldn’t opening the jar and releasing the CO2 make it safe from those conditions-or would that not matter? I’ve been doing this honey/garlic thing for a little less than a year and I worry every time
For those trying the garlic honey, keep an eye on it. Mine just overflowed in my pantry after a few days (and I burped it). I just bought an airlock and I’ll try rotating the honey instead of a true flip.
Nice work man. As a suggestion on kefir use I would recommend KEFIR SOUP (yes, you read it right). Some people who first tried it, were pleasantly surprised and called it “ranch soup”. The recipe is simple, cut watery vegetables like cucumbers, radish, daikon, add greens (parsley, green onion, dill), hard boiled eggs pairs well too. Prep the base and store it in refrigerator until ready to eat. Dress it with cold kefir and sparkling water (in case kefir is too dense), salt pepper to taste. It’s a great soup for a hot summer day. Enjoy!
In Ukraine it's called "окрошка" (okroshka) and yeah, it's very delicious cold summer soup!
it's russian "okroshka". It's better with kvass :P Or rather, this is an eternal dispute - which one is better.
You don’t need pro or pre biotic supplements when you regularly eat the foods you show how to make in this video. 🎉
Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a kimchi guy, which my whole family eats, every night. Including tonight. That being said, I fermented my own wine and kombucha in the early ‘90s for around 6 years and around 2003 when my first child was 2, I started making kefir.
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I agree and freeze dried probiotics have very little chance of doing much compared to a real live culture , natural things are always a 1000 times better than anything manufactured . Best way to take any probiotic is a liquid form on an empty stomach , this is scientifically proven - of your must use a commercial probiotic then the best by far is Symprove and they are the only one that have concluded medical trials in the UK to prove it , everyone else makes unsubstantiated claims
The book Nourishing Traditions has a lot of great fermentation recipes including ketchup, mayo, mustard, chutneys, etc. Delicious! And great way to spike up nutrition for my kids. They love sauerkraut too
Fermentation takes time. Being a new dad also takes time. We forgive you! 😊😉
As a dad that was probably the cutest comment 🥰🤣
@@jdodd1210 bb?
thanks Jibran!
Congratulations ❤
As someone coming from the yogurt country, where we often use yogurt instead of milk into baking recipes, I can tell you, that you can add kefir to pancakes, different types of cakes, pastries and even omelettes.
Very new to this craft, this was a great intro into some new projects at my level! Been making milk kefir for about 9 months, I live in the UK so temperature is all over the place, but I have found first fermentation- 24 hours in the summer 48 in the autumn and 72 in the winter seems to produce really consistent results, and if you want to go for the second fermentation, it’s usually just 24 hours additional to any given season…. Either i’ve cracked it or the heating in my house is playing up! Last thing….A couple of slices of lemon before the fridge is an awesome addition 👌👌
I was surprised to see kefir in your video, cause I thought only eastern europe uses it. In Lithuania kefir is really common, mostly we use it to make Cold Beet Soup with hot potatoes on the side, or much simpler dish is just pan fried potatoes and we just drink it along the side. It may sound weird but both dishes combine really well with kefir. Also kefir is really good for intestine (digestion in general). I really recommend you to try the Cold Beet Soup, there are a lot of recipes on the internet and its pretty simple.
Here in the U.K., commercially produced kefir is available at all supermarkets. Vastly inferior to the kefir we make at home.
In Ukraine, we also drink kefir with fried potatoes, and I do like this combination very much!
People make it in Australia too it is quite common worldwide
Once fermented, how do you store these foods? For example you said for sauerkraut you like it to ferment for 2-3 weeks, what do you do after the 2-3 weeks with it, assuming you made a big batch and won’t eat it all at once?
Also, I make fermented beetroot juice. It’s nice to have as a drink everyday (half a cup) or used as a base of beetroot soup. If you like beets I think you would like this recipe. You just need to chop raw beets, add some garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorn, and cooled boiled salted water, put a jar weight and leave for around a week, I like to stir once a day to ensure no mould builds up.
This video is really neat. I enjoy watching all of your videos! There is one important instruction I would like to add regarding the honey/garlic. When flipping the jar over from bottom to top, make sure you wait an hour before loosening the lid to let gas escape. There will be honey clinging to the top of the lid and if you unscrew it immediately, the honey will ooze out down the side of your jar and you will have a small mess to clean up. I learned the hard way!
That honey garlic just blew my mind! I need to make a trip to the grocery store.
Kimchi, Kimchi, Kimchi. My entire kitchen smells like Kimchi for life!
I make Kefir at home and made the honey garlic mixture that we always take a bit when we feel we’re coming down to some cold symptoms. Love your videos and many thanks for educating us all. Happy New Year!
The honey garlic is super good if you start to feel sick as well! Have a spoon or two a day when feel ill and you will feel so much better 🎉
Love this video, have been doing many similar ferments myself too …and Kefir Cream Cheese has been super easy and delicious: Pour finished kefir into cheesecloth and let drip drain overnight. Use the whey for other things and stir the white cheese curds/kefir cream cheeses with some seasoning and salt, crushed garlic or powder and you’re done . Healthy, easy, delicious!!!
Kefir cheese would be good with the fermented honey garlic….
I have been making milk kefir for a few years now. I love it in a large smoothie that I make with fruit, hemp bits, chia seeds & sometimes apple sauce. I keep it in my fridge & it gets 2nd fermented with the fruits. Very nutritious & fast breakfast! I’ve also made a cream cheese with kefir that has fermented longer by straining off the whey. The whey I add to krauts, etc.
We've been 2nd fermenting our kefir with a bit of fruit added. The best so far has been fig. We use it in almost every dressing, sauce and smoothie. Raw Jersey milk has been making incredibly thick and rich kefir.
As a Pole I do consume a lot of kefir, but maybe i'd be interesting for you to just make soured milk. I love it and it has more chunky consistency. If you use unpasteurized milk you can just let it sit in a room temperature and let it do it's thing, it'll ferment after a day (on a summer day or near a stove) or two. It'll be good once you have two layers - (drinkable and delicious) whey on top and this thick yoghurtlike soured milk on the bottom. You can eat it with a spoon and it's delicious on a hot day as a drink. Traditional Polish was is to eat it with potatoes and dill (I go in with a fried egg as well).
Ps. If you can't get your hands on unpasteurized milk you can try with pasteurized one (but not UHT, that won't work). So then you need everything room temperature - milk and soured cream or soured milk from a previous batch. You can warm milk to 30C, and cream has to be room temperature. After warming the milk you take away from the stove, mix in some cream and put it somewhere warm.
I do love fermenting. Nowadays I most often do kimchi or fermented cauliflower leaves (not throwing away), because they're the easiest for me, but I'm also obsessed with "Arugula kimchi" or fermented arugula (it's from this book Fermented Vegetables that not only has the best value for a buck in my opinion, given the amount of recipes, tricks and variety of veggies, I especially appreciate the sections of putting them into meals (lemonade from the soured juices is a life changer) (this is not sponsored, I just really like this book)
great tip on the book, I just checked it out from my library and can't wait to try some recipes!
@@alexiachantel9725 That's awesome, happy fermenting. If you have the same edition as I do (SP 2014) try arugula ferment on p. 109. It's really refreshing. You can use brine for the brine-ade (pp. 324). I also suggest to really read into part 4 of the book, where they suggest recipes with the ferments. Gado gado kimchi schmear (pp. 284) is the perfect amount of sweet and salty. There is also a lot of simple recipes - try blaukraut with blue cheese and walnuts (318). Happy fermenting!
just FYI (from a beekeeper) if you cook with your honey, don't add it until after the heat processing is done. you went through all the trouble of using your neighbors raw honey, then denatured the healthful enzymes when you reduced your sauce.
I’m pretty excited about your fermentation videos. I recently got a fermentation tupper and can’t wait to use it 😊
I had to pause and add some to my wishlist. lol Fermenting at home freaked me out a bit, but thanks to youtube- I'm ready to dive in deep.
Me too, it's still in the box! With this help, it's time to head into it!
I will say that fermentation in glass or crockery is always your best option...
Started making Kefir about a month ago and quite quickly started making daily smoothies with it. It has spurred me on to looking into other fermentations. Have already started a sauerkraut batch and now i have ideas on other things thanks to this video.
Milk kefir is often a very strong flavor for most people. In my experience, my family consumed it much better when I only let it ferment just until it was thick and not really separating at all. Which in the south of Texas was like 8-12 hours for a quart jar with not a very large amount of grains.
🎊 mate I have a (Mystery Box) package for you, Text the above. username for acknowledgment
hello. I entered the world of fermentation a few weeks ago. Make sourdough bread, sauerkraut, and kefir from fresh goat's milk that we have. And soon I will start kombucha, I am very happy to see your videos and enrich my knowledge. You asked what else you can do with kefir. I really liked making sourdough and kefir pancakes, it raised the level of health and we really like them!
We have been making kefir for quite awhile to put in smoothies. We put the kefir grains in whole fat milk and also add maybe 1/4 to 1/3 C of heavy cream as well. Those little ‘buggies’ seem to love the extra fats. The result is very creamy and the grains multiply quickly. Thanks so much for your very informative videos.
why do people tend to use starters rather than going from scratch? i cant seem to find any info on growing things like kombucha mother anywhere!
@@pussypuffs just start with a bottle of unpasteurized kombucha and feed it with sweet tea like you usually would. it takes a while (a few weeks), but it works perfectly fine, I started mine completely from scratch years ago
I really like making a garlic cucumber sauce with my kefir for Turkish and Mediterranean dishes. I also pour it through a cheese cloth to separate the whey and make a type of cream cheese that flavors nicely as a thicker spread. The whey is even good to start a fruit ferment without needing as much salt
soo glad I found this channel (again). I had my first approach here 2 years ago and I said naaah (I wasnt skilled, had an old mindset about creative meals each time, no knowldge about smart shopping and reusing stuff, throwing stuff away went it went bad - that one I regret the most).
I have new year resolution to become a non waste meal prep godess and your channel already helped me to think about shopping and meal prepping in such a different way...
This week challenge is to go on one big groccery trip and this IT for a whole week. No take a ways, no small shopping on a way. Just being creative with what I have in my fridge and my pantry. Wish me luck!
🎊 mate I have a (Mystery Box) package for you, Text the above username for acknowledgment,
Great vid! I love fermenting too. the only downside to fermenting as compared to canning is shelf life. So fermenting tends to be a smaller batch based ongoing process, compared to canning, which tend to be seasonal and once or twice a year. Both however are extremely beneficial and they are life skills that I believe are being lost in the most recent generations. My grandparents and parents canned and fermented regularly. veggies, meat, fruits, jams, and of course on my dad's side beer and wine.
💯🎯📠
Hey thanks for the video. For the cabbage, the ideal one is the whiter one( it is heavier as well) and after you cut it put salt in it and mix it gently so the salt gets all in ( do not press). Leave it for 40-60min to sweat.Then mix it with the carrots( I grate mine) and place it in the jar, pressing it. There will be PLEANTY of juice. Close the lead and in 2 weeks enjoy it.
Yay!!!!! 🥳 Happy fermentation nerd and long time viewer here! 🖐
You are the best!!!!!
So simple and gets the idea of what it is and how great it is!!!!
Thanks for the simplicity!!!!
I have only been making Kefir a short time. I once over fermented the milk and found it was just too sour to eat even if I added pureed berries, but, my husband makes sour dough bread and he used it to make a few loaves of bread and it was amazing that the kefir actually made the crust and crumb more tender and not so krispy with a great flavor. It was great that we didn't lose any of it.
For the bread did he use kefir in place of the water or half and half?
@@candygrimmgithensmull8357 he used kefir once and another time he used the whey. Both turned out great.
kochujang is paste we call it go chu ga ru, meaning powder. great video! I just got a huge jar of honey, I'm going to do this as my weekend project. Thanks!
I wish to revise #1 to the following. Be in college and make frozen orange juice. Forget about it for a few weeks. Drink boozy orange juice one morning (or afternoon, or evening) and enjoy.
Thank you for this channel 🎉💞. I'm starting to be a little addicted to fermentation myself.....question,why are you taking probiotic capsules when you are making your own organic natural food probiotics?
Am I missing something here???
Ever try fermenting coffee? It is very strange but totally worth it for sauces. It has this wacky Mole vibe to it. It taste like unsweet chocolate and also any of the notes in you coffee. Fantastic if you make your own hot sauce.
Just discovered your channel this evening and have already watched a bunch! I'll be making the garlic honey tomorrow. I have been making Kefir for over a year now and typically drink at least one cup first thing in the morning. I wait an hour for it to digest before having anything else. I have completely broken a way from caffeine and do not miss it at all! If a batch gets really thick, it is a good substitute for sour cream in pastas, cakes, breads, pancakes. Of course, the heat kills all that healthy bacteria, but it gives a very good taste to the food. It's also nice to have another use for it since my cultures can go crazy sometimes!
Do milk keifer 2nd fermentation by adding fruit in it for an hour makes the sourness subdued and thickens it too
I just recently learned about fermented garlic honey with capsaicin. I've been making sauerkraut and kimchi for a while now and plan, next, to do the pickled peaches like in spice and wolf. My garlic is almost two weeks old. As time goes on it gets less of that garlic bite. It's still amazing
I use my milk kefir to make overnight oats, with chia and berries. So good!
And the acidic liquid took away the phytate in the oats - if you soaked it on counter
WinWin
@@YeshuaKingMessiah I’ve been soaking it in the fridge but will move to the counter now. Thanks. 😊
I recently got into fermentation and this video came across my recommended. Thank you! These are really easy and beginner friendly.
Garlic honey is the bomb ❤️ I got the "recipe" from Brad at Bon Appetit
Had a BAD sinus infection once and took a shot of vodka with half a shot of honey and half a shot of apple cider vinegar. Was the absolute worst cocktail I have ever devised and the smell alone nearly made my mom sick 😂 but I woke up the next day fresh as a daisy
🎊 mate I have a (Mystery Box) package for you, Text the above username for acknowledgmen-'
I lol'ed at this 😆
I will get your recipe, my ears are plugged after sinus infections.
More fermentation!
Tempeh! Lutefisk! Koji and more!
Also can you put the fermentation stuff in its own playlist? It is the only reason I am here.
Share all the fermentation content!!!! I want to get a lot more comfortable with doing it myself
I've been making milk kefir for years and I was taught to keep it away from metal utensils. I use plastic strainer and spoons. Also I always keep the jar open, with just a piece of cloth to prevent bugs from entering.
We made ice cream/froyo out of kefir! 😁 added macerated fruit and blended with a tad of heavy cream. Churned in ice cream maker and swirled in a homemade jam before freezing. Super delicious. Gone very soon ^^'
I have a small organic banana farm in the Virgin Islands. I have around 500 trees, and I'm trying to find the most practical way to pickle or ferment banana flowers. Great video!
As an Eastern European, THANK YOU for pronouncing kefir correctly 😂 Also fun suggestion: put kefir into a coffee filter and strain out the whey to make kefir cheese! It tastes just like cream cheese but its 100% kefir 🙂
Yes!! One of my biggest peeves is everyone mispronouncing kefir!!
0oooo, thx for the tip x...
@@lovnbnhome Well we old hippies never heard it from a native speaker. No reason to get peeved 😉
Yepp! The bitter part is the liquid, which actually looks kind of greenish in my case
As a Pole, the accent was on the wrong syllable 🤪
I make kefir almost everyday. Mine is very thick and creamy. I used organic milk once and that made it almost like milkshake consistency. I use it for baking breads and waffles. I make my overnight oats.
Can you do a poor man’s guide to food everything from fermentation too cooking, using liver, kidneys, pulses grains. I would be really excited to see that and it would/could help me positively impact my life and possibly loads of other people. Thank you for your time. Btw I’ve been watching your videos ever since Brother Green… is he ever going to wear shoes again?😂❤❤
I fine grind onion peel, garlic peel and dehydrated tomatillo peels to make a nice topping to sprinkle on salads.
Hey, I've watched most of your ferment stuff (and generally, a lot of the other stuff, too!) and first, thanks for getting me into it all and second after having tried a lot of things, I'm just curious if you've ever tried fermenting cacao? I'm also real big into making chocolate from scratch and oh my.. I haven't tried nibs or beans yet but powdered cacao is so easy to get fermenting. Water and sugar and after about 2/3 days I'd be scared it would blow the top off a glass jar!
I've also grown kombucha scobbies that live off cacao instead of tea now. I'm quite certain I have cacao vinegar from it. The cacao seems to accelerate the process. I live in a pretty cold climate and even so, the kombucha/cacao mix only takes about a week or so to get real strong!
Can I ask how you transitioned the scobbies? I have a lot of cocoa beans and I'm interested in doing different things with it? We normally just make drinking chocolate
@@RachaelBally I added powdered cacao to a regular kombucha (black tea from memory and sugar) then when I separated the new scoby that formed from that one, I just added the cacao, sugar, water mix and it took to it very well! Not too difficult
@@JesusOfTheJungle much thanks!!
@@RachaelBally No probs. Good luck with it!
Thanks to this video, I just successfully fermented daikon kimchi, honey garlic and broccoli slaw “sauerkraut”. 18 days and they’re delicious.
I’ve also been making raw goat milk kefir, yum!!
Amazing! Glad to here it, keep it up!
The struggle you describe with fermentation needing time is something I relate to a lot. It gets discouraging for me as I really love fermentation but often will suddenly get too busy/tired/etc for a stretch of time to keep things going and alive and will often given up for several months at a time…
One thing I would note about the garlic honey, which I’ve done several times now, is to watch your ph every once in a while to keep things safe and botulism free… honey is mostly inert and acidic (ph 3.8-4.0 on average) so botulism cannot develop, but… as the garlic ferments it will release a lot of water and dilute the honey. How much it dilutes is hard to predict as there are a lot of variables at play, and most of the time it’s likely fine, but I’ve monitored a few of my batches and after a week of fermentation the ph can get pretty close to 4.6 which is the botulism threshold… a little too close for comfort. An easy fix is just to give the solution a spritz or two of cider vinegar to lower the mix back to 3.8-4.0 levels. This does not affect the flavours or develop a sour taste since it just keep the acidity to the usual normal level of honey.
Yeah, the one thing that keeps me from trying a lot of recipes on YT channels is fear of C. botulinum et al. What's your preferred type of pH tester? I see that there are inexpensive digital models now.
@@Strattiffy I started with simple paper strips at first, but as I started doing more fermentation I got an electronic one off Amazon. Not particularly expensive like you mention and it seems pretty accurate, came with a calibration kit to do the initial setup. I always test it on some water to make sure it is still calibrated before use and so far so good.
@@PierrePblais Thanks! I will buy one, as I have had several batches of sauerkraut fail. They haven't turned acidic, so I think I'm taking a risk by tasting them.
Fantastic information! For a long time I did do Milk Keifr. My son gave me the grains and they came from Goat milk. Was so delicious! But a taste I did have to get accustom to. I made so many smoothies and my grandkids were crazy over my Keifr pancakes ! My grains died out ages ago. You have inspired me to go hunt for some grains. I did try water keifr at one time without much success.
What's the expiration of ....Non refrigerated fermented foods? Thanks.
Dude I've been a viewer for a while and seeing you make a video like this again brings me so much joy! I can't wait to see what else you come up with!
@ProHomeCooks. I don't know what telegram is? Lol I don't do a lot of social media or tech stuff
I have been doing Milk Kiefer for about 7 years. Love it and drink it everyday. Love it with blueberries. Have you made Kiefer cheese yet. Play around with the amount of salt for a lot of different flavors.
Another good fermentation trick if you have access to it is sake or rice wine lees. That leftover mash from the first straining is extremely useful.
What is the clear rock you're using? I found the syringes on amazon but idk what the rock is.
Also love your channel. You have made me a better me
its a standard jar weight you can find on amazon as well!
Can you kefir non dairy milks? Thank you
Your fermentation videos are my favorite part of your channel -- but I do love all your content. Happy New Year!
Thank you! Awesome video! I'm literally salivating!!🤤 I really need to get back into making fermented goodness.
I originally found your channel through your fermentation videos, and I'm so happy you're getting back to it. I absolutely love all of your content but I have to say this is a happy and very desired reunion with the old content used to make.
Is it possible to use date syrup instead of honey with the garlic? I'm vegan. Loving your show.
I never make kefir but in Poland we consme it very often. First of all I love to add some chives and dill and drin it during eating it with just unpeeled boiled or baked potato 😉 another great option if cold beetroot soup we call chłodnik litewski
I do many experiments with fermentation. Just few tips - garlic + miso paste is fantastic you can add some honey. Use Koji rice with veggies. Yogurt made from 12% fat goat milk- you can buy in stores closer to natural milk and bio- starter Bravo Yogurt. For kimchi would add some Koji and miso as well and honey.
How do you prepare your jars to ensure that all of the bad bacteria is killed off before you start fermenting? That's the biggest thing that's scared me off in the past from trying fermentation projects.
Honestly with salt based fermentations that are so short like kraut I don't even worry about it, but you can sanitize the jars by boiling them or adding sanitization liquid.
Never sterilized my jars
Kefir, yogurt, fermented garlic/fermented ginger, garlic, onions, sourdough starter and sauerkraut/kimchi are all wonderful
Just dry the jar in the sun(if it's clean..if u had kept sth in it then u obviously have to wash it first) .. In my country that's all we do.. And after the fermentation is complete don't use hands to take them out. Don't let water touch it (if u are using spoon or fork to take sth out use dry one.. That's it)
@@YOUENJOYLIFE hi Josh 👋
Usually a good rinse with water is all you need. That will wash out anything that has dropped into the vessel since washing it. Although I would probably tie a cloth over the kefir rather than leaving it open to the air for mold to drop in and start growing. But usually what keeps them from getting contaminated Is the acid they produce! If the pH is low enough mold won't grow.
I went from 0 to 100 overnight the last week. Yay ADHD 😂 Had no fermentation foods on my counter, to now having sourdough starter, a ginger bug going, and sauerkraut. About to start kombucha too for my husband since it’s his favorite. I used to make it a long time ago and it was my first intro with fermented foods lol. But I do feel overwhelmed already 🤣
I was reading about botulism and how it's more of a concern for garlic (low acid) and these bacteria are present in honey so mixing these 2 without acid, salt, is it harmful? Can it increase the chances of botulism in this type pickling? (Garlic in honey?)
🎊 mate I have a (Mystery Box) package for you, Text the above username for acknowledgment