I started a discussion on game chat about this subject but decided to move it myself to, the more appropriate thread . For years I suffered from a bowel condition where I’d have regular very painful attacks of diverticulitis, since consuming cultured veg and fermented drinks I make myself (but can be purchased ) I don’t suffer any gut issues / attacks anymore. I only ever bought one jar I didn’t like it at all making your own from fresh veggies is the best More research into the gut heath is revealing how allot of heath issues are caused by a lack of or imbalance of essential nutrients in the gut . I booked into a 5 hour hands on class last Sunday I don’t believe we are ever to old to learn more about keeping well as we age I have a couple of books on culturing veggies @Shirley Martin you can culture carrot sticks I’ve tasted then they are really nice https://www.makesauerkraut.com/fermented-carrot-sticks/ I use the modern way ( the instructor advised that’s the best a well ) I use what’s known as a starter the old ways were to use a good quality salt ( not super market salt but a salt from a heath food shop ) as the preservative I had great day at the class , in great like minded company I’m booked in the do the WATER kefir class in late June I love it it’s a fizzy drink with added fruit / veg flavours of your choice https://www.feastingathome.com/water-kefir/ I make a batch of MILK kefir once a week using live grains ,yes you can buy ready made in the supermarkets but it’s not the same as experimenting in making your own adding flavours of your choice if you don’t like it plain I personally love orange flavoured fizzy milk kefir now I’m off to have my milk kefir
Thanks for the heads-up, @Kate Ellery! We raise lots of our own carrots, and we already make sauerkraut with our own cabbage, so we may try the fermented carrot sticks as well. Yellow and purple carrots are also popular here, but we don't like the white ones much. My wife has had a history of gut problems that I have related here in other threads, and a change of diet has made a remarkable difference in her life.
Thanks @Don Alaska I used to suffer terrible pain and all the Drs could do is refer me to a specialist to have part of my bowel removed ......no way I haven’t tried to make water kefir as yet but I’m keen to make it , I’ve tasted it in several flavours and like it Here’s my fermented mixed veggies which is cabbage ,fennel ,carrots ,apples capsicum white horseradish and mixed organic herbs I love a spoon full of the delicious crunchy veggies ( cold ) with a hot meal I’ve made my own soft cheese simply by draining milk kefir which adds to your cultured food intake
Recipe for veggies or kefir @Don Alaska I grow a little veg but we have terrible rocky soil where I live I buy organic where I can at farmers markets This is the starter culture I use Its a starter for up to 100 kg different lots ( jars ) of veggies I keep,it in the freezer and use a tiny bit for each batch which is two quart size mason jars The class I went to on Sunday teacher said each batch of veggies you make will last up to 9 months in the fridge https://www.greenlivingaustralia.com.au/probiotic-dairy-vegetable-culture-100
Here’s a copy of a newsletter I get from https://www.naturaltherapyshop.com.au/ Explaining the difference in using only salt or a combination of salt and starter There are a few different ways you can culture vegetables. They can include salt, whey and a powdered starter culture. So, what are the differences? Why do we need salt and or a starter culture? Salt really gets the fermenting process going. It inhibits the growth of undesirable microorganisms and promoting the growth of desired Lactobacilli. A starter culturegets things going more quickly and quickly aids the development of an acid environment, again preventing unhealthy microorganisms from growing. VEGETABLE FERMENTATION METHODS There are a few different ways to prepare brine for fermenting vegetables. You can choose the process that works best for you. This week there is 10% off of Caldwell's starter cultures. Use the following promotional code at checkout CALDSALE valid until 10th June 2019 Method 1 Salt Plus Starter Cultures Using a starter culture will speed up the vegetable fermentation process. Together with salt this will get your ferment of to a quick and healthy start. Method 2 Traditionally, salt was used to preserve foods before refrigeration. Salt pulls out the moisture in food, denying bad bacteria the environment they need to live and grow. It allows the natural bacteria that in vegetables to do the fermenting. Only the desired salt-tolerant Lactobacilli strains will live and propagate. Salt hardens the pectin’s in the vegetables, leaving them crunchy and enhancing the flavour. Use 1-3 tablespoons of our authentic, finely-ground Celtic Sea Salt per 500ml of water to prepare brine for fermenting vegetables. Method 3 Whey comes from dairy, so may not for good for everyone. You can extract the whey from milk kefir. Make sure it is properly strained and fresh as you may be able to taste it in the ferment. Add salt as well if you want to keep the vegetables crunchy. I don’t recommend salt free fermenting as the vegetables go mushy and it is far more likely to develop mould
Kate, can I strain my kefir to get a starter? This is going to take some investigating. Sounds interesting, though. Maybe @Yvonne Smith can give me some hints since she used to make kefir.
I’ve seen and read articles about using the whey strained from the kefir ,but I have to admit I’ve never tried using the whey after I’ve strained kefir to make soft kefir cheese ..I love kefir cheese with sweet chilli sauce tipped on top @Shirley Martin from what I’ve read using a starter is more reliable I’ve always used the new method of using a starter @Don Alaska I’ve always used the veggies I listed as my main content ...the white radish is called daikon radish ist got a nice tang. The rule are...... .Grate the root veggies chop cabbage leafy veg ... I’ve added a little chopped dried seaweed, grated fresh ginger / Turmeric / veggies like kale snd spinach tend to go slimy ,you can add a sweetener if desired like a little honey or coconut sugar ....I personally like tangy food I have never added orange slices but I’ve seen recipes for naked sauerkraut ( cabbage) with slices of orange added around sides of jar I’ve tasted it the orange gives it a nice tangy taste When I first started about 12 months ago I waked through the fresh veggie shop. ( not the supermarket ) just looking at veg suitable to use ...I don’t like the taste of fennel ..but it a jar of mixed veggies it’s delicious ..strange isn’t it alone it’s to aniseed tasting for me ..but with other veggies it’s great ( slice fennel is using ) turnips are another great root veg to use next rule .......Weigh your prepared veg before adding liquid ( so you know have much starter to use ) dissolve in a little water that feels cool ,not above body temp ..never subject starter or fermenting foods to heat while preparing or during fermenting When it comes to putting a mix like I make into jars to ferment grab hand fulls from bottom of bowl so your picking up soaking wet veggies ..put in jar 3/4 full push down with fist till liquid covers veg .... (Don’t overfill jars finished jars should not be over 3/4 ) fold a cabbage leaf so it will only just fit in top of jar it will hold your veggies beneath the liquid VEGG will spoil if not beneath the liquid Come on Shirley and Don I’m waiting to see what you make ..so I can copy your recipe I tasted a fermented tomato chutney on Sunday, that was sooooo nice one day in summer when tomatoes are cheap that’s on my list of things to try It all sounds a little daunting at first but it’s no harder than preparing a meal Yep,I make a hell of a mess that’s half the fun
It will be a while until we are harvesting an pickling/fermenting, but I will let you know how things go when it gets done.
@Kate Ellery , OK, Miss Kate, I made some cultured carrots yesterday. I only made 1 quart so that if they are awful, I'll only have 1 jar to dump. Let's see how they turn out. My son laughed and said I was going to give myself the sh--s; a word we use here for diarrhea.
Wow @Shirley Martin Great job wish I could taste them , they look great ,watch for bubbles on top or anywhere in jar it lets you know they are good and starting to ferment ..... let me know how they go ...they shouldn’t give you the s**t milk kefir can give you a bit of a gut ache till your system gets used of it I think it good cause I used to have to take meds but I don’t any more since drinking kefir
I used a teaspoon of kefir as a starter. I found some recipes that said that would work. I also found a recipe that said add a little bit of lemon juice. I like the flavor of lemon juice mixed with carrots so I did that. I cooked some carrots for supper one night this week. I cooked them in water until they were softened . I drained the water out. Melted about a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan, added the carrots, a little bit of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Sautéed them for a few minutes. They were delicious.
I have made kefir with using actual kefir grains as well as using the starter packets. Both worked for me. However, I don’t use enough kefir every day to use the kefir grains, because you have to be making it consistently every day and keep the grains fed. There are a lot more of the probiotics in kefir made with actual grains, according to experts; but there are still a lot from the kefir made with starter packet grains, too. I get the Yogourmet starter packet, and then save some of the kefir once it is fermented, and add more milk to that for more kefir. From what I have read, this was the early way of doing it, because there was no way to keep milk fresh, so what was not used right away was added to the bag of cultured kefir, and this kept it from just becoming spoiled milk. I have found that I can make several quart-sized batches from the kefir packet, and then it starts getting a different taste, so then I use a fresh packet and start the process over with that.
Here is my latest lot of fermented veggies I made this morning ..it’s rather cool here 14c today so this lot will need about 12 + days before putting I the the fridge
@Yvonne Smith if I want to slow my milk kefir down after I’ve strained the lot I want for drinking I put fresh milk in my jar with the grains and leave in the fridge yes they will ferment in the fridge but take up to a week that way you can work,it out by just slowing it down when you don’t need any for a few days I have successfully frozen grains in milk as well ,I’m off to, warmer country next month for about 8 weeks so I’ll freeze most of my grains while away