Grinding Away

I know I haven't been around much.  Here's why:


- Between Thursday of last week and yesterday, we processed and froze 84 pounds of venison.

- We killed our meat grinder.

- I made Shane a cake for his birthday, which was yesterday.  I used this recipe, but made some changes to include cocoa and little molasses.

- I set up some Spicy Cranberry Relish to lacto-ferment.  It should be done by Thursday.

- I made Make-Ahead Gravy for Thursday's feast.

- After using what I needed for the gravy, I canned 4 pints of perpetual chicken bone broth.

- I zested and juiced some lemons and limes for future recipes.

- I'm making these French fries to go with tonight's supper.  I'm trying the twice-fried or double-fried method this time.  These are between fryings.  If you are interested, do a Google search.  There are WAY too many results to link just one.

- I managed to work in a little bit of laundry and housework between other jobs.

- Somehow, I managed to find time to plan meals until the end of the year.  Mostly just the main dishes, but it's a good starting point for more busy days ahead.

- And just for fun, we had dinner with some friends on Saturday evening.


I'm on a roll!  If you don't hear from me by Black Friday, send a search party.

Lacto-Fermented Salsa - Two Ways

Our tomatoes are finally coming in, so this week I'll be focusing on a variety of tomato-y condiments.  Here are a couple of different flavors of lacto-fermented salsa.  Keep in mind that L-F salsa is preserved with salt or a salty brine --it's what makes lacto-fermentation work -- so it will taste saltier than many other salsas.  You can offset that by serving it with low-sodium tortilla chips and/or reducing the salt in the Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes that you'll be topping with the salsa.

If you have more salsa than will easily fit into your jars, it can be eaten the day you make it.  However, the flavors will blend and mellow the longer it is stored.

Annie's Basic Lacto-Fermented Tomato Salsa

4 cups of diced tomatoes (no need to peel)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons whey
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Finely diced jalapeno pepper - to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Adjust amount of jalapeno and/or spices to taste.  Ladle into clean wide mouth pint canning jars.  Press vegetables down so they are under the liquid and/or use a glass weight to weigh them down.  Seal tightly with canning lid and ring.  Set on countertop at room temperature for 2-3 days, or until brine is bubbly and salsa tastes tart.  Remove weights and reseal with lids; place in refrigerator until ready to eat.  Will keep in fridge for up to a few months.  Makes about 5 cups of salsa.

Annie's Basic Lacto-Fermented Strawberry-Kiwi Salsa

3 cups of diced tomatoes (no need to peel)
1 cup of chopped strawberries and peel, diced kiwi (any amounts to total 1 cup)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons whey
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 Tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Finely diced jalapeno pepper - to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Adjust amount of jalapeno and/or spices to taste.  Ladle into clean wide mouth pint canning jars.  Press vegetables down so they are under the liquid and/or use a glass weight to weigh them down.  Seal tightly with canning lid and ring.  Set on countertop at room temperature for 2-3 days, or until brine is bubbly and salsa tastes tart.  Remove weights and reseal with lids; place in refrigerator until ready to eat.  Will keep in fridge for up to a few months. Makes about 6 cups of salsa.

Lacto-Fermented Love

More than once, my blog friend Cathy asked me if I had tried the lacto-fermented vegetables from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.  She said they were really good.  I kept telling her no, but that I intended to try them.  Finally, a couple of months ago, I gave them a try.  Now I wonder why I waited so long.  I mean, I knew I would like them, but I had no idea how much I would love them!

Ginger carrots

Lacto-fermented veggies aren't like typical vinegar pickles.  For one thing, they don't contain any vinegar.  For another, they don't need to be canned (water-bath processed) like traditional pickles do.  And finally, they have probiotic properties that are good for your digestive system.

Lacto-fermented veggies taste different than vinegar pickles.  The veggies are raw, so they stay crunchier (the exception possibly being cucumbers) and the brine is, in my opinion, more mellow.  The flavor develops with age, so the young pickles you taste after three days of fermentation on your kitchen counter will not taste the same after three weeks in your refrigerator.  Well, that's what I've read, anyway, but I can't imagine them lasting three weeks in our refrigerator.

Lacto-fermenting is also an easy process.  Canned pickles aren't difficult, but L-F pickles are way easier.  Just chop veggies and let them sit in a brine at room temperature for a few days.  Nothing could be simpler.

So far, I've made lacto-fermented radishes, turnips, dilled celery, ginger carrots, coriander carrots, plain sauerkraut, caraway sauerkraut, spicy cortido (Latin American sauerkraut) and one jar of a wonderful mix of all of those leftover kraut flavors.  Shane and I agree that the radishes are our favorite so far.

Two jars of turnips, one of ginger carrots, and one of radishes

Shane has said a couple of times that the ferments are his very favorite way to eat veggies.  I have grilled him, asking if they are better than corn on the cob, or fresh tomato slices or a nice ripe avocado with a touch of sea salt, which are all favorites around here.  He wouldn't say one way or another, which leads me to believe it's a close race.

As for me, I crave these veggies.  It's not unusual for me to spoon out a quarter cup or so to just eat by themselves, but what I really like -- a lot -- is to spread a couple of slices of homemade bread with some real butter and use any of the fermented vegetables as a sandwich filling.  These sandwiches taste yummy to me, but what's more, my body seems to be calling for them.  I definitely don't mind answering.

I know a couple of readers are already trying these:  Lisa at Easy Frugal Living was fermenting some carrots not long ago, and both the kraut and turnip ferments are very similar to the beginning stages of Patti, The Osage Bluff Quilter's turnip kraut recipe.

Plain kraut, caraway kraut, cortido and a jar of all of them mixed

If you're interested in trying lacto-fermented veggies for yourself, don't be intimidated or think you need to do a big batch.  Here's all you do:

1) Clean and peel your veggies of choice.  Sturdy root vegetables work well, as does cabbage, but don't be afraid to try zucchini, onions, peppers or other vegetables.  Once the veggies have been cleaned and peeled, dice them or shred them as desired.  If diced, you probably don't want pieces bigger than 1/2".

2) Place prepared veggies in a clean canning jar.  Wide mouth works best, I think, and either quarts or pints can be used.  Fill about 3/4 of the way, or maybe a little more.  Add any fresh or dried herbs you might want at this point.

3) Mix a brine.  For every cup of purified water (filtered, distilled or spring water all work, just not chlorinated tap water), stir in 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 4 tablespoons of whey.  I usually have whey left over from making yogurt or kefir cheese.  If you need whey, you can strain plain yogurt or sour cream to get enough...or you can buy whey at the health food store...or you can do without it by adding an additional tablespoon of sea salt.

4) Pour the brine over the veggies, making sure they are completely submersed.  You can use a wooden spoon to press them down into the brine, or you can do what I do and weigh them down with a simple glass (not lead crystal!) votive cup that I bought at a craft store. You can also buy canning weights on eBay.  Some people don't weigh down their ferments, and others prefer using air-locks or special fermenting vessels.  This is what happens to work for me right now.

Simple glass votive cup for weighing down veggies

5)  Cover the jar tightly with a canning flat and ring and let the veggies sit on your counter at room temperature for about 3 days.  After three days, open the jar (it might pop just a little when you do) and remove the votive holder.  Taste the yummy fermented goodness.  It will be really salty and a little tart.  Over time, these flavors will blend and mellow. 

6)  Eat the veggies now or store in the refrigerator for up to several months.


To make sauerkraut, the method is almost the same:  Instead of dicing the cabbage, it needs to be shredded.  I do this by hand, with a knife, rather than with a food processor.  Instead of making a brine with water, just add the salt and whey directly to the shredded cabbage.  Put it all in a large bowl and pound with a wooden mallet of some sort until the cabbage releases it's juices.  I use the wooden part of a food mill that looks like this:

When there is enough liquid, spoon the cabbage and liquid into the jars and proceed as above.

As usual, I'm no expert, but if you have any questions about lacto-fermenting, I'll try to find an answer for you.

12-Pounder

We finally harvested the cabbage growing in Kat's garden bed.  It grew from a seedling she brought home from school earlier this spring and ultimately weighed in at 12 pounds.

Kat thought it was fun to grow, but she doesn't like to eat cabbage, so she's given me permission to do whatever I want with it.  I plan to make part of it into lacto-fermented kraut, if I can find enough containers.  I don't have a crock, so I guess I'll be making it in gallon jars.

I wondered about pressure canning it plain (not as kraut).  I've read about a few people doing it, but it's not listed as safe by any of the reputable sources (Ball, Kerr, university extension sites, etc.), so instead, I'll blanch and freeze whatever portion doesn't become kraut.  Little, if any, will be made into coleslaw since that isn't a favorite here.

Kefir Chocolate Ice Cream

Shane and I really enjoy all of the cultured (fermented) foods I've been making, but getting Kat on board has been more difficult.  This frozen treat made with dairy kefir worked wonders with her.  Because kefir has a tangy taste, this dessert reminds me of the flavor of chocolate cheese cake.

This ice cream has raw eggs in it, but I don't heat the kefir mixture because it would negate the probiotic properties.  I get pastured eggs from a local farmer, so I am not concerned that they are raw in this dessert. 


Kefir Chocolate Ice Cream

2 cups plain dairy kefir
1 cup kefir cream (kefir made with cream) or
     1/2 cup kefir cheese (kefir with the whey drained off, leaving a thick spreadable cheese)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar (preferably organic)
1/3 cup cocoa powder (preferably organic)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Our into the container of your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.

Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

How To Make Dairy Kefir

In my slow, but ongoing, series of posts about fermented foods, today I want to write about milk kefir (pronounced keh-FEAR, or sometimes KEE-fur).  Of the three fermented drinks we currently make and drink (kombucha, water kefir and dairy kefir), this is my favorite.

For anyone who is not familiar with milk kefir, also called dairy kefir or just kefir, it is a cultured (fermented) food item similar to a thin yogurt or buttermilk. It is full of probiotics and, at least to me, is quite tasty.  I think it is milder in flavor than homemade yogurt and find it much easier to make.  It is a good substitute in any recipe that calls for buttermilk, and can even replace sweet milk in many recipes.  If fermented a second time, usually with some kind of flavoring, it becomes slightly effervescent and even tastier, in my opinion.  Best of all, it can also be used to make some great treats.

To begin, you must have a starter, which is usually called kefir grains.  The starter is also known as kefir pearls, kefir scoby, as well as by a variety of other names.  The starter does not come from grain at all, but rather from a combination of yeasts and (beneficial) bacteria.  When dehydrated, it looks like small granules (thus the name). Re-hydrated, it resembles cauliflower, but with a spongy texture. 

Kefir culture (starter).

A nice lady on craigslist gave me my starter, but you can also find them for sale on a number of websites.  If you are local to me and are interested, I can probably set you up with a starter as these things tend to reproduce with each batch of kefir.

Once you've acquired a starter, you combine it in a clean glass vessel (canning jars are good) with fresh milk.  I've read that raw is best, but I've yet to get my hands on any, so I use regular (NOT ultra-pasteurized) whole milk.  I suppose you can use milk with a lower fat content, but I think whole milk is recommended.  The ratio is 1 tablespoon of starter grains to 1 cup of milk.  I usually make several cups at a time, either in multiple jars or in a gallon glass jar.

Starter in the jars and ready for milk.

Milk.  Not raw or organic, but local.

Once combined, cover your jar with a clean cloth or coffee filter and secure it with a rubber band.  This will keep dust, gnats and the like out of the kefir.  Set the jar on the counter, at room temperature and several feet away from any other cultured foods you have going, and let it sit for 12-24 hours.  You will know it is working when you see small pockets of whey (clear, yellowish fluid) develop both on top and throughout the milk. 

Kefir, ready for the first fermentation.

You'll know it is done when the milk has thickened to the consistency of thin yogurt or buttermilk, and tastes slightly tart.  The longer you let the kefir culture, the more tart it will be.  When it is as tart as you like it, strain the kefir through a plastic strainer or a fine colander to remove the grains.  At this point you can start another batch with the grains.  The liquid kefir is now ready to drink or use in recipes.  Just store it in the fridge in a covered jar to slow the fermentation process.  Better yet, it can be flavored and fermented a second time for added flavor.  It's my understanding that the second fermentation also increases the B vitamin content significantly.

To do a second fermentation, just pour the kefir into clean jars (without any of the grains in it), and cover tightly.  Let sit on the counter for another 12-24 hours (the warmer the room, the less time it will take) or until you see whey forming again, this time at the bottom of the jar.  Once that happens, move the jars to the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Layer of whey forming under second-fermented kefir.

You can also flavor your kefir for the second fermentation by adding sweeteners or fruit.  Two of my favorites have been pure maple syrup with vanilla, and slices of organic oranges (rind and all) with a little organic sugar.  I've also successfully used crushed and sweetened strawberries, strawberry-rhubarb syrup, vanilla extract with sugar, lemons, limes, and crushed blueberries.  Once the second fermentation is complete, the result is a lightly fizzy, sweet-tart and fruity beverage that, while made with milk, is not heavy at all. 

Kefir being flavored for a second fermentation.

If you like, you can replace the milk in kefir with coconut milk.  The taste is a lot different, but if you like coconut, it's very pleasant.

I've also used kefir, both single- and double-fermented, to make healthy and yummy ranch dressing.  I just use it to replace the buttermilk in this recipe.

Sometimes, if you let the kefir ferment too long, either during the first or second fermentation, it can separate into defined layers of curd and whey.  If that happens, all is not lost.  The simplest thing to do with it is just stir it back together.  It is not as creamy as it could be, but it is still flavorful and perfectly safe to drink. 

Another option is to strain the whole thing through a plastic mesh strainer, completely separating the curd from the whey.  The whey can be used in baking or for lacto-fermented veggies (recipes to come), and the curd can be used as a cream cheese or sour cream substitute.  The kefir curd (kefir cream) is also an ingredient in this:

Chocolate kefir ice cream.

I promise it will be my next cultured food recipe, and I promise you'll love it.

Adventures in Sourdough - Part Two - Cookies

I found these two recipes for sourdough cookies at Common Sense Homestead.  I decided not to do a comparison with different flours; these are relatively small batches of cookies, but we still didn't need three batches sitting around.

For these I decided on Laurie's second recipe, which includes oatmeal.  I used my unbleached white flour starter, and used mixed flour (half white, half whole wheat) for the cookies.  I did not include raisins since my family doesn't like them cooked in things (although we'll eat them out of hand without problem).  I did include some milk chocolate chips, but only about 1/2 a cup.  I used organic cane crystals as my sugar choice.

These cookies take some planning, and due to lack of that, I only let the sponge ferment for six hours instead of the stated "eight or more".  They turned out just fine, IMO, although they may not offer all the benefits of full-fermentation. 

I used silicone mats in my pans and made two trays full.  To fill one, I used my small cookie scoop (approx. 1/8 cup) and on the second I used my medium scoop (about 1/4 cup).  They are baked up well, but because the cookies are soft and the medium ones spread to about four inches in diameter, they tended to break and crumble when picked up.  So, I recommend using the smaller scoop.

I baked these after supper last night, and thought at first that I didn't like them.  But I was very full from our meal, so I decided (in the name of sourdough science of course) to try another one this morning with my morning coffee.  The cookies are soft and moist, which is the way I prefer mine.  They did stick together, though, which resulted in the less-than-beautiful picture you see here:

My final and official opinion is that the cookies are very good!  Kat agrees.  No opinion from Shane; I don't think he has tried them yet.

This recipe was just what I needed to quell my doubts about using sourdough starters.  With this success, I'm more hopeful about trying other sourdough recipes.  I'll post them when I do.

Adventures in Sourdough - Part One - Starter and Bread

Be forewarned that this "experiment" definitely falls under the heading of haphazard homesteading.  I think I jumped into this without being properly prepared.  Meh.  What else is new?

Last week I followed along with Mamal Diane in making some sourdough starters by catching wild yeast, and then baking with the starter.

This was an experiment of sorts, as we each made three starters:  one with whole wheat flour, one with white flour, and one with a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and white flours.

Here is how the starters looked on the first day:

They are each just a mixture of 1/4 cup filtered water and 1/4 cup flour.  Each day, I added 1/4 cup filtered water and 1/4 cup flour to each jar, and set them up on a shelf in our living room.  Why the living room?  Because I have both kombucha and water kefir culturing in the kitchen already.  Wild yeasts can cross-culture, and with two already in the kitchen, I didn't want to add another.  I could have cultured the sourdough outside, but we had a lot of rain when I first started them, so I didn't want to do that, either.

I also read that it only takes 24-48 hours to catch the yeast for the starter, but I was following Diane's lead.  I wanted to do it the way she did, so we could compare notes fairly.

After the first day, they didn't really have much of an odor, but by the second day, they were starting to smell sour.  As the week progressed, they got downright stinky.  The second day also seemed to be the day they were most bubbly, and when that dissipated, I wondered what kind of results I'd get.  I've read that my part of the country (western Missouri) isn't known for strong wild yeast.  Not one to let a little technicality like that stop me, I pressed on.

By the 4th or 5th days, the whole wheat and mixed starters were smelling almost fruity, kind of like apple cider.  The white flour starter was still stinky.  But all were nice and bubbly again.

It wasn't until the 8th day that I mixed up the "sponges", per this recipe that Mamal Diane had linked. I decided for my first round of baking I would use the white flour starter to make three batches - one with white flour, one with a mix of white and wheat flours, and one with whole wheat flour.  That way I thought I'd be able to tell how the starter developed each of the types of flour.

Here are the freshly mixed sponges, with whole wheat on the left, white on the right, mixed in the middle.

The sponge needed to sit overnight, so I was able to bake yesterday.  Here is what the whole wheat sponge looked like after about 15 hours at room temp.

This is the whole wheat sponge poured out onto the floured counter top.  It's also where I became confused by the recipe.  It said to work the flour in, but it didn't say how much.  So I guessed, based on my previous bread-baking experience.  I didn't measure, I just worked in the flour until the dough felt right to me.

 

Here are the loaves after baking.   Again, whole wheat is on the left, white is on the right, mixed is in the middle.

And here they are after cutting.  Same order. 

Upon tasting, they are all fairly sour. The texture was dense.  I'd hoped for a more porous texture, so maybe next time I'll work in a little less flour.  The white loaf just tastes sour, while the wheat loaf tasted like sourdough and raisin bran cereal.  The mixed loaf had a nicer flavor, but I thought the crust was too thick on all of them. Overall, this isn't quite what I'm looking for.

But, surprise!  Kat loves it!  We used the bread for pulled pork BBQ sandwiches last night, and then after supper, she asked for more bread.  And I heard no complaints from Shane, either, and he is not someone I'd consider a sourdough fan.

I have lots of starter left, so I'll be trying more sourdough recipes for bread, waffles and other baked goods, comparing all three kinds of flour when I do.  However, unless I stumble upon a recipe we all love, I'm not going to feed these starters to keep them going.  I think I'll try a 48-hour starter to see if that's something I like better.

Stay tuned.  I'll be making science in the kitchen again soon!