Monthly Archives: June 2014

Making Vanilla

by ingredients

Used in a lot in baking, vanilla adds a subtle undertone to a number of dishes, especially sweet things. It's wonderful to help to intensify the flavors. The beans for real vanilla extract are harvested from orchid flowers. There are a number of different places where they can be grown, many people consider those from Madagascar to be the best.  

Pure vanilla is very expensive. And given current weather-related difficulties, the costs are going up. For a 4 ounce bottle, I've seen it priced anywhere between $4-$9. That's quite a bit when you consider that there are only two ingredients in that bottle, alcohol and vanilla beans.

Vanilla Extract vs. Artificial Vanilla

For extract (not pure), sometimes labeled "Natural Vanilla Extract" you may find yourself  looking at more than two ingredients:

  • Sugar.  I'm not sure why this would be added since vanilla extract by itself is not expected to be sweet, it's used to flavor things to help bring out the sweetness.  If the sugar source is not identified as cane sugar it is possibly beet sugar which has the potential to be from genetically modified (GM) sources.
  • I've also seen labels that contain corn syrup.  This is, again, a sweetener, however, since it's from corn it is most likely to be GM and therefore not something you want to purchase.
  • Potassium sorbate can be added as a preservative.  This is probably done when the alcohol content is low since alcohol by itself would be a preservative.  For some people, this preservative can cause rashes, itching of the mouth or eyes, congestion, or digestive disturbance.
  • Caramel color is another additive.  True vanilla does turn brown but perhaps the manufacturers want a consistent-looking product and therefore they use caramel coloring. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown this additive to be carcinogenic and therefore something you want to avoid.

Artificial vanilla sometimes referred to as vanillin, has no extract from vanilla beans at all. Instead, it is chemically synthesized. One common substance used is lignin, a waste product from papermaking, which is treated to release vanilla flavor overtones.  Vanillin can also be synthesized from the oils from cloves.  The most common source is guaiacol, an oily yellow petrochemical-like substance made by distilling wood tar (wood tar is also referred to as creosote).  In some people, vanillin can bring on migraine headaches or cause other allergic reactions.

Gluten-Free Vanilla Extract

For those who need to eat gluten-free, many dessert recipes call for gluten-free vanilla extract.  The interesting thing is that most pure vanilla uses distilled alcohol as the base.  The distillation process creates a gluten-free product as the gluten proteins cannot carry over through vaporization, cooling, and re-liquifying that happens. However, if you want to be absolutely sure there is no gluten in the bottle you'll need to choose a distillation base that is not grain-based.

Having said all that, it's easy, and not that expensive, to make your own pure vanilla extract.

Musings on Making Pure Extract

  • Supposedly it does best if you make it in an amber-colored bottle.  I didn't have one the size I wanted so I just used a recycled glass bottle.  But I have a dark, fermentation cupboard so I figure it's good in there.
  • The bean does not at all smell like vanilla when you cut it open and scrape out the stuff.  I'm not sure what it smells like but, to my untrained nose, certainly not vanilla.
  • The longer the extract sat the more it smelt like vanilla.
  • Things to watch out for with the alcohol you are using.  Vodka is sometimes made from wheat so if you have gluten sensitivity issues you need to use gluten-free vodka which is made from grapes (seek out organic in order to avoid pesticide residue from the grapes), potatoes or corn (potentially GM so look for organic if it's sourced from either of those).  Bourbon is made from corn and therefore potentially GM, you'll need to look for organic bourbon (not easy to find I've been told).  Rum is made from sugar cane and should be fine.  Brandy is made from fruit pressings, grapes, apples, or pears usually.  Since apples and pears are high on the dirty dozen list look for organic to avoid pesticide residue.
  • As you use your vanilla extract you can continue to top off the jar and let it sit awhile to infuse.

 

How to Make It

Vanilla Extract

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Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 vanilla beans
  • 1 cup of alcohol (I chose Vodka)

Instructions
 

  • Slice open the beans and scrape out the stuff in the middle. Scrape this stuff into your jar/bottle of alcohol.
  • Cut the beans into pieces and add them to the jar with the scrapings.
    Cap the jar tightly.
    This is the part that requires patience. Wait.
  • In two weeks shake the jar.  Wait some more. Repeat.
    It takes approximately four months for your extract to be ready (some people say six is better)

 

Wait, There's More

It turns out that there's a little secret to vanilla beans.  Once you've used them to make extract you can get just a little more flavor out of them.

After you've finished making your vanilla you can make vanilla powder.  To do this simply take the beans out of the extract and dehydrate them.  Using either a dehydrator or an oven set to 150°F dry them until they are crisp and snap when you bend them.  How long this take will depend on how thick the bean is and, if you're using a dehydrator, the temperature of your dehydrator.

Once the beans are completely dry cut them into 1" pieces and grind them in a spice grinder.  I use a coffee grinder that is clearly marked "Not For Coffee." Otherwise certain other people in the house are known to just grab a grinder and add beans.  This is not pleasant because once a grinder has processed coffee beans it's difficult to get rid of the coffee flavor.

Culinary surveys show that vanilla powder, from vanilla beans, is very potent and far more flavorful.  When using the powder instead of the extract you only need 1/2 teaspoon for every teaspoon required in the recipe.

Another option is to dry the beans thoroughly, not dehydrated, and put them into a quart jar filled with sugar to make vanilla sugar.  Because the beans have already been used to make the extract and you're not adding the inner scrapings this can take a while, possibly up to a month for the beans to infuse the sugar.  This can be a wonderful topping for special desserts or for those who add a smidge of sugar to a cup of tea.

 

 

How To Make Kombucha And Water Kefir At Home

by immune system, lacto-fermentation, probiotics,

Fermented foods have become extremely popular for good reason. They're good for your gut and a very healthy way to add probiotics to your system. The wonderful thing about fermented foods is you can make many at home. Some I make at home while others I buy. The challenge is finding the time to make everything while still finding time for family, work, and real life. 

One of my favorite foods to make however is kombucha. This is in part because the price for kombucha has risen to an incredible $4.19 at my local grocery store.  That seems rather steep for a 16-ounce bottle of fermented tea.  Especially when you consider that all you need to make your own is a one-gallon glass jar, a SCOBY, 1 cup of starter kombucha, 8 tea bags, 1 cup of sugar, and filtered water.  All of that will make a gallon of kombucha.  That's eight pints which is more than $32.00 at grocery store prices. The at home price (not including the cost of the jar) is less than $1.00. It's definitely worth it to make your own.

The picture above is called a SCOBY. That's an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.  It is the "mother" that consumes all the sugar while fermenting the tea all the while adding beneficial colonies to it. To get started, you will need to have a SCOBY.  Amazingly enough each time you brew a batch it makes a new "baby."  Eventually you have so many that you wind up giving them away.  It's a great way to make friends and share the healthy benefits of this wonderful drink. 

Secondary fermentation

After my initial batch of kombucha is done brewing, I do a secondary brew by adding fruit, sealing the jar, and letting it sit at room temperature for 24 hours. This extracts the sugars (and flavor) from the fruit and makes a fizzy drink at the same time. The longest I've ever let it sit is 36 hours because it generates so much fizz, I'm afraid to let it go longer, I don't want to shatter the jar. One of these days I'll get around to buying a fermentation lock and then I won't have to worry about exploding jars.

After it's done, I decant the flavored kombucha into recycled kombucha bottles. This time I used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.  The blackberries, unlike most fruits, were still firm, pretty tangy, and delicious, rather than bland, sour, and soggy. If you mash them first, you get a better flavor in the kombucha, but I wanted to try eating the fruit afterwards to see what it was like. Not every fruit will produce a tasty drink but try those fruits you enjoy to see how you like each one. Some fruits will be edible after the fermentation process while others will have given up all their flavor to the drink.

A testimonial

The best thing about kombucha is how healthy it is for you. I recently had a friend visiting who has been having a lot of gut issues. We talked about fermented foods. I happened to need to brew a new batch of kombucha, so I showed her the process. She got to eat some fermented foods while she was at my house. I sent her home with a baby SCOBY, and she's been adding fermented foods to her diet. She says that her stomach has not bothered her once since she started adding fermented foods. Yay for live food!! If you'd like to know more about kombucha, including specific brewing instructions and recipes using kombucha be sure to get your copy of my ebook.

Water Kefir

Another highly beneficial fermented beverage is water kefir.  Like kombucha, it’s a great source of probiotics and can be great for your digestion.  Studies also show that probiotics can help when you are depressed or anxious.  So, it makes sense to support good probiotic status in your gut.  And just like kombucha you can make this delicious drink easily at home. Check out additional health benefits of water kefir!

Health benefits of kefir:

  • Due to the beneficial bacteria, kefir is helpful for the immune system and supports a good bacterial balance in the gut
  • Water kefir is high in antioxidant activity which can protect against cell damage caused by free radicals
  • May be helpful for those with diabetes mellitus to control glucose and lipid levels
  • High in probiotics, kefir may be a beneficial beverage for supporting mental wellbeing
  • L. kefiri (one of the active beneficial bacteria in kefir) is antimicrobial and has good probiotic benefits, inhibiting pathogens
  • Appears to be anti-carcinogenic and may have therapeutic benefit for both healthy and ill adults
  • Those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy can drink and enjoy this probiotic drink which is comparable to milk kefir without the adverse effects of a dairy allergy or intolerance.

How to make water kefir

I have to say water kefir is my favorite when it comes to home-made because it’s so quick and simple.

  1. Dissolve 1/3 cup sugar with filtered warm water in a clean one-quart glass jar. I like to use turbinado or rapadura sugars because they are not stripped of all their nutrients.
  2. Add water kefir grains (about 1 to 2 tablespoons).
  3. Cover jar with a plastic lid, fermentation cap, or clean dish towel.
  4. Place jar out of direct sunlight.
  5. Let sit for 24 to 30 hours or to your taste. (If you aren’t sure how it should taste, try some from someone else’s batch)
  6. Strain the water kefir grains from liquid.
  7. Do a secondary fermentation by adding something to provide some flavor – I like ginger so I add 5-10 slices of freshly peeled ginger. Another option is a few mint leaves. Cap and let sit on the counter for 24 hours.
  8. Strain out flavorings, transfer the liquid to another one-quart glass jar and save in the fridge to start drinking
  9. Start the process all over with your strained grains.

 

A few more notes:

 

  • Don’t worry about the sugar as it’s mostly used up during the fermentation process
  • Your kefir grains will actually start to grow so you can share them with friends – getting grains from a friend is a good way to get started
  • The grains sort of look like very baby cauliflower florets and should be kept cool when not being used

For those of you who would like to try making kombucha or water kefir at home Kombucha Kampis a great resource.  You can get kombucha mother cultures, grains for both milk or dairy kefir plus an assortment of equipment that makes your beverage making better.  

Sources

 

  • Alsayadi, M., Al jawfi, Y., Belarbi, M., and Sabri, F. (Jun/Jul 2013) Antioxidant potency of water kefir. Journal of Microbiology, biotechnology and Food Sciences. Vol. 2, Iss 6.
  • Cai, Y., Sounderrajan, A., and Serventi, L. (May 27, 2020). Water kefir: a review of its microbiological profile, antioxidant potential and sensory quality. ACTA Scientific Nutritional Health, Vol 4, Issue 6 June.
  • Moretti, A., Moure, M., Quinoy, F., Esposito, F., Simonelli, N. Medrano, M., and Leon-Pelaez, A. Water kefir, a fermented beverage containing probiotic microorganisms: from ancient and artisanal manufacture to industrialized and regulated commercialization. Future Foods, Vol 5.
  • Pendon, M., Bengoa, A., Iraporda, C., Medrano, M., Garrote, G, and Abraham, A. (25 Nov 2021). Water kefir: factors affecting gran. Growth and health-promoting properties of the fermented beverage.  Journal of Applied Microbiology. 

Trudy Scott, CN, Food Mood Expert and the author of The Antianxiety Food Solution contributed to this article. Trudy educates women about the amazing healing powers of food and nutrients and helps them find natural solutions for anxiety and other mood problems. Her goal for all her clients (and all women): “You can be your healthiest, look your best and feel on-top-of-the-world emotionally!"

Making A New Compost Bin

by food waste, garden

In a recent newsletter post I shared the picture above. It's a compost bin that my husband built because we needed another one in the yard.  We had two, a tumbling bin, which we use to put kitchen scraps into, and a fixed bin which we use for finishing the compost when the tumbler gets too full for me to turn it easily.  This way we always have a bin for household scraps and the finishing bin is great to let it sit a while longer either until it's done or until we can use it.

Now that we have a larger yard though, we're generating more compost from weeds and such.  The tumbling bin can only hold so much and the finishing bin works best if we put partially decomposed stuff into it.  So we needed a new one.

My husband went searching online and found this bin and the plans.  He easily made ours following the instructions given on the website.  The challenge with a lot of bins is getting to the compost when it's done.  We love the stackable/unstackable feature which will make it very easy to access compost when it's ready.  You add layers as the bin gets higher.  Then you unstack them as you're using it.

Several people asked for more information about compost. Here's what I know and what works for us:

In the house we have a small, lidded kitchen trashcan (with foot pedal because when your hands are full of kitchen scraps you can't open the lid at the same time).  My mom taught me a good trick and we line the bottom with a paper towel, shred some newspaper into it and top with another paper towel.  This serves a couple of purposes.  

First, it soaks up most of the liquid if you put wet-ish things in there like melon rinds.

Second, it adds some brown matter and improves the brown to green ratio (more on that below).  And compost needs both brown and green matter in order to break down properly.  

Third, it makes things slide out of the bin and into the compost tumbler very easily.  In the past if things started to break down too quickly they got a little sticky and it wasn't so pleasant to have to scrape the bin clean.

What do we put in our compost bin?

Everything we can.  Egg shells, potato peelings, fruit and veggie rinds, and things that are past their prime (although we try to not have too many of those).  As long as it is not dairy or meat it goes in the bin.  We don't put my husband's coffee grounds in there, although we could, because we use those straight on the roses.  We also do not add grass as we have a mulching attachment on our lawn mower and use that to help fertilize the lawn.

We do use dry leaves in the compost bin.  If you just have green matter your compost gets very stinky.  It also attracts a lot of flies.  An ideal bin would be 30 parts brown matter (which provides carbon) to 1 part green matter (which provides nitrogen).  Most websites that I've found seem to indicate that kitchen scraps are about 12 or 15:1.  Dry leaves are 50:1.  I think my paper lined bin is possibly closer to 20:1.  Sometimes my husband has sawdust leftover from a project (like making a compost bin) and we can add that.  We try not to over-think it but if we notice it's not breaking down well we try to adjust.

I do not compost manure in the bins. While I am expecting a trailer-load of horse manure any day now, that will sit in a separate pile to do it's thing until it's ready; it needs to rest for a while as horses are not very efficient digesters and if you use it right away it's too hot and too weedy.  It needs to break down for a while.  I don't use pet manure in the compost, that gets buried in the yard in an area where we don't grow food.

Compost bins also need moisture.  We've been getting enough rain and it seems to seep into the bins.  And I figure there's enough moisture in what we're putting into the bin.  If it looks a little dry as the summer progresses and the heat increases we'll adjust the moisture content as needed.  Again, we try not to be too picky about it but to pay attention to what things look like.

Once your compost is done (and there's something really amazing and wondrous about turning garbage into rich, crumbly soil) it's great to use in the garden.  I top dress my garden beds with it in the Spring and the Fall. It's also good for putting into containers when I repot them.  At this point I have more of a need than I have available supply.  This new bin is definitely going to be put to good use.

strawberries

Ingredients In Strawberry Jam

by additives, fruit, jelly/jam, preserving

Who doesn't love strawberry jam?

When strawberries are fresh and in season there's nothing like them. That ripe, fragrant, delicious fruit that tickles your nose and makes your tastebuds sing.  Strawberry season is also the perfect time of year to consider making your own strawberry jam.  To illustrate why I've done a quick rundown on several brands of strawberry jam available at my local grocery store.

Just a few notes

About strawberries

Strawberries are one of the Dirty Dozen.  Put together by the Environmental Working Group every year, this list shows the 12 fruits and vegetables most likely to be contaminated by pesticides.  In the case of strawberries, it's overwhelming.  

Just last year the USDA examined pesticide levels in food. Strawberries were found to contain a wide variety of fumigants that were linked to developmental problems in children, cancer, hormonal disruption, neurotoxicity, and even some which were toxic to honeybees.  

All of this adds up to make it vitally important that we choose organic strawberries. And strawberry products. Like jam.

What's in the jar?

As with any jar, the lid most likely contains BPA.  Heat, pressure, and food contact are some of the ways that BPA can be transferred to the food.  It's nearly impossible to avoid.

When looking at labels I deliberately did not choose those jars which contained artificial sweeteners.  I believe these to be so toxic to the body that no one should eat them.  Ever.  So it did not make sense to include them in this post.  I do want to point out, however, that there were just as many jars that contained artificial sweeteners as there were jars without.

Making strawberry jam

Strawberry jam is super easy to make on your own. Canning itself is a simple, albeit hot and humid, process.  When I teach canning classes I usually teach how to make strawberry jam because it's so easy.  After learning how to make it, invariably, the students say, “Is that it?  That's so easy.”  Yes it is.  If you have a good source of organic fresh strawberries near you, consider making your own jam.

This very simple recipe comes from The Ball Blue Book.  My copy is rather old, tattered, and stained.  But the recipes are still delicious.  This is a great book to start with if you're just learning about making jams, jellies, pickles, and chutneys.  There's a host of good recipes in this book.

It is important when using this recipe to measure the amount of strawberries first and then crush.  If you do it the other way you will make a delicious strawberry sauce but it won't set.  If you have the opportunity to pick your own strawberries try to get some that still have the white tips on them.  I find that these help to make it set better.

It's also important to use evaporated cane juice crystals and not sucanat.  I'm assuming that it's because of the higher mineral content, but I have not had success using sucanat in canning. 

Simple Strawberry Jam

Print Recipe
Servings 4 pints

Ingredients
  

  • 2 quarts strawberries, washed, hulled, and crushed
  • 6 cups evaporated cane juice crystals

Instructions
 

  • Combine berries and sugar in a large sauce pot.
  • Bring slowly to a boil stirring until sugar dissolves.
  • Cook rapidly until thick, about 40 minutes.
  • As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.
  • Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
  • Adjust caps.
  • Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. 

Antioxidants – Hype Or Healthy?

by health

With so many articles and labels out there promoting antioxidants, it makes you wonder if it's all hype or if there is value gained from consuming ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) rich foods.

We need to start with an understanding that antioxidants are your body's first defense against free radicals, stopping the degenerative chain reaction that leads to free radical damage. It's important to understand that free radicals don't destroy cells.  Rather they injure cells and damage their DNA, mutating them and thereby creating a seed for disease.

A simple example of this is an apple.  What happens to an apple when it's sliced and left out for 30 minutes? It turns brown, or oxidizes. The interaction between oxygen and the cells causes oxidation. This process occurs in our bodies daily and is multiplied depending on the choice of foods we eat, environment we live in, stress levels we endure, etc. Ok, but is the damage really that severe and if so, how can we protect ourselves?

Many of the physical effects we call “aging” result from free radical damage. Skin damage caused by unprotected exposure to excessive sunlight, for example. Disease and illness caused by cigarette smoke, fried or processed foods, coupled with low consumption of foods (fruits & vegetables) having high antioxidant values are other effects. Over time choices that seem to have little impact, in fact, have been shown to speed up the aging process inside and outside the body and are a large factor in the deterioration of health over time.

Defense is the best offense OR prevention is the best medicine. Let's look at our apple again, its skin protects it from the elements, but once sliced it begins to oxidize. However, pouring lemon juice over it prolongs its inevitable process of rotting. Our bodies generate highly potent antioxidants, however with the increasing amounts of free radical exposure, we cannot produce enough to fight against the constant attacks and oxidative stress we undergo daily.

We need to support our body and give it a fighting chance by eating antioxidant rich foods partnered with antioxidant supplementation. According to the European Journal of Nutrition, an 11 year study of 24,000 people that was published in July 2011, found that users of antioxidant supplements are 48% less likely to die of cancer and 42% less likely to die of any other disease.

What are some antioxidant rich foods? Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, red beans, kidney beans, artichoke hearts, kale, asparagus, tomatoes, red cabbage, sweet potatoes, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds to name a few. And, yes cocoa, red wine and spices are also good sources.

Size does matter in the case for cocoa, coffee, wine or spices. Although these do offer high levels of antioxidants, we should look at the amount that must be consumed in order to gain the most from these yummy options. To be classified as “rich in antioxidants”, food must have an ORAC rating of 1000 per 100 g. Unless we're planning on consuming 100g curry powder or several glasses of wine in one sitting, we'll need to consider other options such as supplementation.

Viviana Vargas is the owner of Vivifit Enterprises and is partnered with a company which developed a biophotonic scanner (a low energy blue-light laser) to painlessly and non-invasively measure antioxidant levels. She works with individuals, healthcare practitioners, fitness professionals, and nutritionists to help improve individuals' health and vitality through prevention and awareness. She can be reached at vivifitenterprises@gmail.com.