Making A Fermented Probiotic Drink....Kvass

Kvass is something I have been coming across for quite a while now….in the world of fermentation that is. I have made it a few times….with varying results – but realized the one thing I was omitting just this past week….

First of all, kvass is a Russian drink made from either bread, grains, honey and whey which are used as a starter and mixed with several fruits. These ingredients will ferment over a few days and become a wonderful healthy drink.

In the past I have made this using fruit such as apples and berries, honey and water – but not the whey. So, this past week I wanted to try my hand at some of this elixir with whey strained from my own goat's yogurt.

The result?

It was better then delicious……the only way I can even begin to describe it is that I could actually feel it working inside of my gut, not to mention the taste! I could sense the life contained within and I knew I was taking in something very special.

This kvass took me far more deeply into myself during these past few days then I have ever been – it’s as if each probiotic boost with the life it brings, opens up new doorways, guides me and leads me further into myself.

But, I digress.....

To make kvass, it couldn’t be simpler! Chop up some apples, slice any thick fruits such as strawberries or raspberries (even frozen), add a couple slices of ginger, top up with water and ½ to 1 cup of whey (I strained whey from my yogurt making) to a large pitcher or jug.

Make sure the fruit is below the surface of the liquid – so weight it down with a tiny bowl or something to keep it from going moldy at the top etc. Then cover the top tightly with a cap of some sort.

Leave this concoction for about 2 days in the kitchen and then taste it….it will be ever so slightly bubbly like a fizzy drink. And sweet with the taste of your fruit as the goodness and sweetness is pulled into the water.

You can start drinking this at any time once you have to taste you want, then pop it into the fridge. Add more fruit to keep it going or compost the fruit and start again once your jug is empty. This is better then any fizzy soda and there is nothing like it as far as natural probiotics go!!

April

Best Probiotic Ever - Homemade Goat's Yogurt

So you think you are in control? Have you always felt like this or is this something new? Perhaps….just maybe – this control can be taken back (in your life, in your gut, in your mind) and it’s easier then you might think.

I happen to know – we are far less in control of our lives then we previously thought (ask me how I know). There are bacteria, viruses, yeasts, fungi and whatever, deep within our guts – some of which wield great power.

It’s a bit like a continuous battle in there. Everyone is fighting for the top spot, so there are winners and there are losers. However, much of the time, for most of us – this is a complete waste of energy, because those who are doing the fighting are not worth keeping around.

When our guts are full of non-beneficial bacteria (those who feed themselves, but really don’t care for you), we are on the losing end and the bottom of the food chain. I mean, all it takes is a small number of ‘bullies’ to set up a factory farm for themselves….

What we need to do is tip that balance back in our favour…fill our digestive tract with the good guys (bacteria, yeasts and organisms who work with you) in order to create a state of health.

Personally I don’t believe supplements or probiotics help the situation. They are not a food group for me (I only want real food) so, I leave them out of my diet. The best way to bring back the gut is to clean it out, detox and then re-populate….

For the vast majority of us, our internal gut flora was never set up from birth. Our guts were not populated with sufficient numbers of healthy and beneficial organisms. But, even if they were – one round of antibiotics and you might be back at square one.

Fasting changed all of that for me (yep! Reset, repopulated and rebuilt the lining of my gut) and now for the first time ever, I am aware of the inner workings of my gut and ‘who’ is in charge.

Central command has completely shifted to the good guys (how do I know? Things have started moving ahead again in my life, I am ‘living’ again) – one thing I am eating lots of to help this process along is my own special (well, I think it’s special) goat’s yogurt.

Over these past few weeks I have been growing and developing my own bacterial culture for my goat’s yogurt and have been enjoying it in nearly everything from a sweet dessert to my latest warm weather treat of tzatziki.

To make this dish, I strain the yogurt for a couple of hours to take some of the whey off. Then with the thicker yogurt, I add in 1 full grated and strained cucumber (the key here is to strain some of the liquid off).

Next I crush 3 cloves of garlic into the yogurt mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. If this gets a chance to sit for an hour or two (I like it cold) it tastes even better.

Tzatziki is nice with served with roasted lamb (or BBQ), on fresh herbed bread or as a dip for your crisp summer vegetables. And any yogurt based dish tastes so much better when you make it yourself!

April

Homemade tzatziki