Maybe not all wrong, but definitely not all correctly.
In my research of late I learned that I needed to be making the water kefir with Spring water, or bottled water- with minerals.
Well damn. I’ve been using boiled water, which not only destroys harmful bacteria, and critters, it also destroys most of the minerals needed to feed not only the water kefir, but us.
So, I am making a very small batch, 500ml., of L. Reuteri cultured milk, frequently referred to as a yogurt. However, I am also making sauerkraut to which I’m going to add a sliced apple for flavor, and to feed the probiotics; a plain kombucha, but also a blueberry 2nd ferment, 6 bottles; and a milk kefir that I’m going to use to make something that I haven’t yet thought of but know where to find recipes, most likely cheese.
Tomorrow I have 40 bottles of Spring water, 500ml each, being delivered to return minerals to our microbiome, and, God willing, bring us back to a better way of life, and better health.
As I have said before, the guru that I acknowledge is Donna Schwenk, of YouTube fame. Her channel is called CulturedFoodLife, and she is amazing. She, on the other hand, has been highly influenced by Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist, and L. Reuteri expert.
She has hundreds of recipes on her website for many of the cultures able to preserve foods for better health, and future use. Many of the recipes state they can last in the fridge for up to a year, not all of them, of course, but many. So, when you want a bite, or 2 of something, you can be assured that it is still edible, and safely preserved.
You do realize, don’t you, that this is how food was preserved for hundreds, and thousands of years? Without refrigeration, preservation of meats, vegetables, milks, water, grains were all preserved via culture incubations! There are some cultures that are still alive today from before the birth of Jesus himself!
Back then simple was best. The need was to preserve food, safe for consumption during times of travel, or migration, drought, flooding, and famine. If foods were preserved using cultures, it was safe for very long periods of time.
Not only were these food stuffs safe, they were healthy. Our body requires billions of microbes be fed daily as to survive the rigors of our lives. However, our lives have changed exponentially from the days of Jesus.
One bacteria I’m learning about is Lactobacillus Reuteri, as you may know if you’ve been following my nonsensical musings. It is one of the most fragile bacteria our body needs, one we had at birth, (usually), but is completely destroyed if one is given an antibiotic. One dose of an antibiotic, and poof, it’s gone. It is such an important bacteria that, if you’re able, you need to replace it. It is a superhero of our gastrointestinal tract that it surprises me that God made it so fragile.
That said, I’m still having a devil of a time getting it to behave in my attempts to cultivate it. I’m going to keep trying until I get it right. It should come out from its 36 hours incubation bath to look, and act like a yogurt, though it’s really a cultured milk. Anyway, mine hasn’t yet.
So, what do I do with all of the “end results” that aren’t yogurt you might be asking yourself? I put the batch in the blender, add about 1/2 c. Maracuyá pulp, and 2T honey, blend it all up, and put that in my 6oz bottles, and into the fridge. The flavor is addicting, and our favorite. So nothing goes to waste except the time it took to make it.
Here’s a photo of the much awaited “end results”.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.