Water Kefir and Jun -- What?

As I continue on my fermenting and culturing journey I have found some of the most amazing, sharing, giving people.  Yes, there are plenty of people selling Kombucha mushrooms or Kefir grains online but the majority of fermenters will just mail them to you or invite you to pick them up from their homes.  Keeping it local is always nice and it is rarely bad to meet new people.

In addition to the probiotics that grow during fermentation, the sugar in these drinks is converted to acid giving the drinks a nice tart flavor.  Adding fruit or fruit juice of some kind to the second ferment creates more probiotics and more glucuronic acid which is reputed to bind up toxins in the body so they can be flushed out.  The really wonderful result of this second ferment is lots of carbon dioxide creating a delightful fizzy drink.

Here is a wonderful site that lists a good analysis of what Kombucha can have in it.  Jun will, of course, have different probiotics.  I have been unable to find any good information on whether glucuronic acid is also produced by Jun fermentation.

Jun

Honey, green tea (with honey already added) and a Jun scoby

Jun is one of my latest probiotic beverage adventures.  The same wonderful stranger who sent me the healthiest, productive kombucha scoby sent me a Jun scoby 1.5 weeks ago.

Jun is different from Kombucha. Kombucha is made from black tea or black and green tea and sugar while Jun is made from green tea and raw honey.  Each will have different probiotics and complement one another. Kombucha takes approximately 7 days for the first ferment and Jun 4 days.  Jun is apparently a mystery ferment, not very common.  You won't find much information on the internet for some reason other than on forums asking about this mysterious brew.  Kombucha is commercially brewed and sold raw but I do not believe Jun is available commercially yet.

First batch of Jun

Jun scobys are  much more delicate and smooth than Kombucha scobys.  They grow much slower and tend to be less readily available for sharing.

I chose to use organic green tea and wildflower raw honey.  After combining the tea and 1/4 cup of honey I added my little scoby and the Jun from the bag then covered with a cloth.  Now I wait 4 days to try this brew that has a reputation for its zing.

First brew finished in 4 days and was perfect blend of zing and fizz.  It is difficult to describe the flavor or Jun but it is like a slightly beer-like but with no grains and very little alcohol.  I forgot to photograph the results of the first brew cycle.

I transferred the Jun scoby to a 1L container so the scoby can grow a little wider.  Below are the results of this brew cycle.  

Jun at end up 1st ferment, 2nd brew -- notice two scobys now

As always, I love to experiment.  When I didn't have a Jun scoby I wondered if it was possible to grow one from Kombucha if I just used green tea and honey instead of the black tea and sugar.  I decided to attempt to make Jun without a geniune Jun scoby before I received the Jun scoby from South Carolina.  I grew a scoby from a bottle of GT Kombucha.  I then placed that first, tiny scoby in a small batch of green tea and honey.  I did this a couple more times using only green tea and honey.

KT turned Jun (left) and Jun (right)

Kombucha turned Jun

Kombucha turned Jun scoby

I admit there are the slightest differences in the appearance of the two scobys.  The Jun, however, tastes so alike that I cannot tell the difference.  I am confident that the probiotics in the two batches are different to some degree.  The Jun scoby is smoother than the KT turned Jun scoby.  Each batch I brew using the two scobys the differences seem to be minimizing.  Is my KT turned Jun geniune Jun? Not really.  I will always keep the two different brews labeled. 

What is a second ferment exactly? I took the Jun from both batches and rebottled them.  One I added sliced ginger and the other I left plain.  I then left the bottles out for another 24 hours minimum to increase carbon dioxide content (more fizz) and give the Jun time to incorporate the ginger flavor into the brew.

Ginger infused Jun in a Fido brand swing-top bottle
-- I use a tea strainer to filter out yeast and ginger

Floating sliced ginger and yeast

I label my bottled brews using medical tape (because that is what I had on hand and this tape is too thin to be useful as medical tape) a permanent marker.  What is neat about this tape is that it is reusable.  I just stick it to the cabinet when I wash the bottles.

Jun and Kombucha bottled in Grolsch swing-top bottles for 2nd ferment

After second ferment is complete the bottles are chilled in the refrigerator before serving.  Again, I use a tea strainer on top of the glass when I pour Jun, Kombucha or Water Kefir to catch the wonderful floating stuff like fruit, ginger and yeast (which are nutritious but not particularly enjoyable to drink).

Water Kefir

 

Most people have heard of kefir (kuh-FEER), the fermented milk drink available in healthfood stores, the very same fermented milk drink that would curl your toenails. I have never once really considered attempting to ferment kefir at home until I heard of water kefir.  A new friend that lives in Tennessee offered to mail me some kefir grains.  I envisioned wheat berries that had been soaked in probiotic milk.  I was not even close.  My kefir grains arrived in two zip bags the color of honey looking like applesauce.  Interesting.

Following my friend's instructions I added succanat to warm water, poured the tiniest bit of molasses and one raisin.  Finally, I measured two tablespoons of grains and poured them into the water solution.

Because I had heard on one of my Facebook groups that water kefir thrives in a closed Fido jar I thought I would do a little experiment.

Experiment: Cloth covered vs. closed Fido jars

Some people claimed that their water kefir loved to be closed up in a Fido jar.  Most ferments need oxygen, but water kefir doesn't seem to have that need.  So 2 tablespoons of grains went into each jar.  Twenty-four hours later I tasted each batch and decided they both needed a little more time so I left them until noon.

When I strained out the water kefir grains I was pleased to find that they had doubled in both batches.  What was really interesting was that the closed Fido batch's grains were a lot bigger and the brew had a richer flavor.

I flavored one second ferment with vanilla extract and the other with fresh ginger and bottled them in flip-top bottles, one Fido and the other a Grolsch.  Looking forward to tasting our homemade probiotic soda.

I tasted my ginger water kefir and really like it.  The kids weren't impressed with either flavor.  I will definitely need to do a longer ferment since it has gotten cooler now.  Going to give them 2 days for first ferment and 1.5-2 days for second ferment.

What I like about water kefir is that it is dairy free and has no caffeine.  Kombucha has a much richer flavor, lots more fizz but it does have caffeine.

I drink a cup of Kombucha or Jun in the morning and evening then drink Water Kefir in between along with plenty of fresh water.

Fall Garden

My fall deck garden is thriving but I have had to fight for my plants.  The bugs, caterpillars, even wasps and spiders all tried to own it.  I picked a lot of little caterpillars off of my cabbage and broccoli plants.  Strangely enough, nothing is touching the spinach.  That might be a hint for the future.

Here are progression shots:

August 30, 2012

September 8, 2012

October 3, 2012

We have eaten many of the dwarf bok choy already but have not harvested any of the other crops yet.  Spinach and lettuce will be the first by the looks of it.

Spinach (left) and Dwarf Bok Choy (right)

Red Salad Bowl Lettuce

I am thrilled to see the snow peas growing like weeds, blossoming and already growing snow peas.

Heirloom snow peas growing on deck in containers

The largest container of broccoli plants is exceeding my expectations.  I watch anxiously for the first sign of our favorite fall veggie.

Broccoli growing over the edge of its large container

The Aichi Chinese cabbage have been a huge fight and I'm not sure I'm winning.  First aphids then one kind of caterpillar and then another.  It is cool but not cold and the insects are taking full advantage of the mild weather.  I have at least 25-30 seedlings to replace these but they are under attack as well.  I spray with a peppermint oil spray I made.  It kills most of the aphids but not the caterpillars.

Aichi Chinese Cabbage

Red cabbage are beginning to form heads.  I hope I get at least three tiny heads of red cabbage before it freezes.

Red cabbage

Finally, I continue to harvest tomatoes: cherry and San Marzano, and the occasional Moskovich.  Next year I will definitely plant some late tomatoes.  I was told that they taste better than any of the early varieties.

Tomato bed that spread out on both sides

The cucumbers are barely growing, tiny and stunted.  Even the two that I left on the vine that were over 16" long aren't ripening well for seed harvest.  I am hoping I get enough seeds to share and plant next year.  I will definitely ripen cukes on the vine earlier next year.

How is your fall garden growing?

Chester Sunday Market in Connecticut

Nearly every Sunday we visit the Chester Sunday Market in Chester, Connecticut.  Chester is located on the west side of the Connecticut River, a picturesque, quaint little town.  But it has a Bohemian flavor that makes it very different from most New England towns.  I think this is what appeals to me so much and draws me to this particular farmer's market.  Enjoy a few pictures from two weeks ago.  Only 4 more Sundays until Chester Sunday Market is finished for the year.  I will truly miss it.

Chester closes down their main street each Sunday

One of the two organic farms represented -- just lovely

Live music every Sunday

I'm not sure those tomatoes went over the 1/2 hour limit

Two of the interesting eggplants

Heirloom eggplant

My favorite wildflower honey

Paw paws

Okay, I want to make this!

A new addition to the market -- that is my boys' pizza in there

Never too many peppers

Tomatillas

 

Gorgeous cut flower bouquets 

Looks like a zinnia -- love these happy flowers

I hope you get a chance to visit a few of your farmer's markets before the season ends.  Happy Wednesday!

So, What's Cookin' or Brewing or Fermenting?

I am learning so much right now and happy that I can absorb information, albeit slowly and in bits after multiple exposures.  My short-term memory problems are alive and well.  I have found that I can, however, learn new information as long as I revisit, review, reread, and do it hands on style.

I created a log of what is going on in my kitchen.  It is a 3-ring binder containing notebook paper and some of my knitting patterns in sheet protectors that I want to, and need to, knit.  Totally not related but didn't have another binder so there it is.  I have some recipes I printed out or created in the front pocket and the manual for my dehydrator in the rear pocket.  I should transfer them to sheet protectors as they keep falling out every time I pick up the binder.  Note to self: put stuff in sheet protectors.

Whenever I start a new batch of something I create a page with the name of the brew/ferment/starter and what sized container it is in. I record the date, what ingredients I used to start the batch and maybe the date when it needs to be checked.  I then create a label on medical tape (because that is all I could find) and stick it to the cloth cover.  It might say "KT Honey" or "Vinegar Scoby KT" or "BG KT Sugar".  Not terribly scientific but it is working fairly well. 

When I add anything to the batch I record exactly what and the date.  I try to take notes on flavors, textures, what is used to cover (plastic wrap, cloth, jar lid), and any changes I see.  If the batch gets anything I don't want in it like mold or fruit flies it gets thrown away and the pages is marked "Done" with final notes. It isn't all about successes.  It is about learning at this stage and I am having a blast.  Now for some updates on some of my current projects.

Ginger Bug

My ginger bug came to life when I dumped 1/4 cup of sugar instead of the usual 2 teaspoons along with the daily 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger.  But the biggest change was replacing the plastic lid with a cloth cover so the mixture could breathe and be exposed to yeast and bacteria (the good kind). I also switched to grating the ginger from chopping.  Huge difference.  Crazy activity, and finally, YES, finally I have ginger bug.

Ginger bug started (not much life)

The sediment on the bottom of the jar is the Ginger Bug

I am studying the making of Ginger Beer, different recipes, trying to wrap my head around the process.  It is fairly complicated and it could be dangerous (exploding jars), so I want to be very careful and probably place my brew in a plastic bucket with a lid and possibly keep it wrapped in towels.  Just possibly and most probably that is what I will do.

First Times

Sauerkraut (left) and encurtido (right)

After discovering that fermented vegetables contain wonderful, healthful probiotics I wanted to give it a try.  And since my boys are adventurous I knew it wouldn't go to waste.  All I have to do is tell them that it is really healthy for them and they are game to give it a try.

Sauerkraut is simply sliced organic green cabbage sprinkled with salt, pounded for as long as I could handle it (using the wooden part of my ricer I might add), place in hermetic jar, add more brine to cover cabbage and leave for a minimum of 4 weeks.

The encurtido was going to be fermented but I have a missionary friend who lives in Honduras who shared with me their encurtido recipe so I couldn't resist.  When I read vinegar and sugar I was hooked.  I love sweet pickle relish, anything with vinegar and sugar in it, really.  So I chopped up red onions, carrots, peeled a bunch of my home grown garlic (which are very small but perfect for this recipe because you put them in whole), a huge hot and sweet pepper, fresh oregano and some red pepper flakes (because I didn't have any jalapenos.  I tasted it the next day and Yum!  I tasted it on Day 2 and it has some fire and even more flavor.  I am going to love this stuff.

Fermenting garlic

My fermenting garlic after a week.  I actually used one of the cloves from the smaller jar last night in our stir fry veggies.  FYI: those are really big cloves of garlic.  I bought 10 heads of garlic from one of the organic farm vendors at the Chester Sunday Market in Chester, Connecticut.  Last Sunday I bought 2 more just to have some fresh around.  They were hardneck garlic; the variety name eludes me.

Kombucha with baby scoby

My first batch of Kombucha was ready on Tuesday.  I took the scoby mother and baby and started a new batch of Kombucha.  I then let my children taste Kombucha for the very first time.  This stuff was not sweet at all.  The two that tried it absolutely loved it and wanted more (which they didn't get because you start out drinking Kombucha very slowly and carefully as it can cause some problems as the body starts to detox).

At the same time I started a new batch with my Blue-Green algae Kombucha (store-bought KT which formed a scoby here at home).  We'll see how well is works.  I will not be adding blue-green algae to the subsequent batches.

I am hoping that next week I will be able to brew a 5 liter batch.  Just hoping!

Seed Preservation and Sharing

Fermenting cucumber and tomato seeds for preservation

I have been collecting seeds from my heirloom vegetables, mostly lettuce right now.  Lots and lots of lettuce.  However, I decided to start fermenting some Suyo Long cucumber and Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato seeds since they are part of a swap.  Just take the seeds out of the vegetable, place in a glass or jar, cover with a little water, cover container with plastic wrap and let nature do her thing.  The top gets moldy and the fermenting process removes that gel substance on those seeds which prevent germination.  When they are finish fermenting I will rinse them in a strainer and allow to dry on a dinner plate.  Placed in a paper envelope and marked with variety and date they are ready to save for next year or share as I am doing.  I have two people waiting for seeds.

The littlest pumpkin

The pumpkin vine died before this little guy (above) could ripen.  It was still partially green when I picked it and brought it in.  A few days ago I noticed a little black mildew on the outside so I decided to process it.  Wash outside with water, rubbing away any dirt and/or mildew.  Cut in half.  Scoop out seeds and stringy part.  Place each half face down in a baking dish with about 1/2" of water and bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour or until pumpkin is tender.  Scoop flesh out, puree and either freeze or use in the recipe of your choice.  This little baby sugar pumpkin produced exactly 1 cup of puree.  I intended to freeze it and use it with other pumpkin I process in the future but I got it in my head that I wanted to try pumpkin pancakes and I just happened to find an amazingly delicious whole wheat pumpkin pancake recipe.  In the place of the applesauce I just added another egg.  I also added a few more pumpkin pie type spices such as ginger and cloves, just a teensy bit.  As I always do with pancake recipes, I started with beating the eggs until foamy.  This makes for a very light and fluffy pancake.  The rest was as directed in the recipe.  I should have taken some pictures but the boys literally stood by the stove and ate each huge pancake as it came out of the pan.  Served with organic butter and maple syrup, these were heavenly.

That's all for today.  Hope you have something awesome cooking, brewing or fermenting in your kitchen!

The Joys of Homemade Vinegar -- It's Just Peachy, or Pear-y, or Apple-y

Pear Vinegar

Why Homemade Vinegar?

 

I have already shared a little bit about my accidental venture into vinegar making, pear vinegar to be exact.  I shall recap:

Pear tree gives me bumper crop of pears, I have never canned before so I am scrambling to learn the ins and outs of pear butter, pear jam, pear sauce.  I am on my last few ounces of apple cider vinegar which I use for a lot of foods and for health reasons.  Ladies and gentlemen: ACV is excellent for maintaining urinary tract health.  It is good for controlling candida yeast overgrowth.  It can even help with fighting infections.

So I am running out of my organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar, I have a ton of pears and I wonder, just wonder how difficult can it be to turn these pears into vinegar.  But I don't want to spare pears to make vinegar.  Heading to the internet, where we know everything is true and free, I find a few posts on how to make homemade vinegar.  One appeals to me because it is so simple.  I love simple!

Peelings, cores, jar, a little water, splash of previous batch of vinegar and a few weeks.  The result is homemade vinegar.  I can do this!

What I Did -- Making my First Pear Vinegar

 

My first venture into canning is pear sauce.  Really easy, no pectin, all goes well.  I am peeling, coring, and into 1/2 gallon mason jars go the peelings and cores, even the stems, as I prepare my pears for saucing.  I only fill halfway at this point leaving room for fresh pear scraps (the introduction of fresh scraps gives the ferment more sugar). Over the next week I continue to process pears.  I add peels and cores to each of the several jars I have started, make sure there is more water than fruit and then just cover with paper towels.  I hadn't discovered the wonders of flour sack towels yet, and I actually had a roll of paper towels, scrounged around for a few rubber bands (not an easy task in my house because they are never in the drawer where they belong).  I placed these in the corner of my cabinets between my coffee maker and stove.  Nice and warm.

I reread the directions for making vinegar at least three to four more times because nothing gets into my memory easily.  I took a butter knife and poked the fruit down once a day and watched it bubble, begin to smell like alcohol and eventually start to get a vinegary smell.  I love that smell!

I ended up with five 1/2 gallon containers of vinegar ferment, all in different stages.

Step by Step 

 

1.  Prepare your container by washing, rinsing, rinsing some more and allowing it to air dry.

2.  Place fruit peelings and cores in your container, until about half full.  Add water to about 1" above fruit. If you will not have additional scraps fill the container to just below the shoulder ensuring that the water is at least 1" above the fruit.  Do not overfill container.

3.  Pour 1-2 tablespoons of an unfiltered vinegar such as Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar ensuring that some of the "mother" is included.  Stir the vinegar into the fruit scraps.

4.  Cover with cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter secured with a rubber band.

Pear scraps Day 1

5.  Place in warm place for fermenting.

6.  Using knife push fruit back down into liquid and give it a gentle stir.

Fruit will rise above liquid as it ferments

Push fruit back down daily

7.  Add fresh fruit scraps every day or so for up to a week (optional).

8.  Strain contents of jar returning the liquid to the jar (optional).  Compost, ferment a second time, or feed strained fruit to livestock.

Strain fruit from liquid

9.  Cover jar and allow to ferment a few more weeks.  You might get a surprise scoby (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) growing on top of your fruit and liquid.

Strained and ready for second ferment

Scoby forming on top of fruit and liquid (I left this batch with fruit the entire 4-5 weeks)

10.  Strain again and place vinegar in sealed containers.  Use as you would apple cider vinegar.


I will share with you some of the little tricks and observations I made during this accidental kitchen adventure:

• Do not overfill the containers.  The fruit will rise up above the liquid level and make your covering a fruit fly magnet.  
• Adding an unfiltered vinegar definitely speeds up the process.  You do NOT need 1/4 cup.  A tablespoon or two is plenty for 1/2 gallon.
• Strain your fruit out after you smell vinegar, about 1-2 weeks or somewhere in between.  Not necessary but makes it easier.  If you do this with two containers you can combine them.  
• You can grow a scoby.  Yes, my vinegars grew scobys.  I read that these can then be added to fruit juice to start new vinegar ferments.  This is on my list of things to try since I have vinegar scobys in my fridge right now (with a few chunks of pear and liquid to keep them fed).
• I kept my vinegar ferments away from my other ferments such as Kombucha and Ginger Bug.  I read that the different organisms can interfere with one another (though I have no way to know for sure).
• Vinegar making is so simple even I could do it on the fly while in the midst of other projects.  You can, too!

If It's on the Internet it Must Be True!

I have been doing a lot of research on fermenting lately.  All of it online.  I do not own a single book with information on making Kombucha, Water Kefir, Ginger Beer, fermented garlic, and so on.  So as do most people on this planet I head to my favorite search engine and look it up.  But mine isn't Google.  

Some of you know that Google "cooperated" with the FDA and disabled AdWords for many sellers of supplements a couple of weeks ago.  The FDA did not have a warrant or a court order.  They just decided that Americans are too stupid to know that if a supplement says it cures cancer that it might not cure cancer.  Heck, chemo says it cures cancer and most of us know that it actually causes cancer.  But I digress.

That was the last straw.  I broke up with Google, deleted my Google + account and went on with my life.  But not before finding an amazing search engine that supposedly keeps the user's identity secret.  Okay, pineapple cures cancer and Ixquick.com keeps your identity secret.  Maybe it does but I'm skeptical.  

IXQuick Search Engine is still my favorite new search engine.  It seems cleaner, doesn't give you Wikipedia as the first result every time and when you click on a result it always opens in a new tab.  Woohoo!  I can take off into the Interwebs and my original search is always right there where I left it.
And if IXQuick really does keep my identity a secret and doesn't track me all over the Interwebs, all the better.

The Real Scoop on Ginger Bug

What IS the real scoop on making your own Ginger Bug? Heck if I know.  I have spent day after day after day reading different recipes, methods, add yeast, don't add yeast, tightly cover, don't tightly cover, shake it up, leave it alone.  My head is spinning and my ginger bug is still not a bug.  What it did end up being was a delicious cup of ginger beer for my 16 year old son.  I gave it to him over ice and he moaned with pleasure as he drank it all up in one swig.

So I am taking a different tack on my ginger bug.  I will let you know if it works in a week or so.  

Fermented Garlic

I started my first vegetable ferment this morning.  But not after some serious frustration.  I wanted to peel my several pounds of garlic.  So as directed on multiple sites I put it in a low oven and waited until the skins split.  I took it out, peeled the first clove and it had cooked the garlic a little.  The smaller cloves were still crunchy but a more translucent instead of opaque.  I was not happy.  I read about soaking overnight in water, peeling and then allowing them to dry out for house, oven peeling, peeling in two mixing bowls with a manly strength (which I do not posses -- neither do I possess two mixing bowls of the same size and shape), and finally using a dehydrator.  After what I consider a failure with the oven method the idea of the dehydrator popped into my head.  I had read it (on the Internet, of course) and had forgotten it until that very moment.  So in the dehydrator on the lowest setting it went.  Voila! Perfect.  The peelings dry up, crack open and peel right off.

 Internet Rumors, Lies, and Ignorance (which is not bliss)

We all know that if it is on the internet it is true, right?  We also know that everything on the internet is public domain, right?

WRONG!  Copyrights are alive and well on the internet.  Never, ever, copy a graphic, photo, story, article, anything without express permission of the owner.  

Did you also know that if you see a hand-crafted garment, piece of jewelry, knitted design, and other such delights that those are instantly copyrighted by their designers as soon as they are made?  Yep.

So, to recap:

1. If it is on the internet it might be a bunch of bull----- err baloney.
2. Everything on the internet is NOT free.  Someone wrote it, designed it, photographed it, painted it, drew it, recorded it and owns it.
3. You are responsible for checking the truth of what you see on Facebook before passing it along.  You are responsible for getting permission, checking facts, and giving credit while you are on the internet.  

Notice the watermark. Protection from Internet Picture Thieves.

I hope you have a wonderful evening in cyberspace, the amazing world called the Internet.