Dehydrated JUN SCOBY Gummy Snacks.

How to make Dehydrated Gummy Snacks from the extra SCOBYs from your SCOBY HOTEL.

In doing a little research on eating SCOBY I found a few recipes for SCOBY Gummies which all called for refined white sugar. So, I had this idea to make some Gummies with Maple Syrup, Honey and Coconut Crystals with my extra JUN SCOBYs. I happen to have an abundance of JUN SCOBYs in my SCOBY Hotel.


What is a SCOBY you ask??? the word SCOBY is an Acronym for;

Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast

It is the thing that people sometimes refer to as the "Mother" or "Mushroom" - it actually isn't a mushroom at all.

There are actually a few kinds of SCOBY cultures, there is ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar), JUN which is brewed with Green  Tea and Honey only, and then the most popular Kombucha SCOBY which is brewed with Black Tea and conventional Sugar. All of these are fermented cultures that are made with the intention of helping with Gut Flora, and keeping the bacteria in check in your body.

So, I brew/ferment both JUN and Kombucha Tea, and always have extra SCOBYs on hand, some of which I raise in a nursery to sell to other fermenters on Etsy if you want to start your own culture:

Click here to Buy your very own SCOBY from Fermentation101

Back to this post - the Gummy Snacks.


What you need:
2 large thick JUN SCOBYs
1/3 Cup Raw Honey
1/3 Cup Organic Grade "B" Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp of Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp of Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp of Ground Cinnamon

a Sharp Stainless Steel or Ceramic knife
a GLASS bowl this is very important because the acid from the SCOBY can have a chemical reaction to certain plastics and some metals.
a Dehydrator
a silicone mat

First Use a really sharp knife to cut your SCOBY into 3/4" cubes, and put them in your GLASS bowl.

                                          
                                              Then add the Honey and the Maple Syrup

                             Add your Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Ginger and stir it up really well.

    Cover it tightly with Plastic Wrap, sit on the counter at room temperature to marinate overnight. After 24 hours of marinating you can place the sweetened SCOBY cubes on the silicone mat.

 Then put them right in your Dehydrator on the "Living Foods" setting. This is very important because you don't want to kill the beneficial bacteria in the SCOBY. Basically not over 104 degrees. If you don't have a Dehydrator - you can use you oven - but be careful not to over heat them.

                               Dehydrate for about 8 hours - or until these are the consistency you like.

                                                             This was about 10 hours

Some people like them rolled in sugar crystals so they don't stick together, you can also use Coconut crystals for this as well.

                                             Store in an air tight container, and eat em up!!!

I Screamed!!! for Fermented Bananas!!!

Fermented Banana, Cardamom, Walnut, Shaved Chocolate Coconut Cream Ice Cream

 

Did I Scream - Yes! I did SCREAM!!!! 

OK - so My neighbor - who I am sad to say is moving next month came over last week and showed me how to make Ice cream!!!

Since I am AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) until October 2014 - I can't have Dairy, Eggs etc.... So I was trying to come up with a good way to make Ice Cream with Coconut Milk. I recently re-introduced walnuts with no problem - but eggs are a completely different story... NO WAY!!!!!

I have to say also that I did find a NEW Ice Cream Maker on Craig's List for $45. I had to because my friend will be moving and I can't borrow hers now... So sad!!! Sad about her moving - duh.. not about the ice cream maker.

Anyway, I also belong to a really great group on FB called Kombucha Nation where we chat about all sorts of fermenting processes - I LOVE the group. So yesterday we were chatting about Fermenting Bananas!!! So, Of course I had to try it. Below is a photo of the fresh bananas covered in Raw honey. That is it - simple and fast way to ferment fruit!!!

And so I figured "Why Not?" Fermented foods are so incredibly good for us, so why not go ahead and enjoy them in everything!! Including Ice Cream!  Lacto- fermentation is when natural bacteria eat  sugars and starches in the fruit and vegetables creating lactic acid. The process of fermentation preserves the fruit and veges, and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of pro-biotics. Hence Good For you !!!!

 So, after just one day I checked the Bananas and here is what I got;

Just look at all those bubbles, Yummy, slightly sweet and tangy with a hint of fizz on the tongue fermented bananas!! Yum!!!

I had to make Ice Cream with these!!!

Here is the almost AIP recipe, to make it AIP - just take out the nuts and Chocolate.

Remember, This is a NON dairy - NO Egg Recipe:

The day before you want to make this you must put the bowl from your ice cream maker in the freezer, make your fermented bananas, and put two cans of coconut milk in the coldest part of your fridge.

What you need:

2 Fermented Organic Bananas (see above for recipe)
2 cans organic Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp Organic Vanilla Extract
3 Tbsp Organic Great Lakes Gelatin (Optional)
14 Cardamom pods ground up fine
1/2 cup crushed soaked and salted organic walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup organic Bakers Chocolate shaved fine (optional)

Whip up the bananas, vanilla, cardamom, gelatin and the cream portion of the coconut milk.
 
note: Remember to put the cans in the coldest part of your fridge overnight so the cream separates from the water - use only the cream part.

Add blended mixture to your ice cream maker - as per the directions each machine is different.

5 minutes before you think the ice cream is done add the chocolate and the nuts.

You are done - Enjoy!!

Store the un eaten portion in the freezer - it won't last long!!!

AIP Paleo Grass Fed Beef Bone Broth

AIP Paleo Grass Fed Beef Bone Broth

Hi Again Folks,

WOW!! I'm actually posting two times this week!!

This is my recipe for a really REALLY good AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) Paleo Bone Broth. It is considered AIP because it does not have any FODMAP items like garlic, onion, coconut, etc.

Why Bone Broth???

Well, For thousands of years Bone broth has been used as a healing soup. It is contains valuable minerals that the human body can easily absorb and use, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur chondroitin, glucosamine, and trace minerals. Importantly the gelatin found in bone broth is called a "hydrophilic colloid".  (basically a gel that turns into a liquid when heated) It attracts and holds liquids, including digestive juices, thereby helping support proper digestion. And helping heal the GUT! 

Bone broth can also help prevent infection caused by cold and flu viruses, and fights inflammation which can be caused from Gut Dysbiosis (leaky Gut). This is because bone broth is rich in the very important anti-inflammatory amino acids such as arginine, proline and glycine. I will post two photos of what the amino acids look like when they are present in the cooking process of the bone broth below.


Here are the 17 steps.

1. Buy a bag-o-bones at the Farmer's Market - Make sure the bones in there  are from Gras Fed Pasture raised animals. Any kind are good - I used Beef for this batch. But I bet pork, bison, chick, or any type of poultry will do.

  2. Place the bones on a baking sheet, I use a silicone mat under them for ease of cleaning, but you don't have to.






3. Roast them in an oven that was preheated to 350 degrees, on the top rack. I have a convection oven - so I put it on the "Convection Roast" setting. I left them in there cooking for only 45 minutes - if you over cook the bones, your broth will taste burned.

NOTE: When you see the bones foaming up like this - DON'T freak out!!! This is the amino acids releasing from the bones, this is a GOOD thing. :-)

4. Remove the roasted bones from the oven. Mmmmmmm smells yummy already, and look at all those amino acids bubbling out....!

5. Transfer the hot bones into a large crock pot. Be sure to even out the bones, it is kind of like fitting them into a puzzle, but you want to pack them in there well.

6. Pour Filtered or Bottled water over top of the bones until they are covered, and minimal bones are popping out of the surface.

NOTE: if a few stick past the water line - it is not a big deal - becasue as it cooks down you can re-arrange them.

7. Add a half cup of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar - this will help draw all the important nutrients out of the bones.

8. Add one third a cup of Organic Unsulphured Molasses. This actually adds a little more of the micronutrients, and is rich in iron, calcium, and magnesuim.

9. Add the following AIP friendly spices. Himalayan salt, sage, 3 bay leaves, margoram, oregano, thyme, tarragon, rosemary.

 10. Let this come to a boil and let it cook overnight (at least 20 hours) on either the "high" or "low" setting all slow cookers are different, mine boils at a low rumble on the "low" setting, you can add a little more water before you go to bed if you want.

Look at all those Amino Acids foaming on the top!!

11. When you get up the next morning, remove all the large particles of fat and meat, and all the bones and discard.

        

12. then strain out all the rest of the particles - and the Bay leaves. Set the pot to the side to let cool to room temperature so the fat hardens on the top.

 

13. Skim all the fat off the top, and set aside to use later - this is called Beef Tallow - it is a really good white saturated fat that can be used in cooking many things.

14. Heat the broth back up to a low boil, TASTE it to make sure the salt amount is right!!!  Then transfer into mason jars. I use the single serving jars because they are easy to grab and go if you need to take a meal to travel with.

15. Carefully place the jars using canning tongs into an almost boiling water bath.

NOTE: you want to make sure that they are covered with the water so they make a tight seal.

16. Make sure the water comes to a boil, and let it roll for about 20 minutes, Covered or uncovered, it just depends on how much steam you want in your house. :-)

17. Take the jars out with the canning tongs and set them on a dry towel to cool.

You are Done, Refrigerate and Enjoy!!!

Eight EASY Steps to making your own GREAT KOMBUCHA!

"Hi", and Welcome to my Blog, I'm not super Active on this Blog - but every once in a while I like to post something really fun. We had an insanely cold and "harsh on the garden" winter this past season, and I lost about 90% of my herb garden so, I had to replant everything. I am even thinking that maybe my Fig tree died, and that makes me very sad, Scot and I keep checking it every few days, and so far - no buds :-(.

I am however hopeful that the cold killed some of the wood boring insects that have been reeking havoc on my apricot, nectarine, and peach trees, maybe this year I'll actually get a substantial harvest.

Fingers Crossed.

OK - so the reason for today's post..... KOMBUCHA!!!

I was recently introduced to this amazing magical drink, it is kind of like a Beer/Soda that is packed with and wonderful Probiotics that help digestion. Depending on where you live when you make it, the different bacterium grow in it and it will produce a brew that tastes yummy and even better, is beneficial to your GUT!

Here is my motivation for learning how to make it - the stuff is a whopping $3.69 a bottle!!!! There is even a shop close to home that makes it on a smaller "mom and pop" scale and there's is $20 a bottle, granted it is three times the size of the commercial brand, and is amazingly delish, but really???? After doing the math, I figured out that it only costs pennies to make - GOOD MOTIVATION for me.

"I wonder if the companies that make it charge that much because it is "good" for you?"  Who knows.... anyway - I want to post here how I have been making it.

Eight EASY Steps to making your own GREAT KOMBUCHA!

One.

First pick a really good store bought brand that says "RAW ORGANIC KOMBUCHA" on the label. It has to say "RAW" because if it is pasteurized (cooked) the dummies who made it killed all the good bacterial organisms in it by cooking it.  Then you just have soda that has dead bacteria in it. Yuck!!!

Two.

Drink most of it, but be careful to leave the sediment and the floaty stringy/strands in the jar, and stick it back in the fridge. This is called your "Starter". I do this by pouring it off into a white wine glass, not only does it look fancy, but your friends can't tell you aren't "drinking". This is what you are going to use to make your "Baby Scoby" from. It really only looks funny in the wine glass when you to it first thing in the morning. :-)

Three.

Boil about a cup and a half of FILTERED (or bottled with no chlorine) water. This is very important not to use water that has chemicals in it, because it can kill your bacterium. Add 1/3 cup of regular refined sugar (I use powdered sugar, just because that is what I have left in the pantry after my big purge, it seems to really work well) and about a teaspoon of honey to the boil and let it dissolve. Pick a bag of your favorite Organic tea (it must be Black, Red, or Green for this step, because of the acid content - DECAF does not work well because of the chemicals) and let it boil into the water sugar mixture for a few minutes. Turn off the heat, and let it cool to room temp.


Four.

Take out your starter from the fridge, and let that sit on the counter until the Tea mixture has cooled down. When it is cool enough to touch, pour it into a mason jar, with the starter, cover with cheese cloth and tighten the lid on it. This will need to sit in a dark warm place for a few days to a week, depending on the air temp.

Five.

Once you see about an eighth of an inch "Baby Scoby" floating on the top you will need to feed it. Sometimes this "Baby" will not be easy to see so you can carefully lift the jar and tilt a little, you should see a thin film on the surface that may have a couple white spots. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MOLD!!! if it does toss it and start over. The reason you used FILTERED water, and BLACK, RED OR GREEN tea is why you don't get mold. Anyway, the next step is easy; In a sauce pan pour 2 cups of FILTERED water and bring to a boil. Add 1/3 cup of regular refined sugar and about three teaspoons of honey to the boil and let it dissolve. This time pick TWO bags of your favorite Organic tea (it must be Black, Red, or Green for this step, because of the acid content) and let it boil into the water sugar mixture for a few minutes. Turn off the heat, and let it cool to room temp.

Six.

This is the step where you actually grow your "Mother Scoby"! Add the new batch of super sweet tea to a larger jar cover it tightly with cheese cloth and a rubber band. Place it in a dark warm place for a few days to a week, depending on the air temp. She will show up and form a really beautiful gelatinous mushroom like cap at the top. This is your "Mother".

Seven.

Now you are ready to make your drinkable KOMBUCHA. Heat three quarts of FILTERED water to a boil, add 1 cup sugar, and three tablespoons of honey until it is clear and completely dissolved. Add 4 tea bags of your favorite Organic tea (here it can be a different type of tea like White, or flavored, I add ginger at this point too, but it must be TEA because of the acid content). Turn off the heat, and let it cool to room temperature, remove the tea bags, fruit Ginger etc. and pour it in a larger glass jar.

Float your "Mother Scoby" on top of the newest sugar mixture using a large stainless steel spoon.
It's okay if it sinks, mine usually does.

    

Next, you want to pour in a cup or two of finished liquid from the last batch (to keep the acid high) and Cover it securely with cloth and a rubber band, and place it in a dark warm place for a week to ten days.

After waiting patiently you will see a new "Baby Scoby" on the surface of your KOMBUCHA. When the new "Baby" is about 1/8" thick, taste your KOMBUCHA. If it is too sweet, let it sit a few more days, if it is ready (you be your own judge) you can harvest the liquid by pouring (I use a syphon method)into bottles with removable lids, like the grolsch beer bottles or the GT bottles.

Eight.

Bottle, and add your favorite fruits, put a teensie bit of sugar, about a 1/4 teaspoon in each bottle, make sure the cap is tight and let it sit in a warm dark place for a day or two - but keep an eye on it every day, you may need to burp it, because sometimes the pressure of the bubbles can make the KOMBUCHA explode! OMG!!! what a mess that is to clean up.... When it gets to the desired bubblyness it is time to refrigerate and enjoy.

NOTE: The extra sugar makes it really bubbly, a trick I learned from making beer. Make sure you SAVE some of the stringy bits, and a little of the KOMBUCHA for your  next batch.