Herbal Medicine Meets Fermentation by Meghan Hintz

We're super excited to have guest blogger Meghan Hintz writing this fantastic blog on herbal medicine, fermentation, and sharing her recipe for Nettles Kraut! Meghan is a Fermentationist, Functional Nutrition Health Coach, and creator of Herba Flora, ( http://herbaflorahealth.com/) a line of herbal digestives free from alcohol, sugar, and other common allergens. She lives in the Pacific Northwest where she is currently fawning over the glorious awakening of spring.

HERBAL MEDICINE MEETS FERMENTATION

While fermented foods are celebrated – and rightly so – for their digestive and

immune support, they are also notable for the increased bio-availability of their

nutrients. As friendly microorganisms break down cellulose, vitamins and minerals

are liberated making them especially easy for our bodies to absorb. Beyond the

nutrient value, fermentation releases a more mysterious and nuanced quality of

plants – their medicinal actions.

Just as the fermentation process frees nutrients, it is able to extract the therapeutic

properties of herbs. This can be a fabulous alternative to alcohol-based tinctures, as

alcohol can increase intestinal permeability and may not be suitable for children,

pregnant women, and those experiencing alcohol sensitivity or addiction.

When choosing herbs for your ferment consider flavor and herbal actions. Food

herbs like fennel, ginger, and turmeric are naturals and help ease gas, settle an upset

stomach and decrease inflammation, respectively. Rose is calming to the nerves and

pleasantly floral, but also astringent so start with small amounts. Remember that

your ferment will take time so herbs that become harsh after a long steep (think

lavender) may not be the best fit. Likewise, steer clear of herbs with strong

antimicrobial actions that could kill off friendly bacteria and halt fermentation.

Favorite spring tonic herbs, all suitable for sauerkraut and miso, include burdock

root for the liver and skin, dandelion root and leaf (the leaves can be quite bitter, the

root more mild) for the liver and kidneys, and my favorite: nettles.

Stinging Nettles, Urtica dioica, are exceptionally high in minerals, anti-inflammatory,

and supportive of the adrenal glands. With their bright color, grassy flavor, and

nutritional boost they are the epitome of spring. They grow wild in parts of North

America and can be found at farmers markets this time of year, but you can also use

dried nettles. They lose their sting when cooked, dried, or fermented, but be sure to

wear gloves while handling them fresh!

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. It’s the perfect time to look beyond the well-loved

traditional benefits of fermentation and experiment with the new flavors and beneficial actions

spring herbs have to offer.

Nettle Sauerkraut (1 quart)

1.25 lbs Green cabbage, evenly sliced (reserve the core and one outer leaf)

½ cup packed fresh nettle leaves, chopped (don’t forget the gloves!)

OR

2 Tbsp dried nettles moistened with 1 Tbsp heated water

2-3 scallions, sliced into rings

2 ½ tsp coarse grey Celtic sea salt

Use your favorite fermentation technique to make your Nettle Sauerkraut. I use

Sandor Katz’s technique.

Now that you’re wildly curious about nettles, here’s a lovely write-up for more info:

http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Energy_Stamina.htm

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Please consult

a medical professional before beginning any healthcare regimen.

The Illustrated Journal with Caroline Choe

We had the honor to be on The Illustrated Journal with Caroline Choe (S3E1: "Around the Table"). She videoed somer of the collaborative dinners put on by Contraband Ferments and goldpennyloafer (www.goldpennyloafer.com). We love this video that greatly captures community and how food brings people together!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPt5ojMEAxA

Just Food Conference 2016

Just Food Conference 2016    by Cheryl Paswater, Chief Fermentationist, Contraband Ferments

One of my favorite events of the year was this past weekend, the Just Food Conference at Teachers College, Columbia University. It's a yearly conference dedicated to ethical food practices, food advocacy, greenmarkets, CSA's, farming, education, and more! It's always been a wonderful learning experience, filled with so many amazing people, and a strong current around building communities. After all, food brings communities together!

I've always attended the conference as a attendee that squeezes in as many workshops and lectures as possible and talking to as many people I can but, this year I had the honor and privilege to to get to be a presenter with my good friend Erin Cramm (also notoriously known as my fermentation wife) on the Human Microbiome and Fermentation. So after spending the morning catching up with friends and fellow food nerds, and squeezing in multiple workshops that morning from Herbal Medicine, to GMO Laws in NY, to Using Food as a Tool to End Mass Incarceration, and even catching part of Andrea Beamans lecture on Detoxing your Liver, and a lovely locally grown lunch we powered up or an afternoon of nerdy bacteria talk.

I won't go into all the details because I would be here all day but, I do want to share our favorites list for all things Fermentation and the Human Microbiome! We hope you enjoy it!

Resources for the Gut Microbiome and Ferments

Gut

Giulia Enders (Book)

The Good Gut

Justin and Erica Sonnenburg (Book)

Cooked, Book & Netflix Series

Michael Pollan (Episode/Chapter: Earth)

How Bacteria “Talk”

Bonnie Bassler (TED talk)

Missing Microbes

Martin J. Blaser, MD

Fuhmentaboudit! (Radio Show)

http://heritageradionetwork.org/series/fuhmentaboudit/

Wild Fermentation & The Art of Fermentation

Sandor Katz (Book)

Body Ecology Diet

Donna Gates

Gut and Psychology Syndrome

Dr. Natasha Campbell- McBride, MD

The Symbiont Factor

Richard Matthews, DC, DACNB, FACFN

The Epidemic of Absence

Moises Velasquez-Manoff

The Human Microbiome Project

http://hmpdacc.org/

Cider, Bringing People Together by Rachel Jacobs

We are super excited to have the amazing Rachel Jacobs writing for us this month! She is the co-producer of the radio show Fuhmentaboudit! on the Heritage Radio Network, an avid beer and cider brewer, fermenter, and all around awesome lady! Check out her post on Cider Making and Bringing People together -- one of the best things that fermentation does!

Simple Cider from Scratch, Bringing People Togetherby Rachel Jacobs

When your roommates don’t drink beer and you want to start home brewing, you can do one of two things: either drink all the home-made beer yourself while sticking your tongue out at your friends – or you can brew something that everyone will enjoy. A homebrew is a thing meant to be shared, and a lot of my friends and family members have one stomach problem or another – gluten intolerance, dairy allergies, strawberry sensitivity – so something with a large amount of ingredients and high in allergens meant that someone won't be able to have it.

My first hesitation with cider was that there seemed to be less room for creativity– there are less ingredients, there’s less types of yeast to inoculate the juice, and the whole science of making cider is much less complicated. After all, I thought, if you buy a jug of Red Jacket’s cold pressed cider and you use champagne yeast, doesn't it turn out to be exactly the same thing?

This is not strictly speaking true. Yeast, as I’ve come to learn, are finicky, and the slightest variation of temperature, pH, or pressure can cause it to act slightly differently. Each batch of something home-made, unless in an ultra-controlled environment, will turn out differently.

But I didn’t know this when I first started. And that’s how I got to pressing my own juice to make hard cider.  And you can, too!

If you’re patient and not averse to pruney hands, you don’t actually need all that much in the way of materials. In addition to a carboy, airlock, and yeast, you’ll need:

-Apples, whatever varieties you like. I prefer to get about 10 pounds of nice apples and the rest of cheap filler – Macintosh, Cortland.

-Food processor/ blender

-Cheese cloth

It takes about 15 pounds of apples to make a gallon of juice, which is about 35 apples of sufficient size. Very often, you can get 5-lb bags at the grocery store for cheap, or get the bags of ugly apples at the famer’s market for less than the more marketable, pretty apples.

1.    Cut the apples into manageable pieces and toss them in the blender until they’re more or less applesauce consistency.

2.    Next, spoon the pulp into a cheesecloth, twist, and squeeze, collecting the juice in a bowl.

3.    Once the bowl is full, strain it through the cheesecloth once more before putting it in the carboy.

4.    Add the yeast – I’m a fan of 71B when using fresh fruit because that sucker will eat through everything, but Champagne Yeast will do it faster and give you the satisfaction of watching a bubbly airlock.

5.    Add the airlock and let it sit somewhere temperate for 2-4 weeks. Sediment will collect at the bottom, just like store-bought cider, and you can choose to siphon the cider to another carboy and rack it for another 2-4 weeks; or if you don’t care, you can bottle it as-is.

The first time I did this, I spent the entire day crushing and squeezing apples with a tiny Cuisinart food processor and cheese cloth. (I bought 30 pounds of apples but lost my patience at a gallon and a half, and 5 pounds were actually no good because they were – and I’m not kidding – full of spiders. Very farm fresh).

Yes, the process is fatiguing and sometimes tries my patience, but with a Netflix account and good pair of headphones, it’s all good. Or you could do it in batches. When I don’t have a full day to spare, I press some of the apples and freeze the juice; when I’ve collected a few gallons, I defrost, put in the carboy, and add the yeast.

Cider is a good compromising homebrew if you want to share with a lot of people and not worry about their various dietary restrictions, because there is only one ingredient: apples. You can still make it your own, though, if you want to get fancy, you can add different fruit juices or flavoring agents. The last batch I bottled was made with Skittles and tastes vaguely like a bootleg Smirnoff Ice, and one that’s sitting under my sink is mixed with tart cherry juice. The roommates love it and I’ve been giving it out to friends for weddings and birthdays, too. People can be picky with beer, but everyone drinks cider. Everyone. Even George Washington.

Conclusion: drinks are more fun when shared with friends, and it doesn’t have to make your brews boring. 

Pickle Juice, Probiotics, & The Bad Bugs: with Guest blogger Robbie Bianchi-Pray

We are super excited to have another guest blogger this week here at Contraband Ferments! Robbi Bianchi-Pray is a Nutritional Therapist, Fermentationist, and GAPS practitioner based out of Chicago, IL. She's passionate about food and healing through food, has some killer tattoos, and is an all around bad ass! Enjoy this amazing post!

Pickle Juice, Probiotics, & The Bad Bugs

 by Robbie Bianchi-Pray

I remember drinking the pickle juice as a girl. My desire for that salty and tangy brine was always stronger than my craving of sweets like other kids. After becoming a Certified Nutritional Therapist, Fermentationist, and a Gut and Psychology Practitioner; I discovered why…

My desire for this deliciously salty and tangy brine, was actually one of the first signs of my stomach acid deficiency.

Stomach acid serves as a first line of defense against invaders in the body. Destroying pathogenic bacteria onsite and keeping the bodies precious ecosystem in balance while saving you from experiencing digestive and stomach distress. You know what I am talking about… the screaming shits? Ever came down with Medusa’s revenge?

In addition to the need for hydrochloric acid, I think my poor little body new it was in dire need of fermented foods. Fermented foods help to repopulate the gut. Humans used to receive soil based organisms daily from their food. Since big agriculture has now began sterilizing the soil with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides; the number of these monumental little allies have dropped exponentially.

Not only does the body require an acidic environment in the stomach to break down fats, proteins, along with vitamins and minerals; the body also requires a strong community of bacteria to ensure proper breakdown and absorption of all those tasty organic ingredients that you call dinner.

We now know that 90% of the cells and genetic materials in our body consist of gut flora. That means that we are simply a 10% shell to house this incredible inner ecosystem. They outnumber us 10 to 1! In order to have a healthy and balanced inner ecosystem or Microbiome as they have termed it today; we are required to consume a plentiful amount of these beneficial bacteria daily.

Grocery store shelves are lined with so-called healthy probiotics supplements to choose from. Unfortunately, many of these products do not contain what the labels claim. When tested, many of them did not even contain the bacteria species they claimed on the label, nor did they have the claimed bacterial strength!

A good probiotic should have as many different species of bacteria as possible, and there should be a mixture of them in order to derive maximum benefit. A mixture of strains is most beneficial and it is best to have a combination of lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and soil based organisms. It should have a concentrated amount of at least 8 billion bacteria cell per gram. You need to provide the body with enough organisms per dose to actually feel an improvement or healing reaction. I recommend working with a qualified practitioner when ordering supplements period. This ensures a professional and therapeutic grade product. Ordering online or purchasing from big box discount stores is risky because you never know how old the product, how it was stored, or if the product even contains what is claimed. For example, probiotics and fish oil are very heat and age sensitive… Do you want your supplements to be rancid or expired upon purchase? In addition, many supplements available are rip offs or rejects containing no health benefits at all, along with potential serious risks. Check out this link to hear more about the risk of gluten, heavy metals, and other reasons to always purchase supplements from a qualified healthcare professional. To order your therapeutic grade probiotics now, visit my store.

As you introduce probiotic bacteria into your new health regimen at a therapeutic dose, you will likely produce the so-called “die off” reaction. These bacteria will begin to kill off and destroy pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and fungi. When these bad boys begin dying off, they will produce a large amount of toxicity! These toxins are often the cause of your previous symptoms. The characteristics of symptoms you experienced prior to, are likely to present themselves and may temporarily get worse. You may find yourself more tired than usual or generally of color. In addition, you may experience any number of possible new symptoms like an unexpected rash, feeling emotional, or even flu like symptoms. This is a temporary reaction and typically only lasts a few days to several weeks depending on the individual.

To make the experience as bearable as possible it is important to build upon your doses to reduce the onset of an extreme healing reaction. Build the probiotics slowly starting with a very small dose. Observing for “die-off” reactions and settle on each dose prior to increasing the dose again. If you have a strong reaction, you may choose to grin and bare through it or back of to the previous dosage for a week before trying again. You may find that it takes a several weeks to a number of months to reach a therapeutic dosage. Some people even take years…

According to world renowned neurologist, neurosurgeon, nutritionists, and author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a therapeutic probiotic dosage for an adult is 15-20 billion bacteria cells per day. Her research, Gut & Psychology Syndrome or “GAPS” protocol connects the brain with the gut and is what I would consider a 3 legged stool approach. It combines diet, supplementation and lifestyle changes to maximize healing and sealing of the gut, eliminating food allergies, starving out pathogenic “bad bacteria” and repopulating with beneficial flora along with addressing other physical symptoms like autoimmune disorders, psychological symptoms like depression, anxiety, autism, and ADD/ADHD along with various digestive disorders such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, constipation, and diarrhea as well.  To learn more, please refer to her book for a complete guide to probiotics and the supporting diet protocol and book your free 15 minute consultation today.

Once a therapeutic dosage has been reached, it should be maintained for a minimum of 6 months to rebuild normal gut flora and remove the pathogenic bacteria. Adhering to the GAPS nutritional protocol is paramount to your success. One must starve out the “bad bugs” to allow our beneficial friends to predominate. After the therapeutic period is completed the therapeutic dose may be slowly decreased at the same rate it was applied. Observe for reactions. The maintenance dose is individual and may take quite some time to discover.

My favorite way to receive these beneficial buddies is with the addition of delicious, unpasteurized, probiotic rich fermented foods into the diet!  Sauerkraut and lacto-fermented vegetables along with homemade milk kefir, yogurt and creme frais are a delicious way to daily receive the beneficial probiotics and yeast into your the belly that keep pathogenic and opportunistic microbes at bay.

These beneficial microbes or “probiotics” will aid in digestion and even employ other opportunistic bacteria. Believe it or not they will even multiply the vitamins C in your cabbage by 200%! Creating loads of lactic acid and B vitamins, breaking down fibers and protein, they transform a simple cabbage into an absolute superfood! These fabulous friends then stimulate your immune response and will absorb toxins.

Probiotic supplementation is paramount to vibrant health and vital to treating any form of digestion, psychological, and physiological disorders. Enjoying that tasty sauerkraut will pay off in folds stimulating your hydrochloric acid production in the gut, aiding in the breakdown of foods and boosting the immune system along with the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine that keep you happy!

For more information on how to work with me and implementing GAPS protocol, please reach out for your free 15 minute consultation to see if GAPS is right for you! GAPS week long immersion training and retreats are now available.

Fuhmentaboudit! Episode 151 Wintery Ferments

We are huge fans of the heritage Food Radio Network and of the radio show Fuhmentaboudit! So when they called us up and wanted to have our Chief Fermentationist, brain child, and fearless leader Cheryl Paswater on the show, we of course said yes! Here she is talking about all things wintery and fermenty with host Chris Cuzme and co-producer Rachel Jacobs.

http://heritageradionetwork.org/podcast/winter-ferments-with-cheryl-paswater/

Canine Sauerkraut : with Guest blogger Cynthia Farris

 We are so excited to have guest fermenter and coach Cynthia Farris writing on Canine Sauerkraut for our blog this month! She's doing amazing things in the animal community, helping to keep both the pups and their humans happy and healthy. Here she is telling us all we need to know on canines and fermentation.

Dogs Eat Kraut?

The savvy ones do!  Like all of us, dogs need plant-based, probiotic-rich foods for health and vitality.  Both conventional and holistic vets agree our canine companions need more antioxidants to fight free radical damage and they need probiotics to support their microbiomes (the trillions of microorganisms that live on and in them (and us) that are involved in virtually every aspect of health).  Fermented veggies contain both in readily digestable forms.

Following are a few of the benefits of including probiotic rich foods in your dog’s diet, and in yours:

Probiotics + Enzymes

Probiotic + enzyme supplements are being prescribed at record numbers to support digestion (e.g. gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc.).  Again, just like your diet, supplements may or may not make it thru the highly acidic stomach to do their job in the colon.  Food-based, probiotic + enzyme-rich foods, such as krauts and cultured vegetables, are amazing ways to support our shared health.

Pup Got the Sniffles?

Gut vitality is critical to overall immune strength.  On-going feeding of probiotic rich foods build immunity and strengthen your pooch’s resilience.  

Anxiety + Toxins

The 21st Century pup is exposed to myriad toxins given their proximity to exhausts and pollutants that settle on the ground where their highly permeable paws absorb them.  Probiotics support detoxification helping rid the body of damaging chemicals and heavy metals. 

Dogs with a history of neglect, stress, malnourishment, and lack of exposure to nature, can especially benefit from krauts and fermented vegetables. 

My Dog Won’t Touch the Stuff

You’d be surprised at how many dogs actually love vegetables. If yours is a veggie virgin, start with raw or cooked foods they show interest in (e.g. green beans, peas, carrots, apple or pear).  Then, take their favorites and add them to a simple kraut and slowly add to their favorite meal.  Be sure to honor their timing and level of interest in the new foods.

Stick with Basics Blends

It’s not that Rover won’t lap up your amazing blend of Curried Kraut with Green Apple & Raisins, but not all people food is good for dogs.  For a conservative list of potentially harmful foods see the ASPCA’s site and do your own research.  Raisins are no-no’s and curry may have onions/garlic which generally aren’t recommended for dogs.  

How Much Do I Give My Dog?

Probiotics can have a powerful effect on the GI system.  Initial reaction could result in some bacterial die off.  So, go slowly.  Dr. Karen Becker, DVM, in this video and how-to, suggests starting with 1-3 teaspoons for every 20 pounds of body weight.  This cutie (photo) started with a nibble, and came back 3xs for more.

Sharing is Caring

Whole food, probiotic rich foods are amazing to share with our canine families.  Do some experimenting and find that irresistible blend you both love.  

About Cynthia Farris

Cynthia is a passionate dog person, functional nutritionist + lifestyle coach.   She makes Custom Canine Krauts (for pups and people) for her Denver-based clients and educates those around the globe how to make special blends for their four legged pals.  Reach her at Cynthia@cynthiafarris.com + soon:  www.cynthiafarris.com.

The content of this post is intended for general informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat or mitigate disease in you or your pet.  Dietary foods can interact unexpectedly with your or your dog’s unique physiology.  Food can also interact with prescription medications.  If you or your dogs are taking prescriptions, become informed about possible interactions. 

Miso! Our favorite wintery ferment!

Winter is here and it's time to get in the kitchen to make one of our favorite ferments...MISO! Traditionally, started in the winter months miso is a ferment that take some time if you want a nice mature miso but, we promise you it's so worth it! Here's our basic Red Miso recipe, perfect to start fermenting at this time of year, and even better for eating! We love mugs of miso for breakfast in the winter months.

RED MISO

1 cup Dry blackbeans                                                                                                1 cup Koji                                                                                                                  4 Teaspoons Sea salt                                                                                               

1. Soak beans overnight. (you could swap out black beans for adzuki beans)

2. Cook using a pressure cooker (~20 minutes) or in a pot until soft. If you don't have a pressure cooker, just cook in a regular stock pot until soft.

3. Drain the beans, but save the liquid!!! (do not forget this step!)

4. Make a brine using 1/2 cup of the bean liquid and dissolve half the salt into it.

5. While waiting for the liquid to cool, mash the beans into a smooth paste. Make sure to fully get the hulls broken up.

6. When brine is below 105 degrees, mix in seed miso from a previous made batch of miso or store bought miso. If you don't have any seed miso, no worries! You can still make a perfectly great miso without it!

7. Take the mixture and mix into the koji. * note to make sure the temp is below 100 degrees so that you don't kill the mold spores from the koji.

8. Add the mashed beans and stir well.

9. Create a consistency of regular miso by adding as much mixing liquid as needed.

10. “Grease” the sides of the miso crock with a bit of sea salt. We like to shake a little bean juice around the jar and empty it and then sprinkle salt around the entire jar. (1/2 - 1 tsp of salt)

11. Add the miso to the crock or jar taking care to smash it in fully to the container so that no air bubbles remain. Lightly tapping the jar on a towel on top of a table helps with this too.

12. Sprinkle salt on top of the miso and cover with seaweed and wax paper.

15. Cover the miso with a cloth bag, cheesecloth in multiple layers, or a thin hand towel and rubberband to keep the flies out. It will be sitting for months (or years if you want.)

16. Label and date your miso.  We like to ferment ours for a year or longer. One year in miso fermentation is actually 9 months! The summer months are considered double months.

17. When your ready to harvest your miso, scrape off the top funky layer until you hit a nice colored miso. It will smells yeasty and a lot like hops.                      

18. At this point you can chose to eat the miso in the more chunky state or you can throw it into a food processor so that it's more like a miso paste that you might by in the store from a commercial miso company. Either way works so do what you prefer.

19. Store it in the fridge and eat / enjoy!

DIY : Sauerkraut 101

We've recently had a lot of inquiries about how to make Sauerkraut. So here is a basic DIY on making Sauerkraut from our Chief Fermentationist, Cheryl Paswater in conjunction with CoreNeeds NYC. They are an amazing organization that brings resources and awareness to families dealing with Autism. They are huge fans of the fermentation community and we are of them as well! 

http://coreneedsnyc.com/episode/sauerkraut-part-1/

Click the link above to check it out! They have other amazing resources on there as well, including some great food demos by our friend Jessica Van Kipp!

The Human Microbiome: How to keep your gut happy!

Contraband Ferments is excited to be hosting a new series of blogs this year! We will keep posting recipes and DIY fermentation for you, but we are also adding a series of blogs dedicated to the Human Microbiome, Gut Health, Herbal Medicine, and more!

Our first blog of 2016 is by the amazing Karen Puyleart. Karen and her husband started their cooking blog, Purely Primal, in 2010 after changing their diet in 2009.  She is currently working toward her Masters in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. And is based in Vancouver, Washington.

----

The Human Microbiome: How to keep your gut happy!

A major key to great health is keeping our guts happy!  Did you know that over 70% of our immune system is in the gut? Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria who help us to digest food, produce energy, and support our immune system, just to name a few of the important jobs they do. However, there are many things that can damage our gut flora and this in turn keeps our bodies from functioning at an optimal level.  

Besides a poor diet, many other effects can hinder our guts. These include, medications, chronic stress, chronic infections, lack of sleep, toxins in products we use, and toxins in the air we breathe.  When gut health is compromised then nutrients cannot be properly synthesized, too much oxidative stress is created, and enzyme activity can become impaired.  Basically, our cells become unhealthy and in turn we get issues such as autoimmune diseases, chronic infections, allergies, brain dysfunction, acne, and hormone dysregulation. This is a very short list of problems that can occur.  There is so much more.  This is why attention to our guts cannot be overlooked.  

As a nation, we are not getting better. The U.S. has one of the highest cancer rates in the world. Over 65% of American’s are overweight or obese with 1/3 of all diabetes diagnoses being in teens.  Junk food is everywhere, is easily accessible, and the quality is poor.  However, I feel with attention to just these five areas below, our health can improve tremendously.  Below are a few simple ideas in each of these categories that can help get you started on a journey to better health.  This is my own personal take on what has helped me and others who have sought my help and here I share it with you. I hope you can learn a few things from it to gain a better understanding of your own health.   

Food – Eat anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense foods. This means lots of vegetables, fruit, lean protein, good fats, herbs, spices, lactofermented sauerkraut, and drinking lots of water.  Avoid junk food, food that comes in a box, sugar, gluten, dairy, and GMO foods.  Plan meals for the week. Keep a food diary to watch for patterns.

Sleep – 8 hours is recommended for recovery for our brain, recovery from exercises, more energy, and strengthening of immune system. A few tips for better sleep are avoiding both electronics and eating right before bed.

Stress- To reduce stress, a few tips are to schedule some personal time for yourself each week, consider meditation, and perform random acts of kindness!

Exercise – Exercise keeps us healthy and feeling younger.  To get more, schedule workouts like anappointment, find a friend to exercise with you, and if you have a sedentary job try to move each hour.

Environment – Toxins are all around in the beauty products we use, the air we breathe, and the foods and medication we put into our body. A few ways to reduce toxins are to stop smoking, avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, research ingredients in the products you buy, know where your food comes from, recycling, and reusing.

Here’s to a more healthful you!

Cheryl's Kimichi

KIMCHI

1 medium sided napa cabbage
1/4 cups daikon chopped                                                                                                         1/4 cup Radish chopped
1 carrot chopped
1/4 cup onion chopped
1 cloves garlic chopped
1/3 cup chili paste (I like to use Mazi's Piri Piri Sauce)
1 tablespoon grated turmeric                                                                                                    1/4 cup chopped scallions                                                                                                              1/2 cup fish sauce (optional)                                                                                                                                      1 tablespoons grated ginger                                                                                                     1-2 tablespoons sea salt

In a large bowl take the napa cabbage and cut it into 1" pieces (you can variate this on your personal preference). Chop the daikon, radishes, carrots, onions, and scallions...again chop how you prefer (circles, half circles, match sticks, grated)...the key is to try to keep things around the same size. Add the scallions, ginger, turmeric, garlic, and sea salt and mix it all together. Try to make sure that all the the vegetables have come in contact with salt. You'll see the veggies start to sweat and then add the chili paste. Mix everything together well and pack it in into a jar / crock. Make sure to really pack it in. Put a lid on it and let it ferment for two weeks or up to 3 months.

Notes:  You can also variate this kimichi. I recently added broccoli to my kimchi, a friend of mine at Cultures Group recently did a cauliflower kimchi which was nice. Play with it. I also like to taste my kimchi to make sure it has enough salt so, taste test as you go along. It should taste salty like a potato chip.

Thanksgiving and Cheryl's Miso Gravy

I have to give a shout out to Summer Bock because I stole this recipe from her and then changed it make it my own.

Thanksgiving.

This year I was playing part of a Friendsgiving in the neighborhood and I was thinking about what I wanted to make and the list was lengthy; bacon dijion brussel sprouts, braised greens with ume plum vinegar, cranberry apple sauce, and GRAVY! Since I don't eat gluten and I don't eat much dairy and I wasn't sure if there would be any vegetarians I figured this was a sure fire way to meet the needs of everyone, squeeze in another ferment, and throw a little wow factor into the mix. The gravy turned out amazing...everyone loved it and my roommate said he would do anything I want if I would make biscuits from scratch that we could have the gravy with it. I plan on testing that out this week. Here's the recipe...

Cheryl's Miso Gravy (adapted from Summer Bock's recipe)

3 TBSP Brown Rice Flour
2.5 C water
2 TBSP miso paste (Sweet Brown Rice Miso)                                                                                                              3 TBSP coconut oil

Dissolve miso in a little water in a saucepan. Add the remainder of the water and keep on low heat. In a separate frying pan heat oil over medium heat and stir in brown rice flour. Cook while stirring constantly with a flat spoon or whisk for about 5 minutes. Watch as the flour starts to golden brown. Add the broth and stir until gravy reaches desired consistency. Add salt & pepper. For an additional twist throw in a pinch of rosemary.

NOTE: Summer recommends using a red, brown or hatcho miso to get the desired flavor. I tried it three different ways and the Sweet Brown Rice miso was my favorite.

Boston Fermentation Festival 2015

I'll be quick to admit off the bat that I am very delayed in my blogging. It's been an amazing fall so far and I've gotten to spend A LOT of time with fellow fermenters...which is something I am very grateful for. Back in October my friend and NYC Ferments partner in crime Zack Schulman and I took off from Brooklyn to Boston to attend the Boston Fermentation Festival spear headed by the super awesome Jeremy Ogusky.

This years event was held at the new Public Market and we spent the day making new friends, talking fermentation, sitting in on workshops, and eating...lots of eating! We met up with our friends Angela Davis (Just Food & NYC Ferments) and Michaela Hayes (also of NYC Ferments & Crock & Jar) and attended the workshops of Karen Solomon (http://ksolomon.com/), Kirsten Shockey (http://www.fermentista.us/), Amanda Feifer (http://phickle.com/), and the amazing Chef Geoffrey Lucas (http://boston.eater.com/2015/10/6/9467029/geoff-lukas-rip) who sadly passed away just a couple weeks after the festival. It was a honor to get to spend time amoungst these amazing people and to learn from them.

Some of my favorite inspirations of the day were the fermented butternut squash, the hops kombucha, loads of kimchi, brine shots with Hosta Hills, a fermented and dehydrated yogurt pellet soup by Geoff Lucas, and then the people. Nothing like a massive Kraut Mob to get your morning! Can't wait for next year!

Pumpkin Kombucha

It's one of my favorite times of yeah, fall in New York. I live across the street from a beautiful park and botanic gardens and I've been spending a lot of time sitting on my fire escape taking in the beautiful colors and smells of the season. Nostalgic, peaceful, and also inspiring and as I was sitting on my fire escape the other day I was thinking about beer and all the pumpkin ales and brews coming out and I was reminded that it was time to bring back on of my personal favorites...my pumpkin kombucha. Contraband did this last year for our Fermentation CSA and it was a hit for our customers as well. So here is our basic kombucha recipe and how we make our pumpkin kombucha. Especially perfect if you can't drink beer.

KOMBUCHA

Recipe makes 1 gallon

Bring 1 gallon (+ 1 Quart) of water to a boil. Once boiling add 6 teabags (green, black or oolong tea). Add 1.5 cups of sugar. Stir well. Cover with a lid and let steep for 8 hours or overnight.  Strain the contents and make sure the liquid is luke warm to cool. Add 1 cup of kombucha liquid from a previous batch, store bought kombucha, or if you don't have these things it's ok it will still ferment. Pour into a large jar (glass is always best) and add the scoby. Cover with a cloth and rubberband. Write the date on your jar. Let ferments for 10-14 days.

SECOND FERMENT: PUMPKIN

Once your kombucha is to your desired taste you can move on to your second ferment. Remove your scoby and store in a Scoby Motel (seperate jar with liquid) and add 1.5 cups of pumpkin (roasted whole and scraped out, canned pumpkin works too). We then add 5 cloves, 2 star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks to the jar. Stir it all up well and then put a lid on and lock it tight. You're gonna let it sit and ferment another 2-3 days. This will also the kombucha to take on the flavors of the pumpkin and spices but, also will allow for the kombucha to carbonate. You'll want to be sure to release the carbonation build up from the jar once daily so you don't end up with a kombucha bomb. Once you like the taste you can filter everything through a mess strainer, bottle, and put in the fridge to enjoy.

Pickles!!!

PICKLES!

One of my favorite foods in the world! I love them. Vinegar, no vinegar, spicy, half sours, I love them all. But, I my ultimate favorite are my probiotic half sours. I could eat them for days...okay...I do eat them for days. So good. Here is my personal recipe for making perfect half sour pickles and some secret tricks of the trade because I've had many pickle flops.

1) Cucumbers: my preferred choice is Kirby Cucumbers...any kind of pickling cucumber is best.

2) Large jars: Ball jars, glass jars, crock

3) Spices: peppercorns, red chili flakes, garlic cloves, corriander seeds, mustard seeds, pink peppercorns, fresh dill, whatever you choose!

4) Soak the cucumbers in a bath of ice waters for a couple hours.

5) Trim the stem edge of the cucumber and prick one small hole in the side of the cucumber.

6) Put the spices in the bottom of the jar. Push the pickles into the jar, attempting to allow them to hold each other in the jar. Make sure to leave some space (2-3 inches) at the top of the jar for activity from the bacteria.

7) Make a salt water brine solution to cover the pickles. For 1 gallon of pickles you will want a 4% brine solution which = 8 Tablespoons of salt per gallon of water. Then add four tablespoons of white vinegar. This helps to balance out the PH.

8) Pour solution over the pickles. Cover with a lid. And put in a cool, dark space to ferment.

9) Pickles can take anywhere from 2 days to two weeks. Sandor Katz taught me that the minute the brine solution turns foggy the pickles are done and it's time to put them in the fridge.

10) Enjoy!

Fermented Tart Cherries

FERMENTED TART CHERRIES

1) Wash the cherries and then pit and remove all stems from the sour cherries. (a cherry pitter really is the best way to do this)

2) Weigh the sour cherries. Add an equal amount, by weight, of sugar. Stir well. Let sit 2 hours. The sugar will begin to dissolve and combine with the cherry juices to form a syrup. Stir one more time.

3) Put the cherries into a jar, crock, or other non-metal vessel. Pack them in and try to get the air bubbles out and then weight the cherries down. I like to use traditional crock weights, glass ash trays, river rocks, a plate or other.

Also, sometimes I like to add other spices into this mix. Cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, ginger root, orange zest...all nice compliments to these fermented cherries.

4) Let it ferment for 2 - 4 weeks. In the hotter summer months it might be less time. (Mine took a week this last time around!) Once they are bubbly and smell amazing they are ready. Scrape off the top layer of cherries, throw in the fridge and enjoy! I like to eat these over homemade coconut ice cream, as a raw tart dessert, or in a kefir smoothie. Yum!

Fermented Garlic Scape & Almond Pesto

This is one of my favorite ferments to make in the summer! The minute scapes come out I start hoarding them like they are candy. I absolutely love them. Here's my Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto Recipe. Perfect for those who are dairy free / vegan and perfect for pasta, rice dishes, and as a marinade / meat run. I rub this stuff all over a nice steak the other day and it was amazing!

2 cups raw almonds (soaked)

2 pounds garlic scapes

1 bunch Italian parsley

(optional) 1 bunch Basil

Sea Salt (4 tsp)

Start off by trimming the dense hard ends off the scapes. I then like to cut them up into 2 inch pieces in a bowl. Next I add all the scapes into a food processor and strain most of the water off the almonds and pour them into the food processor. I add the parsley, basil (optional), sea salt, and process it until it's a paste. If it's looking a little dry you can add a little water at a time. It's going to be a dense paste (sorta like toothpaste). Fill your jar making sure to push down the paste and get out any air bubbles. Throw a lid on top and store in a cool dark place. I find my pesto is ready generally between 5 and 14 days pending on the heat and humidity. Then I put it in the fridge and have it eat for months. I made a half gallon jar last summer and it lasted me all winter Yum!

Sourdough Crackers

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup unfed starter from the refrigerator
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter or olive oil, but I prefer coconut oil for the flavor and aroma)
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• olive oil for topping
• extra coarse salt for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine starter and coconut oil in a glass bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking soda.

3. Add dry ingredients to bowl with wet ingredients. Combine. If necessary, knead the dough a few times to incorporate the last bit of flour. Cover bowl with a plate or towel and let rest overnight or for at least eight hours to develop flavor.

4. After the dough has rested for 8 hours, divide it into two halves on a generously floured surface.

5. Roll the dough out two to three millimeters thick. Sprinkle with flour between rollings to prevent dough from sticking to surface.

6. Transfer the dough to Silpat-lined cookie sheets or lightly greased cookie sheets. Using a pastry brush, brush sheet of dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.

7. Cut into rectangles with a pizza cutter. Do cut with sharp objects if using a Silpat.

8. Bake for 8 minutes, turn trays and bake 8 minutes longer. Crackers are done when crispy and slightly browned.

9. Transfer crackers to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Fermented Dandelion Stems

I love spring. The sun is out more, people are out on their bikes, walking with their loved ones, and all the plants are starting to come up. And for me I get pretty excited about dandelion! Sometimes I forage for the flowers and I use them to make Dandelion Mead, other times I forage some of the greens in Prospect Park, and other times I buy a nice fresh bunch from the Food Coop and when I do, I have lots of thick fiberous stems to deal with. Do I cook them? Do I put them in the compost? Nope. I ferment them! So, here is my quick and easy probiotic rich Fermented Dandelion Stem recipe!

- Dandelion Stems

- 1 quart jar

- Red chili flakes

- Garlic cloves

- Lemon

- Sea Salt

First, I chop off the big stems at the bottom of the leaves. I like my stems like big chunks...sorta like eating pickles. In the bottom of a quart jar I put 1 garlic clove, a pinch of red chili flakes, and then take 1/2 a lemon and squeeze the juice in and plop the entire 1/2 in the jar. Next I line the stems up inside the jar until I can't fit anymore. I then dissolve 2 tbs of sea salt in a small shot of hot water. And then add that to a jar of cold water and then I pour it over the stems into the jars until the stems are covered. You can then cover it with a cloth and rubber band, a lid, or in my case I used an airlock.

I let mine ferment for about two weeks and waited for the brine to get foggy. You could let yours go longer it you like. I find the best way to know if you want to stop a ferment is to open the jar and taste it every few days while it ferments. This way you can see the flavor develop and make it how you like it best.