Make your own kombucha, sprouts, rejuvelac, nut milk and more.
Kombucha (see this page here)
Sprouting
(I recommend the Easy Sprout ($13.95) and the Sprout Master ($24.75) for sprouting. You can buy these from www.sproutpeople.com. There are much more detailed instruction on how to sprout on this website too.
1) Prep Seeds
2) Soak seeds for 8-12 hours depending on what it is
3) Rinse and Drain every morning and night. Shake off extra water really well.
4) Sprout
5) Place in the sun the last day.
6) Eat when you feel they’re ready.
7) Store in the fridge for 2-5 days.
Rejuvelac
The name Rejuvelac comes from: “rejuv” as in “rejuvenating drink” and “lac” meaning friendly lactobacteria. Lactobacteria goes to our large intestine and works at destroying harmful bacteria and keeps the area in its natural, balanced, healthy vitamin producing environment (B12).
The 48-24-24 method of making it:
1) Take rye or wheat berries and rinse and then soak them overnight
2) Sprout for 1-2 days, until there are little tails growing out of them.
3) Fill a container or pot ¼ full of the sprouted wheat/rye berries to ¾ pure water. Avoid plastic and aluminum containers. Glass, earthenware, porcelain, and stainless steel are best.
4) Let stand 48 hours at room temperature. Can cover with a cloth.
5) Pour off the liquid using cheesecloth or other type of strainer. Keep your Rejuvelac in the fridge.
6) Using the same sprouts, fill the container with water again.
7) Let stand another 24 hours.
8) Pour off the Rejuvelac
9) Refill the container with pure water one last time
10) Let stand another 24 hours
11) Pour off Rejuvelac for the third and final batch.
12) Throw away the seeds. Don’t eat them. Birds will eat them.
*It will smell a bit funky, that’s okay. Keep all Rejuvelac in the refrigerator. It will keep for quite a while. Use it to extend the life (and add nutrition) to smoothies and soups. You can drink Rejuvelac like water. One glass a day is good!
Sauerkraut Recipe (From the Raw Gourmet by Nomi Shannon)
1 head red or green organic cabbage
1 apple, cut into 16 very thin slices.
Several large pieces of seaweed (wakame or other type)
Remove 3-4 of the large outer leaves of the cabbage and save for later. Chop the cabbage into pieces and put it through the green star or heavy-duty juicer with a blank screen.
In a gallon glass jar or ceramic crock pot, layer 1 inch of grated cabbage, 8 of the apple slices, 2-3 inches of the cabbage and half of the seaweed. Continue with another layer of apples, 2-3 inches of cabbage, seaweed and cabbage again. Press down with your hands as you make the layers. Cover the final layer with the reserved outer leaves and weigh it down with a water-filled plastic bag or a heavy plate. Cover the jar and the weights with a clean towel and let it sit for 3-7 days until the cabbage develops a tangy taste. Skim any foam off the top of the sauerkraut and carefully transfer to clean jars. Discard the apples and reserve the seaweed for use in salads. Seal the jars tightly and store them in the fridge.
Almond milk
For sprout bags go to www.rawglow.com and buy 3 for $18.95 (free shipping)
1-2 cups of soaked almonds
3-5 cups of water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons raw honey or agave nectar or stevia (add more if needed to taste). (Can use soaked dates as well.)
Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt
Drain and rinse almonds. Blend almonds with ½ of the water at high speed for 30 seconds (don’t let get warm though). Add in the rest of the water and blend at high for another 30-60 seconds. Strain using a nut milk bag. Rinse blender out and pour milk back into it. Blend in vanilla, honey/agave, and salt for a few seconds. Enjoy!
You can save the almond pulp for other recipes.* Keep in the fridge or the freezer.
Variation: Use macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, or sesame seeds in place of almonds. (It’s always nice to add 1-2 Brazil nuts in for selenium). The milk will last in the fridge for about 4 days. Shake well before using. For richer milk use less water to nuts. For thinner, lighter milk use more water to nuts.
*An easy way to use the pulp is to make simple cookies. Add agave nectar or honey, dried fruit such as raisins, and press together and keep in the fridge or freezer for later.
30 Second Nut Milk
2 tbs. nut butter (tahini and or almond butter are good)
2 cups filtered water
Pinch sea salt
2 tbs. agave nectar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tbs. coconut butter (optional)
Blend together. No need to strain.
Flax Crackers
2 cups of seeds: pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, almonds, etc.
1 cup flax seeds, ground to a fine meal
1 cup spring or filtered water
1 tablespoon Celtic sea salt
Soak seeds in water 1-2 hours. Drain, and rinse the seeds. Put the soaked seeds into the food processor and process into dough. Add ground flax seeds and more water as needed.
Options to add:
Chopped or shredded zucchini, chopped bell pepper, onion, garlic, soaked sun-dried tomato, soaked nuts, fresh herbs, dried fruit, nutritional yeast, spirulina, caraway, honey, dulse, coconut, etc.
Cookies!
(from Jenny Cornbleet’s www.learnrawfood.com website)
Cherry Almond Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 ½ cups almonds
½ cup walnuts
1 ½ cups pitted, packed dates
½ tsp almond extract
½ cup dried cherries
Equipment
measuring cups and spoons
mixing bowl
spatula
Directions
1. Grind ½ cup almonds into a powder in a food processor; set aside.
2. Place the remaining 1 cup almonds and walnuts in the food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add the dates and almond extract and process until the mixture sticks together.
3. Remove the mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the dried cherries and mix.
4. Form the dough into 2-inch round balls and flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand.
5. Roll each cookie in the almond powder that you set aside.
6. Store refrigerated or frozen in a sealed container. Cherry Almond Cookies keep for 1 month refrigerated and 3 months frozen.
Cookie how-to: make an unlimited variety of cookies from one base
First, make the base
Gather these Ingredients:
- 1 cup almonds
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 ½ cups pitted packed dates
and Equipment:
- food processor
- measuring cups
- spatula
- mixing bowl
TIP: Make sure that you pit the dates before you measure them, and that you pack them into the measuring cup. Use a soft date: I prefer Medjool dates
Process the almonds and walnuts slightly, until coarsely chopped. Then evenly distribute the dates over the nut mixture. Process until the mixture begins to stick together.
TIP: Don’t over-process the almonds and walnuts. You just want to break them up into coarse chunks, so that they process evenly with the dates. If you over-process them, the whole thing will be doughy and sticky, instead of chunky.
TIP: It is important to evenly distribute the dates evenly over the nut mixture, so that it processes evenly.
Remove the mixture to a mixing bowl.
Now it’s time to play and add optional ingredients!
If you want to make different kinds of cookies, separate the base into batches, and add different optional ingredients to each batch (Make sure you that you divide the amount of the optional ingredient by the number of batches you are making). Here are some possibilities:
- ½ cup dried fruits: raisins, cranberries, or cherries (1/2 cup per cookie base recipe)
- ½ tsp extract: almond, vanilla, mint, or cherry
- ½ tsp flavorings: orange zest, lemon zest, or cinnamon
- ¼ cup other ingredients: shredded dried coconut, cocoa or carob powder, chocolate chips, or carob chips
Now, proceed with steps #4-6 of Cherry Almond Cookies
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