Kefir
Most people's reaction when they hear I am brewing water Kefir is “what the hell is that?” And that's when I launch into a kind of (but not really) complicated explanation of what Kefir is and the benefits of its consumption slowly lulling them to sleep. It is when the buzz word probiotics is mentioned that heads start nodding and excitement almost sets in for some when you speak of fermentation. Visit the local homesteading store out on east Hastings and discover a world of urban farmers who have have embraced, with enthusiasm, an area of cooking that has always appealed heavily to me.
For a chef the idea of fermenting, aging, curing or drying a product to improve its flavour or create a completely new product like bread, beer or charcuterie, well it's what it is all about. So to delve into the weird science of brewing Kefir or Kombucha was right up my ally. The answer to what Kefir is? goes back hundred of years
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For us it started on Maui where we were introduced to water Kefir made with coconut water harvested on the island.
It's intense probiotic effect where evident the next day when there was a noticeable difference in both of our systems. After a month, we agreed that the beneficial effects where worth continuing to consume Kefir and, inevitably, tweaked my curiosity about how this magical water is made.
Kefir grains are small translucent balls of a symbiotic bacteria and yeast culture that feeds on a sugary solution, in this case sugar water. Also known as Tibicos, Japanese water crystals, ale nuts, beer seed or vinegar bees, Kefir has been fermented for centuries and debuted in the USA in the mid 1800's in relation with the production of ginger
beer. A living thing, the Kefir water contains as many probiotics in one tablespoon as a whole bottle of commercial (dead) probiotics and has the added benefit of being dairy (lactose) and gluten free, vegans rejoice. Fast forward to today where we are currently stationed in the beautiful city of Vancouver and my ongoing experimentation with Kefir is in full swing. We have been consuming a reasonably steady intake of kefir water (unless a dirty bottle fouled a batch). I can produce 1 quart of Kefir water every 48 hours that I secondary ferment with pure juice to produce a Kefir Soda. The results have been terrific and we both really enjoy the flavour and healthy effects. Looking a little deeper I found sourdough starter made with dairy Kefir so I decided to try to ferment a bit of old dough, water kefir and some flour. The result is a super finely bubbled water kefir sourdough starter with a very distinct aroma of bananas and fresh paint, it's now about a month old. We continue feeding it and putting it into the fridge until our weekly baking session. Another super cool thing we tried was to make Kefir Ketchup. The kefir water is added to a very thick homemade tomato based ketchup or BBQ sauce. 72 hours later, the percolation of fermentation was evident and it smelled like laqueur thinner! We had a taste and it had a very lively tang, not like licking a battery but zippy. I stashed it in the back of the fridge and forgot about it hoping things would mellow with time and they did. We tasted it a couple of days ago (10 days in the fridge) and the flavours had developed and melded With no more strong smell. The tang has mellowed to a nice zip and we are eating living ketchup! Now, as if all of the water kefir fun isn't enough, my “scoby” is ready to make Kombucha. What the hell is a scoby? That's a story for another post.
Fermentation is the biological process which allows humans to brew beer, or any other alcoholic beverage. This process occurs in the absence of oxygen, as a means for the cell to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the source of cellular energy. Though little energy can be produced in this manner, it allows the yeast to survive in t...
Alice Waters, in her 2007 article “Farmer Bill Should Focus on Healthful Foods”, instead of focusing on the farming techniques themselves, makes a more pointed inspection over the products and produce
In the documentary, Food Inc., we get an inside look at the secrets and horrors of the food industry. The director, Robert Kenner, argues that most Americans have no idea where their food comes from or what happens to it before they put it in their bodies. To him, this is a major issue and a great danger to society as a whole. One of the conclusions of this documentary is that we should not blindly trust the food companies, and we should ultimately be more concerned with what we are eating and feeding to our children. Through his investigations, he hopes to lift the veil from the hidden world of food.
Strives to be the leader in micro brewing while maintaining the core values it started with and had employee buy in even before it went” 100 % employee owned in2013” (Gorski, 2013).
Nestle, Marion. Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003.
The name for the process of fermentation comes from ‘fervere’, the Latin word meaning “to boil”. Early observers of the process assigned this name to it because as fermentation occurred in barrels containing crushed grapes, being used to create wine, bubbles were produced making it appear as though the mixture were boiling. Yeasts have been secretly creating alcoholic (fermented) beverages since ancient times in Asia, Egypt, Babylon, and many other early civilizations. However, no one knew what made the process work and what made the creation of such fermented beverages possible. When people think of traditional wine makers, it is not uncommon to picture someone standing in a large bucket mashing up grapes with their feet. These ancient wine makers realized that for some odd r...
Americans should eliminate their regular consumption of animal products and processed foods. This type of diet leads to preventable and expensive health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and even death. Most Americans don’t realize that the majority of the food being advertised to them is literal garbage that’s infusing their bodies with toxins on a daily basis. As Americans, we take pride and joy in our food, given the fact that it’s so darn tasty. We find comfort in eating a cheeseburger with French fries and slurping down a 44-ounce cola. However, what we eat has a far more detrimental effect on our health than most of us are aware of. To some, making the switch to a raw food diet might seem to be taking a drastic measure.
applied probiotic capsules for bacterial vaginosis and other vaginal infections: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 168(2013), 75-79. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2012.12.031p
Ketogenic diets, often called low-carbohydrate (low carb is slang), seem to be the latest diet trend. There are many different forms, all varying in different degrees. Ketogenic diets focus primarily on the limited intake of carbohydrates in the food pyramid. In order to clearly understand ketogenic diets, one must start with the basics-what are ketones and where are ketones found and produced???
Schonwald, Josh. "Engineering the future of food: tomorrow's genetically modified food and farmed fish will be more sustainable and far healthier than much of what we eat today--if we can overcome our fears and embrace it. Here's how one foodie learned to stop worrying and love 'Frankenfood.'." The Futurist May-June 2012: 24+. General OneFile. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
The SNHU Pet Supply Store has successfully met consumer needs for pet food, toys, and other pet related items for the past ten years using online and traditional brick and mortar channels. Recognizing that their customer need and wants are changing, the SNHU Pet Store will expand into the all-natural pet food market for dogs and cats with an exciting new product, named Farm to Bowl. This product is made from organic, locally sourced meat and vegetable ingredients, and is intended to meet the changing wants, needs, and desires of today’s consumers for socially responsible and healthy food options for their pets. The initial target market will be upper-middle class, childless dog owners who consider their pets part of their active family. Therefore,
American Journal of Food Technology 6.6 (2011): 441-59. Print. The. Gonzalez, Julina. A. Roel. " "The Philosophy of Food," Edited by David M. Kaplan.
Natural products include dietary supplements and probiotics. Dietary supplements can be anything from multivitamins to supplemental herbs. Probiotics are live bacteria that are found in the digestive tract (National Center, 2011, para.6). H...
Today, Kerry has emerged into a leader in the food processing and ingredients business, reaching its goal set in the early 1980’s. The group has five basic areas of business; which include Kerry Ingredients, Kerry Bio-Science, Kerry Foods, Kerry Agribusiness, and Mastertaste. If Kerry group continues to build from their corporate and business level strategies and continues to evaluate their SWOT analysis they will stay ahead of the competition and continue to remain a leader in the food ingredients and processing sector.
This book is a life changing book. It was inspirational, informative and gave you insight about the things we do not know about the food we eat. The documentary was graphic and detailed, informing you of the process from the farm or the fields, to the manufactures, to the labeling and packaging companies. It informed me, about the school lunches, how some of the meals at school are made, to the politics behind it. This book is also a collectible.