Vinegars & Fermented Foods

1. Mix up a non-toxic, all-purpose cleaner.
Just mix one part Apple Cider Vinegar with one part water, filter that into a spray bottle, and get to work. 

2. Stamp out the smell in any room.
To knock out smoky smells in particular, pour the Apple Cider Vinegar into a shallow bowl and place it where the odor is strongest . Leave it out for as long as it takes for the smell to vanish.

3. Make your garden grow—without a single weed.
It can be used as fertilizer (particularly on plants that love acids, like blueberry bushes) and also as a weed killer. Pour it directly on weed infested areas, and mix 10 ounces of Apple Cider Vinegar (with a five percent acidity) with 10 gallons of water to fertilize soil. 

4. Keep pets flea-free.
When you need to keep fleas away from your pets, turn to Apple Cider Vinegar for the solution. Dilute it with water (one part of each) and rub the mixture into their fur and work it into their skin to repel those pests.  

5. Enhance your hair.
Rinsing your strands with Apple Cider Vinegar lowers the pH of your scalp and can assist with greasiness, itchiness, and irritation. Try combining a tablespoon or two in a glass of water and rinsing your hair with the mixture while you’re in the shower. For extreme itchiness, combine a quarter cup Apple Cider Vinegar with a quarter cup water, pour it into a spray bottle, apply the mixture to your scalp, and leave it on for up to an hour before rinsing.

6. Improve your complexion.
Use it as an astringent (just dilute it and apply it to your face), or use it as a spot treatment to target blemishes. 

7. Swap out your deodorant.
Just as it can freshen up your bathroom, Apple Cider Vinegar can also help keep B.O. at bay. Simply swipe some of it in your underarm area and don’t worry: The vinegar smell evaporates.

8. Relieve burnt skin. 
Add about a cup of the good stuff to your bath water to help soothe the burn.

9. Whiten your teeth.
As it turns out, working it into your teeth and then rinsing may lead to a whiter grin. You can also try using it as a mouthwash - dentists suggest combining two parts water to one part Apple Cider Vinegar and swishing it around for about a minute.

10. Freshen your skin after shaving.
Diluted with water (you’ll want to do one part Apple Cider Vinegar and one part water), this solution can help soothe your skin. And remember: the smell of this natural aftershave will dissipate with a little time!

11. Mix up condiments (vinaigrettes, sauces, and marinades).
Apple Cider Vinegar has an amazing flavour to liven up vinaigettes, sauces and marindades. 

12. Make your own tasty juice.
While drinking Apple Cider Vinegar in general is linked to a range of health benefits, you can also create your own concoctions.. After all, why swallow it solo when you can pair it with much more palatable ingredients, like grape juice or honey.

13. Add a punch of flavor to soups.
Apple Cider Vinegar can also add just the right punch of flavor to soups. Try adding it in a veggie soup.

14. Boost your baking game.
It can help give batters a lift. And because its mild flavor is undectable in sweets, it’s an especially good option for those homemade treats.

15. Stop the itch and scratching
Whether your scratching is due to a bug bite,or even a sting, Apple Cider Vinegar can help with these painful and uncomfortable side effects. Just apply the solution directly to your itchy area, and let Apple Cider Vinegar take you to an “Ahhh” moment of relief.

16. Detox, detox, detox.
Adding in a splash or two of Apple Cider Vinegar to your meals may assist with body detoxification.

Miso is a versatile condiment that you can use for soups, stir fries, marinades, dips, and dressings.

Use as a yeast spread on toasts, dips or dressings.

Kefir can be made using milk, soy, coconut water or fruit juice. When using milk, pasteurised full fat or low fat milk is most commonly used with this culture. Unhomogenised milk can also be used if desired. Store your Kefir sachets in the freezer to prolong life.

How to Make Kefir

• Remove all contents from the jar and clean the jar, ball and cloth thoroughly.
• Add 1 L (1 US qt) of milk to the jar, any milk is fine. The higher the fat content, the thicker the kefir will be. Alternatively, use 1 L (1 US qt) of coconut water or fruit juice.
• Add 1 sachet of culture to milk or juice, replace lid and mixing ball and shake to mix the culture through thoroughly.
• Remove metal lid, cut a square piece of cheese cloth, double layered, to cover the top of the jar. Secure with a rubber band. This allows the gas to escape during the acidification process and will protect the kefir from any foreign objects while sitting on the bench. 
• Allow the kefir to sit at room temperature (20-30˚C/68-86˚F) for 24 hours.  
• Remove cheese cloth, replace lid, and then shake the kefir vigorously, before storing the kefir in the refrigerator.
• Shake your kefir each time before pouring.

Full instructions and recipes are also included in the kit. 

Method:

1. If using fresh full fat homogenised milk, first heat the milk to boiling point in a pot on the stove. Once at boiling point, leave the milk to cool to 40°C (105°F).
2. If using UHT milk, heat the milk to 40°C (105°F) either in a pot on the stove or in your cheese vat in the microwave. 
3. Once the milk is at 40°C (105°F), sprinkle in your yoghurt culture.
4. Maintain the milk at 40°C (105°F) for 12 - 24 hours (refer to p.3) until the milk sets.
5. Once the milk has set, place it in the refrigerator and leave overnight.
6. For a thicker yoghurt, drain the yoghurt through a sterilised cheese cloth until the yoghurt has reached your desired thickness.

For 880ml of coconut milk/cream, mix 1 heaped Tbsp thickener, 2 Tbsp raw sugar (optional) and 1/2 cup of warm coconut milk/cream and mix well before adding to your mixture.

Full instructions and recipes are also included in the kit. 

Method:
1. Sterilise your jar, small pot, thermometer and spoon with boiling water.
2. Pour the coconut milk into your small pot, and mix until it is smooth and uniform.
3. Heat the coconut milk to 50-55°C (122-131°F) on medium heat while stirring constantly to avoid any scorching.
4. Mix the thickener and sugar in a cup. Pour out 1/2 cup of coconut milk from the pot, and mix into the dry ingredients. Use a fork to mix vigorously for about 30 seconds. Remember to keep checking that the liquid remaining in the pot is not scorching on the bottom of the pot during this time.
5. Immediately add this coconut milk with thickener mixture back to the saucepan and stir in well.
6. Heat the coconut milk under medium heat (up to 75°C/167°F) until the mixture has started to thicken. Transfer to your sterilised jar straight away.
7. Cool the milk to 40°C (104°F) by putting your jar in a cold water bath in the sink and then stir in the yoghurt culture.
8. Leave in a warm place (around 35-40°C/95-104°F), and allow the yoghurt to ferment overnight for 15-20 hours.
9. In the morning check the yoghurt is slightly sour and thick. If it does not yet have a sour tang, continue to ferment for a further 5 hours before checking again. Once ready, place in the fridge until chilled. The yoghurt will thicken even more once chilled and will become thicker over the next few days.
10. Coconut yoghurt can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Coconut yoghurt can be sweetened to taste using honey, sugar or sweetener of choice. If your coconut yoghurt separates, simply stir before serving.

1. Heat 1 litre of milk to 90°C.
2. Cool milk to 45°C by placing pan in a sink of cold water for 5 minutes.
3. Add one sachet of starter culture.
4. Pour into prepared yoghurt maker and culture at 45°C for 8 hours.
5. Chill completely before eating and consume within 7 days.

1. Heat up to 4 litres of dairy milk to the temperature specified.
2. Add a sachet of starter culture according to the recipe. 

1. Dissolve a sachet in 2 tablespoons of cold, unchlorinated water.
2. Stir gently through up to 6 litres of milk to set it into curds. 

1. Add base sachet to 1 litre of plant milk of your choice, blend well and heat to 90°C.
2. Cool milk to 45°C by placing the pan in a sink of cold water for 5 minutes.
3. Add one sachet of starter culture.
4. Pour into prepared yoghurt maker and culture at 45°C for 8 hours.
5. Chill completely before eating and consume within 7 days.

1. Add base sachet to 1 litre of plant milk of your choice, blend well and heat to 90°C.
2. Cool milk to 45°C by placing pan in a sink of cold water for 5 minutes.
3. Add one sachet of starter culture.
4. Pour into prepared yoghurt maker and culture at 45°C for 8 hours.
5. Chill completely before eating and consume within 7 days.

1. Heat up to 10 litres of dairy milk to the temperature specified.
2. Add a sachet of starter culture and culture according to the recipe. 

• Temperatures and times will vary by cheese type.
• Follow the recipe for the type of cheese you wish to make.
• Mozzarella is a difficult cheese to make authentically.
• You can make fast mozzarella in a microwave which is fine for use on pizzas and recommended for beginners.
• Parmesan is an advanced cheese and will require several months to mature in a cool and humid place like a wine fridge.

1. Heat up to 8 litres of dairy milk to the temperature specified.
2. Add a sachet of starter culture according to the recipe.