Our Blog
Apple Ginger Beer for Father's Day
Father’s Day is just around the corner if you call the US or UK home. It’s one of those days where you don’t want to spend a fortune, but a little bit of acknowledgment for everything your Dad or father figure has done is always appreciated. Gifting something you’ve made yourself is the best way to win him over, you’ll be the favourite in no time. We’ve come up with a new Apple Ginger Beer recipe that we highly recommend you try out. It’s the perfect refreshing beverage, the strong, spicy notes of ginger with a slightly sweet, more complex apple base. If you’re like us and prefer it to be heavier on the ginger, don’t be scared to throw in a few more chunks of the good stuff. If you want to try some different flavours change the apple juice for an alternative; pear, cranberry or pineapple. Just make sure the sugar content is the same as the apple (around 10g/100mL on the nutrition panel). If it is more or less then adjust the added sugar and water levels accordingly. Too much sugar may cause speedy fermentation resulting in more alcohol and exploding bottles. If you’re based in NZ or Australia now is a great time to start practising your recipes so they’re perfect in time for September. Alcoholic Apple Ginger Beer Ingredients 400 g (14.1 oz) brown sugar 3.25 L (3.4 US qt) water at 35oC 20 g (0.7 oz) dried ginger or 2/3 cup (1.3 oz) of fresh ginger juice ½ cup (125 mL) lemon juice 1 packet Mad Millie Ginger Beer Yeast 1 L (1 US qt) Apple juice White sugar for carbonation Method Dissolve the sugar in 1 L (1 US qt) of water, mix in the ginger and lemon juice. Add to the fermenting jar. Add the apple juice and remaining water to the fermenting jar. Add the yeast and carefully swirl to mix. Half fill the airlock with water and fit to the top. Ferment for 1 week at room temperature (20oC/68oF). After 1 week sanitise 6 x 750 mL glass bottles, a jug and a funnel with boiling water. Use the 0.75 scoop on the 3-way sugar measurer to add 1 scoop of white sugar to each bottle. Pour the ginger beer into bottles. Seal and ferment for 2 weeks at room temperature (20oC/68oF) then enjoy!
Fermented vegetable inspiration
Fermented foods are good, this we know. Our gut microbiome loves to get a good dose of probiotic bacteria so it can keep itself nice and balanced. But what’s even better than just fermented foods? Fermented vegetables! Not only are you feeding your gut all the good stuff, you’re getting some of your 5 plus a day too. Now when most people think of fermented vegetables they instantly revert to cabbage which becomes tasty, tasty sauerkraut. Surprisingly lots of people have tried sauerkraut and turned their noses up at it or find that their stomach doesn’t cope with that much cabbage. Well we’ve got good news for you, there are SO many vegetables that can be fermented. Any vegetable that is relatively firm can be popped into your Mad Millie Fermenting Crock and away you go. The firmness level is required to make sure it can hold its shape throughout the 2 – 3 weeks of fermenting time. We don’t recommend lettuce or tomatoes, but most other things will work! There’s no need to cook any of the vegetables before putting them in, just give them a good wash, cut into bite sized pieces to allow a faster fermentation and get started! If you have some handy, the Mad Millie Fermented Vegetable Culture can make a big difference. With a mixture of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis and Leuconostoc, it’s the perfect combination of good bacteria to get you started. Below are a few ideas for different combinations of vegetables you can use. Don’t be scared to mix lots of different vegetables together for your ferment, this will give delicious flavour and texture combinations to add to a salad or eat on its own. Follow the Mad Millie Fermenting Crock instructions for details on sealing your crock, fermenting times and temperatures. For all of these options we recommend using a brine solution of 3 Tbsp salt/1L water to cover the vegetables in your crock. If using Mad Millie Fermented Vegetable Culture mix this into your brine solution. Fermented Asparagus with Chilli Cut the ends off your asparagus stalks and stand them all upright in the crock. Pop some chopped chillies in there with the stalks and cover with your brine solution. Fermented Carrots, Garlic and Pickles We recommend finding the little cucumbers so you can make whole pickles, but if you can’t find those then chop your cucumber into 10cm pieces to get the similar effect. Cut both ends off your carrots and peel them as the skin can create a bitter flavour. No need to peel the cucumbers, just give them a good wash. Peel the garlic and throw the cloves in whole, as many as you dare knowing they’ll flavour the carrots and pickles. Pour over the brine solution and let the fermentation begin! Fermented Broccoli and Cauliflower These little trees are the perfect snack to grab on the run. They hold their shape really well and are easy to pick out and crunch on. Fermented Capsicum and Courgette/Zucchini This combination is delicious thrown into a salad for flavour, colour and texture. Make sure you core the capsicum and remove the seeds before beginning.
Mother's Day Gift Ideas
Mother’s Day is one of those days that can so easily creep up on you and while we tend to shy away from the commercialisation of it all, it is so nice to recognise Mum for just doing what she does. We think it’s the thought that counts and whether you choose to give her a gift, make her something or just put aside some time to spend together, she’ll appreciate the thought. Here are a few ideas that we’re planning to use for our Mum’s this year: 1. Make her some personalised gin Gin used to be thought of as a bit of an old ladies’ drink; my mum’s memories of Friday nights growing up often featured a request from my grandma for a gin and tonic with an extra squeeze of lemon. Nowadays with the resurgence in popularity and creativity that is being put into gin by distillers, there are hundreds of different varieties to choose from. Why not make your mum her own personalised version? Choose a variety of flavours she likes for the infusion step or use a Mad Millie botanical combination and we guarantee she’ll be impressed. 2. Get her a Mad Millie Kombucha Kit and make it together I’m not sure about you, but my mum doesn’t really know what kombucha is. She leads a healthy lifestyle and has seen the name around a few times but has no idea about the health benefits or that it could really help her gut with all the probiotics. Our Mad Millie Kombucha Kits won’t break the bank and are a great activity to do together, then you can also talk her through the importance of sanitation and how to do a second ferment. She’ll appreciate the time with you as well as her bubbly brew! 3. Create some tasty treats with the additional Mad Millie recipes Getting really into your kits and finding you have Mad Millie creations coming out of your ears? Gift them, or better yet gift them in a different form. We have a ton of recipes on our Mad Millie website that you can use to take your Mad Millie creations one step further. Fresh labneh from your Greek yoghurt or a vegan ricotta go so well with some homemade sourdough flatbread. 4. Make her some marinated feta One of our favourite things to gift people and equally delicious if it’s dairy or vegan! Marinated feta is the best kind of surprise as your mum will be able to see the love and care that has gone into creating it just for her. You can get creative and include different things that she enjoys so it’s personalised, olives, roasted peppers and aubergine, garlic, preserved lemons, artichoke, the options are endless. 5. Gift her one of your best aged cheeses, specialty or hard If you’re making aged cheeses regularly then this one is for you, gift your mum a hard or specialty cheese that is just about ready to enjoy. She’ll love getting something that took some time, care and effort. If you’re not quite that organised invite her round for a cheese making day and do it together. She’ll love getting to spend time with you doing a fun activity, and you can send her away with a treat to be enjoyed in 6 weeks’ time, that will really test her patience!
Sourdough starter vs sourdough culture
We sometimes get questions about the difference between a sourdough starter and a sourdough culture. It can be a bit confusing, especially if you’re just getting into this whole breadmaking business. Is one better than the other? Will they make different types of sourdough? How do I know where to start? Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered with an explanation of the differences and a few different terms, so you’ll feel like a professional sourdough maker in no time. Let’s start with the starter. A sourdough starter can be referred to by a lot of different names a Levain, Starter sponge, Mother sponge, Chef, Biga or Poolish. Each of these names have their own origin but are all ultimately the same thing, a preferment. A preferment is exactly what it sounds like, a concoction that is made up before fermentation and consists of flour, water, a leavening agent (yeast) and culture (lactic acid bacteria). All four parts work together and as the water hydrates the flour it makes an available source of nutrients for the yeast and bacteria. The fermentation process starts and creates all the delicious sourdough flavours we know and love. Your preferment is then used like a culture, take a little bit and add it to your sourdough recipe to start the fermentation of your loaves. There are a few different ways to introduce the yeast and bacteria to your preferment. Traditionally a mixture of water and flour would have been left out on the bench to be cultivated by wild yeast and bacteria that are naturally in the air. This can work very successfully but may take a few attempts before you start achieving the right flavours, unfortunately we don’t all have the best wild yeast and bacteria in our homes! Commercial mixtures of yeast and bacteria are available that can be added to flour and water to get exactly the right type of yeast and bacteria present in your preferment. This is a great option if you are wanting a specific type of sourdough or aren’t confident with knowing when your preferment is done. Now comes the main difference between a sourdough starter and a sourdough culture, a preferment is a living thing and requires maintenance. Depending on how diligent you are, your sourdough starter will require feeding once or twice a day to keep it healthy. This is great if you are regularly making bread and will use the starter every day or so. If you’re more of the casual sourdough baker then a sourdough culture is probably right up your alley. The sourdough culture sachet contains all the right yeast and bacteria that are needed for your fermented flavours, but without the preferment required. Instead you can add them directly to your other ingredients and let them work their magic overnight. When trying to decide between a sourdough starter and sourdough culture the main thing that swings it for us is time. Yes, a sourdough starter can create amazingly complex flavours and will change and evolve over time. It also requires upkeep and becomes the ‘kitchen baby’ of the household. Yes, a sourdough culture is very convenient and within 24 hours you can have a loaf of fresh steaming sourdough. It is also a one hit wonder as you use the whole sachet in your two loaves. The choice is yours, whatever you decide we wish you luck on your breadmaking journey and are always here to help!
Kefir second ferments and flavour infusions
This is the time of year when we’re feeling ready for a bit of a fresh start, for our body that is. The usual over-indulgence that is mandatory at Christmas is done and dusted and we’re in the market for something fresh and healthy to get us back on track. We think kefir can do just the trick! Packed full of healthy probiotics, kefir is one of those drinks that is almost too good to be true. Ridiculously easy to make, lots of different varieties of flavours to try and most importantly so good for your gut health. Below we’ll give you some tips on the best way to flavour your kefir creations and how to re-culture your kefir batch. Flavours and Infusions During the Second Ferment Thanks to the fermentation process that happens in kefir there is a lovely tang to its final flavour, regardless of if you have used milk, juice or coconut water as a base. Because of this, we recommend primarily fruit, vegetable and spice flavours as infusions, unless you’re getting into the really creative realm and want sour chocolate kefir as an option. Flavouring occurs during the second fermentation of your kefir. This is when you have completed the initial step of fermenting for 24 hours to really wake up your culture and get it nice and active. The second fermentation is when you add the flavours and any additional ingredients and leave it for a further 6 – 12 hours to ferment. This is the best process for flavouring as not only is your kefir good and strong to begin with, but it means the culture has even more time to produce those beneficial probiotics for your gut. Once you have added your desired flavours and left the kefir to ferment for 6 hours, do a taste test and to see how the flavour has changed, continue for another 6 hours if it’s not quite there yet. Make sure you taste after 6 hours as the additional sugar that you have added in the form of fruit and other ingredients will make the bacteria even more active and the flavour can change quickly. Milk Kefir The best way to flavour milk kefir is in a blender! Add your favourite smoothie ingredients, pour in your milk kefir and whizz. This will remove some of the thickness that has developed over the fermentation period but whatever ingredients you have added will help thicken it up anyway. Favourite flavour combinations Mango + Turmeric Raspberries + Blueberries + Banana + Spinach Vanilla + Cinnamon Juice Kefir or Coconut Water Kefir Fruit infusions can be a delicious addition to any juice or coconut water kefir. Choose your favourite fruit and give it a good clean to make sure you have removed all bacteria that could potentially compete with the kefir culture. Cut it into small chunks to increase the surface area that will impart the flavour and add it to your jar of kefir after the initial 24 hours of ferment time. Leave it for 6 hours at room temperature, have a taste and if you’re happy, enjoy! Alternatively leave it for a further 6 hours for more flavour to develop, keep tasting until you are happy at which point move it to the fridge or drink it straight away. Favourite flavour combinations Coconut water kefir + Pineapple + Mango Apple juice kefir + Rosemary Orange juice kefir + Lemon + Ginger Re-Culturing your Kefir Your culture can be re-cultured a further two times from the initial kefir batch. We recommend re-culturing within 7 days of your first batch to ensure you are getting the strongest and most active culture from your initial batch, the earlier the better! Save 1/4 cup (62 g) of kefir from the previous batch and add it to 750 mL (25.7 US fl oz) of fresh milk, juice or coconut water. Only add the kefir to the same base e.g. milk kefir to culture milk kefir, juice kefir to culture juice kefir. The different kefir’s have different acidity levels so will react badly if you add them to different base products, plus milk and juice together is a little bit too odd even for us. Cover the jar and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. Taste after 24 hours and if you’re happy then move it to the fridge, otherwise leave at room temperature for a further 12 hours before tasting again.
All there is to know about Mad Millie Cultures
Fermentation and cultures go hand in hand, but do you actually know the details of your culture and how to get the most out of it? Let us walk you through the different types of cultures, the best way to store them and why we love Mad Millie cultures so much. Within the Mad Millie range, we have eight different types of cultures, with one of them being our kombucha SCOBY. Each culture blend has been specifically formulated to make sure you get the best results out of your foodie creations. Whether you’re making cheese, kefir or sauerkraut, there is a specific combination of good bacteria in that little packet to get you started on the right foot. The main purpose of adding the culture is so that fermentation can happen. This is where the culture that you add feeds on the delicious, nourishing ingredients you have given it (milk, juice, sweetened tea) and makes by-products. These by-products bring about a desirable change in the food which includes increasing/enhancing flavour, preserving food and providing some gut health benefits. During our development process, specific bacterial strains are selected for specific kits e.g. yoghurt, kefir or cheese. The cultures work in similar ways but elements such as temperature during fermentation and acidity of the end product will vary. Different cheeses require different temperatures during the process, and therefore different cultures are used to provide different textures and tastes across the range of cheeses. It is possible to use different cultures for different products but unless you have an in-depth understanding of bacterial strains it isn’t advised. The cultures themselves will be mesophilic or thermophilic. Mesophilic means medium-temperature loving bacteria which will ferment the best at temperatures up to 30oC or 90oF. Thermophilic is a heat-loving bacteria which will ferment best when above 30oC or 90oF. The best way to tell which kind your cultures are is to follow the instructions! We will specifically tell you what temperature your delicious creation needs to be held at to make the best product. This is also why it’s so important to maintain the temperature of your bacteria as otherwise, they will struggle to do their job. The culture you receive in your Mad Millie Kit is dehydrated (apart from the kombucha SCOBY, this is processed differently). When the cultures are dehydrated this involves removing all of the moisture from the microorganisms and effectively puts them on hold so they can be kept and used as needed. We’re all about convenience and with dehydrated cultures, it takes away the hassle of having to maintain your cultures constantly – this is particularly helpful around the holiday period! When you get your cultures they will be at room temperature unless you are getting blue or white cheese mould cultures, these will be refrigerated and should always be refrigerated. The rest of the microorganisms will be fine for their whole shelf life at room temperature if the warmest they get is around 25oC or 78oF, but there is a trick to this – the cooler you are able to store them, the longer they will remain active. All our cultures are freeze-dried which means that the environment inside the packet is perfect for freezing without any negative impact. Once in the freezer, this will extend their shelf life by one whole year! A top tip is to write the date you put them into the freezer on the sachet, this makes it easier to track the actual shelf life if you have stored them frozen. If you have opened a packet and only used a small amount, this can still be frozen, but you need to make sure this is put in a sealed container to avoid moisture. Some tape across the opening can help with this! We may be biased but we tend to think that Mad Millie cultures are pretty great, particularly if you’re wanting to get creative and need a convenient solution. If you have any questions on the different types of cultures, their storage or the process don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’re always here to help.
Yoghurt, Kefir or Skyr, what are the differences?
Kefir, yoghurt and skyr; all delicious, all great for your gut but what is the difference between the three? Let us guide you through a culture revelation (bacterial culture we mean) and provide some clarity on what’s what and why you might choose one over the other. All three products go through a fermentation process where the added culture converts sugars into acids. This gives the tart flavour that is synonymous with yoghurt, kefir or skyr. From there the differences start to become more obvious than the similarities. Kefir, yoghurt and skyr; all delicious, all great for your gut but what is the difference between the three? Let us guide you through a culture revelation (bacterial culture we mean) and provide some clarity on what’s what and why you might choose one over the other. All three products go through a fermentation process where the added culture converts sugars into acids. This gives the tart flavour that is synonymous with yoghurt, kefir or skyr. From there the differences start to become more obvious than the similarities. Kefir A traditional fermented drink, kefir can be made with milk, plant milk, juice and water (water is only possible if you have kefir water grains). It can be made with kefir grains or culture – both contain a wide range of yeast and bacteria. Due to this wide range there is a higher level of probiotics in the finished fermented product which is great for promoting digestive health. Kefir is always quite runny and consumed as a drink, not with a spoon out of a bowl like yoghurt and skyr. There is yeast in the culture which can make a fizzy product if that’s what you’re after. Seal your kefir jar with the lid to catch the carbon dioxide that is produced during fermentation. Kefir is able to ferment at lower temperatures than milk, it still prefers to be between 20 – 30oC/68 – 86°F but is less affected by temperature than yoghurt due to the presence of mesophilic cultures. Yoghurt/Yogurt Yoghurt is a food produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk (there is no added yeast in yoghurt, just bacteria). For a product to be classified as yoghurt it has to be produced using at least Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. These are thermophilic cultures and need heat to be able to be active. Yoghurt is only made with milk or plant milk and to get the thick, creamy consistency of Greek yoghurt it must be full fat milk. To increase the thickness of your product you can further strain it through a muslin cloth. Yoghurt is primarily made up of thermophilic cultures which require heat to work their magic. With warmth (around 40oC/104oF) the cultures will become active and more rapidly turn the sugars into acid, causing the thickening step. Skyr An Icelandic cultured product, skyr has been around for a long time but is only just being discovered by the mainstream market. The primary differences between skyr and yoghurt are the addition of rennet and the use of low fat/skim milk. Skyr is technically classified as a cheese thanks to the rennet but is enjoyed more like yoghurt in both sweet and savoury dishes. There is a specific draining step in skyr that concentrates the product to produce the delicious thick, creamy consistency; despite it being made from low fat/skim milk. This concentration step leads to a higher level of protein in the skyr while still having the same gut friendly cultures as yoghurt. Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria must be present in skyr, which means you also need to maintain the temperature at 40oC/104oF during the culturing step. With lower fat and higher protein than yoghurt, plus a milder flavour and thick consistency, Skyr is well worth giving a try. All three options can be recultured and help support good digestive health. Whether you prefer a more traditional product like yoghurt, a drinkable high probiotic kefir or a higher protein and lower fat option like skyr; all have their benefits and all are delicious!!
Which sugar is best for fermenting?
The use of sugar in brewing and fermenting can raise a lot of questions, particularly if you’re just getting started in this creative realm. We’ve put together a brief overview of why you need to add sugar for brewing your ginger beer and kombucha, what types of sugar are the best for your products and some suggestions for experimentation. The use of sugar in brewing and fermenting can raise a lot of questions, particularly if you’re just getting started in this creative realm. Below we’ve put together a brief overview of why you need to add sugar for brewing your ginger beer and kombucha, what types of sugar are the best for your products and some suggestions for experimentation. Why do I need to add sugar? Without sugar, there is no kombucha or ginger beer! The ginger beer yeast and/or your kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) need to be fed with sugar to allow the fermentation/brewing process to happen. Below is a graph to show how the yeast consumes the sugar that you are adding. Once you add your yeast or kombucha SCOBY to your sweetened brew the yeast begins to digest the sugar and produce ethanol and CO2 (carbon dioxide). The amount of ethanol that is produced is controlled by the amount of sugar that is added, as well as how much time it the yeast has to ferment. With both ginger beer and kombucha there is a first and second ferment step. Step 1: Most of the sugar used is added here and fermentation happens in a fermenting vessel/jar/crock so the CO2 that is produced can escape. If you lengthen this step you can go all the way to a very low sugar beverage, but it depends on taste preference. Step 2: For the second ferment a measured amount of sugar is added to each bottle before adding your ginger beer or kombucha. This feeds the yeast up just enough that they produce CO2 bubbles to make your drink fizzy, but not so much that the bottle explodes. With kombucha there is also the additional activity of the bacteria! The bacteria take the ethanol that is produced by the yeast and turn it into healthy acetic acids. This is why kombucha can be so good for your gut health, but beer is not. How much sugar do I add? The amount of sugar is specified in your recipe. If you are making non-alcoholic ginger beer you only complete Step 2 of the process so For kombucha the sugar addition is very important as it ensures normal healthy development of your kombucha. If you add too much sugar the balance of yeast to bacteria will change and your kombucha will be overrun with yeast, giving too much alcohol and off flavours. If you don’t use enough sugar you will inhibit the SCOBY growth and production of acetic acid, this may also lead to increased mould issues due to an unhealthy SCOBY. How much sugar will be left at the end of my first stage of fermenting? The majority of the sugar is consumed by the yeast and is broken down into fructose and glucose, these both have a lower glycaemic impact on the body. The longer you ferment, the more sugar that will be converted by the yeast so experiment with ferment times to get your preferred sweetness profile. What type of sugar should I use for my ginger beer or kombucha? For ginger beer we recommend brown sugar for Step 1 of your Alcoholic Ginger Beer fermentation. This gives a lovely caramelised note to your end ginger beer. For Step 2 we recommend white cane sugar as it’s readily available to produce the best carbonation. Cane sugar or more commonly known as white sugar is the best and most common type of sugar used for kombucha brewing. It is the most easily available source of sucrose for the yeast to convert to ethanol. If you want to try some different options, we have given you some info below. Any of the below options can be used for ginger beer, they will each give quite a different flavour to your final product. Before getting stuck into sugar experimentation with your kombucha we recommend that you make sure you have completed a few good strong brews and have back up SCOBYs. SCOBYs can be temperamental at times and may not easily adjust to a new sugar for fermentation. The best way to experiment is to substitute a portion of your white sugar for your preferred sugar alternative and figure out what gives you your favourite flavour profile. We recommend starting with 1/4 new/alternative sugar source + 3/4 white sugar. The possible options: Evaporated Cane Juice or Cane Juice Crystals – this is a less refined sugar and is a good option to try. Brown Sugar – this works well for ginger beer but is harder for the SCOBY to break down. It will contribute a more caramel/molasses flavour. Coconut Palm Sugar or Syrup – this will work well but may give sour or bitter flavours due to the high level of minerals. It may need a shorter brewing time so keep regularly tasting your brew. Agave or Maple Syrup – make sure it is a pure source and not mixed with anything. For kombucha this may require some experimentation and extra culture to be added at the start to give your SCOBY the best possible chance of survival. We recommend starting with proportions of white and new/alternative sugar to allow adjustment of your SCOBY. Molasses – this has a relatively low level of sucrose so is best paired with a mixture of white sugar and molasses. This will add some interesting notes to your brew so some experimentation will be required. Honey – there are different ratios of sugar in different types of honey so you may see some contrasting results, but it can be used for experimentation. The main thing is DO NOT use raw honey for kombucha as the naturally present bacteria in the honey will compete with the SCOBY bacteria and we cannot guarantee which will win. What sugars should I not be using in my brewing? Raw honey - the naturally present bacteria in the honey will compete with the SCOBY bacteria and we cannot guarantee which will win. It’s ok to use raw honey in ginger beer. Stevia – this is a plant sugar and will not ferment. Artificial Sweeteners (Erythritol, Aspartame, Sucralose) – none of these will work. There are lots of opportunities to get creative with your brewing. For kombucha the main recommendation we have is to get a good, strong SCOBY brew going and have a few back ups in case things don’t go so well the first time. Start with incremental amounts to get your SCOBY used to the new sugar sources and take it from there. We’re here to help so contact us if you have any further questions or comments.
Kefir Culture vs Kefir Grains
Kefir can be made with grains or culture, but sometimes the difference between the two gets a tad confusing! They both produce delicious kefir but are two quite different things. We have given you a brief overview of the two and some details to help you choose which method is right for you. Kefir can be made with grains or culture, but sometimes the difference between the two gets a tad confusing! They both produce delicious kefir but are two quite different things. Below we’ve given a brief overview of the two and some details to help you choose which method is right for you. Kefir Culture If you have a Mad Millie Kefir Kit, then you have used Kefir Culture. This is the small packet of culture that you sprinkle into your milk, juice or coconut water before giving it a good shake (with the lid on of course!). Inside this packet is a mixture of freeze-dried bacterial strains and yeast that are ready and waiting to be woken up. Once you’ve given the cultures the right conditions to grow, they will proliferate, change the composition of the liquid through fermentation and give you kefir. Some positives and negatives of kefir culture, in no particular order: - Used to make kefir whenever you want, just add the packet. - Each sachet of microorganisms can be re-cultured twice from your original batch of kefir. - Can only be re-cultured twice, then you need a fresh packet. - Minimal maintenance required. - Easy to use, it’s a fine powder that is just poured into your kefir base. - Can be used with milk, coconut water, fruit juice, and coconut milk. Kefir Grains If you’re after more of an involved experience when making kefir, grains are the way to go. The bunches of bacteria and yeast look like little cauliflower florets and need to be kept alive and well. Like a kombucha scoby, kefir grains require maintenance and will become stronger the more often they are used. A few different points on kefir grains: - Grains are specific to the base product you use e.g. milk grains for milk kefir, water grains for water kefir. - Grains have a huge range of bacteria and yeasts present which will change depending on where you source them. - As they are living, your grains need to be fed/maintained regularly. - Kefir grains can be used endlessly. - It can be tricky to tell if grains are alive or dormant, to figure it out some trial and error with making kefir will be required. Watch out for rancid milk! With positives and negatives for both culture and grains, the choice is up to you. If you have time and the inclination, then definitely give grains a go for a more traditional kefir ferment. If you prefer a more convenient method that can be used for all types of kefir, then culture is the best option. Either way, you’ll be enjoying your own homemade kefir in no time and all the good gut health that comes with fermented foods!
Benefits of a Kombucha Crock
The Mad Millie Kombucha Kit has been out for a few months now and we’ve loved seeing all the feedback and photos of everyone busy brewing. Now that you’ve got the hang of kombucha we thought it was time to introduce you to the next level...The Mad Millie Kombucha Crock. The Mad Millie Kombucha Kit has been out for a few months now and we’ve loved seeing all the feedback and photos of everyone busy brewing. Now that you’ve got the hang of kombucha we thought it was time to introduce you to the next level. The Mad Millie Kombucha Crock We’ve been working away on this making sure it’s just the right size, just the right colour (important priority obviously) and works like a dream. Holding up to 4 L (4 US qt) of delicious, tangy kombucha this crock needs to be the newest addition to your household. It’s got a stainless steel tap so you can drink your brew on the daily or easily fill up bottles for a second ferment. It’s lead-free ceramic and so pretty that you won’t want to hide it away in a back cupboard, it should be sitting front and centre on your benchtop. There is an in-built airlock in the lid design, which we know we don’t need for kombucha but makes this a very versatile little crock should you want to move into other fermented beverages. It also gives you the option of creating a closed environment if you get your brew all the way to the end of its fermenting cycle and want to have a bit of a break from brewing. While continuous brewing might seem like a new ball game if you’ve mastered the kombucha kit this next step is easy. With the ability to make bigger batches and have more liquid to play with, you can get seriously creative with infusions in your second ferment. Ready to start sharing your brews with family and friends? Now you’ll have enough to go around rather than limiting everyone to a thimble-sized glass. This crock is just what you need to take your brewing to the next level, and we can’t wait to see what you do with it. Or what your Mum does with it, or your sister, or your friend, this crock is designed to get everyone on the kombucha brewing buzz!
Time for a refresh!
You’ve had a sneak peek at the new and improved Mad Millie designs with the release of some products this year, we hope you like what you’ve seen so far. The focus was to make the kits all about you, our consumer. We wanted you to easily see what each kit makes when it’s sitting on the shelf. Then once you get it home the How to Guides needed to be as simplified and easy to use as possible. We want you to have success each and every time you use Mad Millie. A refresh, a transformation, a rebrand; label it what you will. We’re pretty sure everyone enjoys a little bit of a freshen up from time to time. Sometimes a new haircut or piece of clothing is enough to do it. Other times something a little more drastic might be called for. Towards the end of last year, Mad Millie was feeling the same way. Wanting to maintain the fun, quirky, creative vibes but quietly creeping towards double digits (10 years old next year!). It was time for a change. Back in the day Mad Millie launched with bright purple packaging wrapped around our cheese kits. The first fans may even have some of those beautiful cartons still lurking in the back of their cupboards. Fun and punchy, the first kits of their kind, we were starting the do it yourself movement! The brand and products evolved over time to include all types of gourmet, artisan, and health food kits including vegan cheese, sauerkraut, and kimchi, coconut yoghurt and sourdough. The purple was abandoned as Mad Millie matured and realised that bright purple just wasn’t cool anymore. A more neutral design was released that seemed to hit the spot. Before we knew it, we were nudging 10 years and felt like a wardrobe update was due. We wanted Mad Millie to really show off on shelf, we know it’s a great product and we wanted everyone to see that too. The packaging should represent the fun you can have with Mad Millie; that getting creative can be surprisingly easy with a little bit of help. So, we set to work! You’ve had a sneak peek at the new and improved Mad Millie designs with the release of some products this year, we hope you like what you’ve seen so far. The focus was to make the kits all about you, our consumer. We wanted you to easily see what each kit makes when it’s sitting on the shelf. Then once you get it home the How to Guides needed to be as simplified and easy to use as possible. We want you to have success each and every time you use Mad Millie. Side note: the packaging and instructions are changing but it’s still the same great product inside. You’ll see more of the new designs coming out over the next 6 months as we roll out the old and move into the new. We hope you like it!
Mad Millie Culturing Flask
We’ve been listening to feedback and know from experience how tricky it can be to maintain the temperature of your Mad Millie creations overnight. You spend time getting everything just right, add your culture and leave it in the warmest spot you can find. Only to come back the next morning to find…..nothing has happened. The Mad Millie Culturing Flask is finally here! We’ve been listening to feedback and know from experience how tricky it can be to maintain the temperature of your Mad Millie creations overnight. You spend time getting everything just right, add your culture and leave it in the warmest spot you can find. Only to come back the next morning to find…..nothing has happened. It can be the most frustrating thing with yoghurt, coconut yoghurt, kefir and skyr! Temperature is crucial to ensuring you give the cultures the right type of environment to grow and multiply. There are two different types of cultures used with Mad Millie food products, mesophilic and thermophilic. Mesophilic is a non-heat loving culture, this is the most common type of culture used for cheese making and can only be heated to 40oC (104oF), any higher and you will start deactivating it. The more optimum the temperature, the better the culturing process which is why for a lot of cheese making a water bath and ripening period is required. Thermophilic is a heat-loving culture and is used to make yoghurt, coconut yoghurt, kefir and skyr. It likes to be heated up to 55oC (130oF) and maintained at a warm temperature over a longer period so the cultures can do their job! This is where things get tricky as if you aren’t able to maintain the right temperature then the cultures won’t be working, and you’ll end up with a less flavoursome, runnier product. This is where the Culturing Flask steps in! Designed to perfectly fit the Mad Millie 1 L (1 US qt) jar this little flask of goodness will take out any issues with temperature. When designing this it needed to look appealing when sitting on the kitchen bench, be ridiculously easy to use and not require electricity as who wants to plug something in if they don’t have to? At the very start of your yoghurt making experience boil a nice full jug of water. Pour this into the Mad Millie Culturing Flask and seal. Go about your yoghurt/coconut yoghurt/ kefir/skyr making until you have sealed your jar and it’s ready to ripen. Pour the water out of your Culturing Flask which is now nicely pre-heated and pop the jar in. Seal and leave on the kitchen bench overnight. It’s as easy as that! If you need to culture longer than 12 hours, we recommend opening the flask up in the morning, removing the jar and refilling the flask with boiling water. Let it sit, sealed for a couple of minutes to ensure the inside is nice and warm again before pouring out the water and replacing the jar. This will ensure the most optimum temperature throughout the whole process. We hope you love it as much as we do, making yoghurt has never been so easy.