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Why cheese needs milk
World Milk Day has been celebrated this week which gave us a timely reminder of why we really do love the creamy white stuff. More and more, milk is getting a bad reputation as we shift to an environmentally focused lens on our food and beverages. While we wholeheartedly agree that we need to reduce our consumption of certain products, we do think some things are still ok in moderation. Milk is one of these, with its nutritional benefits it’s a product that is hard to beat. Plus, without milk we can’t make cheese!! We have had a few questions from time to time enquiring if our Fresh and Italian Cheese Kit recipes can be made with plant-based milks. The answer is no and let us explain a bit more as to why. There are various different steps in cheese making, depending on what type of cheese is being made. However, the important ones where your milk really comes into play is the ripening and then separating your milk into curds and whey. Ripening This is your step where you are heating the milk up to a nice warm temperature and adding your culture. The culture is predominantly lactic acid bacteria which turns the lactose sugar naturally present in the milk, into lactic acid. Lactose is the sugar that some people have trouble digesting and are therefore lactose intolerant. This is why the alternative of plant-based milks works well for lactose intolerant people, it contains no lactose. Separating into curds and whey The addition of rennet and the separation of curds and whey involves the acid produced by the bacteria (which requires lactose) as well as the milk proteins and fats. The rennet enzymes work together with the acid and create a tangled structure of milk proteins and fats, this is your curd. The leftover moisture and soluble proteins in the milk create the whey. Once you have the curd you’re in business with your cheese making! So for those asking, no you can’t use our Fresh or Italian Cheese Kits with plant based milk BUT you can take a look at our Vegan Cheese Kit. This little wonder has been developed for those that are specifically avoiding milk but don’t want to miss out on the delights of cheese. Using raw nuts as the base there are recipes for Marinated Feta, Soft Mozzarella, Firm Mozzarella, Halloumi, Ricotta, Cream Cheese and Mascarpone. Each recipe is made to try and give our plant-based friends the best cheese possible, with the bonus of nutty goodness. We hope you enjoy your milk or nutty cheese journey and make sure you get in touch with any questions or feedback on our kits. We love to hear what you think!
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!
Easter eating - Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne
Easter is upon us and with it a delicious long weekend of relaxing, eating copious amounts of chocolate, chatting over a glass of wine and having an all-round good time. This pumpkin, spinach, and ricotta lasagne will have everyone scrambling back for more, plus it can easily be prepared a few days in advance, so it just needs a re-heat in the oven. The other great thing about this one? It can be made gluten-free by picking up some gluten-free pasta sheets so caters to all taste buds. With a few minor alterations, it can cater to all your vegan buddies too! If your children are around, take the time to show them how to make their own ricotta. Whether it’s dairy or vegan ricotta, teaching them about where food comes from is an important thing, particularly as we become more disconnected and focused on convenience. Let them take charge, ricotta is almost no-fail, what could possibly go wrong? Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne Ingredients ½ medium Pumpkin, peeled and diced 375 g Mad Millie Ricotta, dairy or vegan 300 g frozen Spinach, thawed 4 Spring onions, sliced 2 cloves Garlic, minced or sliced very finely 800 g Tomato pasta sauce 250 g Lasagne sheets Salt and pepper to taste A handful of fresh basil to serve Dairy version only ¼ cup Parmesan, grated 1 cup grated cheddar Vegan version only 200 g Mad Millie Vegan Soft Mozzarella Method Preheat oven on fan bake to 180oC (356oF). Put the diced pumpkin into a pot filled with water and boil until soft. Drain the water and mash the pumpkin, add some salt and pepper to taste. In a bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan (dairy only), spinach, spring onions, garlic and salt and pepper, stir until well combined. Grease your lasagne dish and place a layer of lasagne sheets on the bottom. Spoon over half of the cheesy spinach followed a layer of half of the mashed pumpkin. Top with another layer of lasagne sheets, add half of the tomato sauce and spread it around evenly. Add another layer of the rest of the cheesy spinach and then a layer of the rest of the mashed pumpkin. Top with the final layer of lasagne sheets and pour over the remainder of the pasta sauce. Spread the pasta sauce around and top with either the grated cheddar (dairy only) or the soft mozzarella (vegan) spread evenly over top. Bake at 180oC (356oF) for 45 – 50 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stand for 10 minutes before tossing the basil leaves on top and serving. Bon Appetit!
Where did Limoncello come from?
There is no better way to end a summer evening than with a tipple of ice-cold limoncello. As this glorious lemon-infused alcohol slips past your lips, you can just about taste summer in Italy. For those of you who aren’t quite so well acquainted with the history of limoncello, let's go back to the beginning. There are various stories around the true origins of limoncello ranging from local fishermen and farmers (who used it as an early morning espresso), to monks between prayer; everyone would like to lay claim to its inception. There is no better way to end a summer evening than with a tipple of ice-cold limoncello. As this glorious lemon-infused alcohol slips past your lips, you can just about taste summer in Italy. For those of you who aren’t quite so well acquainted with the history of limoncello, let's go back to the beginning. There are various stories around the true origins of limoncello ranging from local fishermen and farmers (who used it as an early morning espresso) to monks between prayer; everyone would like to lay claim to its inception. The official line from Federvini (the Italian Association of Wine/Liqueur Producers) is that Massimo Canale registered the production of limoncello in 1988, in Sorrento. His inspiration came from his grandmother, Maria Antonia Farace, who used to tend luxurious gardens of lemons and oranges on the island of Capri. She would make citrus-infused alcohol for family, friends, and guests at the inn to enjoy. After the Second World War Massimo opened a restaurant nearby where they sold this speciality lemon liqueur. Since registering the trademark, the Amalfi region has blossomed with orchards and artisanal producers making authentic limoncello. The unique flavour of this aperitif comes from the zest of Sorrento lemons, otherwise known as Femminello St. Teresa lemons. These lemon hulks grow to be huge, distorted fruit that produces surprisingly sweet, aromatic flavours that are perfect for limoncello. Whether you’ve always wondered about making your own spirits or just want to try something new, the new Mad Millie Limoncello Kit is the perfect starting point. Following a step by step recipe, you’ll be serving your own handmade Limoncello with a twist (secret flavour addition in the kit) to all your family and friends. Don’t be scared to think outside the box and try different types of citrus fruits and infusions as well. Now we can’t promise the flavours of sweet Sorrento lemons (turns out these are relatively hard to source) but we assure you, you can get pretty close! We’ve made batch after batch during the development stage of our Limoncello kit, and so far we have yet to be disappointed, regardless of the lemon variety used. Whether you’re keeping all your creations for yourself or gifting the pretty glass bottles to others, make sure you consume it cold, as cold as it can get! Served straight from the freezer into a frozen aperitif glass or mixed with sparkling water and poured over ice, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good it is.
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.
What is Skyr?
Our new Skyr Kit has launched and there have been some highly amusing attempts at pronunciation. From skier to skur (with a serious rolled r) and everything in between. This delicious, high protein and low-fat product is pronounced skeer and is the new favourite dairy treat on the block. Technically skyr is a soft cheese however it’s eaten more like a yoghurt and can be enjoyed both sweet and savoury, at breakfast, lunch or dinner! Made with the same or very similar cultures as yoghurt (which allows it to sit in the yoghurt aisle) it also has the addition of vegetarian rennet which helps to give the firmer texture. Our new Skyr Kit has launched and there have been some highly amusing attempts at pronunciation. From skier to skur (with a serious rolled r) and everything in between. This delicious, high protein and low-fat product is pronounced skeer and is the new favourite dairy treat on the block. Skyr in Iceland is old news as it originated there nearly 1,000 years ago and has been a daily staple since. As with traditional yoghurt it was discovered by accident when the milk was left outside and naturally fermented with cultures from the environment. The rest of the world is slowly cottoning on to the glory of skyr and why it just might be the best thing since Greek yoghurt. Technically skyr is a soft cheese however it’s eaten more like a yoghurt and can be enjoyed both sweet and savoury, at breakfast, lunch or dinner! Made with the same or very similar cultures as yoghurt (which allows it to sit in the yoghurt aisle) it also has the addition of vegetarian rennet which helps to give the firmer texture. The real bonus with skyr is it’s made from skim milk, which means it has little to no fat unlike Greek yoghurt which requires full fat milk as a starting point. Same high level of protein and calcium (arguably higher as the milk is more concentrated) but significantly less fat, why haven’t we been eating this the whole time you ask? In terms of taste and texture skyr is thicker than Greek yoghurt and has slightly less acidic tang. Traditionally if it was made well it would be so thick and creamy that it wouldn’t fall off an upside-down spoon! Without the acidic tang of Greek yoghurt, it can easily be made sweet or savoury depending on what you’re after. Traditionally in Iceland it was served cold, topped with sugar and cream – tasty right? If you’re not quite on the cream and sugar buzz but want a good protein hit for breakfast, try mixing half skyr and half porridge to create hræringur (literally means stirred) and top with fresh berries and a drizzle of honey. A few other alternative uses for our new favourite product - Mix with jam for a sweet, afternoon pick up - Add to smoothies to ensure you are getting enough nutrition for breakfast or morning tea. - Stir into mashed potatoes for a thicker texture - Spread on wholegrain toast and top with sliced banana, chopped nuts and a drizzle of honey. - Use instead of sour cream in any recipe, it’s better for you as it’s low fat but the same thick, creamy texture. Skyr in the supermarket has all the health benefits but watch out for flavoured options. As with yoghurt they tend to be packed full of sweeteners, flavours and stabilisers that we don’t really need. The best way to get the most out of your skyr is to make it yourself, then you know exactly what is going into it and if it needs some sweetener, fresh fruit, jam or honey are perfect options. Once you’ve made your first jar of skyr and have figured out the re-culture process (it’s super easy, instructions in the Mad Millie Skyr Kit) why not give the below a whirl? Just ensure you make it when you’re entertaining or have good self-control as it will be devoured before you even know what has happened! Icelandic Blueberry Skyr Cake Base 1 packet (400 g/14 oz) of biscuits (cinnamon or digestive biscuits are best) 100g (3.5 oz) butter Filling 400g (14 oz) Mad Millie Skyr 500mL (17 fl oz) whipping cream Blueberry Sauce/Topping 1/4 cup (55 g/2 oz) sugar 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1/2 cup (125 mL/4.2 fl oz) water 2 cups (500 mL) blueberries (fresh or frozen) 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence/extract Method - Crush the biscuits until a fine crumble, melt the butter and combine together.- Put the base mixture into a round 24 cm cake tin and smooth down.- Whip the cream.- Gently mix the skyr and vanilla essence into the cream.- Pour this filling mixture onto the biscuit crust.- Refrigerate the base and filling for at least 2 hours before serving. Blueberry Sauce/Topping - Combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine.- Add the blueberries and lemon juice, cook over a medium heat stirring consistently until the blueberries start to soften and let out juice and the mixture thickens.- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Pour into another bowl and refrigerate until cool. Drizzle over the Skyr Cheesecake to serve once cool.
Crunchy Nut Pulp Granola
The launch of the Mad Millie Nut Mylk Kit has inspired us to get creative with all things nut pulp. When you’re churning out a fresh batch of nut mylk each week suddenly nut pulp is stored in every little container, in all corners of the freezer. Before it’s taking up your whole freezer why not make some delicious granola straight away? Granola sets you up properly for a day of work, school or activities and is so adaptable to whatever you have on hand. We enjoy it most when paired with Mad Millie Coconut or Greek Yoghurt! The launch of the Mad Millie Nut Mylk Kit has inspired us to get creative with all things nut pulp. When you’re churning out a fresh batch of nut mylk each week suddenly nut pulp is stored in every little container, in all corners of the freezer. Before it’s taking up your whole freezer why not make some delicious granola straight away? Granola sets you up properly for a day of work, school or activities and is so adaptable to whatever you have on hand. We enjoy it most when paired with Mad Millie Coconut or Greek Yoghurt! Crunchy Nut Pulp Granola Makes 7 cups (1.75 L/1.8 US qt) Ingredients 3 ½ cups (315 g/11.1 oz) rolled oats 1 cup (250 mL/8.5 fl oz) leftover nut pulp (take this straight from your nut mylk bag after a batch of nut mylk, it’s the perfect amount!) 1 ½ cups (375 mL/12.7 fl oz) mixed seeds (use a mixture of sunflower, pumpkin or hemp seeds) 2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup (63 mL/2.1 fl oz) melted butter or coconut oil 3/4 cup (188 mL/6.4 fl oz) fresh fruit juice 1/4 cup (63 mL/2.1 fl oz) honey 3/4 cup (200 g/7 oz) dried fruit Method Preheat the oven to 150oC (302oF). Mix the oats, nut pulp, seeds and cinnamon together in a bowl. Melt the butter/coconut oil and add the honey and juice. Mix well and then add to the bowl. Spread the mixture out on an oven tray and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Chop the fruit into rough pieces and mix into the warm, baked granola. Leave the try out to cool and become crunchy. Once completely cooled store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Get creative with your ingredients, we started using apple juice but have since mixed it up with apple/orange, apple/guava, pineapple, the options are endless! The same goes for the dried fruit, if you’re not a dried fruit person you can just leave it out, but it imparts so much flavour. Try coconut chips, goji berries and figs or cranberries and apricots as a starting point.
Kombucha Second Ferment
For beginner kombucha brewers sometimes the fermentation process can seem a little daunting. There are always questions around the importance of each step and why certain things are done. One area that comes up often is the second ferment, what it’s for and if it’s really necessary. For beginner kombucha brewers sometimes the fermentation process can seem a little daunting. There are always questions around the importance of each step and why certain things are done. One area that comes up often is the second ferment, what it’s for and if it’s really necessary. Trust us, kombucha brewing is easy and once you have started your booch adventure you will quickly understand the ins and outs of each step. With Mad Millie kits our biggest aim is to make creating in the kitchen accessible to everyone. There aren’t any big secrets to fermenting kombucha; just a few key steps that with a bit of trial and error anyone can complete! Kombucha fermentation happens in two steps, the relatively self-explanatory first and second ferments. The first ferment is when you turn your sweetened, black tea into delicious, tangy kombucha. Once the Mad Millie scoby is added to your sweetened tea the cultures can start their work. During this step they are busily converting the food (sugar) you have given them into organic acids, carbon dioxide, a tiny trace of alcohol (up to 0.5% when using the Mad Millie recipe so still technically non-alcoholic) and B vitamins. The types of bacteria and yeast that are in your scoby require air to complete the fermentation; this is why we recommend keeping the top of your kombucha jar or vessel covered with a muslin cloth rather than sealed with a lid. This also means that any carbon dioxide that is produced escapes and your kombucha is flat after the first ferment. The second ferment is when you get to make it bubbly! The exact same process is followed however instead of the fermentation happening in a jar or vessel with air flow, it happens in a sealed bottle to trap all the carbon dioxide. This is also an opportunity to get creative and add any flavours or infusions that you might want to experiment with. Completing a second ferment is not necessary to get all the benefits of kombucha and enjoy its tangy taste. If you don’t have time or haven’t got any bottles yet, we recommend a shot of kombucha from day 25 of the first ferment in a glass of sparkling water. However, if you do want bubbles, read on… Second Ferment Process - Add 1.5 tsp of white sugar into your clean sterile 750mL glass bottle. - Pour your kombucha into the bottle through a muslin cloth lined funnel. - Seal the bottle tightly (a flip top cap is the easiest) and leave at room temperature for 2 -3 days to carbonate. - Taste test, if it is not as bubbly as you want, leave it out for another day or two. - Refrigerate your kombucha and enjoy! You can get as creative as you want with the second ferment! An easy way to add flavour is to add some of your favourite juice into the sterilised bottle, then add your kombucha and seal. This will give both flavour and the sugar the kombucha needs to carbonate. If you add juice or fruit you don’t need to add the white sugar as you are already feeding the live cultures with your infusions. - Juice flavouring it’s best to start with up to 20% juice and 80% kombucha. - Fruit is a great way to bring in some different flavour profiles and you can use fresh, frozen or dried. Start with up to 30% fruit and 70% kombucha, keep in mind that dried fruit will often have a higher sugar level. - Add 2 teaspoons of chia seeds for added nutritional benefits and texture. - Add a slice of ginger root as well as the sugar to get that fiery ginger flavour. - Add flavour extracts e.g. vanilla, start with ¼ teaspoon of extract per 1 cup (250mL) of kombucha. It’s important to second ferment in brewing bottles as the production of gas leads to higher pressure. We recommend reusable glass bottles with flip top caps. Be careful when opening bottles after a second ferment, as they are under pressure they may fizz. Store your kombucha out of direct sunlight, between 24 – 30oC (75 – 86oF). If you are fermenting other food or beverages make sure there is a gap of at least 1 metre between the kombucha and these. This will ensure no cross contamination of the different bacteria and yeast. Good luck and any questions or feedback please let us know!
What is Kombucha?
With the launch of the Mad Millie Kombucha Kit we’re excited to see more and more people getting creative in the kitchen with their booch. For those that are still new to the kombucha world here is a brief overview of what you’ve got to look forward to. Kombucha has been bouncing up the popularity charts in all markets in recent years. From initial reactions of “kom-what??” to now being a standard on supermarket and café shelves, everyone is jumping on board. Not only are people becoming aware of its benefits and delicious flavours but also how easy it is to make at home! With the launch of the Mad Millie Kombucha Kit we’re excited to see more and more people getting creative in the kitchen with their booch. For those that are still new to the kombucha world here is a brief overview of what you’ve got to look forward to. What is kombucha? Kombucha is fermented tea. Initially when someone mentions that, most people’s nose crinkles. BUT do you like beer? Ginger beer? Wine? These are all fermented beverages. Fermentation uses live cultures to metabolise the product and produce by-products which can include organic acids, alcohol and carbon dioxide. For kombucha this means taking sweetened tea and turning it into a slightly sweet, acidic, refreshing beverage. Kombucha has been around since 220 B.C. with its origins in China. It then slowly spread to Japan, Russia, eastern Europe and eventually western Europe. With the help of social media and the internet it is now relatively well known worldwide. What the heck is a scoby? Scoby is an acronym for the slimy, jellyfish-like disc that is produced by the live culture. Scoby stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, the slimy scoby is cellulose that is produced as a by-product of fermentation. It is symbiotic as it contains a whole raft of bacteria and yeast that happily live and work together to create kombucha from the sweetened tea. What’s all the fuss about these live cultures? While we cannot determine or define any particular benefits from kombucha, there is a lot of research going into the impact of fermented foods, live cultures and probiotics on gut health. Gut health is also being found to have a huge impact on overall health. Why should I make my own? Making your own kombucha is surprisingly easy, if you are after a daily top up of live cultures it is also the most cost-effective way of doing it. Lots of commercial kombucha products have various bits and pieces added to them to make a more efficient process during manufacturing. This can mean less actual live cultures or in some cases virtually no live culture. If you’re home brewing, then you know exactly what is going in there! What’s different about the Mad Millie Kombucha Kit? The Mad Millie Kombucha Kit contains a shelf stable scoby that is ready to go! Lots of alternative scobys will be dehydrated which means they take a while to be activated again. If you don’t want the hassle of your first few batches potentially not working – go with Mad Millie. Being shelf stable also means it doesn’t require refrigeration; through some very clever work our scoby is happy to sit at room temperature until it is fed by you. This means if you don’t get a chance to use it straight away it’s no problem! It can hang out in your pantry (out of direct sunlight) quite happily until you have some spare brew time. For more info on the Mad Millie Kombucha Kit check out our FAQs or get in touch directly.
Fermented Foods and their benefits
Fermented foods have absolutely burst onto the healthy food scene over the last couple of years. There are now as many options of kefir as there are yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi are becoming commonplace and the word kombucha rolls off the tongue without question. A few studies have helped illuminate that we know very little about the impact of our gut microbiome (fancy word for the range of bacteria in us) on our overall health. But what we do know is that there appear to be many benefits from a diet high in pre and probiotics. Fermented foods have absolutely burst onto the healthy food scene over the last couple of years. There are now as many options of kefir as there are yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi are becoming commonplace and the word kombucha rolls off the tongue without question. A few studies have helped illuminate that we know very little about the impact of our gut microbiome (fancy word for the range of bacteria in us) on our overall health. But what we do know is that there appear to be many benefits from a diet high in pre and probiotics. The process of fermentation has been around for centuries and was first developed to preserve food before refrigerators came along. We are slowly beginning to understand that our ancestors were on to something and that fermented foods help feed and support the one trillion bacteria that live in our digestive system. These bacteria are essential to digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as impacting our immune system. The process of fermentation is anaerobic which means that there is no oxygen involved. The bacteria and yeast that are either naturally present or added will convert the sugars in the raw materials into other compounds. The most common end product of the fermentation in food is alcohol (beer and wine) or lactic acid, depending on the type of bacteria and yeast used. Lactic acid bacteria give food or beverages the sour, tangy flavour that we associate with yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi. This breakdown of sugars can also make the foods easier to digest. For milk-based products (yoghurt, kefir or cheese) when the lactose is broken down digestion can become significantly more pleasant for those with intolerances. Our gut has a significant impact on our immune system, surprising I know! The mucosa (gut lining) is a natural immunity barrier which helps ensure a strong immune system. When more probiotic rich foods are eaten, the good bacteria are supported and flourish. When more pre-biotics are added to your diet the good bacteria have the perfect nutrition to get the upper hand. If things are out of balance, the disease-causing microbes can grow and may cause inflammation. While the results from studies around probiotics and immune system are still in their early stages if you keep your gut healthy, it will reciprocate and keep you healthy! Maintaining the right balance of the good and bad bacteria in our gut is essential. This is where food choices come in and the beginning of understanding the benefits of fermented foods. A diet high in refined sugars will favour the bad bacteria in your gut, allowing them to flourish and effectively out-weigh the good. Fermented foods that are rich in probiotic bacteria help to restore this balance by adding good bacteria to your gut which supports a healthy gut microbiome. As expected, we would suggest that the best way to get your fermented food intake is by making it yourself! Fermented foods require minimal hands on time as it’s about mixing in the cultures and leaving them to do their job. Let the magic happen and before you know it your sauerkraut, kombucha or yoghurt or coconut yoghurt will be teeming with healthy probiotics. With vegetable fermentation make sure you are using as fresh, local and organic produce as you can get your hands on. You can ferment a huge range of vegetables with better results coming from cabbage, radishes, carrots, beetroot, turnip and apples. Have a play to see how much tangy fermentation flavour you like by tasting every day after a week of ferment time. If you are choosing to buy fermented food for their probiotic benefits and not just their delicious taste, make sure you get them from the chilled section! Anything that isn’t in the fridge as a finished product is likely heat treated which kills off all the good bacteria. Additionally, the bad news is that all the bacteria from the fermentation of beer and wine is filtered out of the finished product. While they may be delicious, they don’t contain the added gut health benefits. Make you sure include plenty of prebiotics too as this helps feed and grow the good bacteria, these can be onions, garlic, leek, asparagus, bananas and wheat flour. Look after your gut and it will look after you!