Basic Fermented Ingredients

Here are some basic fermented ingredients you can use in other recipes:

#1. Fermented Honey

Ingredients:

1L honey
220ml milk
2cups yogurt
50ml rice wine/ 40ml beer

Making:

In a jar about three times in volume as the honey, pour in our ingredients. And stir them well. The mixture will have a light creamy orange color. It fills about 1/3 of the jar so there's room for yeasts/bacteria to breathe and bubble out. Then put the jar lid on.

During the first week, open the lid and stir 1-2 times a day. This helps give some oxygen for the aerobic good guys to develop. Let the jar ferment for another 10-15 days. It will then be ready to harvest.

Understanding:

In addition to the yeasts/bacteria already existent in the honey and the air, the milk, yogurt and beer will add some probiotics/yeasts to it.

If you use rice wine, use the wine that hasn't been distilled. It's the alcohol that's usually in there with the rice and it tastes sour. If you can't find rice wine, you can also replace it with beer.

What is fermented honey used for?

Fermented honey can be used to balance the digestive system, make beauty products, and in other fermenting recipes.

#2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Ingredients:

1 apple
4 grams sugar
200 grams water

Making:

Chop the apples into slices. Expose as much surface area as you can so more of the good enzymes get extracted out.

In a clean jar, put the apples, sugar and water in. Then, cover the jar with a breathable cloth. Place it in a cool dark place. We can then begin 2 simple stages to fermenting the vinegar:

Stage 1 (Aerobic Fermentation): For the first one to two week (7-14 days), you can use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture about once a day. Observe during this time if the apple slices have sunk down. At this stage, the bacteria inside will convert the apple & sugar into acetic acid (vinegar). When it's been at least one week or you see that most apple pieces have settled down at the bottom of the jar, you can filter the liquid out and we can begin stage 2.

Stage 2 (Anaerobic Fermentation): In stage 2, with the liquid extracted out, place it in an airtight jar. Let the jar ferment in a cool dark place for 2 weeks. At this time, the microbes will continue to convert any remaining sugar pieces and nutrients into acetic acid. At this stage, it will also create that characteristic smell of vinegar. There will be aromatic ester, enzymes and nutrients made during this process. After about 2 weeks, the vinegar will be ready to use.