ferments - Common Sense Home

Holiday Kombucha Flavors for Unique Seasonal Drinks

December 14, 2018 By Laurie Neverman 13 Comments

Since I brew my own kombucha, I'm always experimenting with different ideas for how to flavor it. In this post, I share some fun ideas for holiday kombucha flavors for a unique seasonal brew.

For those who've never sampled kombucha, as my grandmother used to say, “Try it, you might like it!” Fermented foods (and drinks) are wonderful for helping digestion – especially this time of year when we may be eating a little less healthy at holiday parties.

How to Make Hard Cider – You Won’t Believe How Easy it Can Be!

November 8, 2018 By Laurie Neverman 89 Comments

Making homemade hard cider doesn't have to be complicated. With these easy recipes, you'll can enjoy the benefits of the brew from your own kitchen. Cider is naturally high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and is a great addition to any gathering.

The simplest recipe is ready in just a few days. For long term storage, you need a bit more equipment, time and patience, but it's still a fairly straightforward process. In this post, we'll share three ways to make hard apple cider. (You can check the comments for tips on making apple jack, which is considerably stronger.) [Read more…] about How to Make Hard Cider – You Won't Believe How Easy it Can Be!

How to Make Pear Wine – Easy Homemade Wine Recipe for Ripe Pears

August 15, 2018 By Laurie Neverman 50 Comments

When life gives you too many overripe pears, it's time to learn how to make pear wine. This wine recipe is dry, with a light pear flavor, and is a good use for very ripe and lightly damaged pears.

This recipe is adapted from “How to Make Wine in Your Own Kitchen” by Mettja C. Roate. “How to Make Wine in Your Own Kitchen” is old and hard to find, but if you can find a copy, snatch it up. The recipes use common kitchen ingredients instead of specialized wine making ingredients, which is great for the novice or incidental brewer. I did tweak the recipe a little to include winemaking yeast. You can make homemade wine with wild yeasts, but it's easy to make a mistake and go from homemade wine to homemade vinegar.
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Probiotics for Colds and Flu – Fewer Symptoms, Faster Recovery Time

December 10, 2016 By Laurie Neverman 12 Comments

Learn how to use probiotics for colds and flu to boost your immune system. Studies show those who use probiotics get less sick and get better faster.

Homemade kombucha may help boost your immune system.

Do probiotics for colds and flu really help? Let's check it out.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms similar to the “friendly” bacteria found naturally in the body's digestive system. Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) of Maryland states that we each house two to five pounds (1.0 to 2.26 kilograms) of live bacteria inside our bodies. On average, we have 10 bacteria cells for each single human cell. We are more bacteria than we are human – strange, but true. (Makes using all those antibacterial products sound like a bad idea, doesn't it?) [Read more…] about Probiotics for Colds and Flu – Fewer Symptoms, Faster Recovery Time

The Magic Fermenting Sock

February 14, 2011 By Laurie Neverman 11 Comments

No – this is not a post about an old, nasty, sweaty sock that's been found balled up in a corner raising a fine crop of stinky microbes. This post is about my “secret” for keeping my culturing dairy warm in my not-so-warm house in the winter.

I culture milk kefir and viili yogurt from Cultures for Health at least weekly. I typically use either a pint jar or a glass jars from peaches that has the same foot print but is several inches taller. Both of these ferments culture at room temperature, which makes them very easy to do, but sometimes in the middle of winter my kitchen gets a little cold when the stove isn't on (60's, instead of 70's). So, to give my starters a little extra help, I employ the “magic fermenting sock”. [Read more…] about The Magic Fermenting Sock