I keep a little garden on my porch, where culinary and medicinal herbs fill terracotta pots.  I toss these herbs, handfuls of basil and sprinklings of thyme, into soup pots, over salads and roasting chickens where they bring flavor and their sweet herbaceous perfume to the family meal.

While we enjoy their flavor and aroma, they bring more to the table than pleasure alone.  Common culinary herbs also convey gentle medicine, traditionally used for purposes that range from stomach upset and headaches to colic and liver ailments.  So, in many ways, my little garden of flavor is also a medicinal garden as well.  Here's ten common culinary herbs, how to use them and their medicinal qualities.

Curly Parsley

Characteristics: Deep green, slightly serrated leaves that curl up from the stem with a potent fragrance reminiscent of carrot leaves and parsnips.

Flavor: Parsley offers a mild, but very clean flavor similar to that of parsnips.

Use it in: Braised Turnips with Parsley, Preserved Lemon and Parsley Tapenade, Cream of Chicken Soup, Springtime Salad

Medicinal Uses: Parsley's medicinal effects rest in its volatile oils and flavonoids:  apiole, myristicin, terpinolene, appin and others.  These components also account for parsley's notable flavor.  Parsley is thought to offer therapeutic uses in the treatment of the urinary tract and is approved by Germany's Commission E - a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine - for use in the treatment of urinary tract infections as well as kidney and bladder stones.  Traditionally, parsley was not only used for treatment of urinary tract and bladder infections but also as an treatment for gastrointestinal distress.  Moreover, parsley is also used as a way to stimulate menstruation.

Bay Laurel

Characteristics: Native to the Mediterranean, bay laurel or sweet bay is tree with deep  olive-green, oblong leaves that offer an unmistakable aroma.

Flavor: Sweet bay is rich and deep, faintly spicy.

Use it in: Bison Stew with Red Wine and Sweet Bay, French Onion Soup, Sour Pickles

Medicinal Uses: Bay is used medicinally as a stimulant for the skin, and, due to its volatile oils, may cause reddening in sensitive individuals.

Tarragon

Characteristics:  Tarragon is a low-lying plant with long stems and thin oblong leaves.  It has a flavor reminiscent of anise and is used often in French cooking.

Flavor: Tarragon offers a faintly anise- or licorice-like flavor - sweet and slightly stringent.

Use it in: Pan-Fried Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Cream Sauce

Medicinal Uses: In folk medicine, tarragon has been traditionally used to treat toothaches, upset stomachs and some parents even used it to stave off intestinal parasites in their children.   Much like parsley, tarragon has also been used as way to induce menstruation.

Basil

Characteristics: There are many varieties of basil, and basil can include many color variations, but most can easily identify the low-growing plant by its large, thin oval and easily bruised leaves.

Flavor: Basil is sweet, peppery and offers a slight anise-like aftertaste.

Use it in: Beet Salad with Basil, Clam Chowder

Medicinal Uses: Basil has strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.  It is traditionally thought to stimulate the appetite and ease stomach upset.  In Chinese medicine, basil is thought to support kidney function and ease gum ulcers. In classic Indian medicine, basil has been used to treat everything from earaches and itching to malaria, arthritis and anorexia.  Like tarragon, one of basil's major volatile oils is estragole.

Dill

Characteristics: Dill can grow quite tall with beautiful, fragrant flowering heads and feathery, fragile leaves.

Flavor:  Dill's flavor is slightly licorice-like, deeply fragrant and unmistakable.

Use it in: Salmon Chowder with Potatoes and Dill, Campfire Roasted Chicken with Flowering Onion and Dill, Potato Leek Soup with Dill, Sour Pickles, Shrimp Salad

Medicinal Uses:  Dill and parsley share a commonality: apiole, that volatile oil that accounts for so much of their individual flavors.  Dill is traditionally used to ease stomach upset and to treat gastrointestinal disorders.   In folk medicine, it is also used to treat sleep disorders - particularly insomnia. Some parents give a dill infusion or tea to their young babies as a treatment for colic.

Lavender

Characteristics: Lavender is a low-lying bushy flower with long stems and many tiny, pale purple buds.

Flavor:  Lavender is faintly floral and very herbaceous with green overtones.

Use it in: Four Thieves Vinegar, Sleepy Tea

Medicinal Uses:  Lavender is approved by Germany's Commission E for loss of appetite, insomnia and circulatory disorders.  In folk medicine, it is often used to treat migraine, cramps, restlessness and sleep issues.

Oregano

Characteristics:  Oregano is a short, shrubby herb with small, deep-green leaves.   The leaves have a kind of soft and almost fuzzy texture.

Flavor:  Oregano is bold, deep and strong and the fresh herb is considerably stronger than in its dried form.  It is deeply herbaceous and slightly similar to thyme with faint mint-like undertones.

Use it in: Roasted Lamb with Olives, Lemon and Fresh Oregano

Medicinal Uses:  Oregano is traditionally used to treat respiratory issues such as stuffy noses and coughs and is an expectorant. In folk medicine, it is also used to treat menstrual cramping and it has very potent antimicrobial activities.

Sage

Characteristics: Sage is a low-lying, silvery bush with oblong, soft and fuzzy leaves.

Use it in: Turkey Hash with Yam and Sage, Chicken Liver Pâté with Sage

Flavor: Sage has a slightly medicinal flavor that is very herbaceous with slight grassy undertones.  It is deeply fragrant.

Medicinal Uses: Sage is approved by Commission E to improve appetite and to ease inflammation, particularly of the mouth.   For nursing mothers who may be experiencing over-production, sage can help to slow milk production.

Rosemary

Characteristics: Rosemary is a pine-like shrub with long stems and short, needle-like leaves.

Flavor:  Rosemary is pine-like in its scent with almost floral undertones.  It is deeply aromatic.

Use it in: Crispy Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Braised Steak with Red Wine and Rosemary, Sourdough Focaccia with Rosemary and Grapes, Toasted Almonds with Rosemary, Thyme, and Lemon

Medicinal Uses: Rosemary is traditionally used for digestive upset and to ease headaches and migraines.   It's also used to treat menstrual disorders and, externally, is used to speed healing in wounds and to treat eczema.  Germany's Commission E has approved rosemary for use in blood pressure problems, digestive upset and rheumatism.

Peppermint

Characteristics:  Peppermint is a bushy plant characterized by its long stems, and bright green, slightly fuzzy leaves.

Flavor:  Peppermint is very aromatic and one of the most loved of the mint family.

Use it in: Strawberry Mint Sorbet, Spring Risotto, Vanilla Mint Ice Cream, Strawberry Yogurt Bowl with Mint and Pine Nuts

Medicinal Uses:  Mostly taken as a tea or in infusions, peppermint is traditionally used to treat colic and digestive upset, but it's also been popularly used in the treatment of colds, flus and stuffy noses thanks to its ability to open the sinuses and, in combination with honey, to ease a sore throat.   Peppermint essential oil, when applied to the temples, is thought to help with headaches and migraines.  Peppermint leaves have been approved by Germany's Commission E in the treatment of liver and gallbladder complaints.

The post 10 Culinary Herbs and Their Medicinal Uses appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

Looking for healthy school lunch ideas? School lunch has quickly become one of the most deplorable American meals - comprised of low-cost, commodity items like CAFO-raised beef, canned fruit and vegetables. Standard lunches of chocolate milk, overcooked peas and mealy french fries lack versatility in nutrients, flavor and, most importantly, they lack inspiration.  So, per reader request, I've put together a list of ten satisfying, flavorful and nourishing meals that can be easily packed in a lunchbox, thermos or bag along with a bottle of chilled milk, fresh cider, water kefir or even milk kefir. So print this post and pin it to your fridge in preparation for next week's lunch plans, then share your favorite and healthiest school lunches.

Day #1: Salmon Cakes

• Salmon Cakes with Wasabi Mayonnaise over fresh greens
• Fresh cucumbers seasoned by sesame seeds and fish sauce or tamari
• Pineapple

Day #2: A Roast Beef Sandwich

• Cheese, Vegetable and Grass-fed Roast Beef Sandwich on Sourdough Bread or Sprouted Wheat Bread with Homemade Mayonnaise
• Sour Pickles
• Sliced Apples

Day #3: Ham and Melon Roll-ups

• Pasture-raised ham and melon roll-ups with fresh mint
• Homemade crackers with raw cheddar cheese
• Carrot sticks

Other Posts on Kids and Food

• Teach Your Kids to Enjoy Fruits and Vegetables
• Beyond Chicken Fingers and Buttered Noodles
• Healthy Treats for Kids

Day #4: Black Bean Soup and Muffins

• Black Bean Soup with Chicken and Chilies
• Cranberry Masa Muffins
• Cortido (pg. 14 in Get Cultured)

Day #5: Egg Salad Sandwiches

• Pesto Egg Salad and Fresh Lettuce on Sprouted Wheat Bread
• Soaked and deydrated nuts
• Fresh Oranges

Day #6: Leftover Pot Roast

• Leftover Beef Pot Roast with Winter Vegetables
• Apples Sautéed in Butter with Walnuts and Cinnamon
  

Day #7: Almond Butter and Banana Sandwiches

• Roast almond butter and banana sandwiches on sprouted wheat bread
• Carrot and celery sticks
• Raisins

Day #8: Chicken Nuggets (The Real Food Way)

• Chicken Nuggets with Almonds
• Preserved Lemon Gremolata
• Chopped Vegetables with Crème Fraîche Dip

Day #9: Hummus and Lamb Kebabs

• Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Fresh Yogurt
• Hummus with Carrots and Celery
• Pomegranate

Day #10: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

• Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• Sauerruben
• Fresh Pear

Don't forget to share you favorite, healthiest school lunches in the comments!

The post 10 Healthy, Nourishing School Lunches appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

Making homemade sauerkraut is a super simple process: All you need is cabbage, salt, a fermentation crock, and plenty of time. But once you master a basic recipe, you can start to flavor your sauerkraut with other vegetables, herbs, spices, and flavored sea salts to take it to the next level.

Add Fruits and Vegetables to Your Sauerkraut

Adding fruits and vegetables to your sauerkraut is a great way to enliven its flavor. Root vegetables like carrots, radishes, and beets work particularly well since they stand up to fermentation nicely. Pomaceous fruits like apples and pears work nicely, too.

The key to adding fruits and vegetables to your sauerkraut is maintaining a ratio of about 3 parts cabbage to 1 part additional fruit or vegetable. For small vegetables, like little French radishes or garlic cloves, you can chop or slice them thinly, but shred larger fruits and vegetables.

• Carrots can give sauerkraut a nice sweetness and bright color.
• Scallions are particularly nice as they impart the flavor of onions without an overtly sulfurous flavor. They're also used often in kimchi.
• Radishes are an easy addition, and you can add thinly sliced French radishes or finely shredded Daikon radish. You can even make radish kimchi.
• Garlic is a brilliant addition and gives your sauerkraut an amazing, rich flavor. Add finely sliced or chopped garlic cloves.
• Fennel gives sauerkraut a lovely, subtle sweetness. Core the fennel bulb and shred it finely.
• Beets give sauerkraut an earthy flavor and a beautiful, vivid pink color. This recipe for beet and ginger sauerkraut has a fantastic flavor.
• Apples are sometimes served alongside sauerkraut, but you can shred them up and add them directly to the crock with your cabbage. They're excellent with caraway and juniper berries.
• Pineapples can work nicely to give sauerkraut a unique, fun flavor. This pineapple, ginger and turmeric sauerkraut is fun to make.
• Pears give sauerkraut a subtle sweetness and a very light floral flavor.

Flavor Sauerkraut with Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices can infuse sauerkraut with their vibrant and pronounced flavor, while also giving them medicinal value. You can find organic herbs and spices in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs.

• Caraway Seeds give sauerkraut a distinct flavor that's popular in Eastern European and German recipes.
• Juniper Berries are also often added to German recipes for sauerkraut, and blend nicely with apple and pear.
• Gochugaru is a Korean-style chili powder with a mild smoky edge, and it's traditionally added to kimchi; however, you can add it to sauerkraut, too.
• Turmeric gives sauerkraut an astringent note and a vivid golden color. It's nice paired with pineapple and ginger.
• Chilies are always lovely in sauerkraut, and it gives them a pleasant heat. You can add both dried and fresh chili peppers, and they blend beautifully with garlic and scallions.
• Ginger soothes and supports the digestive system, and it works well in sauerkraut paired with turmeric and black pepper or hot chilies and garlic.
• Dill, both fresh and dried, gives sauerkraut a fresh flavor and is reminiscent of dill pickles.

Flavor Sauerkraut with Specialty Salts

Sauerkraut relies on salt to both keep the cabbage crisp and maintain the right conditions for fermentation - keeping mold at bay while the lactobacillus bacteria responsible for fermentation take hold. Plain and additive-free sea salt works well for this purpose, but you can also add flavored salts and culinary salt to give your sauerkraut a unique flavor.

• Smoked Sea Salt can flavor sauerkraut with a rich smoky flavor that's intensely pleasant.
• Kala Namak Salt is a black salt used in Indian cookery, and it has a sulfurous aroma that works nicely in sauerkraut. Because it is an intense flavor, use only a small amount of kala namak along with plain sea salt.
• Red Alaea Salt is a vivid coral color and can give your sauerkraut a boost of minerals and a gorgeous color.
• Herbal Salts that blend both herbs and salt are fun to add, too.

Other Fermented Food Recipes You'll Love

The post How to Take Your Sauerkraut Game to the Next Level appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

Why does bone broth gel?

The bones you use for homemade broth are rich in connective tissue. Collagen is the primary protein in connective tissue. It is a good source of various amino acids, especially glycine and proline, which support gut health.

When you simmer these collagen-rich bones in water for an extended period of time, all those amino acids in the collagen dissolve and reform to make gelatin. As a result, a well-made broth will jiggle and bounce when it cools. And that gelatin will dissolve again when you heat the broth.

It sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, there are a few factors that can mean the difference between perfect bone broth gelatin and no gel at all. You need to pay attention to ingredients, recipe, temperature, and timing.

Start with High-Quality Bones

Using a variety of bones is the key to high-quality, gelatinous bone broth. While herbs, spices, sea salt, and vegetables can flavor your broth, the real secret is in the bones.

That's because some cuts of meat and some bones contain more collagen than others. The more collagen-rich ingredients you add to your pot, the more gelatinous your broth will be. 

What Kind of Bones to Use

• The bones from young animals tend to be richer in collagen.
• Beef knuckle bones may be large and bulky, but they're one of the best sources of collagen and the key to good beef bone broth.
• Neck bones from pork, chicken, or beef are also a good source of collagen, and they give your broth good flavor, too.
• Chicken feet, wing tips, and backs are some of the richest sources of collagen and can be the key between a rich, gelatinous bone broth and a weak chicken stock.
• Ham hocks and trotters are loaded with connective tissue and excellent for making pork bone broth.
• Marrow bones are popular additions to bone broth, but they are a poor source of collagen and don't make for a very gelatinous broth. So only use a small number.

Where to Find Bones for Broth

We recommend using bones from grass-fed and pasture-raised animals to make bone broth. These animals are raised outdoors on their natural diet, and their meat tends to be more nutritious than conventionally raised.

Order Bones Here

Add a Source of Acid

After you've selected plenty of collagen-rich bones, consider adding a little splash of something acidic. Acid helps extract the collagen in the connective tissue, resulting in a better likelihood that your bone broth gels.  It's so effective that it's used in the commercial production of packaged gelatin.

While It's not necessary to add acid to your homemade broth, it is helpful. And you don't need much.

• Apple cider vinegar is the most popular choice, but it also can easily overpower the flavor of your broth, even if you only use a few tablespoons.
• Wine is the best choice because it is both acidic and it imparts an excellent flavor to your broth. Use ¼ cup to 1 cup. Both red and white wine work well.
• Lemon juice also works, and you'll only need a tablespoon or two.

Use the Right Ratio

A good bone broth recipe will include bones and a source of acid. It may also include herbs, spices, and vegetables. These extra ingredients won't help your broth gel, but they will give it flavor.

To make gelatinous bone broth, look for recipes that have a ratio of about 1 pound bones to 1 quart of water. This should be enough to cover the bones by about 2 inches of water. Too much water will lead to a thin broth that doesn't gel.

Recipes should call for simmering the broth at low to medium-low temperatures for several hours. Boiling your broth rapidly for an extended period of time can deteriorate the gelatin, resulting in a broth that won't gel.

How to Get the Timing Right

Timing affects the quality of your broth. The amount of time your broth needs depends on both the equipment you're using and the kind of bones you're using. 

Thin, small bones, such as chicken bones, will take less time than large beef bones, which require more time to extract the collagen. Simmering broth for too long will break down the gelatin.

What kind of equipment should I use?

You can make gelatinous bone broth on the stove, in a pressure cooker, or in a slow cooker. However, cooking time varies from method to method.  The easiest way to make broth that consistently gels is to use a pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot.

• Use an Instant Pot for consistently gelatinous broth. One 90-minute cycle is usually sufficient for chicken bones.
• A slow cooker also works. It will take about 12 hours for chicken bone broth and upwards of 18 for beef bone broth.
• A large stock pot on the stove top works fine, too. Kept at a slow simmer, your broth will come together in about 6 to 18 hours, with chicken bones taking the least amount of time and large beef bones taking the most.

Mind Your Temperature

When you're cooking your broth in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, the equipment controls the temperature for you.  If you're cooking broth on the stovetop, you'll need to pay close attention to the temperature.

• Bring your ingredients to a rolling boil, and then immediately reduce to a light simmer.
• Gelatin will break down when held over the boiling point (212 F) for an extended period of time, so boiling your broth for hours (or days!) is a bad idea.
• Boiling too long or too vigorously may break down the gelatin while also producing a cloudy broth.

How to Fix a Broth that Doesn't Gel

If you've done your best to make a gelatinous broth, and it still just won't gel, there are a few rescues that you can try.

• Add supplementary gelatin to your broth. Some of the best bone broth brands add supplementary gelatin to their products. 
• For every 3 cups of broth, you'll need 1 tablespoon of gelatin for a loose gel similar to what you'd find in a well-made broth.
• Bloom your gelatin by placing it in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons warm broth to every 1 tablespoon gelatin in the bowl. 
• When fully hydrated, stir it into your hot broth until fully dissolved. Then turn off the heat and transfer it to the fridge.

Get the Book

Our best-selling cookbook, Broth & Stock, guides you through making a dozen master recipes (for everything from bone broth to seafood stock) with guidance on how to use them to make amazing soups, stews, risottos, and more. It's everything you need to know about nourishing broths.

Order the Book Here

Common Questions

The post The Trick to Making Gelatinous Broth appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

Yogurt-Making Basics

Every society that raises animals for milk has a recipe for yogurt. These recipes vary from region to region, and their flavor is influenced by the milk they use, how long they culture that milk, and the starter culture (if any) people add to the milk. As a result, there are many different varieties of cultured dairy foods.

Making Yogurt

Making yogurt and other fermented and cultured milk products is simple. It typically involves mixing fresh milk with a starter culture and allowing that milk to sit until thickened and sour. Sometimes, cooks will strain the yogurt to provide a thicker consistency.

• You can make yogurt with raw milk, and you can also make homemade yogurt from pasteurized or scalded milk.
• Your starter culture contains bacteria that transform the milk into yogurt.
• Some of these bacteria benefit from consistently elevated temperatures (108 - 112 F), and these are referred to as thermophilic (heat-loving) yogurt. Greek and Bulgarian yogurts are good examples.
• Some of these bacteria benefit from lower, room temperatures of about 65-78 F. These are referred to as mesophilic and include room-temperature cultured dairy foods such as matsoni or milk kefir.
• The time required to make yogurt and similar cultured dairy foods varies from about 6 hours on the low end to 48 hours on the high end.

How do I know my yogurt is done?

You know your yogurt is done when, after culturing it for the recommended period of time (6 to 12 hours for thermophilic yogurt, and 24 to 48 hours for room temperature yogurt), it pulls away from the sides of the jar when you tilt it.  This indicates that the proteins have coagulated and your yogurt has finished culturing.

Problems with Yogurt's Flavor

Sometimes your yogurt just doesn't taste quite right. Often, this is because of your personal preference and expectations. For this reason, most problems with yogurt's flavor can be easily remedied by making small changes to the culturing process.

Rarely, there may be a problem with your starter culture. And, if that's the case, discarding your starter and beginning again is the best remedy.

Why is my yogurt too sour?

Both temperature and time influence how sour yogurt will taste. That's because as yogurt cultures, the bacteria in the starter culture will eat the naturally occurring milk sugar (lactose) and release lactic acid. The acid they release makes the yogurt taste sour.

• Culturing yogurt for too long or too high a temperature can make it taste extra sour.
• Most homemade yogurts are thermophilic. This includes popular options such as Bulgarian and Greek yogurt. Culture them at 108 - 110 F for about 6 hours for a mildly sour yogurt.
• For room temperature yogurts, such as matsoni, culture the yogurt at room temperature for about 24 hours.

Why isn't my yogurt sour enough (or sour at all)?

Time and temperature influence how sour your yogurt will be. If your yogurt isn't sour enough, try culturing it longer or at a slightly higher temperature.

• Increase time or temperature. The longer your yogurt cultures, the sourer it will be. For brightly sour yogurt, try culturing it beween 110 - 112 F for 8 to 12 hours.
• Sometimes yogurt will thicken but never taste sour. So, if you've cultured your yogurt at the recommended time and temperature, and it's thick and doesn't taste sour at all, you have a damaged starter. Discard your starter and acquire a new one. Then start the process over.

Why does my yogurt taste weird or bad?

Homemade yogurt and similar cultured dairy foods should taste pleasantly sour. So a sour flavor (more or less pronounced) is normal.

• If your yogurt tastes weird, bad, putrid, or otherwise off-putting, it's because of microbial imbalance in your starter and potential cross-contamination. Often this happens because the yogurt or starter is expired or too old.
• Discard any bad- or weird-tasting yogurt and your starter culture. Get a fresh starter as well as fresh milk, and then start over.

Problems with Yogurt Texture

Sometimes your yogurt may taste fine, but the texture is strange. The most common problem is that yogurt is runny. Sometimes, yogurt can also be stringy, viscous, fizzy or carbonated, gritty, or curdled.

Some of these issues are easily fixed by changing your ingredients or technique. However, most issues with yogurt texture are a problem not with technique, but with the quality of your starter. For those, you'll need to start over.

Why is my yogurt runny?

There are a few reasons why your yogurt might be runny. Yogurts made with raw milk are naturally runny due to both food enzymes and the milk's protein structure. In addition, yogurts made with pasteurized milk can be runny due to an old starter or culturing the yogurt at the wrong temperature or for the wrong length of time.

If you're using raw milk:

• Raw milk yogurt is naturally runny. That's because it's rich in food enzymes which can contribute to a runny texture.
• Raw milk yogurt hasn't been heated and its proteins don't coagulate well. Scalding or pasteurizing milk denatures its proteins, and this allows them to be reorganized and better coagulated during the culturing process.  A runny or liquid texture is the natural state of raw milk yogurt.
• To thicken raw milk yogurt that's too runny, consider straining it or adding a thickening agent such as pectin or gelatin. Some people have success by adding powdered milk.

If you're using pasteurized milk:

• Too little starter culture can make yogurt runny. Try using ¼ cup starter to 1 quart of milk. If you're using a powdered starter, follow the instructions of the package.
• Cold temperatures and too little time can mean your yogurt stays runny. Try culturing your yogurt for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours at 108 to 112 F.
• If it doesn't thicken and doesn't turn sour, your starter might be dead or expired. Discard this batch and start over with fresh milk and a fresh starter.

Why did my homemade yogurt separate or turn lumpy?

Culturing yogurt for too long, at too high a temperature, or with an unreliable or compromised starter culture can cause your yogurt to separate or turn lumpy.  If your yogurt turns lumpy, strain it to remove the whey, then beat the yogurt solids in a bowl with a whisk until it turns smooth.

Other causes of lumpy yogurt:

• Pay attention to temperature. Culture thermophilic yogurts at temperatures of 108 to 112 F and room temperature yogurts at 68 to 78 F.  
• Keep your starter fresh. Use either a purchased powdered starter or a fresh starter no older than 1 week.  After 1 week, the cultures in yogurt may deteriorate and may not be as effective at culturing milk to produce the style of yogurt you prefer.
• Using a starter culture that contains additives or thickeners (which are often found in store-bought yogurts) can create off-textures.
• Disturbing your yogurt while it ferments can also cause lumpiness. Yogurt cultures best in a still environment, and agitating, bumping, stirring, and moving your yogurt during this process may cause lumpiness.

Why is my yogurt foamy/stringy and why does it smell like beer/bread?

If your yogurt is foamy, stringy, or smells yeasty like beer or bread, it is likely contaminated by yeast.  This can be yeast from baking, or wild yeast naturally present in your home and on your hands.  

To prevent it from happening, make sure to practice good hygiene in the kitchen, using clean equipment.  Also, avoid baking yeasted bread (including your favorite sourdough recipes) on the day you make yogurt to avoid cross-contamination.

Other ways yogurt can be contaminated by yeast:

• Brewing yeasted beverages at the same time as you make yogurt can create cross-contamination. So avoid brewing homemade beers, kombucha, jun, ginger bug, vinegar, and water kefir at the same time you make yogurt.
• Baking at the same time as making yogurt can cause cross-contamination.
• Using contaminated materials, such as a wooden spoon you've used to mix yeasted bread can cause cross-contamination - even if you've washed it.
• Fermenting yogurt and fruit together can create off-flavors, so only add fruit to plain yogurt after it's finished culturing.

Why is my homemade yogurt grainy or gritty?

If your yogurt tastes fine but has a weird gritty or grainy texture, this typically indicates that you heated the milk too fast. Allow the milk to come to 180 F more slowly next time.  It can take upwards of 45 minutes to bring a gallon of milk to 180 F.

Other reasons your yogurt might be gritty:

• Heating milk too quickly is the biggest culprit behind gritty yogurt. So, try heating it more slowly.
• A compromised starter culture can also cause your yogurt to be gritty. Many store-bought yogurts contain additives and thickeners, which can cause yogurt to turn gritty, lumpy, or grainy. Use an heirloom starter or plain store-bought yogurt that contains only live cultures and milk (no additives, thickeners, food starch, inulin, etc.)
• Failure to mix your starter thoroughly into your milk can also cause it to be gritty.

Why is my yogurt curdled?

As with gritty and lumpy yogurt, sometimes yogurt will take on a curdled appearance. This is most likely due to culturing yogurt for too long or at too high of a temperature.

Other reasons your yogurt might curdle:

• Culturing yogurt for too long will cause it to curdle before it separates into curds and whey. Try culturing your yogurt at a slightly lower temperature or for less time.
• A starter culture that contains additives or thickeners can cause it to curdle. So use a powdered heirloom starter or fresh, additive-free plain yogurt from the store that contains nothing but live cultures and milk.
• Too high of a temperature can cause your yogurt to curdle, so pay attention to temperature. The optimal temperature for most homemade yogurts is 108-112 F.

Why is my yogurt watery or separated?

Yogurt can become watery when the whey separates from the milk solids (or curds). Many factors can contribute to separated, watery yogurt, but the biggest and most likely culprit is over-culturing.

• Culturing yogurt at too high a temperature can cause it to separate. You may also notice an intensely sour flavor or lumpy texture. It's safe to eat, but you may want to run it through a blender first to improve its texture.
• Very old yogurt will also separate and become watery. If your yogurt has been in your fridge for a while and is separated, it's best to discard it as it's likely past its prime.

Other problems you might see

Most problems you'll face when making yogurt at home have to do with its flavor and texture. Further, most of these issues are resolved by paying careful attention to the quality and freshness of your starter, the cleanliness of your work area, as well as time and temperature.

Occasionally, other issues arise. Perhaps your yogurt simply didn't culture at all, or maybe you've noticed spots of mold.

Why is my homemade yogurt moldy?

Very rarely, you may see mold on the surface of their yogurt.  This can be due to a few issues. Poorly cleaned jars and utensils, old milk, improper handling, and a compromised starter culture are the biggest culprits.  If you see mold, discard the yogurt, and start fresh with a new starter and clean materials.

• Use clean utensils and jars to prevent stray microbes from contaminating your yogurt. This practice helps not only with mold but also yeast.
• Use fresh milk. Old, expired milk can give yogurt a strange, unpleasant flavor and leave it open to contamination by mold.
• Room-temperature yogurts are more likely to mold than those cultured at elevated temperatures.
• Old starter culture can contribute to mold in yogurt. The beneficial bacteria in your starter culture will weaken with prolonged storage, meaning they may not effectively acidify the milk, resulting in contamination by mold. Make yogurt every 7-10 days to keep your starter culture healthy.
• Discard any moldy yogurt or starter, and start fresh.

Why is my yogurt fizzy?

Occasionally your yogurt might have a fizzy quality when opened or it may taste carbonated. Fizzy yogurt is usually a result of contamination by yeast. It's best to discard the yogurt, your starter, and begin with fresh ingredients.

Nothing happened when you tried to make yogurt.

Occasionally your yogurt may not culture at all. You may follow all the instructions, use clean materials and fresh milk, and, still, nothing happens. If you follow the instructions and nothing happens, your starter culture is dead.

• If you purchased a commercial, heirloom culture, let the manufacturer know that it was dead and ask for a refund. This is rare, but it does happen.
• If you purchased a plain yogurt from the store to act as a starter, discard the starter and the milk and try either a new starter or buy a commercial, heirloom starter which tend to have a better success rate.
• If you used your own yogurt from a previous batch as a starter, it was probably too old. Discard it and the milk, and then start fresh with a new, purchased starter.

Ready to get started? Try these recipes first.

The post Troubleshooting Homemade Yogurt appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

What makes the best bone broth?

While homemade bone broth certainly beats all the store-bought brands, not everyone has time to simmer bones on the stove for hours. Fortunately, there are several brands that offer options that are pretty close to homemade. But there are a few things you need to pay attention to.

What's in it?

The best bone broth brands use simple ingredients. Bones and water form the foundation of their broth, while vegetables, herbs, and spices add flavor.

Less scrupulous brands will use chicken stock or chicken broth as the basis instead of bones, resulting in a diluted broth with far less protein than higher-quality brands.

In addition, look for brands that use free-range, organic, pasture-raised, or grass-fed bones. Raising animals on their natural diet increases the nutrient content of their meat and is better for the animals, farmers, and local ecology. Some brands focus on regenerative agriculture.

Check the ingredient list:

• Look for brands that list bones in their ingredient list. They'll be close to homemade and typically have a higher protein content.
• Free-range, pasture-raised, and grass-fed options are optimal. But double-check that the brand clearly defines how they interpret these terms, as these are unregulated terms.
• Opt for organic ingredients, such as vegetables, herbs, and spices.
• Avoid broths that list additives such as sugar and gums.

Nutrition

Bone broth is naturally rich in protein but has very little fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, or minerals. Accordingly, the best bone broth brands will use high-quality ingredients, and their broth will be naturally rich in protein.

Most of the protein in broth comes from gelatin, which is the denatured protein formed by the collagen in the connective tissue of bones and meat. This is why it's important to find brands that use actual bones as the foundation of their broth rather than diluting, flavoring, and repackaging other stock and broth.

• Look for brands that have about 10 grams of protein per serving. The more concentrated the broth, the higher the protein content will be.
• Avoid brands that contain sugar.
• Most bone broth will be low in carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals.

All Rankings

We looked at several popular (and some niche) brands to come up with the best options. We evaluated them for ingredient quality, flavor, texture (is it gelatinous?), nutrition, cost, and availability.

Please note that the serving size varies dramatically from one brand to the next, which can skew nutritional information. So, we calculated for 1-cup (8 oz) servings across all brands, which may account for a difference in our evaluation versus what is printed on the nutrition label.

Kettle + Fire

Kettle + Fire offers a great overall bone broth. It has a high protein content of about 10 grams per serving and has a vegetable-forward flavor. It's versatile, with options that are equally good for sipping as they are used as a base for soup and stew recipes.

While more expensive than many of the cheapest brands, its quality ingredients, lack of additives, and flavor more than makes up for the cost. It's also served in shelf-stable packages, so it won't take up space in your fridge or freezer.

Ingredients: Their ingredients are squeaky clean. They use grass-fed beef bones, free-range organic chicken bones, and organic vegetables. Their classic chicken flavor is loaded with vegetables such as fennel, leeks, herbs, and tomatoes. The broth is made traditionally with a low, slow simmer of up to 20 hours.

Additionally, they offer a broth made exclusively in partnership with regenerative farms. And they offer several different flavors.

Texture: On the downside, Kettle + Fire broth tends to have a thin, rather than gelatinous, texture.

Nutrition: 45 calories, 10 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrate and 255 mg potassium (Classic Chicken Bone Broth, 1-cup per serving)

Cost: Kettle and Fire costs about 50 cents per ounce for a single carton, but bulk purchases provide significant discounts and the price is closer to 40 cents per ounce.

Where to Buy It: Kettle and Fire is widely available. You can find it stocked in grocery stores, and natural foods markets. But it's best to order online where you'll see discounts of up to 30% when you buy in bulk or purchase a subscription.

The Details

• 10 grams of protein per serving
• Made with clean ingredients (grass-fed beef bones, organic chicken bones, etc.)
• Shelf-Stable Packaging
• 40 to 50 cents per ounce

Shop Kettle + Fire

Pacific

Pacific makes a bone broth that's easy to find in most stores and is relatively affordable. But, it fared poorly with our testers, who described the flavor as "like dog food" with an acidic overtone. Some testers couldn't finish their cups.

It works in a pinch, but you're better off making your own or spending a little bit more for a better-flavored and higher-quality product. While it's the least expensive option of the broths we tested, it's also the least-liked.

Ingredients: The addition of both vegetables and spices lends a little flavor to the broth. On the downside, there's no indication that the bones in its beef flavor are from grass-fed cattle, and some broths contain additives such as dextrose.

Texture: Additionally, it has a thin texture that lacks the gelatinous structure that makes homemade bone broth so delicious and silky.

Nutrition: 40 calories, 9 grams protein, 125 mg sodium, 10 mg calcium, 150 mg potassium (Organic Chicken Bone Broth, 1 cup serving)

Cost: Pacific broth varies slightly in price from store to store, but averages about 25 to 35 cents per ounce.

Where to Find it: You can find Pacific broth in most grocery stores and natural foods markets, as well as in bulk stores such as Costco. It's also sold on Amazon.

The Details

• 9 grams protein per serving
• You can find it at most grocery stores, bulk food stores, and online.
• Shelf-Stable Packaging
• 25 - 35 cents per ounce

Shop Pacific Broth on Amazon

Fond Bone Broth

Fond makes beautiful, botanically-enriched broth that's excellent for sipping and has a delicious flavor, too. Ingredients are impeccably sourced, and they include nutrient-rich vegetables as well as medicinal herbs. It's also tested for heavy metals.

You can also shop by health concern, so it's the perfect option for people who are on restrictive protocols such as AIP or a low-FODMAPS diet.

Ingredients: Fond's ingredients vary from product to product, but include a variety grass-fed beef or free-range chicken bones as well as a variety of organic vegetables and phytonutrient-rich herbs.

Texture: It has a silky texture, and a decent gel develops when you. refrigerate the broth.

Nutrition: 32 calories, 8 grams protein, 636 mg sodium (Spring Clean Flavor, per 1-cup serving)

Cost: Fond is the priciest of the broths we tested at about 85 cents per ounce, with discounts available for subscriptions.

Where to Find it: Fond is not widely available. A few natural foods markets stock it, but your best bet is to purchase it online.

The Details

• 9 grams protein per serving
• Excellent flavor, infused with nourishing veggies and medicinal herbs.
• Shelf-Stable Packaging in glass jars.
• about 85 cents per ounce

Shop Fond

Nona Lim

Nona Lim offers single-serving sipping broths infused with herbs and spices such as ginger, turmeric, goji berries, and shiitake mushrooms. They're easy to heat up, and are perfect for sipping on the go.

Ingredients: Nona Lim's ingredients are pretty straightforward: organic chicken and beef bones as well as various vegetables, herbs and spices.

Texture: It has a thin texture, and isn't particularly gelatinous.

Nutrition: 36 calories, 8 grams protein, 288 mg sodium (Turmeric Chicken, per 1-cup serving)

Cost: Nona Lim is a little more expensive than many broth brands, coming in at about about 67 cents per ounce, with discounts available for subscriptions.

Where to Find it: You can find Nona Lim at some natural foods markets, and some subscription and meal plan services. You can also order it online here.

The Details

• 8 grams protein
• Excellent flavor.
• Easy to heat-and-go.
• Must keep frozen.
• About 67 cents per ounce

Shop Nona Lim

Smart Chicken

Smart Chicken sells shelf-stable bone broths that are widely available in well-stocked natural markets and can also be purchased online. It has a rich chicken flavor which is pleasant, especially in comparison to other broths that are also widely available.

Ingredients: Smart Chicken's ingredients are straightforward and include chicken bones, vegetables, herbs, and apple cider vinegar.

Texture: It has a thin texture and isn't particularly gelatinous.

Nutrition: 60 calories, 10 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrate, 430 mg sodium, 279 mg potassium (Classic Chicken, per 1-cup serving)

Cost: Smart Chicken is a mid-range broth and rings up between 30 and 50 cents per ounce, depending on the product. Price can also vary by retailer.

Where to Find it: You can find Smart Chicken at most well-stocked grocers, as well as online through Amazon.

The Details

• 10 grams protein
• Rich flavor.
• Shelf-stable Packaging.
• Widely available.
• 30 to 50 cents per ounce

Shop Smart Chicken on Amazon

PaleoValley

PaleoValley offers an excellent bone broth protein powder that is rich in gelatin and made from grass-fed beef bones. It's also made without the additives and fillers you often find in other similar protein powders.

Ingredients: It's made from slow-simmered grass-fed beef bones and water, then dehydrated. No other ingredients or additives. Seriously, just water and bones.

Texture: It has a powdery texture and dissolves readily.

Nutrition: 70 calories, 15 grams protein (Unflavored, per 1 tablespoon serving)

Cost: It's about $2 per serving, which is comparable to a mid-range liquid broth. Discounts are available for purchasing in bulk.

Where to Find it: It's available only online, and you can order it here.

The Details

• 15 grams protein
• Super Clean Ingredients with no additives.
• Shelf-stable Packaging.
• $2 per serving.

Shop PaleoValley Here

Epic

Epic bone broth is widely available in most natural foods markets. Their broths have thoughtful, clean ingredients, although the flavor is somewhat lackluster, and the texture is thin.

Ingredients: It's made from free-range chicken bones and grass-fed beef bones, as well as organic vegetables, herbs, spices, and apple cider vinegar.

Texture: It has a thin texture, similar to a light tea.

Nutrition: 40 calories, 9 grams protein, 428 mg sodium (Savory Chicken, per 1-cup)

Cost: It's about 50 cents per ounce, with discounts for subscribing.

Where to Find it: It's available in most well-stocked grocers and natural foods markets. You can also order it online through their website and several retailers.

The Details

• 9 grams protein
• Good-quality ingredients.
• Shelf-stable Packaging.
• Widely Available
• About 50 cents per ounce

Shop Epic on Amazon

If you want to make your own, try these recipes.

The post What's the best bone broth? appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

Lacto-fermentation is the process by which lactic acid-forming bacteria metabolize the sugars in foods and convert them to lactic acid. These bacterial strains were first isolated in milk, hence their name, yet while many of the bacterial strains are found in milk and in cultured dairy products, lactobacillus aren't exclusively found in milk; rather, this type of bacteria is present nearly everywhere.

Lacto-fermentation or lactic acid fermentation, in contrast to ethanol fermentation in which alcohol is created, is the fermentation process used in making a wide variety of foods including fermented vegetable dishes like sauerkraut and beet kvass as well as cultured dairy products like yogurt and kefir.  It's these bacteria that are responsible for gobbling up the carbohydrates naturally present on the skin of cucumbers and turning them into sour pickles.

Many newcomers to fermentation mistakenly believe that, in order to make Lacto-fermented foods like sauerkraut, they must add a dairy product such as whey to kickstart the fermentation process. 

Since the bacteria responsible for lactic acid fermentation exist on your skin, on your food, and on your countertops, it is unnecessary to inoculate your foods with a starter culture.  They will ferment without a starter, such as whey, and will do so successfully, safely, and often with better tasting results.

Most Fermented Foods Don't Need a Starter

Almost all fermented vegetable recipes, including homemade sauerkraut and sour pickles, don't need or derive much benefit from the addition of a starter culture, and most are traditionally prepared without a starter culture.  Instead of adding a starter to your fermented foods, you simply salt them, pack them into fermentation crocks or jars with an airlocked lid, and allow their native bacteria the time to do their work, turning those fresh vegetables marvelously sour and preserving them for longterm storage.

This process of fermenting vegetables the traditional way, in absence of a starter culture such as whey, is also known as wild fermentation a term that was popularized by author and fermentation enthusiast Sandor Katz.  That is, you're using wild strains of bacteria rather than the "domesticated" strains of bacteria in a starter culture to ferment and preserve your foods.

Fermented Foods That Don't Need a Starter

• All fermented vegetable dishes including sauerkraut, sour pickles, sauerruben, kimchi.
• Preserved lemons and limes.
• Bonny clabber, also known as clabbered raw milk.

Some Fermented Foods Do Need a Starter

Some fermented foods require a starter culture to either ensure that they're safe to eat and drink, to ensure consistent results with regard to flavor and texture or both.

Sourdough bread depends upon a starter culture, which you can make through wild fermentation or, much more successfully, by using the existing starter of another baker.  Kombucha and Jun tea need a mother culture to brew properly.  Water kefir depends on water kefir grains. Yogurt depends on a starter culture and kefir depends upon kefir grains.  Most homemade sodas, like homemade root beer or fermented lemonade, depend on a starter culture.

Sweetened black tea, the substrate used to make kombucha, if left in a jar on the countertop may mold and is not likely to turn sour on its own; however, when a kombucha mother is added to that sweet tea, the bacterial and yeast strains present in the mother will gobble up the sugar, turning it into various acids and making it pleasantly tart while also giving it a boost of B vitamins.

Similarly, if raw milk is left on the countertop on its own, it will sour and then clabber producing bonny clabber, a wild-fermented dairy product, but its flavor and texture may be inconsistent from batch to batch.  Instead, by using a yogurt starter culture, you can produce the same consistent results from batch to batch whether that's viscous and ropy as in a good viili yogurt or the sweet-tart flavor you fine in a Bulgarian-style yogurt.

Fermented Foods That Need a Starter

• Kombucha and Jun Tea
• Water Kefir
• Yogurt
• Milk Kefir
• Sourdough Bread

Some Fermented Foods Benefit from a Starter, but Don't Require One

Some fermented foods can be successfully fermented through wild fermentation, in absence of a starter culture, but benefit from having one added to the mix anyway.  These are typically fermented foods that are only fermented for a short duration, such as condiments or high-sugar fruits.  When you're fermenting for a short period of time, the addition of a starter culture helps to kickstart the process and produce reliable results.

Homemade fermented condiments, like ketchup or mustard, tend to achieve maximum flavor after only a few days of fermentation; further, as they are pastes, it is difficult to keep them submerged in brine and therefore it leaves them exposed to oxygen, and prone to contamination by mold.  By inoculating them with a starter culture, you can shorten the fermentation time and, in doing so, reduce the likelihood of mold contamination (using proper equipment also helps).

High-sugar fruits, with extended fermentation, are prone to turning alcoholic.  If that's not what you're looking for, and are, instead hoping to create a light sauce, condiment, chutney or relish, shortening the fermentation time by using a starter culture can help you to achieve a result that's lively and rich in beneficial bacteria, but not alcoholic.  A recipe worth trying is these fermented mixed berries.

Some fermented foods are traditionally prepared using a starter culture, such as beet kvass, but don't necessarily require one.  In these cases, I tend to keep with tradition and use a starter culture.

Fermented Foods That Benefit from a Starter, but Don't Require One

• Condiments and pastes that are difficult to keep submerged under brine.
• High-sugar fruits.

Which starter should you choose?

Newcomers to fermented foods tend to favor using whey drawn off from making homemade yogurt or from clabbering raw milk as their starter of choice; often this is a good idea as whey is inexpensive and abundant if you make your own yogurt or if you have access to raw milk.  But just about any liquid that is rich in beneficial bacteria can be used, as can a packaged starter culture.

For those people who are looking to use probiotic foods therapeutically and have a particular interest in consuming a specific strain of bacteria, choosing a starter culture with those strains may be of benefit.

Starter Cultures to Try

• Whey from straining yogurt, kefir, or clabbered raw milk (sweet whey, powdered whey, and whey from cheesemaking will not work)
• Brine from fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut juice or sour pickle brine
• Kombucha or Jun Tea
• Water Kefir
• A Good-Quality Probiotic Supplement
• Packaged Commercial Starter Culture

The post Do you need a starter culture? appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

Few traditional foods are as beloved as bone broth.  Slowly simmered, pleasing to all our senses, and renowned for its many benefits. Making stocks and broths is often one of the first skills that those engaging traditional foods reclaim.

Many people think that since it is made with bones, and bones contain lots of minerals, that bone broth would be a good source of calcium and other similar nutrients.  In fact, there are many modern marketing angles aimed directly at touting the mineral and nutrient content of bone broth. Unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth.

Minerals and Nutrients in Bone Broth?

Surprisingly, bone broth is a poor source of minerals and nutrients.  Recent USDA figures found calcium ranges from 9 to 14 mg per cup of broth.  For comparison, a cup of milk contains around 300 mg of calcium, or 30 times more than bone broth.

Lawrence Dubois, from the health food store Salt Springs Natureworks, intrigued by all the claims about bone broth, performed his own independent tests using venison bones.

The results?  The venison broth had around 75 mg per liter or about 18 mg per cup which are some of the highest results seen but still only equivalent to a quarter of a cup of milk. He was so stunned by the results that he retested multiple times using different bones, cooking times, and more. And yet, he was consistently surprised to see such low mineral numbers.

These results are not new or an anomaly.  Back in 1934, King's College Hospital did the original testing of bone broth. Their report (PDF) stated that the calcium content of several types of bone broth were 5.2 to 28.6 mg per 100 cc or 12.30 to 67.7 mg per cup.

Their findings also point to an important observation about where the minerals in the highest test results originated.

Most minerals in stocks and broths come from vegetables, not bones

One interesting thing that all this testing revealed is just where certain nutrients in broth come from, and it isn't from the bones. It is from the vegetables.

Many of us remember our waste not, want not grandparents with garages and basements full of old bottles and jars.  Drawers full of this and that, just in case, and leftover vegetable scraps - carrot tops, outer onion layers, celery tips, and the like - on the counter or in the fridge or freezer waiting to be tossed into the next batch of broth or stock.

This traditional approach to broths and stocks, where these collected leftovers from  vegetables were often saved to be tossed into the stewing pot of stock, show great wisdom.  These vegetables not only add flavor and depth to this delicious food but they are one of the primary sources of minerals and other nutrients such as calcium.

In the King's College study, the stocks that had the highest tested mineral scores had the most vegetable matter.

What does this mean?  When making stock and bone broth, be sure to include your vegetable scraps if you want the most nutritional value for your efforts, or consume broths with added vegetables, as in soup.  Not only does it add important flavor components but it allows you to turn vegetable waste into a nutritional win.  Save your carrot tops and other vegetable scraps for the stock pot.  Once done there, you can then send them on to the compost pile or animal feed.

What are the benefits of bone broth then?

If this traditional food has so little mineral value then why is it so revered? Long-simmered bone broths and stock does have a number of important nutritional and health benefits, it just isn't in the minerals. The benefits are in the its protein profile and its impact on how our body digests the other parts of our meals.

Modern American diets tend to have an imbalanced amino acid intake. The reliance on muscle meats almost exclusively, instead of engaging in "nose-to-tail" eating of the animals, results in an overabundance of some amino acids and a very little of others.  This imbalance appears to have significant consequences for our health such as fertility and lifespan.

Also, bones in animals and humans are only partially made up of minerals but a large percentage is collagen which is built from proteins.  The two main proteins in collagen are glycine and proline, and a fair amount of glutamic acid which gives the foods made from bones their rich and savory flavor.

This is in stark contrast to muscle meat, whose primary amino acid is methionine.  Methionine can deplete your body's glycine stores, among other problems it can contribute to when consumed in excess. And make no mistake, most modern American diets have an excess of methionine because of the over reliance on animal muscle meats and disregard and dislike for the other parts of the animal.

Thus, bone broth plays a protective, nutritionally balancing role in modern muscle meat rich diets.  It also contains a host of other beneficial compounds such as gelatin, chondroitin, and more that have known health benefits.

Maximizing Bone Broth and Stock's Nutritional Value

Long-simmered bone broths and stocks are not really meant to be a food unto themselves, even though a nice warm mug of broth in the morning is a nice mix up from the usual fare.  Rather, they serve a critical role in cuisine.  They are the base, or foundation, for so many satisfying, easy to digest, and nutrient dense-dishes.  What would chicken soup be without chicken stock?  What would glazed short ribs be without demi-glace?

Traditionally, bone broths and stocks served as a complement for meat and vegetable dishes, on its own as a companion to a dinner of meats, fish, pulses, and vegetables, or blended together with these foods in soups and stews.  It's as part of these dishes that bone broths and stock truly shine, both nutritionally and culinarily, providing deep-rooted flavor and copious amounts of protein, much in the way of gelatin, as a partner to the ample vitamins and minerals provided by other foods.

These latter benefits of stocks are historically and in other cultures well established but are debated by modern American dietary authorities. Regardless, broth has a long history of use in many cultures and the clichéd "Grandma's Chicken Soup" which always soothed a cold is just one familiar example in a long, rich tradition of genuinely nourishing our families.

Recipes to try

The post Is bone broth mineral-rich? appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

Most of us struggle with our sleep at some point - stress being one of the biggest culprits that impacts your ability to get a good night's rest. But, there are a few natural approaches that can help improve your ability to sleep well.

These natural remedies for better sleep include both practical actions you can take to improve your sleep quality as well as herbs and minerals that are traditionally used to encourage a good night's rest.

The post Natural Remedies for Better Sleep appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

Whole grains are wholesome and nutritious foods for most people. People who eat whole grains tend to live longer, too (1). And some of the longest-lived peoples in the world consume diets rich in whole grains (2, 3).

But most of those long-lived people aren't just eating bran flakes and pre-sliced whole grain sandwich bread; rather, they're eating minimally processed whole grains prepared in ways that maximize their nutritional value.

In many culinary traditions throughout the world, grains are carefully prepared by soaking, fermentation, or sourdough leavening. And while many cultures do traditionally soak or ferment their grains, the practice is not necessarily universal.

What are the benefits of soaking grains?

Grains are a good source of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. They also contain B vitamins such as niacin and B6. They also contain minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.

But here's the catch: Compounds that occur naturally in grains can make them difficult to digest and make their minerals difficult to absorb. And for some people, especially those with compromised digestion, those complex carbohydrates can send them into fits of pain, bloating, and digestive distress. Soaking whole grains helps to reduce these compounds, resulting in increased mineral availability and much easier digestion.

Soaking grains also release compounds called lower-order inositols - specifically myo- and d-chiro-inositol. And these compounds help support blood sugar regulation and metabolic as well as hormonal health.

Enhanced Mineral Absorption

When you soak whole grains in warm water overnight, you activate the enzyme phytase. This enzyme then works to break down phytic acid, which binds minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc. As phytase does its magic, it releases minerals in whole grains and makes them easier for your body to absorb (4).

Soaking is also the first step in sprouting grains. Sprouting grains tends to release even more minerals than soaking alone (5).

Most people who eat an otherwise nutritious diet inclusive of meat, fish, and vegetables will consume the minerals their bodies need; however, if you're concerned about your mineral intake, soaking or sprouting your grains can be a good strategy.

Enhanced Digestion

In addition to activating the enzyme phytase, soaking your grains also activates the enzyme amylase, which breaks down complex starches found in grains. These complex starches can make grains difficult for some people to digest.

When those starches are broken down by soaking, sprouting, or sour leavening followed by cooking, the grains tend to be a little easier on your digestion. This is also why sourdough bread tends to be easier to digest than quick-rise whole wheat bread and why it's permitted on a low-FODMAPs diet (6), particularly when it's made from ancient grains like spelt.

Increase in Micronutrients that Support Blood Sugar Regulation and Hormonal Balance

When enzymes break down phytic acid, the compound that makes the minerals in grains difficult to absorb, they not only enhance the availability of minerals, but they also convert phytic acid into lower-order inositols - and myo-inositol specifically.

These micronutrients help to support blood sugar balance, metabolic and hormonal health. These lower-order inositols have a particularly dramatic effect on the hormonal health and fertility of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) (7, 8, 9) and are often used therapeutically as supplements to support fertility, hormonal health, and blood sugar regulation.

Myo-inositol supports blood sugar regulation and can be helpful in the management of type 2 diabetes (10). Animal studies have found that these inositols which are present in soaked and sprouted grains may help to return insulin sensitivity to those who are insulin resistant (11), so they're particularly powerful micronutrients.

What are the drawbacks of soaking grains?

Soaking grains improves mineral availability, makes grains easier to digest, and increases compounds that help support metabolic health. There are a few drawbacks. Namely, soaking grains can be tedious and is generally less effective than sprouting or sourdough fermentation.

While soaking grains, especially for porridge and gruel, is a traditional culinary practice throughout the world, not all traditional peoples soaked their grains.

Soaking grains can be tedious.

Planning ahead and soaking grains in advance is easy and takes very little time; however, it can feel tedious until it the practice becomes routine. If you want the benefits of soaking but have trouble remembering or advanced planning, you can purchase sprouted grains and sprouted flour at many natural foods markets as well as online, and sourdough bread is readily available in most areas.

You're probably getting enough minerals already.

If you're eating an otherwise nutrient-dense diet that's rich in minerals from meat, fish, and vegetables, you probably don't need to worry about soaking your grains.

The mineral-binding effects of food phytate can contribute to mineral deficiencies, but this is generally only a concern in developing nations where people may rely only on grains and pulses with very little access to other mineral-rich whole foods.

It might also be a concern for people who adhere to vegan and vegetarian diets and who must rely heavily on grains and pulses due to the absence of meat, fish, eggs, and milk.

If you eat plenty of mineral-rich foods, soaking grains likely won't contribute a significant amount of additional minerals to your diet. Of course, you might still benefit from eating soaked or sprouted grains because they're also easier to digest.

Some people benefit from mineral-binding effects of phytate.

Some people, particularly those of Irish descent, are genetically predisposed to iron overload, and a condition called hemochromatosis. While avoiding iron-rich foods like organ meats or clams is a primary strategy, the iron-binding effects of whole grains prepared without any special treatment could be valuable.

Phytic acid is a powerful antioxidant.

While we often call phytic acid an anti-nutrient because it binds minerals, it is also a powerful antioxidant precisely because it does bind minerals. More specifically, it binds iron.

Your body needs iron and iron performs many vital functions within your body. But, it can also contribute to free radical formation when the way your body regulates iron is disrupted (12).

Because phytic acid found in whole grains binds to iron and prevents you from fully absorbing the iron in grains, it can act as an antioxidant (13), and researchers are examining the therapeutic role it might play in colon and other cancers (14).

Not only does phytic acid bind minerals, but it also binds heavy metals in the gut (15), thus potentially helping to minimize their accumulation in the body.

Should you soak grains or not?

There are both benefits and drawbacks to soaking grains. And it can be difficult to decide if it's a technique that's worth your time.

Remember that in an otherwise nutrient-dense, omnivorous diet, the mineral-binding capacity of phytic acid is unlikely to contribute to mineral deficiency. If you find that you have trouble digesting whole grains, you might try soaked or sprouted grains or sour-leavened bread to see if you feel better when you eat them.

If you're prone to iron overload or exposed to heavy metals, you might consider eating whole grains for their phytic acid content and doing so without any advanced or special treatment like soaking or sprouting.

If you enjoy the process of soaking or sprouting grains, then you should continue doing just that.

How do you soak grains?

To soak your grains, you should place them in a mixing bowl, cover them with hot water and let them rest at least eight and up to 48 hours. Most recipes call for soaking overnight.

You can also add an acidic ingredient, like lemon juice, vinegar, or sourdough starter, to the soak water to facilitate the release of phytase and the breakdown of phytic acid.

Grains that are naturally low in phytase, like brown rice or oats, may benefit from sprouting or from the addition of a phytase-rich ingredient like ground rye.

Grinding or cracking grains before soaking them will also help to facilitate the breakdown of phytic acid.

How to Soak Grains

• Soaking Whole, Cracked, or Rolled Grains: To soak grains in their whole, cracked, or rolled form, you'll need to place them in a bowl and cover them with hot water at approximately 140 F. If you like, stir in one tablespoon of acid like vinegar, lemon juice, or sourdough starter per 1 cup of grains.
• Soaking Flour. Baking with soaked flour can be tricky. It's best to use a sourdough recipe or to use sprouted grains because they don't need to be soaked. You can also mix the liquid ingredients of your recipe together with your flour, cover them well, and leave the batter at room temperature overnight, as in this recipe for Milk and Honey Sandwich Bread.

Soaked and Sprouted Grain Recipes

The post Soaking Grains appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.