Making Whey (and Curds)

Whey is quite simple to make.  Fill a wide-mouthed quart jar with fresh, unpasteurized organic milk.*  Cover tightly and let sit at room temperature until it curdles and separates.  This may take 3-4 days.  Strain through cheesecloth, catching the liquid in a bowl.  This is whey, and it will keep in the fridge for up to six months. *For a quicker whey, set a quart of finished kefir on the counter for about 24 hours. Don't throw away the curds, Little Miss Muffet!  Let them drip through the strainer until they reach the moistness/consistency of cream cheese.  It makes great dips when doctored up - click here for recipes. Another suggestion is to mix it together with organic "store-bought" cream cheese.  Or, here's another idea: Mix some organic strawberry jam into drained curds, spread it on sprouted bagels, and have a breakfast fit for a king!  Kids love it, too.

Beet Kvass

This drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid.  Beets are just loaded with nutrients.  One 4-ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver, and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments.  Beet kvass may also be used in place of vinegar in salad dressings and as an addition to soups.

Recipe: 3 medium or 2 large organic beets, peeled and coarsley chopped 1/4 cup whey (see above on how to make whey) 1 tablespoon sea salt Filtered water Place beets, whey, and salt in a 2-quart glass container.  Add filtered water to fill the container.  Stir well and cover securely.  Keep at room temperature for 2 days before transferring to refrigerator. When most of the liquid has been drunk, you may fill up the container with water and keep at room temperature another 2 days.  The resulting brew will be slightly less strong than the first.  After the second brew, discard the beets and start again.  You may, however, reserve some of the liquid and use this as your inoculant instead of the whey. Note:  Do not use grated beets in the preparation of beet tonic.  When grated, beets exude too much juice resulting in a too rapid fermentation that favors the production of alcohol rather than lactic acid.