Blog / sprouting

QUESTION: Linda, Can u tell me if it is ok to use the kefired soaking water from soaking seeds and grains and such? Do I keep reusing it adding fresh water each time or do I toss it with each batch? Thank you so much! I am looking into takin one of your workshops to get a better sense of all this sprouting ;) Warmly, T ANSWER: Hi there! To be honest, I’m very knew to the kefir world. I’ve just made my first batch of coconut kefir water and fermented coconut meat pudding. I don’t use dairy products so I’m not going to make any kefir creams. Kefir is a culture that is added to water and sometimes sugar/honey is mixed in to feed the kefir culture. Here is a link for kefir: http://www.bodyecology.com/kefirinstructions.php If you are soaking grains for making rejuvelac, it is the fermented water that you use for making your cheeses or soups or smoothies. You sprout the grains for a few days and filter out the grains (remembering to catch the fermented water in a bowl) then add fresh water to the grains to make a second batch of rejuvelac. Let the water stand for a couple days to ferment and then use that soak water as the rejuvelac liquid. You can get a coupla batches from the grains. Here is a link for rejuvelac: http://www.ehow.com/how_2320602_make-rejuvelac.html - My friend Natasha has some good rejuvelac instructions in her book SimplyRaw Living Foods Detox Manual. You can pop in anytime and check it out. Typically though, as far as regular hydroponic sprouting is concerned, you always want to rinse grains/seeds/beans and not reuse the soak water. The only time I’ve ever used soak water is when I soak raisins or dates or sun dried tomatoes. But not for sprouts (unless it is rejuvelac!) If you are just sprouting grains or seeds to have them to eat, you would always rinse out the water and not keep them in the water for sprouting. We have a link on how to easily sprout with our nut milk bags: http://www.vt-fiddle.com/rawfood/how_to_sprout_using_nut_milk_bag.php#sprout - the idea is to keep the water away from the sprouts so that they can grow their little tails. You want to rinse the sprouts so that they will be kept clean. The rinse water goes down the drain for this type of sprouting. Hope that helps! Happy sprouting! Linda +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ask Linda! Please feel free to submit your questions to linda AT vt-fiddle.com. Questions don’t have to be completely raw food related but please bring questions on health, recipes, diet, weight issues, nutrition, parenting, nursing, pregnancy, spirituality or whatever it is you’d like to ask. I’ll do my best to answer and will most certainly learn from this as much as I can give.

I received a great question yesterday about the advantage of using one size/shape nut milk bag over another. I thought I'd post the question and answer in case anyone else had this burning question. :-) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QUESTION: Hello I am interested in the nut milk bags, however I am not sure what the advantages of each bag is. For example the advantage of having an oval opening compared to the regular 12x12 bag. ANSWER: I have a link that gives pros/cons for hemp vs nylon and I'll describe the other sizes here. Even though you didn't ask about materials, I thought I'd send it along just so you would have it. http://www.vt-fiddle.com/rawfood/difference_between_nylon_hemp_bags.php - link for hemp vs nylon • The v-shape bags are used JUST for filtering juices (in your blender) and nut/seed milks. They would not be used for sprouting because there wouldn't be enough room for the sprouts to grow. • The oval shape is nice because there are no corners for the nut/seed mash to get stuck in. Not that it is difficult to wash out or anything. We made the ovals because we had enquiries asking if we would make this shape for customers. I'd say if I were wanting to sprout, the 12 x 12 square would still be my preference for a bag. If you wanted a larger bag for making nut/seed milks or juices, the oval shape really does filter beautifully. Something about the rounded shape just feels nice. A bit of history: we started our nut milk bag business by making the 9 x 12s - they are the standard size nut milk bag. We tested out our bags with our first wholesale customer and so we feel we make the best bags out there. We were then asked if we could make a larger bag for some wholesale customers so we made the 12 x 12 bag. These bags are great because they give you the best of both worlds - ample space for sprouting and lots of room for making juices and nut milks. Beer makers, tempeh makers and other fermented product makers really like the 12 x 12 size (and they prefer the hemp bags). Then we were asked if we would make a funnel shaped bag that would be less material to have to deal with for squeezing out the liquid but large enough to hold the bags - so we make the 9 x 12 and the 12 x 12 into v-shapes (the 12 x 12 v-shape by special request). Finally the oval bag was asked of us to make and we make the 9 x 12 oval (by special request) and the 12 x 12 oval bag. We've also gotten some other custom size/shape bags that we've made for various projects and businesses. All of these shapes and sizes and materials really suggest that there's a lot of personal preferences for straining/filtering needs. Hopefully this helps you decide which bag(s) will be the ones you want to use or carry in your store.

Greetings! I'm back in the kick of keeping up with my blog. Keep your fingers crossed that I make a point to do this each day! If I keep it short and sweet, this will probably be the key to getting this done. Today I wanted to send props out to the GREAT GREAT companies and people that are carrying our nut milk bags. As you may have understood from yesterday's post, we've been selling our nylon 9 x 12 bags and 12 x 12 bags to Matt Monarch and his Raw Food World for a year or year and a half now which is totally RAWSOME! We've got our bags out there to a lot of places and I'll mention them each separately so's I can give them their due. They are all great people and great companies. Today I'm talking about VitaMix. Matt just sent me an email saying he finally found the link to our bags from the Vitamix website. YIPPEE! So I thought I'd post it for yas: https://secure.vitamix.com/acb/stores/4/Accessories-C3.aspx - Makes sense the bags would be under the Accessories page! Here's the direct link so's you don't have to scroll down and aggravate the carpal tunnel in your wrist! :-) https://secure.vitamix.com/acb/stores/4/NEW-Vita-Mix-Nut-Milk-Bag-P894C3.aspx VitaMix is my absolute favorite appliance. I use it every day. I sell the basic model because that's what I use and love. I know people love the old ones they have and the even more fab new models. I haven't met a person yet who has disliked their VitaMix. So we were totally pleased as punch to work with them! If you've never used the VitaMix, you are totally missing out, man! Ask anyone who has finally decided to get one and they will tell you they don't know why they've waited so long. You can grind up nuts and seeds - even small seeds like flax - into fine flours, you make the CREAMIEST of dressings and smoothies. The VitaMix masticates greens so it's the only way to blend up greens. You can use the VitaMix along with our nut milk bags to make your own juices. You can use the VitaMix to make ice creams AND soups. If you keep the thing running for 4 minutes, you'll boil whatever you have there in the pitcher so for raw food dudes, you run it for a minute to heat things up. Let's see, what else does the VitaMix do - well, it won't change the oil in your car but it's my main tool that I use for everything I make in the raw world and it's a quick way to make me my healthy meals. OH yes, I make fruit leathers with it, dressings, puddings, smoothies, crackers, shakes, ice creams, flours, pastes, pates, condiments, sauces, soups. I've even made skin care products with it - blends up the CREAMIEST moisturizers! VitaMix is the muscle car of blenders. Very powerful. LOVE IT. SO YAY! Thanks Matt, for finding us on VitaMix! And YAY to VitaMix for their killer blender. Happy Day everyone! Take care, Linda p.s. look at the new and improved V-Shape bag - it's looks like our fair state so we are calling it the Vermonter! http://vt-fiddle.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=7 SOME ADDITIONS: Added 8/14/09 http://community.vitamix.com/_nut-milk/blog/510942/22442.html - isn't that cool? They included a little recipe in there for you!