We're on Good Eggs!

The time has come! I'm so excited to report that Ferments + Flour finally has a published Webstand on GoodEggs.com!

For those of you who don't know what Good Eggs is, let me begin. They are a wonderful company that started up here in the Bay Area (and are expanding!!) to bring local producers together under one roof to share their goods with fellow locals. You order online, and they deliver everything in one bag, whether you live up in Marin or down in Mountain View. Their online marketplace sells things from fresh produce to pantry staples, to grass-fed meats. The variety is amazing, and the quality is even better. I've already ordered a couple times from them and they are an incredible group of people who deliver excellent customer service along with excellent quality product. Now I'm fortunate to be a vendor as well!

The view of the Webstand.

Anyways, after lots of preparation, all of my products have made their way onto a Webstand, presented by Good Eggs. All of my seasonal shortbreads, pickles, and Kombucha are available to all, just like they are here! On top of having an incredibly helpful staff, their website (especially for a vendor) is so organized; it's easy to view items by category, date ordered, etc. Example: you can order those peaches with a pound of chuck together to be picked up on Thursday.

If you're looking for an alternative and convenient method of ordering Ferments + Flour products, be sure to check out our Webstand on Good Eggs! 

Preservation: HERB BUTTERS!

Since it's summer and the garden is overflowing with all sorts of greens, it can sometimes be hard to use everything at such a fast pace. Even with a garden like mine own (which is 8 beds shared by me and my family of 5 others), it's difficult to keep up with the fast pace of Mother Nature. I feel like I'm constantly bending my back over the kale and giving the basil constant haircuts. Right now the tomatoes loom over the rest of the garden and have become much taller than any human being. I'm still not sure how I'm going to go searching for tomatoes to harvest. It closely resembles a jungle. 

Butter rolled into cylinders. 

Because of this abundance of greens, I got nervous about how to store them for optimal freshness so I could use them in my shortbreads. I only like to bake them to order so they can be as fresh as possible, but my ingredients from the garden are so temperamental, so I had no idea at first how to preserve them to my advantage. Then it hit me! Herb butters. 

I labeled all of my butters: B for BASIL.

Naturally it made complete sense since a dominant ingredient in the shortbread cookies is butter. So why not do what so many others have done in the past and preserve my summer harvest in fat? I can't think of a better way to keep something fresh, without tarnishing the quality. I gathered the predominant flavors in my shortbreads and got to it! I had so much rosemary, basil, lavender and lemon, and this was the ideal way to halt summer in its tracks. 

It couldn't be more simple:

• Get your butter (I made mine in batches of 4 ounces AKA 1 stick).
• Let it get to almost room temperature.
• Zest your citrus or chop your herbs (about 1-2 tbsp per stick of butter).
• Stir the herbs and butter well with spatula, then place in the center of a large square of plastic wrap.
• Fold plastic wrap and roll the butter into a cylindrical shape--make sure to get out any air pockets.
• Label and place in freezer. 
• DONE

It's an excellent way to savor your leftover herbs and zests when you don't know what else to do with them. Now I can provide everyone with perfectly flavored summer flavors without fretting about my herbs growing faster than I can harvest!

 

Kombucha For Daysss

I officially have more Kombucha than I know what to do with--I used to never think that was possible. Usually I space out the times I create new batches so I'll always have a steady supply on hand. This time I managed to make two 2 gallon jars simultaneously, leaving me with, yes, 4 gallons total. They need an entire fridge just for themselves.

Hogging the entire fridge.

Basically all this just means is that I need your help! I may have made an abundance, but it's nonetheless a delicious abundance and I couldn't be happier with the outcome! This time I created a green and black tea base. In addition I will be offering 3 flavors! You can of course enjoy your Kombucha plain, or I will have freshly squeezed APPLE JUICE available as well as the ever so popular and freshly squeezed LEMON-GINGER!! I didn't know which one I liked more so I thought I'd share both of the bests with everyone.

My hard working SCOBY (his name is Bart).

Remember you can get your Kombucha by emailing me at fermentsandflour@gmail.com or just purchasing through a PayPal account via this website. I offer 2 different sizes: either 12 oz. for $3.75 or 750 ml. for $7. Feel free to email with any other questions as well!

Choose size:

12 oz $3.75 USD 750 ml $7.00 USD

Make sure to include what flavor you would like during checkout.

Kombucha Mustard Recipe!

Because I've been making kombucha for so long, there are times when I have an abundance of it, but am kind of tired of drinking it...Other times I'm too lazy to bottle it, and it over-ferments--resulting in kombucha vinegar! Either way, whenever I have excess kombucha (or kombucha vinegar on hand), it's nice to use it in other recipes instead of just drinking it. 

I found this recipe on the Cultures for Health website, which is a great source to purchase various fermentation bacterias. From kombucha to tempeh to miso, you can find all of the living culture necessities to make your food effervescent! 

Culturesforhealth.com Ingredients: Whole mustard seeds Kombucha Sea salt (optional) Herbs and spices (see below) Use a glass container or ceramic crock. (Canning jars work well). Fill the container about half full of mustard seeds. Add sea salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon per quart). Add well-fermented kombucha tea to cover the seeds with about 1/2 inch of liquid sitting on top of the seeds. Cover the container loosely. A loose lid, towel, or paper coffee filter will work well. Check the mustard seeds periodically and add more Kombucha as necessary to keep them covered and moist. As the seeds absorb the kombucha they will swell, and it is important to keep them sufficiently moist. After a week or two the seeds will be soft and will pop when you bite them. At this point the seeds are ready for the blending stage but can continue to sit and ferment for up to a month if desired provided they are kept moist.  One the seeds are sufficiently soft, use a food processor or blender to blend the mixture to the desired consistency. More kombucha can be added to give the mustard a thinner consistency. Vinegar can also be added to increase the level of tang. Customizing Your Mustard: A number of herbs, spices and sweeteners can be added to create a custom taste your family will love. Garlic cloves: can be added during the brewing process or the blending stage Honey or maple syrup: add during the blending stage Chiles: can be added during the brewing process or the blending stage Turmeric: adds a yellow color if desired; add during the blending stage Your favorite herbs: add during the brewing stage