Having honed my skills in cooking, baking, and cultivating my own produce since childhood, I invite you to stay and savor my repertoire of recipes, insights, and techniques for crafting scrumptious meals for yourself or your loved ones!
Organic Ginger TURMERIC “Immunity” Shot Recipe
Save Money and Boost Your Immunity with This DIY Immune Shot Recipe
Why overpay for immune refresher shots when you can easily make them at home for a fraction of the cost? Store-bought options are often overpriced, especially during cold season when citrus prices soar. As fall and winter approach in the Northern Hemisphere, now is the perfect time to start preparing your own remedies to keep your immune system strong.
Here’s my simple and cost-effective recipe that you can whip up at home. It’s easy, affordable, and packed with immune-boosting goodness!
Time to dust off your juicer and grab some shot containers! I’ve had my trusty Jack LaLanne juicer for over a decade and it still works like a dream. As for shot containers, I use ones I found on Amazon that work perfectly.
Here’s what you’ll need for this immune-boosting recipe:
- 1 pineapple
- 5 oranges
- 3 lemons
- A large piece of ginger
- 2 pieces of turmeric
I usually pick up my organic produce from Costco because the prices can’t be beaten. To prep, cut everything into large chunks and juice it all with the skins on—except for the pineapple.
Optional Step (Highly Recommended): After juicing, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth a few times to remove any pulp. Then, transfer the smooth juice into your shot containers and refrigerate. These immune shots will stay fresh for up to 10 days.
Enjoy your homemade, immune-boosting goodness!
Sourdough Basics
Since my mid-twenties, I’ve been baking bread, which feels like ages now. Initially daunted by the complexity of sourdough, I procrastinated learning its intricacies due to its intimidating nature and numerous steps. However, in 2020, I made a firm commitment to master it, and since then, I haven’t looked back. Sourdough bread-making has a rich history dating back thousands of years, serving as the primary method of leavening. The fundamental process involves cultivating a starter, a mixture of flour and water left to ferment over time, allowing natural yeast and bacteria to develop. This unique culture imparts the distinctive “sour” flavor to sourdough bread, making it a truly special culinary tradition.
Sourdough starter
Don’t be discouraged by the initial complexity of the instructions; it’s simpler than it appears! This starter requires about seven days to fully develop before it’s ready for baking. Initially, it’s best to feed the starter daily for up to three months. Afterward, you can switch to feeding it every other day without risking its vitality. The longer you maintain your starter, the more mature it becomes, enhancing the tanginess of your bread.
To prepare your starter, gather these essentials: a digital scale calibrated to grams, two mason jars with lids (preferably Wecks jars), all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, a rubber spatula, and warm water.
Day 1
Weigh your empty jar without the lid. Add 80 grams of whole wheat flour, 20 grams of all-purpose flour and 100 grams of warm water (warm to the touch). Mix it all together, place lid on top and put in a draft-free location in your kitchen. DO NOT tighten the lid, because the gas needs to escape. Optional step: you can put a rubber band around the jar where the mixture line is to mark the growth. Do not get frustrated if you do not see any growth the first or second day.
Day 2, 3 and 4 (same steps for these three days)
Get a clean jar. Weigh your jar without the lid on the scale and then remove and discard all but 70 grams of the Day 1 starter (weight of new jar + 70 grams of Day 1 starter). Then add 50 grams of whole wheat flour, 50 grams of all-purpose flour and 100 grams of warm water. Cover the jar with its lid and sit in a draft free location for 24 hours. Do not tighten the lid! Optional step is to use the rubber band to see how much your starter grows.
Day 5
Weigh your clean jar without its lid on the scale. Remove and discard all but 70 grams of your starter from Day 4. Then add 50 grams of whole wheat flour, 50 grams of all-purpose flour and 95 grams of warm water. Cover the jar with its lid and sit in a draft free location for 24 hours. Do not tighten the lid! Optional step is to use the rubber band to measure the growth. The starter might start to smell “boozy” and that’s a good thing. That is called hooch and means the fermenting process is occurring.
Details
Day 5
Get a clean jar. Weigh your jar without the lid on the scale and then remove and discard all but 70 grams of Day 4 starter. Then add 50 grams of whole wheat flour, 50 grams of all-purpose flour and 95 grams of warm water. Cover the jar and sit in a draft free location for 12 hours. Do not tighten the lid!
Day 6
Repeat same steps as Day 5, but remove 50 grams of your starter. Then add 50 grams of whole wheat flour, 50 grams of all-purpose flour and 95 grams of warm water. Let it rest for 12 hours.
Day 7
From now on, this will the daily feeding every 12-24 hours. It’s easier if you feed it every 24 hours! Remove and discard all but 40 grams of your starter. Then add 70 grams of whole wheat flour and 70 grams of all-purpose flour and 130 grams of warm water.
Violá, you have a sourdough starter!
How to make a Sourdough Loaf
Follow this video for a crash course sourdough tutorial!
