Results of an experiment with fermentation: A tasty summer drink

When I get home tonight I am going to be particularly happy about opening a bottle of my homemade lemonade ginger beer. It's been "smoothing out" in my fridge for a few days and I anticipate it will be a refreshing way to kick back in this crazy heat.

I sought out this beer (it's more like a wine cooler) recipe after watching an episode of the River Cottage show. Celebrity chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, is not your typical high drama American reality TV chef. He's a low-key British guy experimenting in modern-day rural sustainable living, and cooking. My kids are always fascinated by his simple cooking techniques and his Dorset cottage happenings. When Hugh is on, everyone is glued to the computer screen (we watch whatever BBC episodes we can find online). He's a interesting guy with some really great, practical ideas about cooking with simple ingredients.

In the show Hugh made lemonade ginger beer using 2-liter plastic bottles. The demonstration highlighted that it only took two days to ferment into a nice carbonated, alcoholic drink. I thought, yes, I can do this!

The trick was I had the fresh lemons and ginger but I didn't have brewer's yeast in my pantry. I did some research online and it looked like people had some success with substituting nutritional yeast for brewer's.

I'll confirm now that the substitution did not work out well.

Then my husband two bright ideas with adding items we had on-hand. One was to try a vitamin tablet of brewer's yeast and the other was to try some "champagne" yeast we had in our fridge (which was a few years old - a throwback to a notion of making our own wine... something we have yet to do).

One bottle got a vitamin tablet and that turned out to be ineffective in carbonating the drink. But, it did taste like a nice spiced lemonade. The kids liked it.

The other bottle got the champagne yeast and that was a resounding success. It had an alcohol kick that sneaks up on you and was oh so tasty.

Our version of this recipe tastes like a light, effervescent wine cooler (the actual fermented version is not shared with the kids). But you have to like the strong flavor of fresh ginger to really appreciate this drink.

I always qualify my gift of a bottle of this drink with the comment, "It's weird." But it's weird in a surprising, but likable way. A couple of friends have asked for another bottle so I think it passes muster with ginger fans and those with an adventurous palate.

GINGER LEMONADE "BEER"
¼ tsp champagne yeast (we bought ours at Oakhill Beverage in Scarborough)
1 cup of white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of finely grated fresh root ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of honey (don't add more than this because it could inhibit the fermentation process)
1 well-washed 2-liter bottle
   
First, add the yeast to the plastic bottle (do not use glass because it could explode - and not in a good way!). With a funnel, pour in the sugar.

Mix the grated ginger with the lemon juice and honey.

Pour the ginger mixture through the funnel into the bottle.

Fill the bottle about ¾ full with water.

Put the cap on and shake the bottle until all the sugar is dissolved.

Top up the bottle with water, leaving a gap at the top to allow for gas. Cap the bottle tightly, then place it somewhere warm.

Leave the bottle for about 48 hours. Once the bottle feels very hard and has no give in it, your drink should be ready.

Place the bottle in the fridge for several hours to stop the yeast working. Once the beer is thoroughly chilled, pass it through a fine sieve and serve. Or, bottle it in to glass bottles and be sure to always keep those bottles in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Food dyes are questionable after kid's craft project

My daughter is really into fiber. She has her own sheep and spins their fleece into yarn. A friend suggested she try dyeing her white roving with a packet of Kool-Aid because it offers some great, permanent color.

And she did get some nice coloring with Lemon & Lime, Cherry and Orange Kool-Aid.

The wool absorbed all the color after 30 minutes of soaking and left only clear water in the pan. It was remarkable... and gave me pause about what these dyes are sticking to inside our bodies.

I think many parents know food dyes are not good for their kids. But that generally doesn't prevent many (including me) from buying products with food dyes simply for convenience or because our kids beg us for a particular item marketed to appeal to them.

The FDA has a whole section on its website about food dyes, and how companies apply to the FDA  to use them in food products. It's actually quite interesting to read how food dyes are regulated. There is a study of "Low" "Concern Level" and "High" about what is approved within this governmental risk management assessment.

I don't put much stock in what the FDA believes is safe after my discovery a while back about this particular "natural flavoring" tidbit – Safety assessment of castoreum extract as a food ingredient.

If you follow that link you'll find that 'castoreum' is expressed from the anal gland of a beaver. It is legal, according to the FDA, to label this ingredient in food as a "natural flavor." It might be natural but it's not something I care to actually ingest.

So when the FDA offers information about a risk assessment of food dyes, I'm a little wary.

A couple of sources I found to learn more about food dyes includes:

The Center for Science in the Public Interest offers a roundup of information about food dyes.

Label Watch also offers some information about ingredients in foods that consumers should be wary about and make other product choices.

There is plenty of information about both sides of the food dye debate on the web so if you have a source you think is good, and credible, post a comment below to share it.

My reality is that there will be times when my kids and I are going to eat something with food dyes. My plan though is to ensure that it is as infrequent as possible because my daughter's wool dyeing project was an eye-opener. And we will still buy Kool-aid, we'll just store it in the craft closet.

A kid-friendly scientific taste test with Oreos

Sensory science - a scientific method to analyze and interpret a response through a person's sense of touch, taste, sight, smell or sound - is a really interesting field of study. A lot goes in to taste testing new food products before they hit the market. I am not sure I fully understood this process until my kids attended a 4-H workshop with Dr. Beth Calder from UMaine's Food Science program to learn about sensory science. They were looking forward to the class because it involved Oreos.

The object of the "blind" sensory test was to determine which of the three Oreo cookies was different from the others. Dr. Calder encouraged the kids to pay attention to every little detail of their cookie - from the crunch of the bite to the overall texture and taste as well as any other nuances they could uncover with all of their senses.

To make the test unbiased, each Oreo was labeled with a number. To make it a scientifically accurate blind test, not all the numbers were the same for each taste tester. This was to discourage the kids from influencing each other. So even if a tester wanted to check out their neighbor's results, they couldn't because they didn't all have the same sample numbers to compare.

In reality there were only two types of Oreos given to the kids - a "low fat" Oreo and an "original" Oreo. Some kids were given two low fat and one original cookie; others were given two original and one low fat. The key to the test was to determine - by random sample which was 20 taste testers in this case - what percentage could figure out which cookie was different.

The kids were encouraged to take a small bite of each cookie and then take sips of water in between samples. It seemed to me that all the kids thought it would be easy to tell the difference between the low fat and original cookies. But that was not the case. The cookies tasted very similar and looked nearly identical.

But in the end it turned out that a "statistically significant" number (just barely, though) of taste testers identified the odd Oreo (adults tried this too and only a couple got it right). A few of the kids noticed that the logo embossed on one cookie was more defined than the other. Others noticed the color of the creme was slightly different between the two samples. But these very small details were only realized after several mini bites and much deliberation about their cookies. A couple of kids said in the end they simply guessed because they really couldn't tell what was different.

I bet if the Oreo folks attended our workshop, they'd have been pretty happy with the results. After all, developing a low fat cookie that even Oreo-loving kids can't distinguish from the real thing is a big plus.

After this workshop my kids were inspired to buy more Oreos. We discovered that there are many more flavors now than the two they tried with their 4-H friends. Since Oreo celebrated its 100-year anniversary this past March, they've released a variety of flavors to celebrate. I was amazed to see on the Oreo website how many flavor varieties are on the market right now.

My 16-year-old is a big fan of the Birthday Cake version of the cookie.

My 14-year-old really likes strawberry and thought the Berry Burst was tasty.

And in case you didn't realize, you can do a whole lot more than eat an Oreo cookie straight-up. The Oreo website offers plenty of recipes that involve the cookie.

I think I'm a traditionalist (or old codger) because if I want to eat an Oreo, I want the regular old flavor. How about you... any new favorite flavors?

Learnings from a newbie BBQ cook-off judge

Cabela's hosted a BBQ cook-off this past weekend and I was lucky enough to be a judge. I had never been a judge at a taste-testing like this one so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was fun and I ate some amazing barbecue! But, I also learned a few things about judging a barbecue cook-off..

1) Judging is not as easy as it looks. Yeah, it's fun to take a bite of some really good barbecue. But because everything is so good, you have to get critical before writing down a score even when you're eating something you think is delicious. My score card required a numeric score for three aspects of each entry – appearance, taste and tenderness. Many entries received high marks from me.

2) Ask ahead of time how many teams you'll be judging. Cabela's had 13 teams and there were 6 rounds of different meat to taste. Even with only taking a single bite of each entry adds up to a heck of a lot of meat consumed by each judge (13 x 6 = 78 bites). Which leads me to #3....

3) Don't eat breakfast before judging a barbecue contest! I felt more than a little overly stuffed by the last round of judging. I am not exaggerating when I say that I didn't eat solid food again until lunch the next day.

4) You learn some really interesting nuances of barbecue you might not otherwise notice. It was explained to the judges before the contest began that every bite should have, "a beginning, middle and end." This was a handy reminder because once you pay attention to the "three" concept, you really get a sense of what the cook was going for with their spices and cooking time and methods.

My family was thrilled with all the leftovers at home. Each container sitting on my kitchen counter was a different type of meat (chicken, pork or beef) with a single bite taken from each piece. I think this picture really sums up why I didn't eat until the next day after judging.

Cabela's had a lot of visitors to the cook-off so if you were lucky enough to get a sample of some of the amazing barbecue going on in their parking lot, you'll want to know who won. Here are the results...


CHICKEN
1. Red Neck Caviar
2. DarthQue
3. Meat Fairy

RIBS
1. Meat @ Slims
2. Sweet Chicken
3. Redneck Caviar

PORK
1. Meat at Slim's
2. TJ BBQ
3. Redneck Caviar

BRISKET
1. Sweet Chicken
2. Cravin' Dave's
3. Meat @ Slims

RESERVED CHAMPION (overall)
Redneck Caviar

GRAND CHAMPION (overall)
Meat @ Slims

Fresh from the farm goat milk is addictive

I have a friend who raises dairy goats at her farm. I was not a fan of the livestock-ish taste of goat milk I have purchased previously at the grocery store. But then I had her goat's milk. It was creamy and sweet (and naturally homogenized) without a hint of livestock to it. The kids and I actually downed the full quart of milk in my friend's driveway with some bickering and nary a drop to share with my husband at home.

This was last year. My girls have since learned how to milk a goat and are now thrilled it's a regular part of our diet.

But when tackling anything new, there is a learning curve. Milking an animal for the first time is a humbling experience. You might think it looks easy, but there is a knack to expressing the milk that takes a while to figure out. And then there is the fact that a goat is a living creature that moves and sometimes has an opinion about whether she is in the mood to be milked, or not.

We've had a couple of accidental hoof-in-the-milking-bucket scenarios during our learning curve. That milk is, for obvious reasons, not drinkable. But our goat friend told us to freeze that milk to make soap. My family has tried making soap previously out of lard (from rendered pig fat we made previously) with OK results (i.e., room for improvement was the refrain).

So when we ended up with 2 cups of frozen goat milk we decided it was time to make goat milk soap. We settled on a recipe that also included the lard we still had in our freezer.

Working with the lye is always a little unsettling to me so I did not take any pictures of the process of making soap with my daughter. But the final results were done within a few hours. We used the "hot method" to cook the soap in a slow cooker until the ph levels of the lye were non-reactive and saponification was reached.

Yeah, big talk for a simple chemical reaction that was much easier in my slow cooker than the last lye soap "cold method" batch that sat in my basement for five week to get to the same state of saponification.

The goat milk soap offers great suds and feels creamy to the touch. We all love washing our hands with it. And this kind of soap has loads of benefits for your skin we've learned so we plan to continue to make our own.

My daughter and I had the bright idea to put the soap in a large glass dish to solidify. But just before it fully cooled down, we cut the soap into livestock shapes with cookie cutters. And yes, there was much lamenting there we did not have any goat cookie cutters.

There have (thankfully) been many more cups of milk recently that have been drinkable. Our favorite edible recipe for goat milk right now – besides straight up – is strawberry goat milk smoothies. No added sugar needed. Truly delicious!

I am not sure why it took me so long to find a local source of goat milk. But if you ever have the chance to get your hands on some goat milk fresh from the farm, try it. The supermarket does goat milk absolutely no justice. In addition to taste, goat milk is more easily digestible than cow's milk. I ran across a Q&A with Dr. Sears who explains the science behind some of the benefits of this kind of milk for kids, too.

Horchata (cinnamon) yogurt: Make your own

A while back I shared a homemade vanilla yogurt recipe in Wednesday's Food & Dining section and have tweaked my recipe in honor of Cinco de Mayo. It's a Latin American inspired cinnamon-flavored treat I have dubbed, "Horchata" yogurt.

My husband grew up drinking horchata, a rice milk spiced with vanilla and cinnamon that is popular in Latin America. It sounds a little odd if you're not from a culture that pairs milk with cinnamon but during the years I lived in California, I developed a love for this drink.

The smooth, creamy horchata I enjoyed on the other coast is not so readily available on this one. I've experimented with making it from scratch with mixed results. (If you're interested I think this recipe is tasty as long as it sits in the fridge overnight to smooth out the taste).

But then I had a brainstorm the other day when I found I was running low on vanilla powder to make my weekly supply of yogurt. I decided to throw some cinnamon in and give an horchata-inspired yogurt a try.

The yogurt was thick and creamy with a strong, but not overpowering, flavor of cinnamon. It isn't the most attractive yogurt because a bit of cinnamon floats to the top white the majority sank to the bottom of the jar. But the entire quart jar had a cinnamon-spiced taste that my husband and the kids loved.

Here's the homade horchata yogurt recipe if you want to try it yourself  If you've never made your own yogurt before you can check out this story that offers tips on the process.

HOMEMADE HORCHATA YOGURT
1 gallon of milk
¾ cup of sugar
¾ cup of dry milk
1 tablespoon of Madagascar vanilla bean powder (found at a natural food store)
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of plain active-culture yogurt
Candy thermometer
Mason jars with lids

Heat the milk in a large pot on medium high heat. Do not set the heat on high, as it could scald the bottom of the pan. Attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pot to monitor the milk's temperature. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat when the temperature reaches 180 degrees. Depending on your stove top, this can take 20 to 30 minutes. When the temperature climbs to 150 degrees, keep a close eye on the milk, as the jump to 180 degrees happens quickly. It is important not to allow the milk to boil.

Once at 180 degrees, submerge the bottom of your pot in a pan with cold water and ice cubes to cool the milk quickly. Add sugar, dry milk, vanilla bean powder and cinnamon and stir well. The mixture needs to cool until it is 110 degrees, so keep the thermometer in the pan to monitor.

At 110 degrees, add the plain yogurt.

Mix the yogurt starter well before pouring into your mason jars. Place jars in a pot of warm water so that the water is just below the top of the jar. Then put the pot in the oven.

Set your oven at 110 degrees to incubate. This process can take 6 to 8 hours, depending on your taste preference. I prefer removing mine at the 6-hour mark to put in my refrigerator.

Recipe makes about 5 quarts of yogurt.

Summit fare

We do a lot of hiking in the spring. Part of the appeal at this time of year is the cool weather, views, exercise and quality family time but it’s also the sub sandwiches. As things happen with kids, you do something once or twice that meets with the kids’ approval and you suddenly find you’ve started a “family tradition.” 

Eating lunch near the summit of Caribou Mountain in the 

Caribou-Speckled Wilderness area of the White Mountain National Forest in Maine.

This has been the case with eating subs at the summit of our mountain climbs. It’s the incentive the kids tell me they need to hike the bigger mountains. Since I want to enjoy the hike as well, I accommodate their request for lunch.

 

I can’t seem to replicate the bread or the specific condiments of a store-made sub at home so it’s lucky for the kids the Subway shop near my house is open early in the morning.

 

We’ve had a few logistics to work out with our sub pick-up before a hike and appreciate our local shop having helpful employees who agree to wrap them to fit in our insulated lunch packs. We need a foot-long to be stacked side-by-side before being wrapped to make things fit correctly.

 

The kids joked last weekend while at the summit of Caribou Mountain that they could do a commercial for eating subs on various Maine mountains. 

I figure as long as they continue to happily climb mountains with me so we can chat and reconnect after a busy week, I can buy them a sub to eat at the summit.  And really, if that’s all it takes to get the kids to agree to do a 7-mile hike up a mountain with a nearly 2,000-foot elevation gain (that would be Caribou Mountain), then I can make a sandwich purchase for them.

The summit of Caribou Mountain was a 7-mile, nearly 2,000-foot elevation gain (according to my GPS unit - you can check out the specs of our hike on everytrail.com). This hike tested our fitness level but a tasty lunch at the summit and plenty of water and snack breaks along the way made the reward of the views at the top worth the effort.

The kids ate subs at the summit of Sabattus Mountain in Lovell last month. That was an easy 1.5 mile hike with about a 500-foot elevation gain. You can find an interactive map with photos of this particular hike, along with our review in the Outdoors section of PressHerald.com