Fermenting Like A Pro! Q & A With The Queen Of Fermentation Alchemy
RACHEL MORROW
Probiotics are something we have always loved teaching you about! Fermenting foods and beverages goes back thousands of years due to their ability to provide an amazing source of energy, aid detoxification, and boost overall health.
Although fermented drinks are an ancient medicine, they are relatively new to the health industry. Every so often we stumble across the most amazing gurus and get to witness them create magic through their Social Media Communities and products like Recipe Books. Felicity Evans from Imbibe Living is one of these creative people.
Affectionately dubbed the "Queen of Fermentation Alchemy" she has a knack for fermenting foods, particularly water kefir. We get so many questions about fermenting your own foods, we thought who better else to ask then the Queen herself, Felicity Evans.
FOOD MATTERS: You're dubbed as the ‘Queen Alchemist’ - Tell us why!
Alchemy is the process of turning one thing into another, almost like magic, and I feel that when fermenting water kefir and other probiotic drinks, that is what you are doing – creating some magic!
Every week, I turn a flat collection of ingredients into sparkling, delicious, delicious, probiotic drinks, literally alchemizing water into probiotics.
It’s an incredibly special process and one I am deeply in love with.
These drinks are such a huge part of my life. They have nourished and nurtured my little family, and I’m so grateful to them.
FOOD MATTERS: What is the one thing you would create for someone who you are trying to convert to a healthier lifestyle?
My homemade raw chocolates. Everyone who eats one always wants more!
In fact they are so healthy we have them at breakfast! They have almost no sugar, are full of healthy fats and minerals, and magnesium from the raw cacao.
Then I pour them into these sweet little flower molds, so they look so pretty!
You could say I’m a little addicted to them!
FOOD MATTERS: What are your top 3 fermenting tips for the newbies out there?
- Just start. All you need is a jar with a lid, some patience and a willing attitude. You probably already have everything you need to make a probiotic drink in your pantry at the moment.
- Don’t get bogged down buying all the equipment you think you need. I see a lot of blogs saying you need alcohol measures, airlocks, spoeacial measures for this and that and a room dedicated to fermenting. You don’t. A recycled glass jar, a spoon and some other things from your cupboards areis all you really need to start.
- Embrace the unknown. It’s a new skill for most of us, so be patient and get curious. The magic will unfold.
FOOD MATTERS: What are your 5 essential “can’t live without” staples?
- My angelic daughters
- Sunshine
- Water kefir
- Love
- Ghee
FOOD MATTERS: Health myths that you would like to debunk for good…
- That saturated fat is bad. It's not. Stay away from the toxic vegetable oils and embrace the saturated fat that we are naturally meant to be eating.
- That juices are healthy. If you look at the average sugar in a fruit juice, you will see that it’s around 5 – 20 teaspoons per servinge! That is crazy! Nope, fruit juice or its sugary, smoothie counterparts does not pass my lips! Choose the veggie based ones and go for a smoothie that is veggie based. Or better yet, just chose a low sugar fermented drink!
- That you need to use anti-bacterial hand-wash and hand sanitizser as an everyday occurrence. Of course, there have been times when I’ve been grateful for hand sanitizser in an emergency (hello festival toilets!), but as an everyday occurrence, just use soap and water for your hand hygiene and let the bacteria live! They are mostly good for us when in balance!
FOOD MATTERS: Lastly, what is your favorite recipe?
The Beet Kvass. It’s earthy, sugar free, tangy and delicious. You can drink it like a shot, or as a long drink with some soda water. It's made by chopping beetroots, adding some salt and water and leaving it to ferment a few days until it's ready for bottling.
Plus, it's super easy to make!
If you have filtered water, salt and some beetroots, you can make the most gorgeous blood- cleansing, liver- loving drink.
Check out Felicity's new book, Probiotic Drinks At Home by Felicity Evans (Murdoch Books RRP $27.99)
Alongside being a qualified nutritionist and our social media guru, Rachel is Food Matters’ Recipe Developer. She’s forever dreaming up and developing new recipes for the community to enjoy.