Our Blog
What is Skyr?
Our new Skyr Kit has launched and there have been some highly amusing attempts at pronunciation. From skier to skur (with a serious rolled r) and everything in between. This delicious, high protein and low-fat product is pronounced skeer and is the new favourite dairy treat on the block. Technically skyr is a soft cheese however it’s eaten more like a yoghurt and can be enjoyed both sweet and savoury, at breakfast, lunch or dinner! Made with the same or very similar cultures as yoghurt (which allows it to sit in the yoghurt aisle) it also has the addition of vegetarian rennet which helps to give the firmer texture. Our new Skyr Kit has launched and there have been some highly amusing attempts at pronunciation. From skier to skur (with a serious rolled r) and everything in between. This delicious, high protein and low-fat product is pronounced skeer and is the new favourite dairy treat on the block. Skyr in Iceland is old news as it originated there nearly 1,000 years ago and has been a daily staple since. As with traditional yoghurt it was discovered by accident when the milk was left outside and naturally fermented with cultures from the environment. The rest of the world is slowly cottoning on to the glory of skyr and why it just might be the best thing since Greek yoghurt. Technically skyr is a soft cheese however it’s eaten more like a yoghurt and can be enjoyed both sweet and savoury, at breakfast, lunch or dinner! Made with the same or very similar cultures as yoghurt (which allows it to sit in the yoghurt aisle) it also has the addition of vegetarian rennet which helps to give the firmer texture. The real bonus with skyr is it’s made from skim milk, which means it has little to no fat unlike Greek yoghurt which requires full fat milk as a starting point. Same high level of protein and calcium (arguably higher as the milk is more concentrated) but significantly less fat, why haven’t we been eating this the whole time you ask? In terms of taste and texture skyr is thicker than Greek yoghurt and has slightly less acidic tang. Traditionally if it was made well it would be so thick and creamy that it wouldn’t fall off an upside-down spoon! Without the acidic tang of Greek yoghurt, it can easily be made sweet or savoury depending on what you’re after. Traditionally in Iceland it was served cold, topped with sugar and cream – tasty right? If you’re not quite on the cream and sugar buzz but want a good protein hit for breakfast, try mixing half skyr and half porridge to create hræringur (literally means stirred) and top with fresh berries and a drizzle of honey. A few other alternative uses for our new favourite product - Mix with jam for a sweet, afternoon pick up - Add to smoothies to ensure you are getting enough nutrition for breakfast or morning tea. - Stir into mashed potatoes for a thicker texture - Spread on wholegrain toast and top with sliced banana, chopped nuts and a drizzle of honey. - Use instead of sour cream in any recipe, it’s better for you as it’s low fat but the same thick, creamy texture. Skyr in the supermarket has all the health benefits but watch out for flavoured options. As with yoghurt they tend to be packed full of sweeteners, flavours and stabilisers that we don’t really need. The best way to get the most out of your skyr is to make it yourself, then you know exactly what is going into it and if it needs some sweetener, fresh fruit, jam or honey are perfect options. Once you’ve made your first jar of skyr and have figured out the re-culture process (it’s super easy, instructions in the Mad Millie Skyr Kit) why not give the below a whirl? Just ensure you make it when you’re entertaining or have good self-control as it will be devoured before you even know what has happened! Icelandic Blueberry Skyr Cake Base 1 packet (400 g/14 oz) of biscuits (cinnamon or digestive biscuits are best) 100g (3.5 oz) butter Filling 400g (14 oz) Mad Millie Skyr 500mL (17 fl oz) whipping cream Blueberry Sauce/Topping 1/4 cup (55 g/2 oz) sugar 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1/2 cup (125 mL/4.2 fl oz) water 2 cups (500 mL) blueberries (fresh or frozen) 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence/extract Method - Crush the biscuits until a fine crumble, melt the butter and combine together.- Put the base mixture into a round 24 cm cake tin and smooth down.- Whip the cream.- Gently mix the skyr and vanilla essence into the cream.- Pour this filling mixture onto the biscuit crust.- Refrigerate the base and filling for at least 2 hours before serving. Blueberry Sauce/Topping - Combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine.- Add the blueberries and lemon juice, cook over a medium heat stirring consistently until the blueberries start to soften and let out juice and the mixture thickens.- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Pour into another bowl and refrigerate until cool. Drizzle over the Skyr Cheesecake to serve once cool.
Kombucha Second Ferment
For beginner kombucha brewers sometimes the fermentation process can seem a little daunting. There are always questions around the importance of each step and why certain things are done. One area that comes up often is the second ferment, what it’s for and if it’s really necessary. For beginner kombucha brewers sometimes the fermentation process can seem a little daunting. There are always questions around the importance of each step and why certain things are done. One area that comes up often is the second ferment, what it’s for and if it’s really necessary. Trust us, kombucha brewing is easy and once you have started your booch adventure you will quickly understand the ins and outs of each step. With Mad Millie kits our biggest aim is to make creating in the kitchen accessible to everyone. There aren’t any big secrets to fermenting kombucha; just a few key steps that with a bit of trial and error anyone can complete! Kombucha fermentation happens in two steps, the relatively self-explanatory first and second ferments. The first ferment is when you turn your sweetened, black tea into delicious, tangy kombucha. Once the Mad Millie scoby is added to your sweetened tea the cultures can start their work. During this step they are busily converting the food (sugar) you have given them into organic acids, carbon dioxide, a tiny trace of alcohol (up to 0.5% when using the Mad Millie recipe so still technically non-alcoholic) and B vitamins. The types of bacteria and yeast that are in your scoby require air to complete the fermentation; this is why we recommend keeping the top of your kombucha jar or vessel covered with a muslin cloth rather than sealed with a lid. This also means that any carbon dioxide that is produced escapes and your kombucha is flat after the first ferment. The second ferment is when you get to make it bubbly! The exact same process is followed however instead of the fermentation happening in a jar or vessel with air flow, it happens in a sealed bottle to trap all the carbon dioxide. This is also an opportunity to get creative and add any flavours or infusions that you might want to experiment with. Completing a second ferment is not necessary to get all the benefits of kombucha and enjoy its tangy taste. If you don’t have time or haven’t got any bottles yet, we recommend a shot of kombucha from day 25 of the first ferment in a glass of sparkling water. However, if you do want bubbles, read on… Second Ferment Process - Add 1.5 tsp of white sugar into your clean sterile 750mL glass bottle. - Pour your kombucha into the bottle through a muslin cloth lined funnel. - Seal the bottle tightly (a flip top cap is the easiest) and leave at room temperature for 2 -3 days to carbonate. - Taste test, if it is not as bubbly as you want, leave it out for another day or two. - Refrigerate your kombucha and enjoy! You can get as creative as you want with the second ferment! An easy way to add flavour is to add some of your favourite juice into the sterilised bottle, then add your kombucha and seal. This will give both flavour and the sugar the kombucha needs to carbonate. If you add juice or fruit you don’t need to add the white sugar as you are already feeding the live cultures with your infusions. - Juice flavouring it’s best to start with up to 20% juice and 80% kombucha. - Fruit is a great way to bring in some different flavour profiles and you can use fresh, frozen or dried. Start with up to 30% fruit and 70% kombucha, keep in mind that dried fruit will often have a higher sugar level. - Add 2 teaspoons of chia seeds for added nutritional benefits and texture. - Add a slice of ginger root as well as the sugar to get that fiery ginger flavour. - Add flavour extracts e.g. vanilla, start with ¼ teaspoon of extract per 1 cup (250mL) of kombucha. It’s important to second ferment in brewing bottles as the production of gas leads to higher pressure. We recommend reusable glass bottles with flip top caps. Be careful when opening bottles after a second ferment, as they are under pressure they may fizz. Store your kombucha out of direct sunlight, between 24 – 30oC (75 – 86oF). If you are fermenting other food or beverages make sure there is a gap of at least 1 metre between the kombucha and these. This will ensure no cross contamination of the different bacteria and yeast. Good luck and any questions or feedback please let us know!
What is Kombucha?
With the launch of the Mad Millie Kombucha Kit we’re excited to see more and more people getting creative in the kitchen with their booch. For those that are still new to the kombucha world here is a brief overview of what you’ve got to look forward to. Kombucha has been bouncing up the popularity charts in all markets in recent years. From initial reactions of “kom-what??” to now being a standard on supermarket and café shelves, everyone is jumping on board. Not only are people becoming aware of its benefits and delicious flavours but also how easy it is to make at home! With the launch of the Mad Millie Kombucha Kit we’re excited to see more and more people getting creative in the kitchen with their booch. For those that are still new to the kombucha world here is a brief overview of what you’ve got to look forward to. What is kombucha? Kombucha is fermented tea. Initially when someone mentions that, most people’s nose crinkles. BUT do you like beer? Ginger beer? Wine? These are all fermented beverages. Fermentation uses live cultures to metabolise the product and produce by-products which can include organic acids, alcohol and carbon dioxide. For kombucha this means taking sweetened tea and turning it into a slightly sweet, acidic, refreshing beverage. Kombucha has been around since 220 B.C. with its origins in China. It then slowly spread to Japan, Russia, eastern Europe and eventually western Europe. With the help of social media and the internet it is now relatively well known worldwide. What the heck is a scoby? Scoby is an acronym for the slimy, jellyfish-like disc that is produced by the live culture. Scoby stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, the slimy scoby is cellulose that is produced as a by-product of fermentation. It is symbiotic as it contains a whole raft of bacteria and yeast that happily live and work together to create kombucha from the sweetened tea. What’s all the fuss about these live cultures? While we cannot determine or define any particular benefits from kombucha, there is a lot of research going into the impact of fermented foods, live cultures and probiotics on gut health. Gut health is also being found to have a huge impact on overall health. Why should I make my own? Making your own kombucha is surprisingly easy, if you are after a daily top up of live cultures it is also the most cost-effective way of doing it. Lots of commercial kombucha products have various bits and pieces added to them to make a more efficient process during manufacturing. This can mean less actual live cultures or in some cases virtually no live culture. If you’re home brewing, then you know exactly what is going in there! What’s different about the Mad Millie Kombucha Kit? The Mad Millie Kombucha Kit contains a shelf stable scoby that is ready to go! Lots of alternative scobys will be dehydrated which means they take a while to be activated again. If you don’t want the hassle of your first few batches potentially not working – go with Mad Millie. Being shelf stable also means it doesn’t require refrigeration; through some very clever work our scoby is happy to sit at room temperature until it is fed by you. This means if you don’t get a chance to use it straight away it’s no problem! It can hang out in your pantry (out of direct sunlight) quite happily until you have some spare brew time. For more info on the Mad Millie Kombucha Kit check out our FAQs or get in touch directly.
Fermented Foods and their benefits
Fermented foods have absolutely burst onto the healthy food scene over the last couple of years. There are now as many options of kefir as there are yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi are becoming commonplace and the word kombucha rolls off the tongue without question. A few studies have helped illuminate that we know very little about the impact of our gut microbiome (fancy word for the range of bacteria in us) on our overall health. But what we do know is that there appear to be many benefits from a diet high in pre and probiotics. Fermented foods have absolutely burst onto the healthy food scene over the last couple of years. There are now as many options of kefir as there are yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi are becoming commonplace and the word kombucha rolls off the tongue without question. A few studies have helped illuminate that we know very little about the impact of our gut microbiome (fancy word for the range of bacteria in us) on our overall health. But what we do know is that there appear to be many benefits from a diet high in pre and probiotics. The process of fermentation has been around for centuries and was first developed to preserve food before refrigerators came along. We are slowly beginning to understand that our ancestors were on to something and that fermented foods help feed and support the one trillion bacteria that live in our digestive system. These bacteria are essential to digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as impacting our immune system. The process of fermentation is anaerobic which means that there is no oxygen involved. The bacteria and yeast that are either naturally present or added will convert the sugars in the raw materials into other compounds. The most common end product of the fermentation in food is alcohol (beer and wine) or lactic acid, depending on the type of bacteria and yeast used. Lactic acid bacteria give food or beverages the sour, tangy flavour that we associate with yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi. This breakdown of sugars can also make the foods easier to digest. For milk-based products (yoghurt, kefir or cheese) when the lactose is broken down digestion can become significantly more pleasant for those with intolerances. Our gut has a significant impact on our immune system, surprising I know! The mucosa (gut lining) is a natural immunity barrier which helps ensure a strong immune system. When more probiotic rich foods are eaten, the good bacteria are supported and flourish. When more pre-biotics are added to your diet the good bacteria have the perfect nutrition to get the upper hand. If things are out of balance, the disease-causing microbes can grow and may cause inflammation. While the results from studies around probiotics and immune system are still in their early stages if you keep your gut healthy, it will reciprocate and keep you healthy! Maintaining the right balance of the good and bad bacteria in our gut is essential. This is where food choices come in and the beginning of understanding the benefits of fermented foods. A diet high in refined sugars will favour the bad bacteria in your gut, allowing them to flourish and effectively out-weigh the good. Fermented foods that are rich in probiotic bacteria help to restore this balance by adding good bacteria to your gut which supports a healthy gut microbiome. As expected, we would suggest that the best way to get your fermented food intake is by making it yourself! Fermented foods require minimal hands on time as it’s about mixing in the cultures and leaving them to do their job. Let the magic happen and before you know it your sauerkraut, kombucha or yoghurt or coconut yoghurt will be teeming with healthy probiotics. With vegetable fermentation make sure you are using as fresh, local and organic produce as you can get your hands on. You can ferment a huge range of vegetables with better results coming from cabbage, radishes, carrots, beetroot, turnip and apples. Have a play to see how much tangy fermentation flavour you like by tasting every day after a week of ferment time. If you are choosing to buy fermented food for their probiotic benefits and not just their delicious taste, make sure you get them from the chilled section! Anything that isn’t in the fridge as a finished product is likely heat treated which kills off all the good bacteria. Additionally, the bad news is that all the bacteria from the fermentation of beer and wine is filtered out of the finished product. While they may be delicious, they don’t contain the added gut health benefits. Make you sure include plenty of prebiotics too as this helps feed and grow the good bacteria, these can be onions, garlic, leek, asparagus, bananas and wheat flour. Look after your gut and it will look after you!
The Benefits of Kefir
Kefir is a delicious fermented beverage, similar in flavour to yoghurt with a tart, sour taste but is a thinner consistency and with a slight fizz due to the fermentation process. Fermented foods are becoming more popular as people gain a greater understanding of gut health and the benefits of good bacteria and yeast. Kefir is a delicious fermented beverage that originates from the mountainous region between Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. The name originates from the Turkish word keyif which means ‘feeling good’. It is similar in flavour to yoghurt with a tart, sour taste but is a thinner consistency and with a slight fizz due to the fermentation process. • Kefir contains an abundance of good bacteria, yeast, vitamins and minerals. If made with milk it is also a good source of calcium and protein. • Consumers choose to drink kefir as it contains more strains of beneficial bacteria than other cultured products like yoghurt. • Kefir consumption is on the rise due to the increasing associations of good bacteria or probiotics and the beneficial effects on overall health. • Kefir can be made with milk, soy milk, coconut water or juice depending on your preference. Kefir can be drunk as a beverage, used as a base for smoothies or added to your cereal. Without using any heat (this will kill the good bacteria) it can also be used to accompany baking, as an ingredient for dips, salad dressing, a dollop into some soup, the options are endless! Mad Millie Kefir Culture contains 7 different strains of bacteria and one strain of yeast. Because it is a culture rather than grains it is perfect for those that want to try and make kefir without having to maintain their kefir grains. The culture can be reused one to two times – that’s up to 2 L (2 US qt) of kefir for every kefir culture packet! To make kefir the culture is added to a glass jar and then whatever you choose to use (milk, juice, coconut water etc) added on top. Give it a mix, cover it up with a cheesecloth, leave it at room temperature for 24 hours or until it has reached your desired tartness and voila! During that time the bacteria and yeast in the culture will have had time to ferment the sugars and the bacteria can proliferate and grow. After the 24 hours pop it into the fridge and use it as you desire.