Rejuvelac

For the lovely Renee I promised to put up a recipe for Rejuvelac.

Rejuvelac is made from fermented grain and has amazing probiotic properties. Rejuvelac is also rich in protein, carbon hydrates, dextrose, phosphates, saccharin, lactic bacteria, saccharin yeast and other stuff. Thanks to the fermenting process, Rejuvelac enhances digestion. It also features high levels of Vitamins B, C, and E, as well as enzymes. Vitamin E is good for your youthful good looks ahhh, now you’re interested.

You can sprout rejuvelac from various things but here is a recipe for rye berry rejuvelac.

I got some lovely biodynamic rye from my local healthfood shop, about $15 for a huge bag that I will be distributing amongst my friends. Note to all- co op your weirder ingredients, get good prices and make new friends…

Recipe:

3/4 cup of dry rye berries/grain

filtered water for soaking

Method:

Soak the rye in water for 12 hours.

Drain and discard water.

Rinse grain and sit in a sprouting jar at a 45 degree angle to sprout for 24-36 hours, rinsing at least twice a day.

The sprouts should have tails of 1-3mm long.

Add 6 cups of water to your sprouts, cover with a loose cloth and leave. Let the rejuvelac ferment for 48 hours in a room temperature of 68-80 degrees F/20-26C. in low light. Ferment longer if a stronger rejuvelac is desired.

After two days of fermentation the rejuvelac should be done. Drain the liquid from the other stuff.

The liquid, your rejuvelac, will have a nice fermented aroma. At this point, taste it. It should taste slightly sour. If it tastes watery or bland, you have probably not had the room warm enough or there might not have been enough sprouted grains used. If it tastes bad then it may have spoiled. Rejuvelac may spoil if it is fermented too long. Don’t drink it if it isn’t fermented enough or if it has spoiled.

You can make a second batch by using the sprouts and repeating the add 6 cups of water step but this time just ferment for 24 hours. After that compost the grains.

Keep your rejuvelac in the fridge, it will keep for 4 days at least.

As well as drinking it, adding it to smoothies and generally replacing water in any recipe with it you can use rejuvelac as a starter for nut cheeses, essene breads and the like and you can make rejuvelac with wheat, quinoa, oats, barley, millet, buckwheat and cabbage.