Rejuvelac is a fermented drink made from sprouted grains. It contains probiotics and lactic acid and is the primary culturing agent for many nut cheeses. And! Although the classic drink is from what berries, you could use any kind of grains (or a mix) and make it gluten free, barley, kamut, amaranth, quinoa and more. The fermentation extracts most of the nutrients from the berries for a delicious, fresh tasting drink. The leftover berries don’t have much nutritional value but you can place them in compost to feed your garden.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup wheat berries (or other whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth, kamut, barley or rye berries)
- 6 cups filtered water
MATERIALS
- Half-gallon mason jar
- Sprouting lid - You can also use the ring of the mason jar lid and a double layer of cheesecloth or cut some plastic mesh to fit the mason jar ring, but the sprouting lid is pretty easy, and reusable.
DIRECTIONS
- Soak and sprout the grains: Put the grains in a glass half-gallon mason jar and fill with water. Screw on sprouting lid. Allow to soak at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
- Using the sprouting lid as a strainer, drain, then add just enough water to keep the grains moist, but not so much that they are immersed in water.
- Put the jar in a warm place on the counter out of direct sunlight for 1 to 3 days and rinse the grains twice a day, each time draining well and adding just enough fresh water to moisten them. Continue this process until the grains have begun to sprout.
- They will be ready when the grains have little white tails emerging.
- Culture the rejuvelac: Fill the jar with 6 cups of fresh filtered water. Screw on sprouting lid. Put the jar in a warm place on the counter out of direct sunlight for 1 to 3 days. The liquid will turn cloudy white, a bit bubbly and foamy on the top. It will have tart, cheesy-ish, fermented smell. Strain the liquid into clean glass jars and discard the grains.
- Rejuvelac will keep covered in the refrigerator for about a week.
*Note: Make sure the grains used for the recipe are not pre-sprouted.
Photos by Emily Honeycutt of Deliciously Green
