Culturing in Temperate Climate - Getting Started with Dehydrating

Subject: dietary makeover From: Janet

To: Susan@ChefTeton.com

Aloha Chef Teton,

You certainly have become a household name! I am in the process of converting myself, my husband and our 16 year old to your style of cooking and living. I bought your DVDs first after watching Hungry for Change and Food Matters and have signed up for your 4 week makeover. I have made a few dishes to ‘reel the family in’ and so far it is very successful. A little about me and then I have a lot of questions for you!

I was in an accident 3.5 years ago, have had 6 surgeries and ultimately had my hip replaced and a neurostimulator implanted this year. Other than that, I am 50, very cute and have a great sense of humor :^) … I have been off pain pills for 3.5 months and am not taking Tylenol either. I do enjoy a glass of wine and that helps manage the pain too. I have always been very athletic and eaten well but the surgeries and pain meds took its toll. I am still in physical therapy but all is coming along very well! I have been buying products and reading and have started attending presentations at a health food store. I did a 7 day and then a 3 day detox which helped tremendously.

Aloha Janet, Thank you for you letter. First, I must congratulations on your progress and mostly on your attitude. You sound wonderful! I will address your questions below in BOLD. Also, would you mind if I put this on the DM forum and my blog for others to see? Thank you! CT I live in FL in a house with limited space. The TSM fermentation crock I bought has specific temperatures to store the crock during fermentation. How do you manage this in your climate?

Quite honestly, I never paid any attention to the temperature or climate here. I am so used to it being mild. I leave my crock out in my living room on the floor, and sometimes in a cabinet. It can get quite warm and then in the winter cool down at night quite a lot. I have never noticed any problem at all. I don't think you will have a problem in a warm climate, it is a cold climate that may slow down the fermentation process. But all that said, good question that I will have to research more.

I am concerned about making a mess if I store it on a high shelf in an office closet.

I have never have them make a mess unless I am fermenting in a canning jar. They will often oooz, so I put a plate underneath them to catch the drips. The crocks never made a mess. As for smell, well, they can sure smell, especially if you use onions and garlic.

Will the garage work in our temperate months?

Not sure what you mean here, do you mean when it gets colder or warmer? I think the garage is fine, but if it gets very cold it will slow things down. We juice daily and with the vitamix, and Cuisinart, I have run out of counterspace! I know what you mean!!

Same question for the dehydrator. It says to not keep it outside. I have a screened in patio that I thought would work but I am not sure. Will a dehydrator damage wood if it is operating while on a wood surface?

Wow, you have the best questions. I don't think it will hurt wood. I keep mine out on my screened in patio quite often. I also cover it so the salt air does not get on it. I am sure it will be fine out there. You might want to check it often during use to make sure it does not get too hot for the wood.

One of my goals with the dehydrator is to create a lot of snack foods for the teenagers. What do you suggest to start?

Fruit is a very good start. Apples, banana's and other seasonal fruits are fantastic when dehydrated. Nuts and seeds are also good because you can flavor them with spices and even sweeten them with honey or maple syrup. Tomato's are also yummy when dehydrated if they are sweet and organic.

I am experimenting with cultured foods (I bought some kim chi and raw sauerkraut) with high hopes that my digestive woes will lighten up. I have added miller’s bran to my diet too. What are your thoughts?

Cultured Vegetable are the best, try to eat them daily with each meal. Start you day with a spoonful. I would also recommend bone broths made from organic whole chickens and bone marrow bones from healthy animals. My new DVD on Healing Foods (coming out in January) contains simple recipes for these. Basically you just boil the bones with salt and a little vinegar for about 36 hours (crock pots are great for this, but there goes more of your counter top space). Drink this beverage daily. It should be the only thing you drink with meals.

I hope this helps. Carry on and keep in touch!! Chef Teton

Thanks so much! I am really excited about this journey.

Janet Hough

Raw Cacao Candies

Making your own Cacao Candies and/or Truffles is so easy and so much fun! There are many variations with a lot of creative freedom. Treat your guests to a treat or show off at your next holiday party.

Get the basic recipe here!

Gorgeous Purple Cauliflower

Holiday Splash of Color-

Purple Cauliflower Recipes

Look at this amazing color. You can use this beautiful food as a table decoration or as a delicious side dish. Here is what I would do.

Keep it simple!

Cut into large pieces and lightly steam.  Serve with melted Ghee or butter, and Flower of the Ocean Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper.  If you are dairy free, then try combining equal parts of coconut oil and olive oil. Pour over the top. Salt and pepper.

YUM YUM!

Get more healthy food recipes for the holidays!

How Early Should You Feed Children Raw Food

Here is the question I received from Kristine:

Hi Susan,

I absolutely love your DVD's! I"m a nutritional consultant in Olympia, WA and have my clients watch your videos. My question to is about 6 month year old and older nutrition. I'm currently 6 months pregnant and want to feed my child the best foods possible. How early do you recommend eating raw foods? What do you recommend instead of formula/milk?

Thanks and keep it up!

Dear Kristine,

Thanks for your letter Kristine. My recommendation for eating raw is at any age. That said, I am including Raw Dairy and Cultured/Fermented Foods as well. For formula/milk I recommend your own Mother's milk. If you are not breast feeding, and you are willing to take a look at raw dairy and cultured/fermented foods like kefir and vegetables I recommend researching the following: Sally Fallon's work with The Weston Price Foundation. She has some recipes for making healthy formula. You definitely want to steer away from soy of any kind because of the estrogenic factors. There is research showing the dangers in soy.

My experience with my own son, who is now 40, showed me why dairy (as we know it, all pasteurized and such) can be such an allergenic food. I read "Let's Have Healthy Children" by Adele Davis. Forty years ago that was about all we had. I made my son formula out of regular milk after I quit breast feeding. Adele Davis suggested raw dairy, but we did not have that readily available so I used our regular milk, thinking that it would be fine. He became congested immediately and then got a cold and infection in the ears. By the time he was 9 months old he had been on antibiotics 4 times and had to have surgery in his ears. Now, I can't totally blame the milk, but the problem compounded itself after the antibiotics, then more milk, antibiotics, milk and so on. He had allergies and candita situation for years, but we never understood it then. Now I know why and know better.

Years after eating only raw foods, I also became depleted (around menopause) and began more research with Body Ecology Diet, Weston Price Foundation, etc. I put raw dairy in my life including butter and lots of kefir and cream. I also started making my own cultured veggies. Yum! To this day I still enjoy these foods abundantly. My theory after much experience and research is to eat from the Earth and not the Factory. Simple as that. Eat as much raw as possible, meaning fresh organic foods and as much fermented, cultured as well. The most vital part of raw food culinary style is the fats, which is why you want to soak nuts and seeds and keep their Essential Fatty Acids in tact. Same with dairy. Raw dairy from a grass fed cow or goat is a fantastic food. If from a grain fed cow, not so good. Cooking veggies is absolutely fine and often a better way to eat more of them. Same with lentils and other legumes. Cultured veggies (living sauerkraut) is a great food to get kids used to, so their palate can become accustomed to the sour taste early. These foods will build friendly flora in the intestinal tract and should be consumed all through life.

Another food I am enjoying lately is bone broths, particularly broths from bone marrow. These are powerfully rich foods that can build bone and help young bodies build themselves. There are several videos on YouTube of parents that were feeding their kids too much sugar with raw juices and fruits and their kids had terrible tooth decay problems with their baby teeth. With an enhanced diet of bone broths and raw dairy and liver, the tooth decay went away (see Weston Price Foundation). So, be wary of a high diet of sugar from fruits and raw foods. Do not deplete the child of the fats and proteins he/she needs to formulate their body.

One of the redeeming factors regarding my own son is that he was born with a very strong body and continued to grow that way. During pregnancy I ate cooked liver every day, lots of raw veggies and a starch like squash or a potato for dinner. Had I not given him that pasteurized dairy and antibiotics I think he would have been allergy free. Dr. Greene has a lot of information about the use of antibiotics and allergies that is good to know should anything arise where antibiotics are needed.

Eat and feed organic foods from the Earth and not the Factory, and eat only from animals that are as healthy as you want to be, that are grass fed and raised humanely. That is my recommendation. Just my opinion!!

Good luck and keep up the great work! Thank you ! Chef Teton