Improve digestive health with Rejuvelac

Probiotics are a great inclusion to plant based nutrition. Foods that are active with live cultures of healthy bacteria are highly beneficial to human intestinal flora as they can help improve digestion. These foods also improve the assimilation of nutrients from all other foods. Even better these sorts of foods have a gentle laxative effect relieving constipation and help breakdown other potential undigested waste material. There are a wide range of food sources of probiotics that typically come in the form of fermented foods. Foods like yogurt and sauerkraut are great sources but can be expensive if store bought and challenging to create from scratch at home. Fortunately there is a great source of these precious probiotic nutrients in an easy to make drink. Rejuvelac.
Rejuvelac is a fermented probiotic beverage. A healthy source of vitamins B, K and E, proteins, and enzymes. It is beneficial to the digestive system, promoting a healthy intestinal environment. Even better this drink can be adapted to a wide range of recipes for soups, sauces, dressings and beverages. Try adding this to a fresh vegetable juice like a mix of carrot, apple or turnip juice. This is also a great starter for making fermented foods like sauerkraut and even non dairy cheese.

On its own it has a lemony fresh, slightly bitter taste that may take some time to become accustomed too. The benefits that this drink offers make it well worth the time it takes to adjust to the taste. 

good thing it is very easy and inexpensive to make. There are a wide range of grains that can be used to conjure up this healthy elixir, though rye is a great choice because it is a gluten free grain and similar in cost to more common grains like wheat.

      Follow this simple guide to making Rejuvelac. The only things you need is clean filtered water, preferred grains, clean glass vessels like jars or pitchers and some patience. Follow these steps and you should have some tangy Rejuvelac ready to drink in about a week.

1. Start by collecting 1 or 2 cups of rye grains in a clean quart size glass jar. 
2. Fill jar with clean filtered water.
    
3. Allow the grains to soak for 6-8 hours or overnight. 
4. Sprout the grains for 2 days or until the grains grow short visible sprout tails on them. [Find a Full Sprouting Guide HERE]
    
5. Take half a portion of sprouted rye grain and place it in a blender or food processor with enough water to cover them and briefly pulse for 1-5 seconds (this step will break open these the grains and allow them to release more nutrients). 
6. Place all of the grains into a large clean glass pitcher or tall jar and fill with water. 
7. Cover the large glass container with a permeable secured cover like cheesecloth or mesh lid so the solution can be exposed to the air. Place somewhere out of the way in the kitchen where there is good air circulation.
   
8. Allow the container to sit for 3-4 days, each day stir the liquid once in the morning and again at night. (Use a wood or silicone spoon or utensil to stir as a metal utensil could disrupt the fermentation process)
    
9. Taste after each stir to see if that lemony bitter flavor is developing. (*Taste in a separate vessel as natural mouth bacteria could disrupt the fermentation process) 
10. On the last day give the mix one final taste. Separate the rye grains from the liquid by pouring the entire solution through a mesh colander or similar kitchen tool allowing the liquid to collect into a new, large, clean, glass container. This final liquid is the Rejuvelac. 
    
11. Refrigerate and enjoy at your leisure.
    

Now this drink is ready to be used for a wide range of recipes. Another great tip, the left over rye grain can be used to create a new batch of Rejuvelac. This time though it will only take 2-3days. Simply add the grains to a new clean vessel filled with water and repeat the same process of twice a day stirring. On the final day separate the grains from the water like before. 

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