As I started writing up this article on sima I realized my timing couldn’t be be better. Vappu is only a week away. Just enough time to brew up my first batch of the year. It brings back a flood of memories of my time in Finland.

Sima is a Finnish homemade mead, and is the traditional drink for their Vappu holiday, which falls on May 1st. The holiday itself is quite a mix match of different traditions. Originally there was a pagan celebration at this time, involving the lighting of bonfires and the welcoming of spring. With the coming of Christianity the same holiday was used instead to honour a Saint Walpurga, while still keeping some of the old traditions. Later on it became a day associated with political, religious, and student activism, including marches, demonstrations and speeches. Today it is a mix of all these things, and the holiday typically involves music and picnic feasts in the park by day, and bonfires, partying and drinking by night. And so with that bit of background here is my recipe.

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This recipe has developed over the years from Sally Fallon’s recipe for raisin chutney in her wonderful cookbook Nourishing Traditions.

• 3 c organic raisins
• 1 t red chili flakes
• 1/2 head garlic, crushed
• 2 T coriander seeds
• 1 T cumin seeds
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 T fenugreek seeds
• 2-3 cardamom pods (remove shell)
• 1 T black mustard seeds
• 1 T black peppercorns
• 1 t ground turmeric
• 2 inches ginger, grated
• 2 t Himalayan salt (sea salt)
• 1/4 c whey
• 1/2 c non-chlorinated water

Method: Soak raisins in warm water for at least an hour. Peel and pound ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Place the whole spices in a pan and dry roast until the aroma rises from the pan. Process until well ground.

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BUY THIS: Recipe Card on zazzle.com

I posted this recipe on the instructables web site and people just love it. I love it too, it is so easy and absolutely delicious. This recipe card makes a great gift as it comes with a method to make a very healthy addition to your diet. These pickles are great for digestion.

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In the latest addition of Mouth of Babes we learn how to make kombucha, the powerfully detoxing home-brew. It is a good idea to start drinking kombucha before you actually get pregnant. If you are planning to get pregnant, drink it for at least six months before conceiving to help clean your tissues and prepare your body for a good healthy pregnancy.

If you are just starting to drink kombucha during pregnancy, I think it is the best idea to only drink very small amounts (1/4 c or less) at a time as you may find that it is such a powerful detoxing agent that you get ‘die off’ or the herxhiemer reaction. If you do, just ease off for a few days.

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Maple syrup and rosewater add a new dimension to kefir, which is a very affordable, easy, practical and tasty method to ensure you get your daily dose of probiotics to keep your intestinal garden (and as a result your immune system and practically everything else including emotions) in prime condition. I recently have been reading a book about the Abkhasians who live in the Caucasus and easily live to be 120 or more. Most of them didn’t marry and have children until their 40s or even 50s! They had an all around healthy lifestyle, which included matzoni, which is also a fermented dairy product.

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As we all know the supplement industry is run by greed and money almost to the same degree as the pharmaceutical industry (if that’s possible). I personally believe that we can get everything we need from our food, but at times we may not be able to afford to buy all organic or from farmers markets, we may not have the strength of will to break all our addictions to coffee, sugar, processed foods, chocolate, alcohol or whatever it may be. We may be working overtime trying to make ends meet and pay the bills and not have time to learn how to make bone stock, yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut and everything else. So I do appreciate that at times it is necessary to use supplements. But be warned if you do so there is a whole lot of products out there that won’t do what they say, and are packaged brightly to tempt you to throw your money at them. I spent time working for a multi-level marketing company (EQUINOX) that sold herb and supplements for a very high price–I ended up totally bankrupt from that venture–this may be part of why I have nearly as much resistance to the supplement industry as I do to the pharmaceutical industry. I much prefer, as do most of us, to use herbal teas, cod liver oil, berries, sauerkraut and yogurt than popping a unknown pill.

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This recipe is adapted from D. Mary’s recipe for Cucumbers in Jars on page 75 in the book Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning

• 1 1/2 T sea salt per quart (litre) of water
• unchlorinated water
• small handful fennel seeds
• 6-10 black peppercorns
• 1 T mustard seeds
• 5-7 cloves
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 8-10 small to medium sized cucumbers, washed
• dill flower heads and leaves
• small handful of coriander seeds
• clean jars with canning tops
• 1 horseradish root, sliced (to keep cucumbers firm)

Method: Add the salt to a bottle of transmogrified water and shake it until it dissolves. Give your cucumbers a good wash and put the spices and garlic into the jar. Pierce the cucumbers with a fork a few times so the brine will penetrate into them. Squeeze the cucumbers upright into the jar (with the horseradish) and place the dill on top.

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Now here is a great alternative for cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, especially if you like the flavors of Asia this is modeled on Sally Fallon’s raisin chutney recipe in Nourishing Traditions.

• 1 lb (500g) fresh dates (pitted)
• 1 lb (500g) fresh cranberries
• 1 t red chili flakes
• 1/2 head garlic, crushed
• 2 T coriander seeds
• 1 T cumin seeds
• 1 T anise seeds
• 1 T fenugreek seeds
• 5 black peppercorns
• 2 inches ginger, grated
• 2 t sea salt
• 1/4 c whey
• 1/2 c water

Method: Cook cranberries with water until soft. Add dates and mash. Peel and pound ginger and garlic in a morter and pestle. Place the spices in a pan and dry roast until the aroma rises from the pan. Process until well ground.

Mix the date and cranberries with the spices, ginger and garlic, add the salt and whey. Place in jars, pour in enough whey to cover the top of the chutney. Let stand about 2 days in a warm spot in your kitchen. Transfer to fridge and eat within 2 months.

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Lacto-fermentation is actually safer than canning for the inexperienced beginner as there is less chance of contamination with unwanted bacteria and asparagus are high in inulin which lactobacilli love to eat.

• 1 kg asparagus
• 4 dried chili peppers (optional)
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 10 black peppercorns, crushed
• 1/2 cup Himalayan crystal salt or kosher salt
• 2 liters water

Method Wash and trim asparagus, if the asparagus is fat and tough, peel the skin. Layer asparagus spears, chili peppers, garlic, peppercorns in a large glass jar (use canning jars with a good seal). Dissolve the salt in the water. Pour the brine over, being sure the asparagus is submerged. Add more water if necessary. Weigh everything down with a plate, stone or a zip-lock bag filled with water. Put in a cool place out of direct sunlight. I usually put a plate or muslin cloth over the top to keep out dust and other unwanted additions.

In a couple days you will see tiny bubbles rising. Skim off any scum that forms on top of the brine. The pickles will be ready in 10-14 days depending on the temperature. The bubbling will stop and the beans will taste sour. Remove the weight skim again, put the lid on and refrigerate or put into a cool cellar for storage.

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I finally realized that even though I spend a lot of time raving on about the wonders of kombucha I haven’t posted a basic description for how to make it. Every ten days I follow this routine which provides me and my man with tasty kombucha tea while the next batch ferments on the countertop. Halve the recipe if you are the only one drinking the kombucha tea.

• 6 liters (quarts) water
• 8 bags strong black tea
• 2 c sugar
• kombucha mushroom (SCOBY)
• 3/4 – 1 c kombucha tea

Method Bring the water to a boil, add the sugar and dissolve. I often like to use unrefined palm sugar or raw cane sugar instead of refined sugar, but this gives the kombucha a different sort of flavor, the refined sugar is meant to be the best to use for kombucha and gives it a light and crisp flavor. I just don’t like using Rogers sugar as I heard they were using GM sugar beets. Add the tea bags and cover the pot (I use a stainless steel stock pot). Let this steep well and cool to at least room temperature.

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