Free Books to Help with Traditional Cultured Foods

Need some help learning about traditional cultured foods? Cultures for Health has several free books (down-loads) available.

They walk you through ingredients, safety, basic steps, and include many recipes.

I think the Kefir "Book" was the first I received. I enjoy the Kefir ice cream recipe! It includes dairy and water kefir recipes.

Other books, I've received are: Cheesemaking, Kombucha, Lacto-Fermentation, Sourdough, and Yogurt. I choose to print the books out and keep them in a large Three-ring binder.

To receive these wonderful resources go to the bottom of Cultures for Health's home page and sign-up. They are free and there is also a free newsletter. An easy and free resource to improve your health!

Black Homemade Licorice

Thought I'd share our recipe for homemade licorice. It comes from good friend Robynne.

1. Melt 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter in 3 qt or larger pan
Add 2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Heat to boiling, keep stirring. Keep at a slow boil. It will turn a brownish caramel color. Don’t let scorch.


2. Add 1 bottle anise oil flavoring and 1/2 a container black food color paste or gel AFTER soft ball state is reached on a candy thermometer.

3. Pour into a 9” x 13” well buttered pan.

4. Cool 2 hours before cutting with pizza cutter. Wrap individual pieces in wax paper

Chocolate Christmas Pretzels

Each year the granddaughters come over and we play with Ghiradelli Chocolate and Christmas pretzels from Sam's Club!

Donning aprons.

It all started when the oldest granddaughter was about 2 years old. She wasn't old enough to handle decorating "Christmas" cookies. But she was able to drop the Christmas shaped pretzels into the chocolate.

Removing broken pretzels.

Dipping pretzels.

The oldest "cook."

The littlest "cook."

Simply melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. When melted remove the top to a kitchen towel. This will soak up any moisture and be heat protecting and keeping. Let the little ones drop the pretzels into the chocolate. Grandma can fish each pretzel out with a fork and lay it on some wax paper.

Finished pretzels.

Someone playing in the chocolate, again.

The girls also like to sprinkle the wet chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles or with some white chocolate. Let dry. Then bag.

Putting pretzels into fancy bags.

Store in air tight container in freezer for long periods of time. It helps to keep them from immediately disappearing!

Linked with: Raising Homemakers

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

An excited granddaughter looks over the "white candy pretzels" we made. At two I didn't think she was up to decorating cut-out cookies. But we had fun making candy pretzels! She would hunt for unbroken pretzels and drop them into the top of the double-boiler in which I had melted the candy coating or chocolate. I then covered them and lifted the candy pretzels out with a plastic fork laying them on silcon baking sheets to harden.

Melt your coating. Then move your pan or the top of your double-boiler off the stove. Coat your pretzels, then lay out on wax paper or a silcon sheet to harden. We also drizzled dark chocolate on top of our white pretzels. You can add sprinkles in a contrasting color while they are still wet. Clean out your pan by making Almond Bark. Just dump in some almonds and stir around to get the last of the coating. Spread on wax paper to harden.

Black Homemade Licorice

Thought I'd share our recipe for homemade licorice. It comes from good friend Robynne.

1. Melt 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter in 3 qt or larger pan
Add 2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Heat to boiling, keep stirring. Keep at a slow boil. It will turn a brownish caramel color. Don’t let scorch.


2. Add 1 bottle anise oil flavoring and 1/2 a container black food color paste or gel AFTER soft ball state is reached on a candy thermometer.

3. Pour into a 9” x 13” well buttered pan.

4. Cool 2 hours before cutting with pizza cutter. Wrap individual pieces in wax paper

Baked Carmel Corn

This recipe comes from my mom.

Mix together, stirring constantly until boiiling:
1 cup butter, melt in 3 qt. dutch oven
2 cup. brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup

Boil 5 minutes without stirring.

Remove from heat, stir in
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Pour over 6 qts. popped corn, add nuts if desired. Mix well spread in 2 lined or buttered jelly roll pans.

Bake 1 hour at 250°. Stir every 15 minutes. Cool.

Grandma's Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar
1 cup white syrup (light corn syrup??)
2 cups raw peanuts
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Then add sugar and white syrup. Stir until dissolved and boil until it will spin a thread. (Check temp****)
Now add peanuts and cook slowly over a low fire until it turns a golden brown. Take from fire and add butter, soda, and vanilla. Stir quickly. Spread on 2 large cookie sheets that have been well buttered. Place in cold area.

Creamy Fudge

This recipe from my Grandma Hatfield is a family favorite. My sons have even resorted to making it on their own! We've never found a fudge recipe that compares to this one.

Makes 5 pounds

15 oz. plain milk chocolate bars or milk chocolate chips (2 1/2 cups)
1-12 oz pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 jar (7 1/2 oz.) marshmallow whip

If using chocolate bars, cut in small pieces into a large lightweight mixing bowl. Put all the above ingredients into the bowl.

4 1/2 cups sugar
1 large can evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Bring sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla to a boil in a large heavy kettle. Let boil slowly exactly 4 1/2 minutes. Stirring to prevent burning. Pour over chocolate mixture, mixing until chocolate is dissolved.

1 cup chopped pecans



Let stand until somewhat cool, add nuts. Pour into a 9” x 13” buttered pan. Finish cooling in refrigerator. Then cut in small pieces.



Popcorn used to clean the fudge bowl is yummy!