~Summer Soda Days~

Today was one of those auspicious days when all the stars line up in the kitchen.

Last night Dan and I harvested elderberries.  The elderberries were so darn ripe I had a shower of them falling on my head.  Buried in berries?

I knew when I got up that I would have about 3 plus pounds of elderberries waiting for me.

I knew today would be a big kitchen day.

I began my day by making a pot of lentil soup.  This particular soup is an old favorite of mine that I have been making for the last 35 years - and I never tire of it.

After soup-making I bottled a batch of grapefruit, chamomile, cardamom kefir soda.

Then I prepared 8 bottles of beet kvass and played around with ginger and orange juice flavorings.

Then I prepared 6 bottles of kombucha.  I flavored the kombucha with elderberry syrup from my freezer stash, ginger, and lemon.

Then I started the next gallon batch of kombucha and put it in the cupboard.

Then I felt sorry for the baby kombucha that was left so I brewed up all the tea I had which happened to be green tea with a touch of white tea.  I have no idea how this will turn out.  Especially since I didn't have any starter from the previous batch to add to it because I didn't know I was going to be inspired to start a second gallon.  So I quickly read online about what to do and I added 1 1/2 c. distilled white vinegar instead of 1 1/2 c. of brewed buch.  Then I covered it with a tea towel and rubber band and set it in the cupboard with its brother batch.

Then I ate lunch.  Thank goodness I had some lentil soup.

Then I cleaned everything up.  I always carry towels out for fear of cross contamination of cultures - which is always a possibility - and started a load of laundry and I loaded the dishwasher with all the dishes I had used for same reason.  All kitchen surfaces were scrubbed with vinegar solution.

Then I began phase two of my day in the kitchen and I have been buried in berries ever since.

Elderberries take a lot of TLC because you have to pick them off the stem.  They are bubbling on the stove right now.  I should have enough to make a savory elderberry catsup and a jar of jelly for Dan.