Q&A with Founder of Symbiota, Amber Fairweather

Tell us a bit about yourself?  I am a qualified teacher with a PGDipArts (Psychology). I live in Whangarei with my husband and three children who are under the age of 9 years.  Currently alongside Symbiota, I work as a wellbeing coach for tertiary students and I teach senior secondary...

The benefits of nut milk

Both nut milk and cow milk have their advantages and disadvantages. Let’s look at the benefits of using the very popular almond milk: Although almond milk does not offer the protein content of traditional dairy, it does offer a lot of nutrition. Nut milk has lower calories than cow's milk,...

Top tips for your food ferments

Discover Ambers top tips for fermenting foods.

Our top tips for fermenting drinks

Before you begin making fermented drinks, there are tips you must know in order to have a smooth experience. Basically, fermented drinks use a common method – allowing a drink to culture at room temperature for a few days down to several weeks. Use a Starter or SCOBYMost fermented drinks...

Discover more about the ancient art of fermentation

Before probiotics became popular in the microbial world, several cultures across the globe and throughout history have always loved fermented foods.  The practice of fermenting dates back to 10,000 BCE. It’s one of the oldest practices in human history and has gained popularity due to its numerous advantages. Several centuries...

The Science behind fermented foods

  In today's world, fermented foods have become a major part of human's diet. Therefore, the science behind them is noteworthy. Fermented foods are those foods that have been subjected to the action of enzymes or microorganisms, so that desirable biochemical changes cause significant modifications to the food.  Yeasts, filamentous...

Ferments for your Christmas Spread!

Christmas is coming! A day where we all overeat, overdrink and indulge in sweets and treats. It’s a great time for friends and family, but not such a great time for our gut. If you’re looking for healthy Christmas food alternatives for your festive spread, read on. We’ve got some...

cultures, fermentation pots, fermented food

Symbiota Vegan Butter

This is an absolutely delicious replacement for dairy butter, using our Symbiota Sunflower Lecithin Powder!   ½ cup cashew or soy milk (if store-bought add tsp. nutritional yeast) ¼ teaspoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar ¾ cup refined coconut ¾ cup rice bran oil (or a neutral-tasting oil of...

Sourdough Crackers

Looking for a great cracker? These are so easy and quick to make, and taste so delicious!   Ingredients: 1 cup of discarded sourdough starter 1 Cup of all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour ½ Teaspoon of salt 4 Tablespoons of butter at room temperature 2 Tablespoons of dried herbs...

Lemon and Ginger Water Kefir

Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups water kefir 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice  Fresh Ginger root, 3cm juiced, or grated or tenderized.  Method: Pour the water kefir into good airtight bottle(s). Add lemon juice and ginger root. Cap/seal your bottles and ferment them for a further 1-3 days at room temperature.  Once the flavour is...

Apple and daikon radish sauerkraut

What you need: Sharp knife, large bowl/bucket, chopping board, cabbage, carrots, Symbiota Kraut Mix, Symbiota Salt. 2-2.5gm non iodised salt to every 100gm produce   Ingredients per 2L Symbiota pot size: 2l pot requires 1 cabbage head, 1 cup of slides daikon radish, 1 cup of sliced carrot and 2...

sauerkraut

How Fermented Foods Can Contribute To Your Mental Health and Make You Happier

  Many studies have confirmed that truly there’s a strong link between what we eat and our mental wellbeing. While many people understand how their diet can affect the state of their gut, most aren’t clear about the effect the food they take have on their mental health.  Back in...