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The Freedom 5 Newsletter Content Archive

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Learn How to make Homemade Apple Vinegar

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Learn how to make apple or pear vinegar.

Vinegar is a versatile home staple that can be used in cooking, medicinals, and cleaning.  Also, when you shop in season or grow your own apples, you can really make your grocery spending go a long way. 

Apple cider vinegar, apple vinegar, pear vinegar, or also sometimes called, apple scrap vinegar which uses up any leftover and unusable peels and cores, are all different but similar methods to making vinegar.

It is really important to distinguish the difference between the types of vinegars:

  1. Whole Apple Vinegar

  2. Scrap Apple Vinegar; and

  3. Apple Cider Vinegar.

While the first and second are similar, the difference really is that the first one is made with the whole fruit, and scrap vinegar is made with just the leftover unused peels and cores.Apple cider vinegar is made from the juice of the whole apple.  

Whole apple or apple scrap vinegar tends to have a milder and less acidic taste, which can be more appealing when used in recipes. However, due to its lower acid level, whole apple and apple scrap vinegar is not suitable for canning.  Since you can’t properly test the acidity level of homemade vinegars, this is the reason why it’s not generally recommended for caning recipes.  

Supplies needed

  • 1⁄2 gallon (2 litre) jars.

  • Cloth

  • Rubber bands or string

Ingredients needed to make Apple Vinegar

  • 1 Pound (0.5 kg) cut whole apple, or apple scraps, cores, and peels.  You can use any variety of apples for this recipe, as well as, substitute apples for pears or even a combination of the two.

  • 1/3 Cup (67 g) Sugar. Opt for organic cane, brown, or white sugar.  You can’t use alternative sweetness such as stevia, erythritol, xylitol, monk fruit, etc.

  • ½ Cup (120 ml) Raw Unfiltered Cider Vinegar. Unpasteurized or ACV that has a vinegar mother is necessary because this acts as the “starter liquid” to inoculate your apple scrap vinegar.  Once you have established home-made vinegar, you can use your own for the “starter liquid”.

  • 2 Quarts (2 litres) Filtered Water.  Do not use unfiltered chlorinated tap water. 

How to Make Apple Vinegar

  1. Warm up 1 quart (1litre) of  water, not boiling.   Add to the 1/2 gallon (2litre) jar.

  2. Dissolve 1/3 cup sugar in the warm water.  Stir until dissolved.

  3. Put the fruit into the 1⁄2 gallon (2 liter) jar. 

  4. Add 1/2 cup of the raw vinegar. 

  5. Fill up the rest of the jar with room temperature unfiltered water (about  1 quart/1 litre) covering the fruit up to the neck of the jar.

  6. Stir the sugar, water, and fruit with a wooden spoon at lest once a day for the first 7 days.

  7. Cover with a cloth and secure with a rubber band or string.  You will want some oxygen and air flow to to reach the mixture.

  8. Place on the counter or another spot ideally around 70°F to 80°F (21-26°C).

  9. The ferment will begin to slow down in about two weeks (less bubbles). Now it is time to remove the apples and fruit scraps. You may see a film developing on top when you remove the cover. If so, work carefully to keep it because this film is the beginning of the vinegar mother. You can set the film aside while straining out the fruit solids, then add it back into the vinegar.

  10. Cover it again and let it continue to sit on the shelf.

  11. Check the vinegar in another 2-4 weeks, and you should have nice acidity; however, it may take another month or two to develop fully.

  12. Bottle the vinegar, save the mother for another batch or share with a friend.

  13. You can use the vinegar immediately, or you can age the vinegar to mellow the flavour. 

  14. Apple scrap vinegar will last indefinitely at room temperature.

See my IG Video: Apple Vinegar in the making here!

Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment below and snap a photo tagging us on social media @healthytradititonshomestead and @thefreedomtolive.ca so we can see!

Also see:

Fermenting Foods 101

Scroll to the bottom of this post on a natural approach to cold and flu season for a simple easy Fire Water Recipe using homemade apple vinegar!

4. Remove Toxins (Lifestyle) Beginner to Advanced Coffee Enemas for Liver and Detoxification Support

Coffee enemas help open the liver bile ducts, drain toxins, reduce pain and brain fog, and enhance energy. 

Enemas are extremely beneficial for opening drainage pathways so you can more easily detox and are an essential modality for anyone overcoming chronic illness, mold, lyme, hashimotos, autoimmune etc. 

Products Needed: 

  • Enema Bucket and Accessories

    • Pure Life Enema is the best resource to get enema supplies.  I do not recommend Amazon for any medical-grade equipment and supplies.  

  • Coffee

  • Organic Blackstrap Molasses

  • Products from Cellcore - registration code is FVvz9fYE to obtain supplements that enhance enema +  cleanup

    • Hydroxygen

    • CT minerals

    • Biotoxin Binder; ViRadChem, optional other binders as well 

    • TUDCA

*Note: you can use a french press to save time. Boiling on stove top also works, but it takes longer, and you have to strain it. OR add 2-3 packets of king coffee to 20 oz warm fluid to use for the enema. Many love the ease of using king and appreciate that it is organic and contains reishi spores that are anti parasitic and anti Candida. 

Advanced Coffee Enema

Coffee enemas are a tool for liver detoxification. This includes opening the colon pathway that has to be moving in order for the bile from the liver to be dumped and carried out of the body. The liquid is absorbed via veins in your rectum and travels to your liver.  In your liver, the coffee enema solution could trigger your bile ducts to dilate or widen. This encourages the release of bile from your gallbladder. That’s important for reducing your risk of gallstones.

Keep in mind, bile helps carry toxins out via your stools. But most bile is reabsorbed in your gut and carried back to your liver to be recycled. You don’t want to keep recirculating toxin-laden bile (mold toxins and other serious health issues causing toxins).

SUPER COFFEE ENEMA RECIPE

  1. Add 1-3 teaspoons of Blackstrap Molasses to the warm coffee and stir it in. This helps retention and adds minerals. It will not feed candida due to oxygen you are adding.

  2. 2-6 caps of TUDCA+ orally 30-40 minutes prior to a coffee enema. This supports the opening of the liver-bile duct. Be sure you’ve worked up to higher doses of TUDCA Plus prior to taking a larger dose. TUDCA seems to work best with fats, so it can be helpful to eat 1-2 avocados with the TUDCA. 

  3. Take 2 capsules of biotoxin binder (works on candida, mold, and biotoxins) orally while the coffee is boiling on the stove, 20 minutes before the enema. You can also take viradchem binder before (works on virus, radiation, chemicals).

  4. Add CT Minerals and Biomolecular Oxygen to the strained coffee to create a super enema solution. (Dr. Todd and Jay have used this to get a 95% increase in phase 1,2,3 of detoxification of the liver). A basic coffee enema yields 23% detox rate. These are both very high energy molecules, they can break up biofilms AND repair tissue

    • BioMolecular Oxygen: 2-10 drops* per 4 cup coffee solution (extreme 30 drops)

    • CT Minerals: 2-10 drops* per 4 cup coffee solution (extreme 30 drops)

  5. Take 1-2 more capsules of your binder orally 20 minutes after the enema to absorb toxins.

  6. If you suspect parasites, take para 3 20 minutes after the enema to help kill and pass liver flukes.

FAQ: 

  1. What if I'm sensitive to caffeine? Some people that don't tolerate caffeine can do a coffee enema. Start with less coffee to water ratio, and aim for earlier in the day. The coffee is never digested, so won’t have the same effect on the body. Always consult with a physician if you are concerned, or have extreme heart conditions. This personally helped my mild heart palpitations that were caused by toxicity or reactions to cleansing. 

  1. What if I can’t hold it in? Try an enema after a bowel movement. Some people need an enema to start a bowel movement. You should be going regularly 1-2x daily. This is so important when regaining health. The toxins need a way OUT!

  1. What is the optimal time? 15 min holding time, if you can’t get up to that point, do a water enema beforehand.

  1. Why coffee? During a coffee enema, two palmitic acids in coffee — kahweol and cafestol palmitate — are absorbed into the portal vein system. This leads directly to your liver where the palmitic acids boost production of glutathione s-transferase (GST) enzyme by up to 700 percent.

What if you feel worse after a Coffee Enema? What we have found is that if you have a massive parasite infection in that Bile duct or Liver, it can stir things up and create more symptoms. If this happens, then we can add in parasite killers  WITH the BioActive Carbon Binders  before & after the enema, taken orally. Everybody is different ,but we like to add these in for tips. (Parasites can start being addressed once your foundations and drainage are covered. ) 

*****If you are facing serious health issues, always consult a physician. This is not medical advice, Always work with a provider. 

3. Remove Toxins (Lifestyle) Liver and Inflammation Support with Castor Oil Packs

Step 4: Castor Oil Packs

Castor Oil Packs have been used for centuries to stimulate bowels and increase circulation, especially the Lymphatic System.  

Topically, castor oil packs can be placed over the liver, abdomen, or site of inflammation to enhance overall healing.  It helps liver function, stimulate lymph fluid, decrease inflammation, and can relieve chronic constipation. 

Castor oil packs are commonly used as a holistic modality for a number of conditions, such as:

  • Endometriosis

  • PCOS

  • Fibroids

  • Scar tissue

  • Period cramps

  • Constipation

  • IBS

  • Arthritis

**Alternatively, you may rub a small amount of castor oil directly over your abdomen in a clockwise direction and wear a white shirt to bed. Make sure it's a shirt you don't mind staining – castor oil will darken fabric over time.

***Castor oil side effects are possible so speak with your doctor before consuming internally.

Store the flannel by folding it into a designated towel in a location that will make it easy to use.  The pack is reusable.

For more information on castor oil:

The Oil That Heals by William A. McGarey, M.D., (Virginia Beach, VA: A.R.E. Press, 1993) http://members.tripod.com/~arescott/bookOTH.html

This book is the only one in print on the uses of this amazing oil. Known to conventional medicine only as a strong laxative, this extract of the castor bean is a safe, gentle, easy to use remedy for virtually any illness - when it is used externally.                        

The Edgar Cayce Handbook for Health Through Drugless Therapy by Harold Reilly and Ruth Hagy Brod, (Virginia Beach, VA: A.R.E. Press, 1975)                        

The Circulating File on Castor Oil.

“Castor Oil Packs: Scientific Tests Verify Therapeutic Value,” Venture Inward, July/August 1988, pp.12-15 by Harvey Grady

2. Remove Toxins (Lifestyle) Lymph Support

Health conditions do not just appear one day out of the blue and It's not that we are becoming more sensitive, allergic, weaker, or more immune compromised.

💥It's that our surroundings: food, air, water, and technology as a whole are becoming more and more toxic each day weakening our health resiliency threshold; i.e. filling up our toxic bucket.


Support Lymph Drainage

Do you have enlarged tonsils, or notice any other swelling within the lymph areas (armpits, breasts, groin)? 

Did the Doctor ever look in your mouth and say: "wow! you have big tonsils! You'll have to get those removed some day if they keep giving you trouble." 

Why we need to love our Lymph?

The lymphatic system plays an instrumental part in immunity by pumping out white blood cells to fix problems and is also an innate central detox system.  The  tonsils, adenoids, spleen and thymus are all part of the lymphatic system connected to an entire network of lymphatic vessels that sit along side our blood vessels acting like our body’s garbage disposal.  Whatever doesn’t belong in the body, it reroutes it to the organ that can best evacuate the toxins.  

Thy lymphatic system also transports vital immune cells and is integral to the immune system by producing white blood cells, lymphocytes, which then produce antibodies to help attack invaders.

Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymph doesn’t have a pump, so it relies on the movement of muscles to flow. It is very easy for the lymph to get stagnated after a nights sleep or a sedentary lifestyle.  Consequently, there is more risk for toxins to get blocked up, backed up, and built up in the body.

The tonsils are the most outward sign of lymphatic stagnation besides skin issues: acne, eczema, and skin rashes.  When the lymph can’t properly drain and clear toxins, the waste shows up on the skin as skin issues or can go systemic impacting our organs and glands, as well as, our brains showing up as brain fog, fuzzy thinking, or fatigue.

One of the easiest ways to get loving the lymph and supporting this natural built in detox system we all have is with a morning dry brush practice.  See the pdf. handout below for instructions.

Other things such as skin rolling, foam rolling, a clean low inflammatory diet, helpful herbs (burdock root, echinacea, goldenseal, sarsaparilla, barberry, red clover), and enjoying some of your favourite exercise also support lymph.

Let's love on our lymph!

1. Remove Toxins (Lifestyle) Environment, Hygiene, and Cleaning Products

Chemicals to Avoid in hygiene and cosmetics + Environmental Toxins

Check out the EWG Environmental Working Group most up-to-date and latest guides.

  • Skin Deep (Cosmetic database)

  • Cleaners (Healthy cleaning)

  • EWG Verified Products

  • Consumer Guides

  • EWG's guide to Sunscreens

  • EWG's Tap Water Database

5. Foundations: (Food) Seed Cycling for Hormone and Cycle Balance

The HOWs and WHYs of Seed Cycling to balance hormones, acne, and irregular menstruation

Aim to consume 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed + 1 tablespoon of ground pumpkin seed in the first 7-14 days of your cycle depending on length; or follow the moon cycle if it is really irregular or in the absence of a cycle.

For the second half, consume 1 tablespoon of ground sesame seed + 1 tablespoon of ground sunflower seed.

Seeds can be added to smoothies, salads, or within baking.

Read the full article for the HOWs and WHYs  here:

https://fullscript.com/blog/seed-cycling

4. Foundations: (Food) Quarterly Seasonal 15-Day Integrative Detox

To Support Liver/Gallbladder health, from mild, severe, to maintaining digestive, immune, and liver health consider the 15-day integrative detox and/or the Andreas Moritz Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse for high cholesterol, inflammation, cardiovascular issues, constipation, headaches, circulation issues, water retention.

Download the Detox! click the image above.

3. Foundations: (Food) Rebalance Moderate to Severe digestive issues and mystery food sensitivities

Eliminating Histamines can help reduce symptoms (bloat, respiratory issues, sinus congestion, allergies, excess phlegm etc.)   

Sometimes even lemon water!!! ( citrus fruits are not themselves considered high in histamine, but can trigger your body to release stored histamine ). Observe if oranges, grapefruit, or any other citrus cause problems.   

Left-overs are another often missed histamine trigger.   Think about any foods that are aged (spices, cheeses, ferments etc.)

Also, many ingredients in processed foods: desserts, conventional baking, preservatives, and additives often trigger histamine reactions.

Gut imbalances, stomach, and digestive issues highly correlate to those who have histamine sensitivities/intolerances.  

Check out these resources by clicking the images in this post.

Download the 30- day Sensitive Gut Guide by clicking this image above.

2. Foundations: (Food) Reset, Get on Track, Balance Blood-Sugar and Weight.

To reset and get back on track with nutrition and weight balance/blood-sugar control, consider the 3-Day reset or the 30-Day clean eating challenge

Click the image to get your copy of the 3-day reset.

30 Days of Clean Eating for the whole family! Click the image below to get the guide.

1. Foundations: (Food) Nutrient-dense hydrating foods over plain water.

Focus on nutrient-dense hydrating foods over plain water (smoothies, soups, juicing) whole foods lifestyle (3 structured meals for weight maintenance).

Swap the SAD breakfast for a smoothie and lunch sandwich for a soup!

This can be an opportunity to add anti-parasitic foods (pumpkin seeds, clove, oregano, cucumber seed) and foods that cleanse the liver (beets, artichoke, dandelion greens).

Herbal tea infusions can also be a medicinal and hydrating choice. (let it steep 15 minutes)


Why Smoothie?

Smoothies provide a very nutrient-dense, hydrating, and easy to digest breakfast.                                                                  

  • 1-2 cup of berries (frozen)

  • 1+ cup of greens (spinach, kale, romaine, arugula, parsley, coriander, collard greens etc.)

  • 10-20g of protein (hemp hearts, hemp protein)

  • 1 TBSP of healthy fat (coconut cream, chia seeds, flax, etc.)

  • 16-20oz of spring water (May use 6 oz unsweetened nut milk (carrageenan, xanthan gum free)

  • Adaptogens and Immune modulators (ashwagandha, reishi, moringa, maca, etc.)

  • Open up vitamin capsules and add in (capsules can be hard on the digestive system and cause build up)

Blend and drink over 60- minutes (can wait to drink until warm if needed for digestion)
 
                

Super Smoothie Recipe Guide & Cold-Pressed Green Juice Recipe Guides.

Weight-Balance Plan (3 Macro structured Meals): Breakfast Smoothie; Plant-based/Palio Lunch & Dinner.

Why Soup?

Similar to smoothies, soups provide a nutrient dense, soothing, and an easy-to-digest, yet warming form of nutrition.  Raw foods require a great deal of energy for the body to digest as well as adequate levels of both mechanical and chemical processes.

If the digestive system is not equipped to break down certain foods, even healthy options, like raw salads and uncooked vegetables, these foods can actually become a source of toxicity since they can't be properly broken down.

Get inspired with these 15 healthy soup ideas.

Mix and Match.

Get Creative.

Inspire others with some of your soups that you make and tag us on Instagram @thefreedomtolive.ca

Click this image to download 10 great tasting green juice recipes!

Click the image to download a copy of Super Smoothies! A smoothie a day keeps the doctor away!

Click the Image to get a copy of these amazing soup recipes!

Fermenting Food 101

Fermentation is the ONLY food preservation technique that progressively improves the nutritional value of your food making it healthier for you as it ages.

It’s also really HARD to MESS it UP and there’s a TON of room for creativity while following some basic principles.

Unlike other food preservation techniques, freezing, drying, and canning, with each of these processes, we are loosing some of the nutritional value.

Unlike Canning which is an unnatural and industrialized way of preserving foods within the last 200 years; Fermenting is a many thousand-year-old process done for centuries that allows the natural bacteria present in food, in air, and on your kitchen surfaces to proliferate to allow these very bacteria to preserve the food.

In this modern industrial age, we've really become so disconnected with our food and we've even become almost afraid of it.  Bacteria is our friend and not our enemy.  In both the conventional and holistic space, we are often being taught to kill and fear bacteria.  It's all about a healthy level of balanced bacteria that mimics nature.  When we annihilate and wipe out all the bacteria unnaturally, that scenario is when we typically see an imbalance of the bad to good ratio.

Fermenting vegetables is very, very safe. There is no hidden dangers involved. If something goes wrong with your ferment, you are going know immediately when you open that jar or open that crock up, because it's going to smell so bad.

Unlike pressure-canning low-acid foods where it’s more important to follow tried and tested recipes to a T, you can put away your cookbooks and make up your own recipes and they're going to be completely safe and amazing. 

KEY PRINCIPLES

1. Choose raw, fresh, and organic vegetables

If your vegetables have been sprayed by fungicides, pesticides, or herbicides, you're very likely to kill off the good bacteria that you want to grow, and you'll end up with rotten food rather than fermented food.

2. Water

Likewise if you are using unfiltered tap water containing chlorine, fluoride, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers etc. this is counterproductive and will kill off the good bacteria.

3. Salt Brine

Do not use iodized salt or table salt, as both of those things contain 

chemicals that can harm your ferment. You can use a 100%-pure sea salt,  Himalayan salt, a Celtic salt, Redmond Real Salt etc.

Getting Started

The easiest way to eat a ferment is just as a cold side dish all by itself, but there are so many other options. Of course, to retain most of its healthy properties you will want to eat it raw and not heated above about 105°F. But that doesn’t mean that you CAN’T cook it.

It is suggested that one should eat 1⁄4 cup of raw fermented food per meal for optimal health. You can do this by eating a ferment plain or by adding it to warmed food right before serving. Adding fermented veggies to a bowl of rice and chicken makes an amazing, simple meal.

Making A Brined Ferment

Cucumbers, Carrots, Garlic, String Beans, Beets, Red Onions, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Ginger Root, Fennel, Celery, Cabbage,

Any vegetables that are whole or chopped will need to be submerged in a brine. Making brine is very simple; it is just salt and water combined and stirred until the salt dissolves. A great thing about brine is that you can prepare a large amount at once and just save it in the refrigerator until it is needed. That makes chopped veggie ferments REALLY simple. Harvest the veggies, chop them, stick them in a jar, pour in the brine, submerge the veggies, and you are done! Now that’s my kind of food preservation.

Basic Brine (Chopped or whole veggies):

  • 1 quart filtered/distilled non-chlorinated/fluoridated water

  • 3 tablespoons fine grained salt (4.5 tablespoons if using coarse salt)

  • Mix together until salt has dissolved.

  • Add 1/4 cup of starter (either kombucha or left-over brine from a previous ferment). *** If you don’t have a starter then you can double the salt, but this will impact the flavour and most likely be too salty.

    **** I recommend getting a bottle of kombucha and then going forward make sure to save your brines for future starter liquid :)

    Each brine will have take on it’s own flavour so have fun with it!

Step 1:

Harvest veggies. You can grab all of one thing, craft a special selection of favourites, or just grab a little of everything that happens to be ripe that day.

Step 2:

Rinse produce to remove dust. Chop to roughly the same size, if desired.

Step 3:
Put veggies in vessel along with any seasoning you desire. 

Step 4:

Pour starter and brine into the jar until all of the veggies are covered by at least 1” of brine.

Step 5:

Submerge veggies under the brine by using a cabbage leaf, a weighted plate, or a fermenting weight.

Step 6:

Leave on counter at room temperature for 3 days. Begin tasting and transfer to cold storage once the flavour suits you (and before it gets too sour). Once you like it, go ahead and put it in the refrigerator or in your cold storage.                                                                     

Storing Fermented Foods

Fermented food really does not go bad as long as it stays under its brine. 

It is important to remember about storing your ferments is that putting your ferments into cold storage does not stop the fermentation; it just slows it way down. 

The closer to the level of freezing you get, the slower that fermentation is going to go. In other words, the colder you can get that without actually freezing it, the longer it's going to take for your food to really break down. The longer you allow the fermentation process, in warmer environments, the more sour your food will become which all means that the colder you keep it, the longer you'll be able to enjoy it.

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