Tag

water

Browsing

Introduction: The Australian Bush Bread, Damper

Damper is a traditional Australian bread that has been a staple of the country’s cuisine for centuries. This bread was originally created by the early settlers who lived in the outback, where access to fresh bread was limited. The damper is made from a simple combination of flour, salt, and water, and is cooked over a campfire. This bread is easy to make and is perfect for camping trips, outdoor gatherings, or as a side dish for a hearty meal.

Ingredients: Self-Rising Flour, Salt, and Water

The ingredients for making damper are simple and easy to find. Self-rising flour is the key ingredient for this bread, as it contains baking powder, which helps the bread to rise. You will also need salt to enhance the flavor of the bread. Finally, you will need water to mix the dough. The amount of each ingredient you need will depend on how much bread you want to make.

For a basic recipe, you will need two cups of self-rising flour, one teaspoon of salt, and one cup of water. Mix the ingredients together until they form a dough. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth. You can add additional ingredients like cheese, bacon, or herbs to the dough to add extra flavor to the bread.

Method: Cooking Damper Over a Campfire

To cook the damper, you will need to have a campfire or a fire pit. The traditional method of cooking damper is to wrap the dough in foil and place it in the coals of the fire. Alternatively, you can place the dough on a stick or a metal skewer and cook it over the fire.

Cook the damper for about 30 minutes or until it is cooked through. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Once the damper is cooked, remove it from the fire and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. This bread is best served warm with butter or jam.

In conclusion, making damper is a fun and easy way to experience traditional Australian cuisine. With just a few simple ingredients and a campfire, you can create a delicious and hearty bread that is perfect for any outdoor gathering. Give this recipe a try and enjoy the taste of the Australian outback.

Whether baked, roasted, fried, or boiled: potatoes can be prepared in many different ways and they always taste wonderful! However, fans of the tuber should be careful, because the cooking water from the potatoes absolutely belongs in the sink and must not be used any further.

Whether baked, roasted, fried, or boiled: potatoes can be prepared in many different ways and they always taste wonderful! However, fans of the tuber should be careful, because the cooking water from the potatoes absolutely belongs in the sink and must not be used any further.

The solanine content in potatoes can be reduced by up to 80 percent by peeling the tubers. The subsequent cooking reduces the proportion by a further ten percent. Before preparation, green potatoes should generally be sorted out and green areas generously removed. Larger tubers are preferable to smaller ones because the surface-to-volume ratio is better there.

The popular side dish is best stored between four and twelve degrees in a dark and cool place. Storage below four degrees ensures that the starch contained in the potatoes is converted into sugar, which makes them taste sweet. Storage above twelve degrees allows the potatoes to germinate faster.

Drinking enough fluids is especially important in summer. But only drinking water is boring. And fruit juice is not always the healthiest alternative! This gave rise to the latest trend, “Fruit Infused Water” or “Detox Water”. Flavor water is incredibly easy to prepare.

Not only are these delicious drinks delicious, but they’re also healthy because the ingredients release minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants into the water, which you, in turn, put into your body.

Why is infused water so healthy?

Some combinations of infused water have a particularly positive effect on different areas. Lemon, for example, brings energy, boosts metabolism, and improves digestion. Like cucumber, it is also very refreshing. This is particularly pleasant in summer. All types of fruit and berries add sweetness to the water and provide energy. They also strengthen the immune system. Rosemary is said to be a muscle relaxant and regenerating herb, which improves memory and concentration. Mint prevents allergies and also improves the complexion.

The trend drink is so easy to make!

For the Fruit Infused Water, mix a liter of still water with about a handful of your favorite ingredient and let the mixture steep for a few hours. You can add fruit, vegetables, or herbs. Cucumber, ginger, lemon, and mint are particularly popular. Your creativity knows no limits!

Special combinations can also be used to counter specific complaints:

  • Belly fat can be counteracted with a combination of cucumber, strawberries, and basil.
  • Lemon, cucumber, berries, and oranges can provide more energy.
  • Strawberries, cucumber, lime, and mint in your water have a stress-relieving effect.
  • You will become slim and fit with the combination of lemon and coconut water.
  • Fat is easily “washed away” when you add cucumber, grapefruit, tangerine, and peppermint leaves to your water.
  • With grapefruit and mint, your complexion will improve.
  • A healthy bubble tea alternative can be mixed with chia seeds and water or coconut water.

When shopping for your infused water, make sure you’re buying quality products, such as organic. Before you put the ingredients in the water, you should wash them well.

We wish you a good thirst!

Did you know that it takes almost two bathtubs full of water to produce one kilo of tomatoes? Read what the frontrunners are when it comes to water consumption and how you as a consumer can help save water.

In the supermarket or restaurant, do you wonder how much water was used to produce the food in your shopping basket or on your plate?

Very few of us give the “water footprint” of our consumption a thought-fatal, say nature conservation organizations such as the WWF, which proclaimed World Water Day on Tuesday, March 22nd. Because according to the WWF, our daily water consumption is falling (currently it is an average of 120 liters), but the water footprint of an average person is 5,288 liters per day according to WWF calculations. For comparison: a bathtub holds about 140 liters.

The graphic from ZEIT illustrates what can come together for a balance when a product is ordered thoughtlessly: Almost 2,500 liters of water are therefore required to produce a single cheeseburger, which we usually devour in just a few bites. A list that makes you think.

Our groceries are so thirsty

Did you know that it takes an incredible 15,400 liters of water to produce one kilo of beef? And for a kilo of apples more than 800 liters? This small compilation lets us see daily consumption with completely different eyes. Here are some popular products and their track record:

  • Beef: 15,400 liters/kg
  • Pork: 5,988 liters/kg
  • Rice: 2,497 liters/kg
  • Pizza Margherita: 1,259 litres/kg
  • Apple: 822 liters/kg
  • Banana: 790 liters/kg
  • Milk: 255 liters/glass
  • Lettuce: 237 litres/kg
  • Coffee: 132 liters/cup

You can find more examples on the “Water footprint” homepage.

Water consumption: The WWF gives these tips

If you want to improve your water footprint, you can do the following:

  • prefer regional and seasonal products.
  • eat less meat. Beef and pork are considered to be particularly “thirsty” goods.
  • Pay attention to your own consumption during your vacation in “water risk regions”.
  • prefer to travel to their home country for a golf holiday. In Spain, for example, 700,000 cubic meters of water are used every year to irrigate an 18-hole golf course.
  • Prefer tap water to bottled water. Tap water quality is very good across the board in Germany. Drinking water uses 1000 times less energy and raw materials to produce per liter than bottled water. If you don’t want that, you should choose water from regional production and in reusable bottles.

In restaurants, cafés, and bars, the guest must always be served the mineral water they have ordered in a closed bottle. Otherwise, the guest has the right to return their drink.

The bottle must be closed

If the guest’s ordered mineral water is served in a glass, the guest could feel deceived and send the water glass back. This is now pointed out by the information center of German mineral water.

The Mineral and Table Water Ordinance (MTVO) therefore stipulates that mineral water must always be served in a sealed bottle. In this way, the German mineral springs guarantee the safety, quality, and unadulterated naturalness of the mineral water from the source to the guest. At this point, the natural product differs from other water offers such as tap or table water.

Right of the guest

Since mineral water is a natural product, it is protected by law. The water must be filled into the bottles intended for it directly at the source and reach the consumer in this form. The waiter may only open and pour the ordered mineral water at the guest’s table.

Water is precious, so we should use it carefully. Here are some tips for your own water management.

Kitchen, bathroom and garden: Where is the most water used?

For many, the daily shower is part of the fixed ritual at the start of the day. Accordingly, it is not surprising that 36 percent of water consumption is used for body care. The second largest item is toilet flushing with a full 27 percent. This means that almost two thirds of the water in households is used in the bathroom. That makes this room the number one water guzzler in the home. The proportion for eating, drinking and washing dishes is comparatively low at ten percent. The rest is needed for cleaning purposes and in small businesses.

You can count on these average water costs

The cost of drinking water is based on the amount consumed and a fixed fee. Added to this is the fee for the waste water, which makes up a significant part of the water price. The costs for one cubic meter of cold water are therefore around 2 euros, including the waste water fee 4.40 euros.

Tips for saving water in everyday life

Saving water is worthwhile financially and to protect our environment. Here are some tips on where and how you can reduce your water consumption:

In the bathroom: take a shower instead of a bath, turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, buy a water-saving shower head, press the stop button in the “little shop” on the toilet.

In the kitchen: always fully load the dishwasher and run it on the eco program, wash the salad in a bowl instead of under running water.

In the garden: collect water for watering in a rain barrel, water the garden (or balcony plants) in the evening to avoid evaporation.

By the way: Even if saving water is generally a good idea, it shouldn’t be overdone either. Because sometimes it can also lead to problems if not enough water flows through the pipes.

Tulips should never be given fresh water during water changes. Why does this damage the cut flowers?

A colorful bouquet of tulips can make your heart happy and bring the fresh scent of spring into your home. Quickly fetch a vase from the cupboard, fill it at the tap and then drape it nicely on the windowsill: You can already feel the spring mood in the apartment.

After a certain time, however, there is less and less water in the vase because the tulips have drawn it. Should I drain the water and fill in new? This would be a mistake that would make the beautiful flowers look ugly sooner.

That way you can keep your tulips for longer

If you have the impulse to give your tulips new water, caution is advised: the water already in the vase should never be poured out, instead you should only refill the vase with fresh water. Because: Fresh water gives the cut flowers new energy, it allows them to grow or bloom much faster. But that also means that they age and wither faster. With the mixture of older and fresh water, the tulips will continue to grow, but more slowly.

However, it is important to refill in good time so that the nutrient content in the water does not become too high. So check regularly how much water your tulips have left. These cut flowers in particular draw water quickly, which is why repeated watering may be necessary.

So no fresh water for tulips! If you heed this tip, you can enjoy colorful flowers for longer.

When visiting a restaurant, drinks are usually served straight from the glass. If you order mineral water, it often comes in bottles. What’s behind it?

The Mineral and Table Water Ordinance (MTVO)

If you order a drink in a restaurant or a café, you will usually receive it in a glass.

Table water can also be served in a glass or carafe – in contrast to mineral water, which is subject to special regulations and can only be brought in unopened bottles and only served at the table. The reason for this lies in the regulations to which mineral water is subject. These are the highest quality standards that are regulated in the Mineral and Table Water Ordinance (MTVO):
It originates from subterranean water sources protected from pollution and is obtained from one or more natural or man-made springs.
It is of original purity and characterized by its content of minerals, trace elements or other components and, where appropriate, by certain, especially nutritional effects.
Its composition, temperature and other essential characteristics remain constant within the limits of natural variations; they are not changed by fluctuations in the bed.
So if the mineral water is brought to your table in a sealed bottle and only opened there, you should be assured that it is just this quality water – and not table water, for example. So you can be sure that you will be served unadulterated mineral water.

Tradition meets modernity: an Estonian family business combines traditional birch water with new flavors. Do the founders of the TV show “The Lion’s Den” like it?

Birkenwasser: Traditional drink with potential

When the snow melts in spring in Estonia and other Nordic countries, it is time to harvest birch water. Inspired by her grandmother, the traditional extraction of the dew water contained in the birch trunk gave the Estonian Anne-Liis Theisen and her siblings the idea of ​​also marketing birch water in Germany.

With her family business “ÖselBirch”, the 27-year-old offers numerous new variants in addition to the classic birch water. With the flavors rhubarb, mojito, Aronia berry, sea buckthorn, and mint, there is something for every taste. Will the lions like it too?

Drained of course

The time to collect birch water in spring is short: the sap only runs out of the trunk for about 1-2 weeks before the first leaf buds appear. Birch water can be drunk neat – but it can also be fermented. This is important because it doesn’t stay fresh for more than five days.

Collecting birch sap does not harm the tree because the peg holes in the tree and the amount of sap collected are so small in relation that the tree recovers within a year. Birch sap has been tapped for centuries and has become a Nordic tradition!

Healthy birch water

Birch water – a probiotic drink with live cultures. The fermented juice from the birch trunk is also free of preservatives, vegan, gluten-free, and contains only natural traces of sugar. It is offered in an environmentally-friendly glass bottle.

With its slightly sour taste, birch water is somewhat reminiscent of kefir. Due to its slightly bitter aftertaste, birch water is also ideal for processing in cocktails or mocktails. Similar to coconut water, birch sap also contains valuable electrolytes and trace elements such as manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iron, and sodium.

With birch water to the lion deal?

In order to make her “ÖsellBirch” birch water a cult drink in Germany too, Anne-Liis is hoping for a 60,000 euro deal in the “Lion’s Den” and the expertise of the founders. Will the “lions” jump to your side? You will find out the answer on Tuesday, October 23 at 8:15 p.m. on VOX.

When boiling water, everyone uses a different variant. It is interesting whether you save more energy and costs if you use the kettle or if the saucepan is more economical.

Where does the water boil faster and more energy-efficiently?

Water is traditionally boiled either in a kettle or in a saucepan. But the question of what actually saves more energy and thus costs can usually be answered off the bat.

If you take a look at the time aspect, you might think: If you heat the water in a saucepan, it will take a lot more time. With the kettle, on the other hand, the water is usually heated in just a few minutes. A fallacy would now be that it is more economical to use the kettle. Because the bill was often made without modern induction cookers. Induction cookers heat water just as quickly as the kettle.

According to Stiftung Warentest, the kettle is the best choice when you compare the time, energy requirements and energy costs. The basic prices of 0.27 euros/kWh for electricity and around 0.07 for gas were used. The differences to the induction hob are minimal: while the kettle took an average of 3 minutes and 18 seconds to boil the water, the induction hob needed 4 minutes and 36 seconds. The energy requirement of the kettle was 115 Wh, that of the induction cooker 123 Wh; the corresponding energy costs amounted to 3.1 cents per liter for the kettle and 3.3 cents per liter for the induction hob. The differences seem minimal at first, but add up over time, so that you can save money with the kettle in the long run.

The relevance of the amount of water

If you only want to boil a small amount of water, for example for tea, it is advisable to use the kettle. The Öko-Institut points out other advantages of the kettle compared to the saucepan: it saves time, is easy to use, does not have to be monitored and is therefore safer. In addition, kettles are very cheap to buy. You should not use a metal kettle: These are not particularly energy-efficient, as they store the energy and therefore more is needed to boil the water. It is also important to descale the kettle regularly; this saves you time and energy.

If you have an induction cooker with a boost function at home, the water can usually be heated just as quickly as with a kettle. However, the stove is usually very expensive to buy; Although you can save energy by cooking on an induction stove, the initial costs are usually not covered by using it to boil water.

It is important that you do not use the kettle before boiling large quantities of water, for example for pasta or other food: If you first boil the water in the kettle and then tip it into the saucepan, you suffer a double loss of energy.

Conclusion

To save time and energy, the kettle is worth it; especially in small amounts. If you are dealing with larger quantities, you should not pour them out, but heat the water in the saucepan right away.