Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

yourself:

Browsing
Food

Lavender Tea: Effect and How to Make It Yourself

Lavender tea is a versatile and proven remedy. It has a calming effect on the nervous system and can help with various ailments. Here you can find out how to make lavender tea yourself and what you should consider when preparing it.

Lavender tea has an intense aroma and a delicate scent. In addition, lavender tea is a good way to benefit from the versatile healing properties of the plant. Even the ancient Romans used lavender as a medicinal plant and as a bath additive. And the colorful blossoms are still very much appreciated in monastery gardens to this day.

Lavender flowers are used to make lavender tea. You can find out how to make the tea yourself below. If you want to buy lavender tea, you should definitely use organic quality flowers. Öko-Test found increased residues of pesticides and other pollutants in conventional teas.

This is how lavender tea works

Lavender can not only enrich your garden, the medicinal plant also has a wide range of health effects. The valuable ingredients of the flower are responsible for this. These include, among others:

essential oils
tannins
bitter substances
flavonoids
saponins
Lavender has been extensively studied in both animal and human studies. A study from 2013 dealt extensively with the effects of lavender, especially on the nervous system. The following properties of lavender were proven:

antibacterial
antiviral
anti-inflammatory
calming
pain relieving
anxiolytic
mood-enhancing
antispasmodic
circulation-enhancing
You can use lavender tea for various ailments:

Insomnia: Lavender tea can calm and help you fall asleep better. The tea is even said to intensify sleep. The best way to do this is to drink a cup of lavender tea before bed. Even if you suffer from jet lag, you can use lavender tea.
Depressive moods and anxiety: Lavender can have a calming effect on our nervous system and relieves anxiety. In addition, it brightens your mood. It is best to drink two to three cups throughout the day.
Indigestion: Its calming effect also helps with indigestion and can relieve abdominal cramps. It is important that you only let the tea steep for a short time. The highly concentrated essential oils could also irritate your mucous membranes.
Menstrual cramps: Lavender tea can relieve abdominal cramps and has a physically and mentally calming effect.
Respiratory diseases: Lavender can relax the airways and helps against viruses and bacteria, especially in the case of coughs and diseases of the bronchi.
Blemishes and acne: You can use lavender tea as a bath additive for external use on blemishes and acne. To do this, boil a liter of lavender tea and add the tea to your bath.
Lavender tea is generally well tolerated and also suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women. A 2015 study looked at the positive effects of lavender tea on new mothers. The participants felt less exhausted and depressed, and lavender tea had a positive effect on mother-child bonding.

In addition to tea, lavender is also often used as lavender oil for medicinal purposes. Here, the content of essential oils is significantly higher, so the effect is different.

Make your own lavender tea

Only the colorful blossoms are used for homemade lavender tea.

At best, lavender grows in your garden. You should make sure that it is real lavender “Lavandula angustifolia” so that you can benefit from the healing effect.

How to make lavender tea yourself:

Harvest lavender:

Depending on the weather conditions, lavender starts blooming between June and August. As soon as the first buds open, but not all have started blooming, you should harvest them.
The best time is midday on a sunny day. Then the dew evaporated.
Cut off the buds with their stalks, this will make drying them easier.
Dry lavender:

Tie the harvested buds together by their stems into bunches and hang them upside down.
Make sure the buds are not exposed to direct sunlight or heat while drying.
After a week or two, the lavender flowers are completely dry. Then you can easily rub them with your fingers.
Use a knife or sharp scissors to separate the buds from the stems and place in a jar.
Store the dried flowers in a dry and light-protected place.
Preparation of the tea:

For one cup (250 milliliters) of lavender tea you need about two teaspoons of dried lavender flowers.
Boil the water first and then let it cool down to about 80 degrees. The effective essential oils are very sensitive to heat and should therefore not be boiled.
Let the tea steep for 8-10 minutes before removing the flowers.
If the intense aroma of lavender tea doesn’t suit your taste, you can tone it down with a little milk or honey.
Lavender is also great for tea blends. To increase the effect, you can mix the tea with St. John’s wort or valerian. In terms of taste, lavender harmonizes particularly well with:

chamomile
licorice
Linden Blossoms
rose petals

Keep Reading
By
Food

Make Apple Chips Yourself

Hardly any calories, low in fat and rich in vitamins when made correctly – homemade apple chips are a delicious snack for in between. We’ll tell you how you can make chips from apples yourself.

If you want to make apple chips yourself, you can use old apples, even if they have become a bit soft and shriveled. In addition, homemade apple chips are guaranteed free of sulfur dioxide or other preservatives compared to the supermarket version. In principle, you can use any variety, but Elstar and Boskop taste best (make sure they are organic!).

Air dry homemade apple chips

Ingredients:

apples of your choice

Directions:

Wash the apples, core them (an apple corer is helpful) and cut or slice them into slices about 2 to 3 millimeters thick.
Spread the apple rings individually on a baking sheet or rack. Alternatively, you can also hang up the apple rings with string to dry.
Set them outside in the warm sun to dry. But you can also let the apple rings dry in warm, dry places such as the attic or by the fireplace. With this method you do not need any additional energy.
Cover everything with fly screens, thin curtains or similar to protect the apple chip ships from flies and wasps.
After about two to three weeks, your apples will be dry.
The apple chips can be kept dry for several weeks in a well-closable container. Storage boxes made of glass or stainless steel are best.

Make apple chips in the oven

Ingredients:

apples of your choice

Directions:

Wash the apples, core them (an apple corer is helpful) and cut or slice them into slices about 2 to 3 millimeters thick.
Arrange the apple rings on baking sheets or racks. It makes sense if you borrow several baking trays or racks in order to use the energy of the oven optimally.
Put the apples in the oven at around 70 degrees for three to four hours to dry. Leave the oven door ajar with a wooden spoon. This allows the moisture to escape. It is best if you can use some of the residual heat from other dishes or cakes. This is how you save energy. Because this form of drying is very energy-intensive.
The homemade apple chips will keep for several weeks in an airtight container.

Dry apple chips in the dehydrator

If you make apple chips more often or also dry other fruit, it could be worth buying a dehydrator. The method is more effective than drying in the oven and more reliable than drying the apple chips in the air.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Make Marzipan Yourself: a Simple Guide

To make marzipan yourself, you only need two ingredients: almonds and sugar. With this recipe you can easily make your own marzipan.

What is marzipan made of?

Traditionally, marzipan consists of ground almonds, sugar and rose water. The proportions of the ingredients are decisive for the quality. According to the legal requirements, a maximum of 17% liquid, 35% sugar and 48% almonds may be used for the marzipan paste. However, manufacturers usually add more sugar for commercial marzipan. Only with very high-quality products, such as certain fine marzipan brands, is no additional sugar mixed in.

Make marzipan yourself: The basic recipe

For the homemade marzipan you need these ingredients:

200 g almond kernels with skin (alternatively walnuts)
150g powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid (classic here is homemade rose water or from the pharmacy or health food store)
Preparation:

Boil the almonds in about a liter of water for a minute or two.
Pour the almonds into a colander.
Let them cool down a bit.
Peel them by squeezing them out of the skin with your fingers.
Crush the almonds in a good blender. Depending on the moisture content of the almonds, you will get a mealy to mushy mass.
Place the ground almonds in a bowl.
Sift in the powdered sugar.
Add a tablespoon of rose water.
Now knead all the ingredients by hand into a smooth dough. You may need to add some more liquid. (This also depends on whether you dried your almonds after cooking).
When the marzipan is ready, store it airtight in the fridge – e.g. in a screw-top jar.
Then the homemade marzipan is ready for further processing!

Depending on your taste, you can use other liquids instead of rose water. Orange liqueur or amaretto, for example, are suitable, but also a few drops of bitter almond oil. This makes the mass a bit bitter and more intense in taste.

Which almonds are best for marzipan?

Almonds belong to the rose family and probably originally come from Southeast Asia. Today the kernels are also cultivated in Pakistan, Iran or in the Mediterranean region. However, more than 80 percent of the almonds grown worldwide come from the USA, more precisely from California.

However, there has been a drought for several years. Almond cultivation plays its part: to harvest one kilo of almonds in California, about 10,000 liters of water are used. The high water requirements of the almond orchards are also critical in European growing areas.

So when you buy almonds, make sure they’re not from California. The long transport route halfway around the world also worsens the ecological balance. At best, buy almonds from Europe and from controlled organic cultivation.

Instead of almonds, you can also use regionally grown, organic walnuts for the marzipan. The process is the same and the taste is very similar to almond marzipan.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Sewing for Beginners: Learn to Sew Yourself Now

Now learn to sew yourself as a great leisure activity. We all love shopping for clothes. But the dresses and blouses available in stores are usually not unique. Therefore it is worth starting. Because with lots of ideas for sewing, sewing can also be fun for beginners.

Although there is a wide range of clothing choices, it can still happen at parties where two people wear the same outfit. Such a situation is uncomfortable for many. You ensure more individuality if you sew your outfit yourself. As a result, we have collected tips for you on how to learn to sew.

Does every household have a sewing machine?

It’s hard to believe that not even a hundred years ago, a sewing machine was part of the basic equipment in many households and that sewing was as common as working with a computer today. And yet, especially in the younger generations, there are not many who have mastered the craft. But that too is slowly changing. The value of craftsmanship is gradually being rediscovered.

Sewing made easy

Sewing is a great hobby for all ages. You can get inspiration for your dress patterns on the internet or let your creativity run free. Then start with test cuts and trimmings. Whether classic, short, long, modern, or rather playful and tricky, in the end, the first copies can be looked at well. Once you get the hang of the sewing machine, you’re good to go.

And with a little patience and practice, many beautiful and light dresses can be made. Because a lot of things can also be easily implemented by sewing beginners. First of all, get instructions and various patterns. And YouTube tutorials can also help you to design and sew your very own dream garment. In addition, a tailor’s dummy can be helpful for sewing yourself.

1) Different suppliers for patterns

Sewing patterns in particular are a great help for beginners. Once you’ve used them a few times, sewing yourself will be much easier. Patterns are paper templates that you can use to sew the individual parts of the clothing properly. You can purchase patterns or download them free of charge from the following providers. As a result, you can also use it to make great Christmas or Easter gifts yourself.

  • Diverse patterns at Stoffen.de.
  • Affordable sewing tutorials from Makerist.
  • Patterns of all kinds at Pattydoo.
  • Free sewing patterns on Buttinette’s blog.
  • Great ideas and patterns at Sewing Pattern Database.
  • Free sewing patterns and tutorials at CrazyPatterns.
  • Simple cuts and creative ideas of fabric and style.

2) Know fabrics and learn to sew

Since knowing about fabrics and their properties is also an advantage when learning to sew, you should be well informed beforehand. To help you make the right choice for your garment, we have put together an overview of the most important fabrics.

3) Take a sewing class for beginners

If there is no one in your immediate area who can teach you how to sew, there are beginner sewing courses available in many cities. These are usually affordable and you get to know like-minded people. Then you know the most important tricks for sewing. And patching small holes in clothes is no longer a problem. This can also be a good start for you if you don’t like learning with videos from the Internet.

4) Techniques for sewing

There are a variety of techniques you can use to sew. Be it types of stitches, methods of cleaning up fabric edges, or simply a correct method of threading a thread. For all this, there are different basics that you should look at. Certain basic knowledge is essential for sewing yourself. So here are the two most important techniques. Because with clothes you sew yourself, you can also emphasize you’re natural beauty and strengthen your self-confidence.

Sewing by hand

You can sew many things by hand. For this, you need a basic knowledge of techniques. A very common type of stitch is the mattress stitch or ladder stitch. Check out the video below for a comprehensive guide on how to use this method.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Make Cheap Textile Fresheners Yourself

Conventional textile fresheners are usually expensive and often smell unpleasant. That’s why we’ve collected tips on how to make your own textile fresheners. This way you can quickly and easily get rid of bad smells from your textiles.

Since you can successfully counteract odors in textiles, curtains, curtains, or sofa covers with a homemade and inexpensive one, you don’t need expensive refreshers from the drugstore.

Fresh fragrance for your textiles

After a while, textiles such as curtains, curtains, or sofa covers can start to smell bad. You can then wash them or spray them with a fabric freshener. The second variant is quick and easy. This saves you a lot of time and ensures a pleasant smell. But purchased textile fresheners and fragrance sprays are usually expensive and you don’t always like the smell. That’s why we have tips on how to make your own textile freshener. As a result, you can easily neutralize odors in the home.

1) Make your own textile freshener with fabric softener

You can create your own fragrance mixture for textiles yourself quickly and inexpensively. All you need is a small old spray bottle and fabric softener. Then fill the spray bottle with 1-2 caps of fabric softener. Then add water and mix well. And your own fragrance spray is ready. Consequently, you can spray your couch, curtains, carpets, or other textiles with it and make them smell good. No residues have formed after prolonged testing. So it is a very easy way to make the textile freshener yourself. Also, note tips on making your own room fragrance and instructions on how to make your own fabric softener.

2) Homemade baking soda scent freshener

Dirt and bacteria often cause bad smells from the sofa or curtains. Then usually only one thing helps: wash hot. But not all textiles can be put in the washing machine. Therefore, a homemade fragrance freshener will help you to remove bad smells. Accordingly, you need 350 ml of boiled, lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon of the household remedy baking soda, and 40 ml of alcohol. In addition, essential oils can refine your textile freshener.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Make Room Fragrance and Room Spray Yourself

A room fragrance ensures a pleasant sense of well-being in your own home. Bad odors are effectively covered and neutralized. But room fragrances are usually expensive. Therefore, use our recipes to make your own room spray and get a room fragrance without chemicals.

Tips for a room fragrance without chemicals

Beautiful scents can strengthen well-being and ensure a cozy home. Who does not like to come into an apartment that smells good? Room sprays and room fragrances help to neutralize the various smells from the kitchen or bathroom and to ensure that bad smells from germs and bacteria don’t stand a chance. But the fragrances available in stores are usually very expensive. Therefore use our recipes for your own room spray.

Simply make your own natural room spray

You can do without the expensive room sprays and room fragrances in the future because there are great alternatives to make yourself. You can use natural ingredients during production and avoid smelly odors in the apartment.

1) Make rose scent

If you would like to freshen up your apartment with the scent of roses, you can easily make this room fragrance without chemicals. Accordingly, take a closable container with a sufficiently large opening and fill the container alternately with rose petals and a thin layer of normal table salt. Finally, add some spirit of wine. Then your homemade fragrance is ready. Then store the jar tightly closed and in a cool place. And if you need it, put it open. Such a homemade room fragrance is ideal as an individual Christmas present.

2) Fresh room fragrance like from the trade

If you want a room scent like Rituals or Depot, that’s no problem either. For this, you need a bottle with a narrow neck and bamboo sticks or wooden skewers. Then fill the bottle up to halfway with unscented vegetable oil, such as sunflower oil or rapeseed oil. Unscented alcohol can also be used. Then add a few drops of essential oil, such as soothing lavender or similar, and mix the ingredients together by shaking. Then insert the skewers and your fragrance is ready.

3) Make a room scent with baking soda

You can also fill a discarded mason jar halfway with baking soda to create a scent for your home. Then add your own dried herbs, dried flowers, or spices. Then mix it all up and screw the lid on. You should have made holes in the lid beforehand so that the scent can spread throughout the room.

4) Make your own room spray

The easiest way to make your own room spray is to mix the following ingredients and then pour them into a spray bottle. Also, note the useful instructions on how to make your own textile freshener.

  • Approx. 300 ml water
  • Approx. 100 ml min. 40% alcohol
  • 25 g baking soda powder
  • 10 drops of essential oil of your choice

5) Make a citrus room spray

Another way to make a room spray and get rid of bad smells right away is the citrus room spray. You need a little more patience for this. Because take the peel of two lemons or oranges. Then put them in a large mason jar or in a pot and fill it with the home remedy vinegar. The bowls should be completely covered with vinegar. Then let the mixture stand for about 4 weeks and pour in some vinegar when you get a chance. Once the liquid turns dark, you can pour it into a spray bottle. If you also want to have a fresh scent in your closet, you can also work with natural products.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Make Healthy Sourdough Yourself

Make healthy and delicious sourdough yourself with simple instructions. Because sourdough bread has the necessary acidity and is light and fluffy, it tastes particularly good. So learn now how to prepare and feed sourdough. This is how the sourdough starter succeeds the first time.

Is sourdough healthy?

A sourdough made from rye provides you with lots of healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These include vitamins B and E, iron, sodium, zinc, and folic acid, which is important for pregnant women. In addition, no artificial additives are necessary for the production of sourdough bread. Yeast is also avoided here. In addition, sourdough has a low glycemic index. This indicates the blood sugar-raising effect of foods containing carbohydrates. The low level of sourdough illustrates that blood sugar rises slowly after consumption. Since the important vitamins and minerals can also be better absorbed by the body, homemade sourdough is very healthy.

Instructions for making your own sourdough

Since sourdough is very healthy and well-tolerated, it is enjoying increasing obesity. So use our clever recipe for the right dough. You can feed this sourdough up to ten times. All you need is water and rye flour. Then mix these two components and in about three days you have the perfect sourdough with which you can bake delicious whole-food bread. But how exactly does it work? In the following video, you will find pictorial instructions for the sourdough starter. And below you will find detailed instructions.

1) Prepare the sourdough

To prepare the sourdough you have to mix the following ingredients into the dough and leave it to stand covered and warm overnight. The rest period should be at least 24 hours. After this time, the dough should form small bubbles. Important: the temperature must be around 25 degrees. But please make sure that no drafts or direct sunlight spoil the dough. In order for the fermentation of the dough to take place hygienically, you should leave the dough covered. This prevents bacteria from penetrating from the outside. Because the dough only needs heat, time, and rest. You can then move on to the next step.

  • 100 g rye – grind it fresh yourself and use it
  • Mix in 150g of water.
  • or take 100 g rye flour and 100 g lukewarm water as described in the video instructions.

2) Lengthen sourdough

On the second day, you can extend the sourdough. Then add another 100 g rye, finely ground, and 150 g water. Then mix these ingredients into the already prepared base dough. The part still shows little change, since slight blistering or pink coloring usually only occurs after the 3rd day of fermentation. After the addition, the dough must have rest, warmth, and at least 24 hours to allow the fermentation process to progress.

Tip: Right from the start, you should mix the rye and water in a large enough bowl so that the sourdough can double in volume without spilling out of the bowl. Similar to yeast dough, each fermentation process needs space in the dough. The last step can follow after another 24 hours.

3) Feed sourdough

In the last step, you have to feed the sourdough again. Add another 150 g of finely ground rye and about 3 tablespoons of warm water. Since the dough piece is already slightly liquid, adding 3 tablespoons of water is sufficient. Then mix the entire dough again and then let it rest, covered, for 24 hours in a warm place.

After three days, when all three steps are complete, the sourdough should smell slightly sour and show up as slight pink discoloration. At the same time, the frothy bubble formation reflects the optimal fermentation process. Then the sourdough is ready and can be used as a basis for baking bread.

“Lock up” sourdough base

If this sourdough is now ready, you can lock a small part in a “glass”. It is best to close the jar tightly with a screw cap. After that, you can store it in the fridge. The sourdough lasts there for a few weeks and can later be used very well as a base for the next sourdough.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Make and Replace Baking Malt Yourself: Here’s How

Baking malt is a leavening agent that improves the texture and flavor of homemade bread. If you have a little time, you can easily make baking malt yourself – we’ll explain how it works.

Baked malt is made from sprouted grains that you dry in the oven, roast, and then finely grind. Baking malt fulfills two main tasks when baking bread: On the one hand, it refines the taste of the bread and also gives it a stronger colour. On the other hand, it can ensure that the dough rises better. This works especially well with wheat dough.

This is because the enzymes in the sprouted grains remain active when you dry them at low temperatures. Together with the yeast, they ensure that the bread rises particularly well. However, baking malt is not the only leavening agent – it only supports the function of the yeast. Recipes with baking malt therefore usually also contain yeast. You don’t have to change the amount of yeast if you also use baking malt.

Baking malt can be bought ready-made, but you can also easily make it yourself. All you need is grains, water and a few days of patience – because depending on the type of grain, it takes a while for the grains to germinate.

Important: Always use untreated organic grain if you make baking malt yourself. On the one hand, you support sustainable agriculture that works without synthetic pesticides. On the other hand, conventionally processed cereal grains are often not germinable because they are usually dried at high temperatures. Your enzymes can then no longer be activated.

Make baking malt yourself: This is how it works

Ingredients:

200 gorganic cereal grains (e.g. wheat or spelt)
water

Directions:

Place the grains in a sieve. Place the sieve in a bowl and fill it with enough water to cover the grains by about an inch or two. Leave them like that for twelve hours.
Remove the strainer from the bowl and drain the water. Dry the bowl. Rinse the grains in the sieve well under fresh cold water and then put the sieve back into the dry bowl. Important: The bowl should get light during this step, but if possible not stand directly in a sunny place.
Let the grains sit, this time for about two to three days. Rinse again under cold water every 12 hours.
After some time, the grains will begin to germinate. You can tell by the fact that thin white shoots sprout at the ends, which gradually intertwine. Wait for them to grow long enough to branch and form a braid. Then you can move on to drying the kernels. How long the grains need to germinate varies depending on the type of grain. With spelled, for example, it usually takes longer than with wheat. Important: If the shoots turn green, the grains are no longer edible. It is therefore important to wait for the right moment.
Line a baking tray with baking paper (or an ecological baking paper substitute). Spread the grains out on the baking tray and let them dry in the oven at 70 degrees top/bottom heat for about an hour. It is best to clamp a wooden spoon in the oven door so that it remains open a crack and the moisture can escape better.
After the drying process, you can roast the grains. Increase the temperature to 170 degrees top/bottom heat and leave the grains in the oven for another 40 minutes. You can then do a taste test: if the grain already tastes slightly malty, it’s ready. Otherwise, roast the grains again for 10 minutes.
When the kernels are done, remove the tray from the oven and let them cool completely. Then check if the grains are really completely dried. They must no longer contain any moisture.
Once they have cooled, you can grind the grains. It is best to use a grain mill or coffee grinder for this. Alternatively, you can also put them in the blender.
Fill the ground baking malt into a clean screw-top jar and close it tightly.

Baking malt: tips for use

The baking malt will keep for several months in a screw-top jar. It is important that the glass is sterile. You can find tips for this here: Sterilizing glasses: The best methods with step-by-step instructions.

When baking bread, it is sufficient to use about 30 grams of baking malt per kilogram of flour, unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Simply mix the baking malt into the remaining ingredients before kneading them into a dough and follow the further instructions.

Tip: If you don’t have baking malt at hand, you can replace it with malt coffee if necessary. It is then sufficient to use about a fifth of the recommended amount of baking malt – for example six grams instead of 30 grams.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Latte Macchiato: The Recipe To Make Yourself

The latte macchiato has been an absolute favorite drink for years. It has a mild taste and consists largely of milk. The accompanying espresso provides the necessary coffee nuance and a fine aroma. In the following post we show the perfect preparation method.

What is a latte macchiato?

Along with cappuccino, latte macchiato is one of the most popular coffee specialties worldwide. The beverage originally came from Italy. Here it was traditionally made for children and young people because it has a low coffee and caffeine content. The individual layers of the drink consist of warm milk, espresso and milk froth. A typical latte macchiato with whole milk weighs in at almost 130 calories and 25-30 mg of caffeine.

Origin and history of “spotted milk”

Unfortunately, it is not known when and by whom latte macchiato was invented. However, it has its origins in Italy. In contrast to conventional coffees, this variation should have the lowest possible caffeine content of 25-30 mg caffeine. A typical 200 ml cup of filter coffee has 64-96 mg of caffeine in comparison. The aim was to gradually introduce children and young people to the taste of coffee without giving them an unhealthy amount of caffeine for their age. Incidentally, latte macchiato means “spotted milk”, which is an allusion to its composition. This consists of three superimposed layers. Warm milk is in the lower third, espresso in the middle and milk froth in the upper part.

Difference to cappuccino

Latte macchiato and cappuccino have the same ingredients: espresso and milk (alternative). The difference lies in the preparation. While the cappuccino only contains milk froth, the milk separates from the latte macchiato.

How do you prepare a latte macchiato?

The original Italian recipe for a latte macchiato is quite simple and consists of hot milk and espresso. The preparation looks very uncomplicated: the coffee is quickly poured over the milk. The classic three layers, as we know it in this country, are not used with this method.

To enjoy a latte macchiato with layers, the preparation is a little more difficult than the basic Italian recipe. For the perfect enjoyment, it is recommended to follow the following three steps.

Ingredients needed for a latte macchiato:

An espresso
200 ml milk (alternative)

Step 1:

Froth approx. 200 ml of milk to create a creamy and firm milk froth. This should be firmer than a cappuccino, so froth the milk or milk alternative a little longer.

Step 2:

Slowly pour the frothed milk into a tall, narrow glass. Set the glass aside to allow the foam and milk to separate.

Step 3:

Carefully pour 25-30ml of espresso into the glass. The espresso can easily be poured into the milk using a small jug in order to achieve an optimal layer formation.
Good to know: With an espresso maker you do not prepare espresso, but a strong coffee. This can still be used for the preparation.
When pouring the espresso, remember to pour it slowly in the middle or on the side of the glass. As a result, the coffee should separate the milk from the milk foam and be placed exactly in the middle between the two components. This is how the well-known three layers of latte macchiato are created: milk below, espresso in the middle and milk foam on top.

Why do the three layers mix?

If the layers mix with each other, this can have two reasons:
There is a possibility that the milk has not been properly frothed and the froth lacks firmness.
On the other hand, pouring the espresso too quickly or imprecisely can lead to the milk and coffee being mixed together.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Make Bubble Tea Yourself: 5 Good Reasons and a Recipe

Colorful drinks with wobbly balls: bubble tea is back in fashion. We’ll show you here why it’s better to just make it yourself than to buy it.

Already ten years ago it was the trend drink par excellence in Germany: bubble tea. Freely translated, this means ball or pearl tea. The liquid refreshment comes from Asia, more precisely from Taiwan. Bubble tea has been there for more than 25 years. The special thing about it: in addition to tea, milk and syrup, small balls make the bubble tea what it is.

The classic version of the bubbles consists of tapioca pearls. These are made from maple syrup mixed with tapioca flour and cooked. The bubbles turn black because the syrup caramelizes.

Tapioca flour consists of ground cassava roots, which are often referred to as “tropical potatoes”. The tapioca flour is relatively neutral, the flavor comes from mixing with the syrup. The consistency of the pearls resembles that of jello.

There are now other options on the market: on the one hand, there are the “Popping Bobas”. They are filled with fruit juice and will burst if you bite into them. There are also “jellies” made from coconut flesh and fruit juice.

Why you should make bubble tea yourself

As tasty and trendy as the soft drink may be, there are good reasons not to buy commercial bubble tea. In addition to very obvious points such as the plastic packaging, there are also many hidden ingredients in Bubble Tea that are not necessarily obvious at first glance.

If you still feel like having the drink from time to time, you can make it yourself with just a few ingredients. This is how you decide what goes into the tea and how you serve it.

Plastic cup and straw: the packaging of bubble tea

Bubble tea shops usually offer little space and are designed according to the to-go principle. This means that the drink is filled into plastic cups and customers take it with them. But that’s not all: the lid of the cup is made of a thin plastic film into which a plastic straw is inserted.

Not exactly timely when you consider that an EU-wide ban on single-use plastic, which also affects plastic straws, is to come into force in July 2021. Because if you use plastic, you harm both the environment and your health. Because plastic contains many chemicals that can get into your body, according to the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND). The additives are not firmly embedded in the plastic and are therefore particularly easy to remove from the cup and straw.

Packaging waste in particular poses a problem, as it is thrown away after it has been used once. It accounts for around a third of the plastic waste we produce; according to BUND, only a little is recycled.

Sugar content as high as cola

Tea and milk – actually, the main ingredients of bubble tea seem to be quite healthy. In fact, bubble tea contains about the same amount of sugar and calories as cola: a 500-milliliter cup of the trend drink contains between 300 and 500 calories, depending on the variety; the sugar content is up to 60 grams.

For comparison: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum of 50 grams of sugar per day for adults. With a cup of bubble tea, this need is already covered, if not exceeded. For children and adolescents, the recommended intake of sugar is even lower.

As a consumer, you quickly underestimate the sugar content of bubble tea: the drinks are enriched with ice cubes, which weaken the sweet taste. If you make the bubble tea yourself, you can better control the sugar content.

Ingredients of Bubble Tea

From colorants and flavorings to acidifiers and preservatives – according to Stiftung Warentest, bubble tea contains numerous artificial ingredients. The survey was released during the first wave of bubble tea trends in 2012. However, the results are still usable, because the ingredients have not changed much.

There are also shops that use tea powder instead of fresh tea to prepare bubble tea. This creates a variety of tastes. The downside of the coin: the powders contain more chemical additives than natural teas. In the homemade bubble tea you can rely on natural ingredients.

Caffeine content in bubble tea

Black and green teas contain theine – a special name for the stimulant caffeine. Since green or black tea forms the basis for many bubble teas, the soft drinks also contain large amounts of caffeine. The stimulating effect is usually similar to that of cola, but is usually not marked when bubble tea is sold.

The problem with this is that children and young people in particular drink bubble tea. And caffeinated drinks are not suitable for them, according to the Association for Independent Health Advice (UGB).

Danger of choking from bubbles

As attractive as the bubbles make the tea, they can be life-threatening. Because the beads with a diameter of eight to eleven millimeters are very slippery and sometimes difficult to chew on.

The danger is increased by the straws: They are extra wide so that the balls can fit through. Due to the suction, the beads can get directly into the trachea and lungs. The situation in children is so alarming that the professional association of paediatricians in Germany advocated a warning on the cups with bubble tea in 2012. Adults can also choke on the bubbles.

If you make bubble tea yourself and want to serve it to children, make sure to use low-caffeine tea and do not offer it to young children.

Make bubble tea yourself

Although the above points make bubble tea questionable: you don’t have to do without the soft drink. With our simple recipe you can make it yourself and thus pay attention to natural ingredients and a low sugar content – you can do without the plastic cup and straw.

For all ingredients, make sure to use products with organic and fair trade seals – especially with tea, which you use as the basis for the drink. We particularly recommend the Naturland, Bioland and Demeter seals, as the certified products have to meet very strict environmental protection criteria. You can use black or green tea, but any other variety of your choice also tastes good as bubble tea.

To make the balls you need Tapioca Starch. Regional alternatives are corn starch or potato starch.

Caution: Homemade bubble tea is also unsuitable for small children, as they can choke on the balls.

Ingredients:

60 g tapioca, corn or potato starch
30 ml maple syrup
700 ml tea
300 ml vegetable milk
ice cubes
Honey, agave syrup or maple syrup for sweetening

Directions:

First you make the tapioca pearls. Put the starch in a bowl with the maple syrup.
Knead the ingredients into a homogeneous, caramel-colored mass.
Form hazelnut-sized balls from the syrup-starch mixture.
Boil water in a saucepan.
Put the balls in the water and let them cook for 20 minutes. Keep stirring every now and then.
If the bubbles have a jelly-like consistency, you can pour them into a colander. Then rinse the balls thoroughly with cold water. Tip: If you don’t use your bubbles straight away, you should store them in syrup so that they don’t stick together.
brew the tea It can be a little stronger, as the ice cubes will dilute it.
Divide the tea, bubbles, ice and milk into glasses. To sweeten, you can add honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup to taste.

Bubble tea sometimes fruity

To serve the bubble tea, you can put tall spoons or straws made of glass or metal into the glasses.

If you want to give your drink a fruity note, you can reduce the amount of tea and add a fresh juice of your choice to the bubble tea instead.

Keep Reading
By