Chef: Wyatt Brege

Yield: 1 gallon

Ingredients

• 5 lbs Pears, very ripe
• 1/2 gal Water

Directions

1. Wash, then dice the pears and place in a sanitized glass vessel (stems and seeds are fine)
2. Smoosh with a potato masher or wooden pestle
3. Add water to one inch below the rim of the vessel. Cover with a thin cloth secured with a rubber band and leave in a stable, dark place
4. Check on carbonation and water level daily for 2-4 weeks, as the liquid transforms into perry (pear cider)
5. Strain the cider after carbonation has ceased. Use a 36"x36" flour cloth to press the remaining cider out of the mash. Discard the mash, and transfer the liquid to a clean vessel, topping off with water to 1 gallon
6. Ferment for 6-12 weeks. A pellical will form within the first 1-2 weeks, which can be saved for use in kombucha (this is the “SCOBY”)
7. Vinegar: you can pasteurize the vinegar by boiling it. You can remove the sedimentation by carefully tipping the vessel into another so as to not disturb it. This trub is fantastic for homemade bread.

Notes

• This recipe is for a farmhouse style perry, using the natural yeast present on the skins of the pears, and is ideal when a storm knocks a bunch of pears off the tree.
• This can attract fruit flies—be mindful of the location and climate you are fermenting in, especially during the vinegar formation phase. You can mitigate some of this with a carboy and airlock system found at home brew stores.
• To speed up this recipe:
  • blitz the pears with a blender
  • add up to 1 Cup granulated sugar
  • add a champagne yeast packet during the cider formation phase
  • add 1-2 Cups of live-culture apple cider vinegar at the vinegar phase
• I recommend only doing the last two steps if these components are available to you. They are the laziest but most efficient production boosts. The second option, adding sugar, is ideal if you’re planning on pickling with the vinegar.

Chef: Wyatt Brege

Yield: 10 servings (10 bars)

An easy no-bake protein bar recipe with the protein of an egg white and the fiber of half an apple.

Ingredients

Dry

• 2 C Old-Fashioned Oats
• 2 30g Scoop of Vanilla- or Chocolate-flavored Protein Powder (I use Aldi’s)
• 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 C [optional] Shredded Coconut, Crushed Nuts, or Granola
• 2 Tbsp [optional] Flax Seed, ground

Wet

• 1-2 Tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup
• 1/4 Cup Apple Sauce
• 2 Tbsp No-stir Peanut Butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix the 7 dry ingredients, then add remaining wet ingredients, pressing with either a wooden pestle, spoon, or, ideally, a plastic dough scraper or wet hand

2. Line a flat cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with oil or line with rolled oats

3. Press the mixture into a roughly 1/2" thick layer on the prepared cookie sheet and arrange as a large rectangle

4. (Optional) Sprinkle with coconut, granola, almond slivers, etc

5. Add another parchment paper to the top side, and, using your weight, press with a flat cutting board. Trim or rearrange the rougher edges

6. Cut once across the middle, then divide each half into 5 bars

Notes

• If you want a dryer protein bar, use coconut or maple sugar in place of honey or maple syrup
• Substitution: apple sauce ↔ ripe banana ↔ ripe pear
• Substitution: peanut butter ↔ almond butter
• Never be afraid to adjust oats if the mixture is too wet

Chef: Wyatt Brege

Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 1/2 Gallon Whole Milk, expiring
• 1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt

Directions

1. Bring the milk up to 161 degrees F (79 degrees C) for 15 seconds if unsure of origin, then let cool to blood temperature, 100 degrees F (38 degrees C). USDA approved is generally safe to use as is.
2. Stir in the Greek yogurt, then pitch into a plastic tub or crock. Glass can effect temperature greatly under draft.
3. Let sit in a warm place for 15-24 hours with a secured cloth, or whenever it solidifies.
4. In a large, sanitized mixing bowl, place a 36"x36" flour cloth over the bowl completely draping over the side.
5. Poor in the yogurt over the cloth. Prepare a long length of twine. Bring the corners of the cloth to a point and tie tightly and securely.
6. Suspend the yogurt pouch over the bowl by fastening it to a hook in the cieling. Alternatively, use the colander and deep stock pot you use for spaghetti noodles, and let the secured pouch sit well over the seiving liquid whey. You don’t want the yogurt to touch the whey water. You want it to dry out.
7. Let sit overnight in a dry place. If you have pets, lower or remove the racks from your room temperature oven to store the aparatus.
8. Pasteurize the whey water for storage or discard.
9. Sperate the yogurt from the cloth into a clean tub and store.

Notes

• The whey water can be reduced to less the 1/4 of its original volume (from about 1 Quart to 3/4 Cup) into a spreadable caramel called myost in Skandinavian countries. You can also use it in homemade bread, reheating chili or soup, marinading chicken for fried chicken, or as a starter for lacto-fermented vegetables. Quite sour, this is not suitable for protein shakes.