Submitted by: E. Neilson

Rejuvelac is a cultured, probiotic-rich, drink made by fermenting freshly sprouted grains. It is a bubbly, fizzy fermented drink full of life.

It is full of nutrients, aids in digestion and can even help to heal your body, teeth and bones when consumed regularly.

Soaking

Fill a wide mouth jar to about ¼ full with soft spring wheat berries.

Cover the mouth of the jar with a nylon mesh or cheesecloth, and secure the mesh with a strong rubber band or canning ring.

Here is a link for a fun DIY mesh lid:

Add enough spring or filtered water (no chlorine) to fill the jar half way.

Soak the wheat berries overnight for 8 to 10 hours.

In the morning drain and rinse 3 times.

Sprouting

After rinsing place the jar at an angle in a dish rack or anything that allows it to continuously drain. Make sure that all the wheat berries do not cover the mouth of the jar, because they need to be able to breathe.

Rinse them in the morning and evening for 2 days or until the sprout is about as long as the berry*.

*When the sprouts are not long enough, the rejuvelac is weaker, and may taste bland or bitter. When the sprouts are too long, it may taste sour or sweet.

Making the Juice

Batch 1

Once the sprouts are about the length of the berry rinse a final time and fill the jar to an inch from the top with spring or filtered water (no chlorine).

Allow the wheat berry sprouts to soak for about 48 hours, in a cool dark place like the pantry or cupboard (not in the fridge).

After about 48 hours (If you live in a warm climate, less time may be sufficient), this soaked liquid is your first batch of Rejuvelac.

Strain the liquid off into another jar for immediate use in smoothies, juice or drink it plain. It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Batch 2

Refill the jar of wheat sprouts with more water (Do not rinse) and place in a cool dark place for only 24 hours this time.

Pour liquid off into another jar and use as before.

Batch 3

Refill the jar of wheat sprouts for a third and final batch. Again, only 24 hours is needed.

Pour liquid off into another jar and use as before.

After you have made three batches, feed the “spent” wheat berries to the birds or chickens. They really like them!

Notes:

Each batch is likely to have a slightly different taste. This is because rejuvelac is a fermented beverage, made from living wheat sprouts.

The wheat sprouts can vary significantly in their nutritional content, depending on their length, how often they were rinsed, and the temperature they were grown in. During the fermentation process, many elements in the sprouts are converted into a liquid by yeast and bacteria that are found in the air, the sprouts and the water.

Good rejuvelac is a cloudy, and very faintly yellow, liquid. It has a tart, lemon-like flavor, tinged with a doughy, yeasty flavor.

When fermented for too long, it can become slightly sour. Since it is constantly fermenting, it is natural that tiny bubbles rise through the liquid occasionally. The very best rejuvelac is in fact slightly carbonated.

It is natural for a layer of white foam to form on top of the rejuvelac. This is not harmful. It can be used, but can be skimmed off if desired.

This process is affected by the temperature, the quality of the water, the length and health of the sprouts, and of course, the length of fermentation. All of these variables will affect the flavor and appearance.

Rejuvelac will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Drink rejuvelac in place of water or add to juices. Also, drink rejuvelac before or in between meals, to avoid diluting the digestive juices after a meal. Rejuvelac is vital, because its high vitamin E content acts as a natural antioxidant, to prevent certain vitamins from being lost during the blending process for smoothies.

Ann Wigmore is rightly credited for popularizing the Rejuvelac drink.