The UK’s current eating habits are in desperate need of improvement. Four out of five of the top risk factors for death and disability in the UK are now diet related¹ . The impact of poor diets is placing immense strain on our healthcare system and reducing our workforce’s productivity. Poor diet often starts in childhood and stays for life – 80% of UK kids aren’t eating enough vegetables with almost a third (29%) of primary school aged kids eating less than one portion of veg a day.²  While Veg Power’s award-winning Eat Them to Defeat Them  campaign, in partnership with ITV, has successfully encouraged children to give veg a try, more support for parents/carers is critical. Veg Power’s latest research shows that parents who eat more veg and create a positive food culture in their home are nearly twice as likely to have children who eat more veg, try new veg and see vegetables as fun – this runs equally true across all household income brackets.³ 

Veg Power’s six years of experience and unparalleled insight identified that families are struggling with different aspects of feeding their kids. To ensure Simply Veg is relevant to all families, regardless of their veg eating struggles, a diverse panel of experts were brought together. By offering a unique and holistic approach to improving families’ diets, the campaign moves beyond traditional public health campaigns and focuses on the wider issues. These include creating a positive food environment within the home, how to gently engage kids, understanding your children’s natural taste and sensory preferences, effective role modelling and what to do when your kids just say “no”. In addition, advice aimed specifically at families with neurodiverse children has been included, developed with support from a specialist dietitian.

Commenting on the launch of Simply Veg, Dan Parker, Chief Executive, Veg Power, said, “For the first time, UK families have a public health campaign that recognises there are many potential issues that can impact on a family’s ability to eat healthily. Through our work over the last six years we have gained a deep understanding of the complexities of feeding a family and have developed this campaign so that it caters for all, no matter what their particular struggle may be. We have to recognise that feeding a family is hard work with parents facing many challenges including the cost of food and a fear of rejection and waste particularly when trying something new.  We have rallied an outstanding group with a diverse range of expertise working together to create solutions squarely founded in the best science, deeply sympathetic to people’s lives and full of the joy of family, fun and food.  We are confident that our approach will make the good choices, the exciting choices making a much needed and important contribution to improving our nation’s diet and ultimately, our nation’s health.”

Dr Laura Wyness, Registered Nutritionist and member of the expert panel said: “The evidence is clear, within the UK our diets are having a huge impact on our health, healthcare system and productivity. We desperately need to improve the current situation and support families to feed their children so that it creates life-long healthy eating habits. Bringing together a diverse range of experts to tackle this issue in an innovative way is an exciting and important step towards making a real difference.”

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, one of Veg Power’s founders and special advisers said: “If traditional public health campaigns are not having the impact necessary to help change the current eating habits in this country, we need to rethink our approach. Simply Veg recognises that feeding a family is hard work, with parents facing many challenges including the cost of food and a fear of rejection and waste, particularly when trying out new foods at home. Veg Power has been looking at the many aspects of feeding a family in a healthy way, helping to support parental role modelling and developing positive food cultures within the home. I believe that through this powerful work our team has created a brilliant campaign that can offer help and hope to millions of families in the UK.”

As part of Simply Veg, a comprehensive manual ‘How to Get Your Kids to Eat More Veg – A Simple Guide to a Tricky Task’  has been developed with more in depth content including videos and fun activities including engaging content from Shaun the Sheep and the creative genius of Aardman, available on the www.simplyveg.org.uk  website. The manual is currently being piloted with 3,000 families in the London Borough of Lambeth.

Green tea is naturally high in antioxidants and its associated health benefits have been suggested for centuries. Books and
studies in the last few decades have claimed benefits ranging from lowering cholesterol to inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.

Both black and green tea use the same leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant but it’s the manufacturing process which
determines the different styles of tea. The colour and taste of black tea comes from the oxidising of the natural occurring
chemicals called polyphenols (also known as catechins). Green tea is prevented from oxidising as it is dried as soon as it is
picked by using steam or in some cases by pan frying. The quick drying process prevents any enzyme activity which causes
oxidisation so catechins stay in the tea and it’s these chemicals which are said to be behind the claimed benefits.

Green teas are clean and light with a wide range of subtle flavour variations. Chun Mee for example has a naturally sweet
taste and is recognised by its ‘Plummy’ undertones whilst Dragonwell (one of the most famous green teas of China) has a
creamier, nutty flavour with a wonderful orchid aroma.

Keeping our guts healthy is one way to help ward off the winter bugs.  The Watercress Company has developed some mouth-watering autumnal dishes which are packed full of ingredients to help boost gut health – not least watercress itself.

For our trillions of gut bacteria, it’s the high content of polyphenol antioxidants (called flavonoids) in watercress which is of key interest as these are an important energy source for our microbiota. However, research has also shown a link between polyphenols and Vitamin C with corresponding antioxidant activity. Watercress contains exceptional levels of Vitamin C (gram for gram it contains more than an orange) and since flavonoids are also known to inhibit pathogenic bacteria that can cause disease, the potential in watercress as an excellent food to optimise our microbiome is clear.

Watercress is also a good source of fibre. A diet rich in fibre and polyphenols not only promotes our gut bacteria, but also ensures we benefit from the roles of vital metabolites (the main fuel for a large number of cells in the body), in optimising our health and metabolism.

So, as watercress has very high levels of flavonoids along with Vitamin C, and fibre it’s a remarkable leafy green to include in optimising our gut microbiome and therefore our long-term health and performance. What’s more, watercress has the potential to play a key role as part of a recovery diet after illness, and antibiotic treatment, all of which are known to reduce our microbiome.

With the science lesson over, let’s get onto the food!  Enjoy these delicious dishes for the taste but relax in the knowledge that you’re prepping your body for the harder months to come and feeding it some really good, gut warming stuff!

When to comes to cooking, students are often tarred with the same brush, but contrary to popular belief, it is possible to get through the university years without surviving on a diet of beans on toast and instant noodles. All it takes is the mastery of a few basic cooking skills and knowing how to shop economically and it’s easy to eat well on a limited budget. From making one main ingredient stretch across multiple meals to recreating takeaway dishes, from mastering the perfect mince to learning how to entertain on a budget, it’s easy to eat well during the university years.

LEARN THE BASICS…

Christine McFadden, aka, The Dorset Foodie, give us her top tips for students who are cooking for themselves for the first time.

• PERFECT MINCE.
  When cooking mince, fry small quantities at a time in a wide pan over a medium-high heat WITHOUT stirring. This allows the surface to brown and gives the mince a richer flavour. The usual way is to dump te whole lot inot a saucepan and stir over a medium heat, but by doing this, the juices leak out and the meat turns into grey, greasy pellets.
• PERFECT PASTA.
  Don’t even think about buying supermarket fresh pasta. It is often rubbery and tasteless. Dried pasta is a better bet and can be stored indefinitely. Always cook the sauce before the pasta. The sauce can usually be kept waiting, but if you leave cooked pasta hanging around it can become sticky. Use a BIG pot – one that the pasta can easily move around in and remember that you need 1 litre of water for every 100g of pasta.
• PERFECT RICE.
  There’s no mystery to cooking perfect fluffy rice, so say goodbye to expensive packs of boil in the bag or easy cook rice. You need about 50-75g per serving depending on appetite. Rinse the rice well and put in a pan with just enough water to cover by the depth of your thumbnail. Once cooked, you can leave the rice in the pan for up to 30 minutes, off the heat, useful if you’re short on hob space. Cover it with a wad of kitchen paper or a CLEAN tea towel. Put the lid back on and leave until ready to serve.

Chef Peter Gorton shares his top tips for students learning to fend for themselves…

It’s trendy to entertain casually and whip up a little feast. There is no need for matching cutlery or fancy place settings: cooking is a social occasion and getting your friends involved is great fun. It’s important to learn how to cook for lots of different reasons, not least because so much depends on the food we eat: our health, energy and ability to concentrate. If you learn to cook, you can always gather a few ingredients together and conjure up a little meal for yourself and friends, wherever you are in the world.

Getting to grips with cooking for yourself can be a real learning curve for students, especially if it’s your first time away from home. This guide should help students to master basic cooking skills that are needed – after all, eating junk food, skipping meals altogether or surviving on beans on toast will have a serious effect on your health…

MASTERING THE BASIC COOKING SKILLS

• Start with a positive attitude and set your goals. Being optimistic is the most important attitude that you need to help towards both your cooking success and your studies.
• Learn how to chop an onion, then take time to understant cooking terms and learn basic techniques like slicing, dicing and chopping. Be sure to practise: try making simple recipes that ensure that you use a lot of techniques. Oriental salads, for example, are great for improving your knife skills.
• Select the freshest ingredients possible
• Invest in cooking tools and simple kitchen equipment to make your cooking a lot easier. Don’t forget to use a sharp knife and remember that charity shops are good places to buy pans and other kitchen items.
• Don’t be afraid to get messy, but be sure to tidy up afterwards
• Buy a cheap timer to ensure that your efforts aren’t burnt
• Plan ahead of time, or as chefs would say, mise en place (everything in its place)
• Taste, taste and taste again. It is good to taste your creations at the beginning, middle and end. When cooking, imagine yourself eating the dish and that will help you to get the proportions right. Always season with yoru fingers and never a spoon because you are more likely to get the quantities right.
• Practise, practise and practise again, but have fun and include your friends: this way you will always improve and not find it a chore.
• Remember, cooking should be fun!

But it turns out that actually there’s a it more to it than that. Because not only does a well-organised fridge prevent food poisoning it also helps stop food wastage. Research from WRAP has found that the UK throws away 6.6 million tonnes of household food waste a year and nearly three quarters is food we could have eaten. To help combat this, Tap Warehouse have put together a guide to how to correctly organise your fridge.

Raw Meat, Fish and Poultry
It’s important raw meat, fish, and poultry are stored on the bottom shelf of your fridge to stop them from dripping onto other foods and contaminating them. Shockingly Tap Warehouse’s research revealed that a staggering 2/5 (40%) of Brits do not store their raw meat, poultry, and fish on this shelf.
Advice From An Expert:
Louise Roberts, Director of Food Safety Company, Alimenti, says by not storing raw meat on the bottom shelf, “blood and other fluids which may contain high levels of pathogens could drip onto the ready to eat food and contaminate the food with pathogens.”
This is alarming as “if consumed without any further treatment, such as cooking, the ready-to-eat food may cause illness.” Louise Roberts adds.

Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables that need to be refrigerated should be stored in the bottom drawer of your fridge where they are enclosed. Keep these in their original packaging to further prevent any contamination. Storing fruit and vegetables in this drawer will also stop moisture from escaping.
Tap Warehouse’s research found a worrying 1/8 (12%) of people admitted to storing their raw animal protein in the fruit and veg drawer. This could mean Brits are contaminating their fresh produce with raw meat juice.

Ready-to-eat Food
This includes dairy products, ready meals, and leftovers. Ready-to-eat foods should be kept on the middle and top shelf to prevent any drippage from raw foods contaminating them. These should all be covered or kept in sealed containers to prevent contamination.
Leftovers should be cooled as quickly as possible, ideally within 2 hours before placing them in the fridge and they should be used within 2 days of refrigerating.

Fridge Maintenance Tips
According to the NHS, our fridge temperature should be kept at 5C or below. Don’t forget to clean and inspect your fridge regularly to ensure it remains hygienic and in good working order.

To help people put healthy eating into practice during these difficult times, the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has shared its top tips on how to maintain a healthy diet – no matter what’s going on in the world.

Sara Stanner, Science Director, BNF, comments: “Lockdown 3.0 is upon us, with many people reverting to juggling home-schooling with working, whilst having to organise all meals and snacks for the family. In the current circumstances, it may be difficult to have the time and energy to think about cooking healthy meals and shopping for a variety of ingredients, so here are our top tips to make eating well a little easier.

“Be kind to yourself: These are extremely difficult circumstances and not the time to beat yourself up about what you eat or drink. A balanced diet can help us feel good and provide our bodies with all the nutrients we need for good health, but it doesn’t have to mean cooking everything from scratch or cutting out all of your favourite foods. Think about what you can add to your diet in terms of having a variety of foods and drinks from the main food groups, rather than worrying too much about what you should remove.

Plan ahead:
You don’t have to stick to a complicated menu plan, but noting down ideas for meals for the next day or two will help you organise what you need, without the stress of always having to think of what to have each mealtime. If you are at home as a family, why not get everyone involved in deciding what you would like to eat?

Keep a regular meal pattern:
With schools closed and everyone being told to work from home where possible, many of us have found that our normal routines have been disrupted. Keeping up regular mealtimes may help to add some normality and encourage you to eat balanced meals instead of grazing on whatever you have in the cupboards.

Use pre-prepared foods and ingredients to make life easier:
There’s nothing wrong with using some ready-made foods to help you put together quick, healthy meals. Ready-made sauces, quick cook noodles, frozen fish or precooked pouches of rice can help save time and effort. Make sure to add vegetables whenever you can – using canned or frozen vegetables like peas, sweetcorn or spinach can help you meet your 5 A DAY without the hassle. You could also try putting together frozen or canned vegetables to make a quick vegetable soup.

Use your store cupboard:
Ingredients like canned fish, canned beans, chopped tomatoes or chickpeas are healthy ingredients that can be used for a quick dinner, for example, with a microwaved baked potato or in a pasta sauce. Beans on toast can also be a great quick meal and, with wholemeal toast, can provide more than a third of your recommended fibre intake for the day. You can also experiment with other toast toppings such as eggs or peanut butter for a protein boost.

Snack well:
Looking for something quick and nutritious? Our healthy snack suggestions include: peanut butter on crackers, rice cakes with cheese, low fat yogurt, unsalted nuts, fruit or some vegetable sticks, which you could have pre-chopped in the fridge.

Keep hydrated:
All non-alcoholic drinks, including tea and coffee, can help keep you hydrated. Water is, as always, a great choice and try to limit sugary drinks.

Take a vitamin D supplement:
In the UK it is recommended that all adults take a 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D per day between October and early March. This is a simple thing you can do to support your health, contributing to healthy muscles and bones as well as supporting the immune system. Try to get into the habit of taking your supplement at a specific time (for example when brushing your teeth) so you don’t forget.

Sleep well and stay active:
It’s not only a healthy diet that’s important – keeping active, sleeping well and taking some time out for yourself are all important for helping us to cope in these difficult times.

Take care of your teenagers:
If you are a parent of a teenager or a teen yourself, it’s important to remember that with all the worries about school and examinations, now is a particularly stressful time. The teenage years are an important time for growth and development, which means it’s especially important to eat well. Teens should start the day with a healthy breakfast like wholegrain cereal or toast, and should try to stick to regular meals. Healthy snacks can help keep energy levels up too.”

For more information on eating well during the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to the below links:

• BNF’s 7-day meal plan
• Healthier snacking while at home
• Top tips for healthy, hassle-free meals while staying at home
• Weekly Meal Planner
• Teenagers

It would be fair to say that vegetables have never been that high up on my agenda. I wasn’t overly keen on the limp steamed veg we were served for school dinners, and I never really jumped on the kale smoothie bandwagon. But things all changed when I started ordering my own organic veg boxes. Suddenly, every meal became an exciting game of ‘what’s for dinner’. Rather than making endless trips to the supermarket, I found myself flicking through recipe books on mission to discover what could be made with that week’s colourful selection of produce. Every new ingredient is a new dish to discover – from vibrant graffiti aubergines, ready for stuffing, to generously filled bags of purple runner beans. Dinnertime is exciting once again and these days I’m positively evangelical about the power of veggies. But don’t just take my word for it. Patrick Blandford delivers Riverford Organic veg boxes to doorsteps all over East Somerset. He’s just as enthusiastic about the green stuff and is on a mission to convert you too!

Meet Patrick: Riverford Vegman and all-round veggie enthusiast!

Patrick, what kick-started your passion for vegetables?

When I was very young, my dad (who was a GP) was a member of the Soil Association and the Henry Doubleday Research Association. He gave himself a project to see if you could produce enough veg on a typical garden or allotment to provide all the amino acids necessary to get a perfectly balanced diet with nothing else added. This meant that I watched him spend quite a lot of time in the garden, growing crops and many evenings pouring over spreadsheets. Spoiler alert: he didn’t quite achieve his goal – it turns out you’d need a massive allotment!

What’s your first memory of cooking with veg?

We always grew sweetcorn in the garden and I vividly remember enjoying it freshly picked and briefly boiled before being served with melted butter.

What attracted you to Riverford Organic?

I was born and bred in Somerset and was very keen to move back to my roots. We had a young daughter and were keen organic veg box users, living in London. Riverford was a farmer owned business which was 100% organic and had great ethical credentials. We found that they were looking for someone to help them to sell and deliver their veg in Somerset, so we leapt at the chance. That was almost 15 years ago and we, and Riverford are still going from strength to strength. Last year Riverford became employee owned, which means that its ethics can never be diluted.

Why do you feel it’s important to be organic?

There’s a myriad of reasons. Organic means that no artificial fertilisers – made by burning fossil fuels – are used. Likewise, we will never airfreight or use heated glass (if you want tomatoes out of season, a lorry from Spain causes 20x less emissions than heating a greenhouse). There’s been a massive decline in bio diversity, but being organic means that no artificial pesticides are used and there is less intense farming, allowing for fields to regenerate. The fertilisers we do use are natural, such as animal and green manure crops. What’s more, there is absolutely no GMO. Conventional farming takes fertility from the land, whereas farming organically depends on creating fertility to add to the soil and enable us to be sustainable.

Are you starting to notice more people taking an interest in the provenance of their food?

Yes, we are! People are really becoming more and more worried about their world, whether it be Donald Trump, global warming or wildlife. Many people are concerned about packaging and would like to recycle or reuse, or even better, not use excess packaging at all. They also worry that Food Standards may be eroded with future trade deals that the UK may undertake. Going organic offers reassurance that no artificial fertiliser or pesticides are used and it can guarantee that your food is GMO free.

There is also lot of concern about the loss of bio diversity caused by industrial scale farming. Likewise, more and more people are conscious of the increase of production of cheap meats worldwide. We feel that increasing the amount of veg you eat and eating less meat (that is ethically produced) is really important.

With many reports suggesting that mass produced, processed food can be bad for you, we find that many people are keen to cook from scratch. Hopefully, they will find that our cookery demos will help them to do this. We’ve certainly had lots of people say to us that the food we make ‘tastes just like it used to when they were kids’. Sadly, flavour isn’t always a priority for many retailers. They’re more concerned about how it looks and if it is able to stand being transported long distances. I personally believe that looks are secondary, FLAVOUR is most important.

You run regular veg cookery demos. What sort of skills do your students usually possess?

To be honest, the level of skills is incredibly variable. Some people can dice and slice like fury and others find it difficult to chop an onion. This is why every demo includes tips and advice on how to make life easier in the kitchen. I do think that, in my lifetime, general cooking skills and knowledge of veg and where food comes from have declined. The supply of ready meals, ready prepped and washed veg flown in from all over the world means that fewer people are eating with the seasons.

The decline of school meals and teaching of cooking skills at school have not helped either. However, we do have a growing number of people coming to us to help them to eat sustainably with the seasons.

For an absolute beginner, how would you suggest experimenting with vegetables in the kitchen?

Roasting is a really easy way to use loads of different veg. Basically, you can use whatever roots you have. Once it is in the oven you can leave it and go and fettle the kids or have a glass of wine while you wait.

Any advice for a family on a tight budget who want to get more veg into their diet?

Eat with the seasons, put up with a bit of mud, and not every meal has to have meat in it. Dried lentils and chickpeas cost very little. Likewise, potatoes are much cheaper than rice and pasta. There are loads of different ways to cook potatoes – not just plain mashed, roasted or boiled!

Aside from fresh veg, what are your store cupboard essentials?

Where do I start? Legumes (such as lentils and chickpeas), tinned tomatoes and coconut milk, spices (see below), pasta, rice, flour, stock cubes or bouillon powder, oil and wine vinegar (plus some balsamic if you want to splash out, it adds a lovely layer of flavour). Also, I like to use fresh herbs, which you can grow on the patio or in a tray on the windowsill. We often freeze some herbs, so that they are always available. We have a basic herb and spice pack which we take on holiday, containing hot chilli powder, ground coriander and cumin, oregano, a couple of bay leaves from the garden (dried if not available) and sweet paprika.

What would your desert island dish be?

We have been experimenting with making wholemeal chapattis and if I say so myself, I am quite proud of the results. Riverford’s wonderfully vibrant Balinese Beetroot Curry goes with them really well. I like to serve it with a dollop of yoghurt on top.

Seaweed has been a culinary resource across the world for thousands of years and often plays an important role in Asian diets, particularly in Japan, Korea and China.  

There are thought to be over ten thousand species of seaweed; reflecting its immense diversity both in flavour, and nutritional properties. However, many of us seem apprehensive to include it into our weekly repertoire at home. A shame, seeing as it’s not only sustainable and nutrient-dense, but it tastes amazing too.  

Seaweeds, or as they are technically known, sea vegetables, lend themselves to cookery due to their naturally occurring glutamate – an amino acid, which signals savoury flavours to the brain and the main component of the fifth taste, umami. Pronounced  “oo-mah-mee” and derived from the Japanese word for delicious ‘umai’ it’s a taste which – if you sample it often enough – you will no doubt like and begin to crave. 

Nearly all sea vegetables belong to one of three broad algae groups: green, red and brown. Sea lettuce and onori are the most widely used in the kitchen of the green group. Bright in appearance, sea lettuce is most commonly used in salads and soups – its sheet like texture also makes it a great substitute for pasta in lasagne. Aonori commonly comes in powdered form and is used as a garnish for ramen, sushi and miso soup; it’s delicious when blended with chili powder and sesame seeds to make Japanese shichimi. 

Nori is the most common seaweed from the red group and is traditionally used to wrap sushi. Dulse is also popular – a purplish leaf that develops a distinct aroma of bacon when fried (delicious). Brown algae generally tend to be milder and include kelp, kombu (essential in dashi) and wakame, the vibrant green leaves in miso soup and salads. 

Sea vegetables are a powerhouse of nutrients – containing dietary fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins, A, B, C, and E, Omega-3 fats. Minerals such as iodine, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium are all present too. These nutrients help to reduce inflammation, boost energy, maintain strong bones and teeth, support thyroid health and hormonal balance – it’s no wonder the Japanese have one of the highest life expectancies in the world! 

Introducing sea vegetables is easy. If possible buy fresh seaweed – it’s becoming more and more popular in supermarkets and health-food shops – dried seaweed is also easy to obtain. Rehydration methods and cooking times aren’t standard across brands, so experiment until you find what suits you.  

Nori sheets are a great place to start.  Substitute them for your usual lunch wraps, or cut them into strips and toss into salads. Dried kelp strips can are great for topping, breads and pizzas, or stirring into pastas. If you make your own vegetable stock add strips of seaweed and strain it out along with the other ingredients. Season soups and stews with small pieces, or seaweed salt you’ll be amazed how it enhances the overall meal.  

Powdered seaweed such as spirulina is a great source of natural protein, making it a morning and pre- or post-workout favorite among fitness- enthusiasts.  Add a small amount to your favourite smoothie combo (it goes especially well with avocado, banana, or pineapple) and increase the amount as you get used to it. 

Kombucha is a sweet fermented tea that is growing in popularity as a health-promoting drink. It’s made by fermenting tea using a Kombucha culture also known as a scoby (a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). This feeds on the sugar in the tea and produces healthy bacteria. This basic tea can then be added to with various fruits and juices to create some truly tasty drinks that are great for your gut health.  

• 2.5 litres of water 
• 4-6 tea bags (at least 2 of which should be black tea bags) 
• 225g white sugar 
• 1 kombucha culture (scoby) 
•  3 tbsp of cider vinegar (or 300ml of Kombucha from a previous batch) 

EQUIPMENT  

• 3 litre glass jar  
• Muslin cloth (to cover) 

1. Bring 2.5 litres of water to the boil. Turn off the heat and add 225g of white sugar and 4-6 teabags then stir. Leave for 15 mins before removing. 
2. Leave the mixture to cool further until it reaches room temperature. Then add 3 tbsp of cider vinegar (or kombucha). Pour into the jar. 
3. Add the scoby. Do not add when hot. If the scoby is added when the liquid is hot, it will prevent fermentation. It is important that air is allowed to circulate around the kombucha mixture, so seal with a muslin cloth. 
4. Once you have the desired taste (after about 7-10 days), with clean hands remove the muslin and scoby. Top your jar with a lid and store in the fridge to keep fresh. 
5. You can then store the scoby along with a small amount of the kombucha in a jar ready to use for your next batch. 
   

Ginger Citrus Mocktail 

Once you’ve made your basic kombucha tea, you can then infuse it to get a fresh and fruity taste. 

• Ginger, roughly 5cm in length. 
• 350ml pure orange juice 
• Oranges (optional) 

1. Finely grate the ginger down into small pieces. 
2. Add into the kombucha along with 350ml of pure orange juice. For an extra fresh orange taste, add in the desired amount of oranges and let sit for 2-4 days at room temperature. 
3. You can taste test this each day until you achieve the desired taste. 

www.kilnerjar.co.uk