Food Sensitivity Test

Introducing Dairy The GAPS ‘dairy introduction structure’ promotes introducing whey first followed by yoghurt and then Kefir. When introducing any of these, we do it methodically by first conducting the ‘food sensitivity test’ first, followed by adding small amounts at a time added to other food to ensure they are well tolerated. This approach is […]

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Food Sensitivity Test
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Dairy Introduction Structure

Introducing Dairy The GAPS ‘dairy introduction structure’ promotes introducing whey first followed by yoghurt and then Kefir. When introducing any of these, we do it methodically by first conducting the ‘food sensitivity test’ first, followed by adding small amounts at a time added to other food to ensure they are well tolerated. This approach is […]

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Dairy Introduction Structure
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Raw Dairy Milk Yoghurt – Creme Fraiche & Whey

This recipe is primarily a yoghurt recipe, however we will continue with a second set of instructions to produce some whey which should be introduced first on the introduction diet.  Using the same instructions here to make yoghurt, you can also make what Dr Natasha refers to as Creme Fraiche (sour Cream) This is in- […]

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Raw Dairy Yoghurt
This recipe is appropriate from stage one onward - HOWEVER, yoghurt should be introduced after whey has been introduced. Follow the steps on the introduction diet stage one
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Cook Time 24 - 30 Hours
Servings
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Ingredients
Equipment
  • 1 Yoghurt Maker I suggest the 'Wholesome me’ Yoghurt Maker as it is specifically designed for GAPS
  • 1 Milk thermometer If making yoghurt with pasturised milk
  • 1 Saucepan Only required for heating if you are not making raw yoghurt
  • 1 2 Litre Pyrex Jug For mixing the starter and pouring into jars
Yoghurt Culture Starter Options - SELECT ONE FROM BELOW
  • Cultured yoghurt starter powder (measure as per product instructions - add more for thicker result) GAPS Diet Australia have two options: Custom Probiotics Starter #2 (GAPS) and Gi Pro Starter (SCD)
  • 2-3 Synbiotic powder 3 scoops per one litre of milk (GutBiome Brand)
  • 1/3 Cup Homemade yoghurt as a starter per litre of milk
Cook Time 24 - 30 Hours
Servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
Equipment
  • 1 Yoghurt Maker I suggest the 'Wholesome me’ Yoghurt Maker as it is specifically designed for GAPS
  • 1 Milk thermometer If making yoghurt with pasturised milk
  • 1 Saucepan Only required for heating if you are not making raw yoghurt
  • 1 2 Litre Pyrex Jug For mixing the starter and pouring into jars
Yoghurt Culture Starter Options - SELECT ONE FROM BELOW
  • Cultured yoghurt starter powder (measure as per product instructions - add more for thicker result) GAPS Diet Australia have two options: Custom Probiotics Starter #2 (GAPS) and Gi Pro Starter (SCD)
  • 2-3 Synbiotic powder 3 scoops per one litre of milk (GutBiome Brand)
  • 1/3 Cup Homemade yoghurt as a starter per litre of milk
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Instructions
Yoghurt
  1. Steralise all your equipment such as the pyrex jug, whisk and yoghurt making jars/container.
  2. Pour your milk in a large jug. I like to use a two litre sized pyrex jug.
  3. Add your yoghurt culture starter option to the milk. Please refer to the yoghurt culture starter options listed above.  If you are using a powdered culture or synbiotic powder, be sure to first stir the powder into 15mls of milk in a separate sterilised cup first to ensure that the starter does not clump and then add this to the remaining milk and stir well. It is important to stir the starter well so that it blends and mixes with all the milk to produce a good yoghurt.  You can do this slowly and gradually with a whisk. (If you are not making raw yoghurt and you have heated the milk first, make sure that it cools down to a temperature between 38˚C and 45˚C before adding the culture).  
  4. After the starter culture has been added and mixed well to the milk, it is ready to pour into the yoghurt maker jars or glass dish. When this is done place them into the yoghurt maker.
  5. Set the timer for the desired incubation period and ferment the yoghurt for 24 hours (minimum) or more at a temperature range between 38˚C and 45˚C. 24 hour fermentation will allow the yoghurt to be virtually lactose and casein free and make proteins more digestible). The longer the ferment, the stronger and more tart the taste will become but the more beneficial it will be.
  6. When the fermentation is complete, transfer the yoghurt to the fridge to set for 6 hours before consuming.
  7. GAPS Yoghurt will produce a lovely creamy layer on top. This is easily mixed into the yoghurt or you can scoop it off and enjoy it as is.
Sweetening
  1. Fruit and honey are good natural sweetener options to add flavour. *Be sure not to add any fruit to the yoghurt before fermentation as this may allow mould or harmful bacteria to proliferate. 
Storage
  1. Keeps for several weeks in the fridge
Thickening Tips
  1. Raw yogurt will not naturally become as thick as traditional yogurt and may present with some whey. If you would like your yogurt to be thicker, try dripping it through a cheesecloth for a few hours to remove some of the whey (see below instructions).  Store the whey in the fridge and use for culturing or adding to dishes as per the introduction diet.
Dripping Your Whey
  1. With a large (bleach free) cheese cloth, line a stainless steel colander. Sometimes you will need to double or triple lay the cheese cloth for desired result. This means folding it over a couple of times to make it less pour’s which will slow down the dripping process and collect more cream cheese.
  2. Place the colander over a large glass bowl and pour your yoghurt into the cheesecloth lining the colander. This will allow the whey to drip through the cheese cloth and collect in the glass bowl underneath. Alternatively you can hang the cheesecloth from a kitchen cupboard handle and let it drip into a glass bowl underneath it.
  3. Cover the colander with a tea towel and leave it for a few hours. The result will establish a liquid in the glass bowl (whey) and remaining residue in the lined colander will resemble cottage cheese.
  4. Pour the whey into a clean glass jar with a tight lid to use with the GAPS introduction stages and keep it in the refrigerator. The whey can also be used as a starter for fermenting different foods, such as vegetables, fish, seeds and nuts (when your patient is ready to have them). Depending on how long you leave your yoghurt dripping, you can make cottage cheese or use these steps to make a thicker yoghurt. Both the yoghurt and the cheese can be used for baking, adding to salads and soups and as deserts with honey and fruit.
Recipe Notes

If you can not find raw milk

If you are unable to find raw milk, be sure to select organic full cream milk from grass fed cows and follow these steps at the beginning of the recipe.

1. Pour milk into a large saucepan and very slowly bring the pasturised milk close to boiling (approximately 80-90°C) in a stainless steel saucepan & stir occasionally. (Try not to boil too fast as it may burn) By bringing the milk close to boiling point (no higher than 80°C) you destroy any bacteria which may be lingering in the milk that can interfere with the fermentation process. It is important not to boil the milk as it will change its taste. (Boiling point is set at 100°C).

2.Take the saucepan off the stove and set aside to cool down.  You can cool it down faster by filling your sink with cold water and ice and submerging the base of the saucepan in the cold water. Keep an eye on the thermometer until it reaches between 38-45°C.

3. After the milk has cooled to 38-45°C, you may add your yoghurt starter. If you are using a powdered culture or synbiotic starter, be sure to first stir the powder into 15mls of milk in a separate sterilised cup to ensure that the starter does not clump and then add it to the remaining milk and stir well. It is important to stir the starter well so that it blends and mixes with the all the milk.  You can do this slowly and gradually with a whisk. IMPORTANT: Make sure you add the yoghurt or starter after it has cooled down between 38 – 45˚C and not any hotter or it will kill the beneficial bacteria.  When the culture is mixed well, pour the milk into a glass pyrex jug because the spout on the jug will make easier to pour into the yoghurt making jars.

Continue with the remaining cooking instructions from this recipe from step 4 onward.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you add the yoghurt or starter after it has cooled down between 38 – 45˚C and not any hotter or it will kill the beneficial bacteria.

If you can't use Dairy

If you have a true dairy allergy, you may make yoghurt with nut milk or coconut milk.  Please refer to our recipes on how to make these.

What yoghurt maker is best?

The Wholesome me yoghurt maker was specifically designed for GAPS

Scrambled Eggs

The GAPS Introduction Diet introduces scrambled eggs or fried eggs in stage three.  This is a simple and very quick recipe requiring very little preparation.  The ingredients contain only egg with a little ghee for cooking, however for more fluffier eggs, you can add a couple of tablespoons of sour cream or kefir. Print Recipe […]

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Scrambled Eggs
This recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introductions Diet from stage 3 onward
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Crack the eggs into a glass bowl
  2. Use a fork to beat eggs together.
  3. Melt ghee or duck fat in a fripan over low heat. Don't allow the ghee to burn.
  4. Add egg mixture and gently pull eggs to the center of the pan and let the liquid parts run out under the perimeter.
  5. Cook, continually moving eggs with the metal spatula, just until eggs are set. This will take approximately 1 to 3 minutes.
  6. Season with salt and pepper; serve hot with a little parsley.
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

When on the Full GAPS Diet, if digestion has improved you may introduce onion and celery to the mixture as well.

Cooking the perfect GAPS egg

Eggs are the easiest food to digest and their nourishment has been compared to breast milk because it can be absorbed almost 100 percent without needing digestion.  Egg yolks provide many amino acids, vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12, A, D & biotin), essential fatty acids, magnesium and zinc among many others.  Eggs are particularly high […]

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Cooking the perfect GAPS Egg
Eggs are appropriate for the introduction diet from stage 2 onward and for the GAPS Baby Diet Protocol from stage 4 onward
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Prep Time 1 minutes
Cook Time 3-5 minutes
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Ingredients
  • 1 egg organic free range
Prep Time 1 minutes
Cook Time 3-5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 egg organic free range
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Instructions
  1. Cook the egg so that the egg white is cooked and the egg yolk is still runny. This may require your own testing on the stove because every stove type will generate different heat and some are more immediate than others. Once you have achieved the desired egg, try to remember the time it took to cook it and you will have the perfect egg every time.
  2. For the perfect GAPS egg to ensure teh white is cooked and egg yolk runny, we recommend 3-5 minutes as shown on the egg cooking time chart.
  3. Peal the egg shell under cold water whilst it is still hot but not too hot to touch. This makes for an easier way to peal the egg with out breakage, otherwise put it in an egg cup, slice off the top and scoop it out.
  4. Add an egg to every bowl of soup.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is a condiment suggested to be eaten as a side dish whenever meat is consumed and especially at the end of the day when the body’s enzyme storage is depleted having already been expended on previous meals earlier in the day.  The evening meal is often the most difficult for people who suffer from […]

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Sauerkraut
This recipe is appropriate for the introduction diet from stage One onward
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Litre
Ingredients
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut Equipment
  • 1 Fermentation Vessel A glass jar or crock with a weight to hold the vegetables submerged under the brine and an airlock system with a release valve to allow air to escape whilst creating an anaerobic environment. Refer to Weck images below
  • 1 Mandolin For slicing cabage (or use a knife)
Servings
Litre
Ingredients
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut Equipment
  • 1 Fermentation Vessel A glass jar or crock with a weight to hold the vegetables submerged under the brine and an airlock system with a release valve to allow air to escape whilst creating an anaerobic environment. Refer to Weck images below
  • 1 Mandolin For slicing cabage (or use a knife)
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Instructions
  1. Thinly slice or shred the cabbage with a knife or mandolin. I like to use a mandolin.
  2. Place the shredded cabbage in a large glass bowl and add the dill (optional).
  3. For Wild Fermentation, add a generous amount of salt to the cabbage and mix it through with your hands to allow an overall coverage. Let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes to allow the salt to draw out some of the cabbage juice naturally. 5-8grams - (max 15grams) per 1kg cabbage. HINTS: Salt allows the cabbage to sweat so that juices can be extracted to create the brine. For Cultured fermentation, add the commercial culture starter as per packet instructions.
  4. Mix, massage and knead the ingredients with your hands. Bruising the cabbage this way allows the cabbage to extract a natural brine solution. Keep kneading until you have squeezed a substantial amount of juice from the mixture. Sometimes this may take 10-20 minutes. HINTS: It is beneficial to have someone with strong hands to do the kneading & massaging.
  5. Place mixture into the selected fermenting vessel and pack and push the mixture down so that the cabbage is compacted in the bottom and the juice is sitting on the top of the cabbage with a minimum of 4 - 5cm’s or 2 inches. It is important to push the cabbage down firmly so that no air is trapped and the cabbage is completely submerged in and under its own brine juice. HINTS: If for any reason the cabbage is not submerged under enough of its own juices, you may need to add a small amount of filtered water with more salt (15 gms of salt to 1 ltr).
  6. Place the weight on the top of the cabbage to keep all the cabbage submerged. Push the weight down and you will see more juice rise to the top. It is very important to ensure that all the sauerkraut is submerged under its own juice. If any bits of cabbage float up to the surface, remove them throughout the fermentation process to prevent them from going moldy.
  7. If you use a canning jar with a rubber ring top, and close the lid, be sure to burp it a few times in the first few days to release the pressure. If using the weck airlock system which has it's own release valve allowing gasses to escape without letting air into the jar, place the rubber ring around the top and clamp down the lid with the attached release valve to the top. Store in a dark place for one to two weeks (ie pantry).
  8. The sauerkraut may be consumed and ready to eat after 5-7 days but it matures better with age so it is good to wait the full two weeks unless the outside temperature is hot which will speed up the fermentation process.
  9. The sauerkraut may be stored in the fridge after 1-2 weeks of fermentation. If there is any scum or mold development on the top – remove this. The kraut remaining under the juice will be fine.
Recipe Notes

Optional: It is also nice to add a little grated carrot to your sauerkraut.

Fish Stock

Compared to the other stocks, fish stock is easier to make because there is no roasting or long cooking times required. The DHA and EPA make this stock more beneficial than other meat stock. These Omega-3 fatty acids are the most important nutrients for brain function. Fish stock will produce it’s own gelatin and other […]

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Fish Stock
*This fish stock recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet Stage One - onward Things you may need: Wide Mouthed Mason Stock Storage Jars, 6-8L Stainless Steel Cooking Pot, Stainless Steel colander, straining spoon and Cheesecloth.
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Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 2-4 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
3 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
Fish Meat and Bone
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 2-4 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
3 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
Fish Meat and Bone
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Instructions
  1. Place the fish bones, heads and fins into a large pot and fill it up with 3 litres of filtered water.
  2. Add the onion and garlic to the pot, along with the bay leaf, black pepper corns and salt.
  3. Add the fennel, parsley and juice from the lemon.
  4. Add the apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the top. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for at least 2 - 4 hours.
  5. After cooking for the recommended time above, remove the bones and any meat by straining the stock ingredients through a sieve and discard all the vegetables and bones caught in the sieve.
  6. Strain the remaining stock with a cheesecloth to remove all remaining small bones, pepper corns and any vegetables that were added. Discard any tiny bones, fins, heads and vegetables added.
  7. Store the stock in wide mouthed freezer safe mason jars in the fridge or freezer. The meat stock will keep well in the fridge for at least 7 days or it can be frozen for several months.
Recipe Notes

For Best Storage

Storing your stock properly will be key!  In the fridge it lasts up to 7 days so it is best to purchase freezer safe storage containers to keep you stock on hand.  I recommend purchasing a dozen or more Wide Mouthed Freezer Safe Mason Jars. These will allow you to have stock on hand within minutes because the wide opening allows the stock to slide straight out after running the bottom of the jar under hot tap water for a few minutes to loosen it up.   This can be added directly to the cook pot for use.  If you freeze in other glass jars, the stock will not slide out and you will have to wait for it to defrost.  Other glass jars are not freezer safe and you can easily destroy an entire batch with glass cracking in the freezer or from the change in temperature when running them under hot water to loosen them.  These jars are supplied at our Online GAPS Shop

Fish Stock Selections & Preparation

Fish frames with fish heads intact, including skin and fins (no fish meat required).

The fish flesh contained in the heads of the fish will produce the necessary gelatin and essential minerals for this recipe.  If you use the whole fish including the fish flesh to make the stock, the fish will fall apart and begin to disintegrate into the stock, clouding the stock and making it messy.  The meat is better saved for an enjoyable meal separately.  And of course this is very resourceful, sustainable and satisfying to get use out of every part of the animal you’re eating.

If you are aiming to make a tasty fish stock, select bones from white fish such as bass, cod and flat fish. Bones from oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or tuna are very fatty (which is ideal for GAPS) but they can impart a greasy and unpleasant taste for people who are getting used to fish stock.  Having said this, fatty fish are preferred sources for the GAPS diet.

The fish bones must be cleaned of any blood and gills as these will impart a nasty, bitter taste and cloud up your stock. Fish heads add a lot of flavour and contain a lot of gelatine which will give body to your stock, but make sure they are thoroughly cleaned (and always remove the gills). A good way of cleaning the bones is to run them under a cold tap and leave them to soak in the water to allow impurities to float the surface (which you can then skim and discard).

Hints & Facts:

  • Add 1/4 a cup of apple cider vinegar to help draw out minerals from the bones and into the stock such as calcium potassium and magnesium. Some people may not be ready to add this during intro.
  • If you choose fatty fish like mackerel or salmon, make sure they are not farmed or preserved in any way.
  • Gelatin is the substance extracted by boiling bones, fins and heads.

Contrary to popular belief meat, fish and organ meats like liver and kidney have the highest contents of vitamins, amino acids nourishing fats, many minerals and other nutrients which we need in order to be adequately nourished.

Clinical Notes:

Low fibre is the aim initially (especially for people who have profuse watery diarhoea), however if you are more prone to constipation, you can add onion, celery and cabbage to the stock for more flavour.

https://shop.gapsaustralia.com.au/freezer-safe-mason-stock-storage-jar-475ml/

Pork Meat Stock

It is important to understand the difference between meat and bone broth. Meat stock and bone broth are two different things. Simply put, meat stock is made over a few hours with raw bones and meat, where as bone broth is made with old cooked bones and cooked over 12 – 24 hours or more. […]

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Pork Meat Stock
Remember, a rich meat stock is what we are seeking to make on the introduction stages, not bone broth until you graduate to the Full GAPS Diet Program. *This meat stock recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet Stage One - onward Things you may need: Wide Mouthed Mason Stock Storage Jars, 6-8L Stainless Steel Cooking Pot, Stainless Steel colander, straining spoon and Cheesecloth.
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Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 3-6 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
4 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
Pork Meat Joints: Your meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it - Select at least 3-4 items from this group below
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 3-6 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
4 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
Pork Meat Joints: Your meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it - Select at least 3-4 items from this group below
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Instructions
  1. Your selected meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it. Ask your butcher to cut some large tubular marrow bones so that the marrow can be easily accessed like that shown in the image.
  2. Lightly brown the meat cuts in lard or ghee in a frypan or . This creates added flavour to the stock. Do not cook it, just lightly sear it with a sprinkle of salt to create flavour.
  3. Place the bones and meat joints into a large pot and fill it up with 4 litres of filtered water.
  4. Cut the onions into halves or quarters and add them to the pot along with roughly chopped carrots and crushed garlic cloves. If you are following the introduction diet stages, we recommend you avoid the fibrous vegetables such as celery at this time.
  5. Add salt to taste at the beginning of cooking and about a teaspoon of black peppercorns.
  6. Add apple cider vinegar and fresh oregano.
  7. Bring to a boil and skim and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Then reduce the heat and leave on the stove at a low simmer for about 3–6 hours. If you are cooking in the oven, cook at 150°C for 3 hours. If using crock pot, cook on high for 2 hours, then on low for 6 -8 hours. This is the measured cooking time frame to make your nutrient meat stock. Bone stock without the meat cuts are usually longer. The longer you cook the bone stock the more nutrients and the softer the bones become for fishing out marrow.
  8. After cooking for the recommended time above, remove the meat, marrow and bones by straining the stock ingredients through a sieve. You can do this by collecting the stock under the strainer into a larger pot. Strip off all the meat and soft tissues from the bones as best as you can and extract the bone marrow out of the large tubular bones while they are still warm: to do that bang the bone on a thick wooden chopping board. The gelatinous soft tissues around the bones and the bone marrow provide some of the best healing remedies for the gut lining and these should be put aside with the meat that has been stripped from the bones to add later to soups or as a meal. It is also ok for the patient to eat the marrow and soft tissue direct from the bones.
  9. Strain the remaining stock with a cheesecloth to remove all remaining small bones, pepper corns and any vegetables that were added. Discard any tiny bones and vegetables added. Store the stock in wide mouthed freezer safe mason jars in the fridge or freezer. The meat stock will keep well in the fridge for at least 7 days or it can be frozen. The bones can be frozen and later used again to make bone broth.
Recipe Notes

If you wish to make bone broth/stock later, you can keep the bones by storing them in the freezer and cook the ingredients for longer to extract more nutrients from the bones.  Refer to our Bone Broth Recipe to make this but remember not to introduce bone broth until you are on Full GAPS Diet or simply continue with the nutritious meat and gelatin stocks.

For Best Storage

Storing your stock properly will be key! In the fridge it lasts up to 7 days so it is best to purchase freezer safe storage containers to keep you stock on hand. I recommend purchasing a dozen or more Wide Mouthed Freezer Safe Mason Jars. These will allow you to have stock on hand within minutes because the wide opening allows the stock to slide straight out after running the bottom of the jar under hot tap water for a few minutes to loosen it up. This can be added directly to the cook pot for use. If you freeze in other glass jars, the stock will not slide out and you will have to wait for it to defrost. Other glass jars are not freezer safe and you can easily destroy an entire batch with glass cracking in the freezer or from the change in temperature when running them under hot water to loosen them. These jars are supplied at our Online GAPS Shop

Butcher supplies for meat stock

The ratio of ingredients is individual and dependant on the size of the batch you wish to make but keep in mind that some stock should be reserved for drinking and some for making your batch for soup.  The remainder of your ingredients will depend on what type of meat stock you are making.  Here is a list of bone selections you can ask for at your organic butcher shop.

Beef, Lamb, Pork or Game Selections

  • Large tubular marrow bones
  • Gelatinous meats
  • Meaty rib bones
  • Osso Buco cuts
  • Knuckle bones
  • Shanks
  • Neck bones
  • Tail bones
  • Trotters
  • Joints
  • Ears

Poultry Selections

  • Whole chicken & extra chicken frames
  • Feet from one chicken
  • Gizards & giblets
  • Spatchcock
  • Pheasants
  • Pigeon
  • Goose
  • Duck

Fish Selections

  • Fish frames with heads (no fish meat)
  • Skins
  • Fins

Hints & Facts:

  • Add 1/4 a cup of apple cider vinegar to help draw out minerals from the bones and into the stock such as calcium potassium and magnesium. Some people may not be ready to add this during intro.
  • Choose fatty fish like mackerel or salmon. But make sure they are not farmed or preserved in any way.
  • Gelatine as the substance extracted by boiling bones, hoofs, trotters and soft animal tissues from gelatinous meats.
  • The celery sticks should be avoided for patients in the introductions diet stages.  These can be added later on full gaps for added stock flavour.  They can be freshly cut as shown in the instructions or sauteed in a pan with onion and garlic prior to adding to the pot  for added flavour.

Contrary to popular belief meat, fish and organ meats like liver and kidney have the highest contents of vitamins, amino acids nourishing fats, many minerals and other nutrients which we need in order to be adequately nourished.

Charting the highest source of essential nutrients

Clinical Notes:

Low fibre is the aim initially (especially for people who have profuse watery diarhoea), however if you are more prone to constipation, you can add onion, celery and cabbage to the stock for more flavour.

 

GAPS Basic Healing Soup

*Please refer to our meat stock recipes to create the base for this soup.  This soup recipe can be adapted to make any meat, poultry or fish and vegetable combination soup made from previously prepared meat stocks.  For the purpose of this recipe, we will be cooking the chicken and vegetable soup but you may […]

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GAPS Basic Healing Soup
*This meat stock recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet Stage One - onward *You will need previously prepared homemade meat stock for this recipe: refer to our meat stock recipes for this.
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Prep Time 50 Minutes
Cook Time 3 Hours
Servings
Litre batch
Ingredients
Vegetables
Meat & Stock
  • 1 Litre Chicken Meat Stock Refer to our meat stock recipes: or locate the link to our Chicken Meat Stock Recipe below in the notes
  • 1 Whole Chicken This was used to make the meat stock recipe and put aside to make this recipe. Alternatively just add a new chicken.
Prep Time 50 Minutes
Cook Time 3 Hours
Servings
Litre batch
Ingredients
Vegetables
Meat & Stock
  • 1 Litre Chicken Meat Stock Refer to our meat stock recipes: or locate the link to our Chicken Meat Stock Recipe below in the notes
  • 1 Whole Chicken This was used to make the meat stock recipe and put aside to make this recipe. Alternatively just add a new chicken.
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Instructions
  1. Bring some of the meat stock to boil, add chopped or sliced vegetables: onions, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, marrow, squash, pumpkin, spinach etc. and simmer for 25-35 minutes. When on the introduction diet, you can choose any combination of available vegetables avoiding very fibrous ones, such as all varieties of cabbage and celery. All particularly fibrous parts of vegetables need to be removed, such as skin and seeds on pumpkins, zucchini and squash, remove stalk from broccoli and cauliflower and any other parts that look too fibrous.
  2. If you made your own chicken stock and saved the chicken meat for other recipes, dice the meat that you set aside and place them in the pot with the vegetables. (if you did not save the meat from your stock recipe - cook a new fresh chicken according to the recommendations shown in the stock recipe first and then pull all the meat and skin from the chicken and dice it into small pieces and add to the vegetables). Otherwise continue to cook the vegetables and meats until the vegetables are soft. Approximately 1 hour on simmer.
  3. When vegetables are well cooked, add the crushed garlic, bring to boil and turn the heat off. We want the garlic to be added at the end to be only slightly cooked to receive maximum immune benefits from it.
  4. If you are cooking for children who are fussy eaters or for babies starting out on solids, you can blend the soup which will make it easier. This recipe will generally keep in the fridge for 5 days but can also be frozen.
Recipe Notes

Click Here for the Chicken Meat Stock Recipe Link

Serving for GAPS

Serve the soup with a drizzle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil on top (1-2 tbl sp).  Add sauerkraut or juice to the soup when ready to eat or eat  1 – 2 table spoons sauerkraut at the beginning of the meal.

Never add sauerkraut, its juice or olive oil directly to any hot food as this will kill the probiotic bacteria, enzymes and minor component nutrients.  Always wait for the food to cool at a temperature you can eat it before adding them.  The general rule is:  if you can put your finger in it, then it’s ready.  Refer to the introduction diet for the progressive introduction of sauerkraut and olive oil.

The ratio of stock, meat and vegetables is individual and dependent upon the size of the batch you wish to make.

Clinical Notes:

The introduction diet is primarily designed for people suffering with diarrhoea and that is why the chosen vegetables are low in fibre.  If you have chosen to follow the introduction diet because of leaky gut and food allergies but are more susceptible to constipation, it is important to add more fibrous vegetables like cabbage and celery.  Don’t avoid cutting off stems from broccoli etc and leave the skins and seeds on vegetables like zucchini.  You may even decide to serve up some well cooked beetroot with your soup.

Hints

  • Cut vegetables and meat into small neat sized pieces unless you plan to blend or puree it for smaller children.

Other suggested and allowable ingredients

  • Fresh or dried Italian or French mushrooms can be added to pork, lamb or beef soup to enhance the flavour. Dried mushrooms can be crushed by hand before adding to the soup
  • Chopped parsley, coriander, oregano or dill
  • A spoonful of yoghurt or sour cream (creme fraiche)
  • Red onion
  • Spring onion
  • Cooked ground liver
  • Boiled eggs (yolk still runny)
  • Raw or cooked beetroots
  • Other herbs and spices (only when digestion has started to show improvements)

 

Duck Dripping

Duck fat is an old time cooking staple in Southwest France and a secret ingredient of chefs use worldwide. Incredibly tasty with a silky mouth-feel, duck fat enhances anything it is used to cook with. The great thing about rendering your own duck fat is that you end up with a batch of cracklings—delicious to […]

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Duck Dripping
Rendered Animal Fats: Stage one appropriate onward
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Prep Time 15-20 Minutes
Cook Time 1-2 Hours
Servings
Cup
Ingredients
Prep Time 15-20 Minutes
Cook Time 1-2 Hours
Servings
Cup
Ingredients
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Instructions
Option one Dripping
  1. From one whole organic duck, remove the fat and skin and set aside. The duck meat and bones can be frozen and used in a later recipe. Alternatively you can ask your butcher for duck or chicken skins.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake your duck fat on top of the dripping rack with the oven pan placed beneath to catch all the fat dripping.
  3. When all the fat is cooked in approximately two hours, remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before filtering through a stainless steel strainer. Discard the fat and pour the dripping into heat tempered glass jars like the ball mason wide mouthed jars - see link for supplies below. Be careful not to pour into regular glass jars to avoid the risk of breakage.
Option 2 Rendering
  1. From one whole organic duck, remove the fat and skin and set aside. The duck meat and bones can be frozen and used in a later recipe. Alternatively you can ask your butcher for duck or chicken skins.
  2. Cut skin and fat into medium pieces and put into a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Add ½ cup water and simmer over medium heat until water evaporates and skin pieces are crisp and have released all their fat, about 1 hour.
  3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before filtering through a stainless steel strainer. Discard the fat and pour the dripping into heat tempered glass jars like the ball mason wide mouthed jars - see link for supplies below. Be careful not to pour into regular glass jars to avoid the risk of breakage.
Recipe Notes

Storage: Store in Ball mason wide mouthed freezer safe jars.  These are heat tempered and will not crack when you pour the lard into them.

This fat can also be made using chicken skins: just ask your butcher for a bag of chicken skins.  This can also be rendered on a low heat in a slow cooker whilst also producing tasty crunchy chicken skins for snacks.  Kids love em.

Lard & Tallow

Rendering animal fats are very simple – in this recipe we will provide three ways to render lard and tallow/suet ►Lard from Pork FAT ►Tallow & Suet from Beef or Lamb FAT Ask your butcher for a big bag of any of the above animal fats (preferably organic) ► Dripping from a Duck, or Goose […]

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Lard & Tallow
Rendered Animal Fats: Stage one appropriate onward
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Prep Time 15-20 Minutes
Cook Time 2-4 Hours
Servings
Mills
Ingredients
Option 1: Dripping in the oven - You will need a large oven tray with a dripping rack
  • 1 Kg Raw Pork Fat Alternatives: Tallow (beef or lamb fat) cut off any excess meats
Option 2: Rendering in the oven - You will need a large oven tray
Option 3: Slow Cook Render - You will need a slow cooker
  • 1 kg Raw Pork Fat Alternatives: Tallow (beef or lamb fat) cut off any excess meats
Prep Time 15-20 Minutes
Cook Time 2-4 Hours
Servings
Mills
Ingredients
Option 1: Dripping in the oven - You will need a large oven tray with a dripping rack
  • 1 Kg Raw Pork Fat Alternatives: Tallow (beef or lamb fat) cut off any excess meats
Option 2: Rendering in the oven - You will need a large oven tray
Option 3: Slow Cook Render - You will need a slow cooker
  • 1 kg Raw Pork Fat Alternatives: Tallow (beef or lamb fat) cut off any excess meats
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Instructions
Option One: Oven Dripping
  1. Preheat the oven to 120 - 130 degrees Celsius.
  2. Trim off any meat still attached to the fat - we only want the fat. A little bit of meat left on the fat is harmless as it will drop out during the rendering process, however it will change the flavour.
  3. Place the fat pieces on your dripping rack and sit your dripping rack on or inside your oven pan.
  4. Render the fat for approximately 2-3 hours. The liquid fat will drip from the large piece of fat into the bottom pan.
  5. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before filtering through a stainless steel strainer. Discard the fat and pour the lard into heat tempered glass jars like the ball mason wide mouthed jars - see link for supplies below. Be careful not to pour into regular glass jars to avoid the risk of breakage.
Option Two: Oven Render
  1. Preheat the oven to 120 degrees Celsius.
  2. Trim off any meat still attached to the fat - we only want the fat. A little bit of meat left on the fat is harmless as it will drop out during the rendering process, however it will change the flavour.
  3. Cut your lard or tallow into small pieces (approximately 1 inch cubes) and place into your oven dish.
  4. Pour the water into the oven dish, this will reduce the lard or tallow from burning on the edges and the water will evaporate during the process.
  5. Place the oven dish inside and cover with a lid.
  6. Render for approximately 2 – 2 ½ hours whilst attending to it by stirring occasionally with a steel spoon. The fat cubes will gradually release its fat in liquid form whilst becoming crisp and shriveled. If you notice that the water has not yet evaporated, you can increase the temperature to 165 degrees Celsius and keep it uncovered for ten minutes.
  7. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before filtering through a stainless steel strainer. Discard the fat and pour the lard into heat tempered glass jars like the ball mason wide mouthed jars - see link for supplies below. Be careful not to pour into regular glass jars to avoid the risk of breakage.
Option 3: Slow Cooker
  1. Trim off any meat still attached to the fat - we only want the fat. A little bit of meat left on the fat is harmless as it will drop out during the rendering process, however it will change the flavour.
  2. Chop your fat into tiny small pieces. Alternatively you can mince the fat in a food processor or thermomix, however it is important to note that your fat will need to be frozen before you mince it or it will result in a slimy mess and clog the blades.
  3. Place the fat into your slow cooker. Turn it onto the lowest temperature and cook for 3 - 4 hours.
  4. Cooking times will vary depending on temperature, volume and size of the fat pieces but a general rule is to cook until you have small browned cracklings in a bath of clear fat.
  5. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before filtering through a stainless steel strainer. Discard the fat and pour the lard into heat tempered glass jars like the ball mason wide mouthed jars - see link for supplies below. Be careful not to pour into regular glass jars to avoid the risk of breakage.
Recipe Notes

Storage: Store in Ball mason wide mouthed freezer safe jars.  These are heat tempered and will not crack when you pour the lard into them.

Chicken Meat Stock

It is important to understand the difference between meat and bone broth. Meat stock and bone broth are two different things. Simply put, meat stock is made over a few hours with raw bones and meat, where as bone broth is made with old cooked bones and cooked over 12 – 24 hours or more. […]

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Chicken Meat Stock
Remember, a rich meat stock is what we are seeking to make on the introduction stages, not bone broth until you graduate to the Full GAPS Diet Program. *This meat stock recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet Stage One - onward. Things you may need: Wide Mouthed Mason Stock Storage Jars, 6-8L Stainless Steel Cooking Pot, Stainless Steel colander, straining spoon and Cheesecloth.
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Rating: 5
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Prep Time 40 Minutes
Cook Time 1.5 -3 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
4 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic ingredients
Chicken or other Poultry Stock
Prep Time 40 Minutes
Cook Time 1.5 -3 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
4 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic ingredients
Chicken or other Poultry Stock
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Instructions
  1. Place chicken frames, feet, gizzards and whole chicken into a large pot and fill it up with 4 Litres of filtered water, add natural unprocessed salt to your taste at the beginning of cooking and about a teaspoon of black peppercorns, roughly crushed (optional – pepper sometimes too hot for children). Apple cider vinegar can be added at this point if you are using it.
  2. Add fresh oregano and peppercorns.
  3. Bring to boil on the stove and skim and discard any floating scum on the top. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 1 ½ -3 hours. If you are using a crock pot, cook for 1 hour on high, then 6 hours on low.
  4. After cooking for the recommended time, remove the meat and bones by straining the stock ingredients through a sieve. You can do this by collecting the stock under the strainer into a larger pot or large pyrex jug. Strip off all the meat and soft tissues from the bones as best as you can and put aside. The gelatinous soft tissues around the bones and the bone marrow provide some of the best healing remedies for the gut lining and these should be put aside with the meat that has been stripped from the bones to add later to the soup. It is also good for the patient to eat the marrow and soft tissue direct from the bones as a meal.
  5. Strain the remaining stock with a cheesecloth to remove all remaining small bones, pepper corns and any vegetables that were added. Discard any tiny bones and vegetables added. Store the stock in wide mouthed freezer safe mason jars in the fridge or freezer. The meat stock will keep well in the fridge for at least 7 days or it can be frozen.
Recipe Notes

If you wish to make bone broth/stock later, you can keep the bones by storing them in the freezer and cook the ingredients for longer to extract more nutrients from the bones.  Refer to our Bone Broth Recipe to make this but remember not to introduce bone broth until you are on Full GAPS Diet or simply continue with the nutritious meat and gelatin stocks.

For Best Storage

Storing your stock properly will be key! In the fridge it lasts up to 7 days so it is best to purchase freezer safe storage containers to keep you stock on hand. I recommend purchasing a dozen or more Wide Mouthed Freezer Safe Mason Jars. These will allow you to have stock on hand within minutes because the wide opening allows the stock to slide straight out after running the bottom of the jar under hot tap water for a few minutes to loosen it up. This can be added directly to the cook pot for use. If you freeze in other glass jars, the stock will not slide out and you will have to wait for it to defrost. Other glass jars are not freezer safe and you can easily destroy an entire batch with glass cracking in the freezer or from the change in temperature when running them under hot water to loosen them. These jars are supplied at our Online GAPS Shop

Butcher supplies for meat stock

The ratio of ingredients is individual and dependant on the size of the batch you wish to make but keep in mind that some stock should be reserved for drinking and some for making your batch for soup.  The remainder of your ingredients will depend on what type of meat stock you are making.  Here is a list of bone selections you can ask for at your organic butcher shop.

Beef, Lamb, Pork or Game Selections

  • Large tubular marrow bones
  • Gelatinous meats
  • Meaty rib bones
  • Osso Buco cuts
  • Knuckle bones
  • Shanks
  • Neck bones
  • Tail bones
  • Trotters
  • Joints
  • Ears

Poultry Selections

  • Whole chicken & extra chicken frames
  • Feet from one chicken
  • Gizards & giblets
  • Spatchcock
  • Pheasants
  • Pigeon
  • Goose
  • Duck

Fish Selections

  • Fish frames with heads (no fish meat)
  • Skins
  • Fins

Hints & Facts for fish stock:

  • Add 1/4 a cup of apple cider vinegar to help draw out minerals from the bones and into the stock such as calcium potassium and magnesium. Some people may not be ready to add this during the introduction diet stages.
  • Choose fatty fish like mackerel or salmon. But make sure they are not farmed or preserved in any way.
  • Gelatine as the substance extracted by boiling bones, hoofs, trotters and soft animal tissues from gelatinous meats.
  • The celery sticks should be avoided for patients in the introductions diet stages.  These can be added later on full gaps for added stock flavour.  They can be freshly cut as shown in the instructions or sauteed in a pan with onion and garlic prior to adding to the pot  for added flavour.

Contrary to popular belief meat, fish and organ meats like liver and kidney have the highest contents of vitamins, amino acids nourishing fats, many minerals and other nutrients which we need in order to be adequately nourished.

Charting the highest source of essential nutrients

Clinical Notes:

Low fibre is the aim initially (especially for people who have profuse watery diarhoea), however if you are more prone to constipation, you can add onion, celery and cabbage to the stock for more flavour.

 

Lamb Meat Stock

It is important to understand the difference between meat and bone broth. Meat stock and bone broth are two different things. Simply put, meat stock is made over a few hours with raw bones and meat, where as bone broth is made with old cooked bones and cooked over 12 – 24 hours or more. […]

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Lamb Meat Stock
Remember, a rich meat stock is what we are seeking to make on the introduction stages, not bone broth until you graduate to the Full GAPS Diet Program. *This meat stock recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet Stage One - onward. Things you may need: Wide Mouthed Mason Stock Storage Jars, 6-8L Stainless Steel Cooking Pot, Stainless Steel colander, straining spoon and Cheesecloth.
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Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 3-6 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
4 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
Lamb Meat Joints: Your meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it - Select at least 3-4 items from this group below
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 3-6 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
4 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
Lamb Meat Joints: Your meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it - Select at least 3-4 items from this group below
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Instructions
  1. Your selected meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it. Ask your butcher to cut some large tubular marrow bones so that the marrow can be easily accessed like that shown in the image.
  2. Lightly brown the meat cuts in tallow or ghee in a frypan or . This creates added flavour to the stock. Do not cook it, just lightly sear it with a sprinkle of salt to create flavour.
  3. Place the bones and meat joints into a large pot and fill it up with 4 litres of filtered water.
  4. Cut the onions into halves or quarters and add them to the pot along with roughly chopped carrots and crushed garlic cloves. If you are following the introduction diet stages, we recommend you avoid the fibrous vegetables such as celery at this time.
  5. Add salt to taste at the beginning of cooking and about a teaspoon of black peppercorns.
  6. Add apple cider vinegar and fresh oregano.
  7. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Then reduce the heat and leave on the stove at a low simmer for about 3–6 hours. If you are cooking in the oven, cook at 150°C for 3 hours. If using crock pot, cook on high for 2 hours, then on low for 6 hours. This is the measured cooking time frame to make your nutrient meat stock. Bone stock without the meat cuts are usually longer. The longer you cook the bone stock the more nutrients and the softer the bones become for fishing out marrow.
  8. After cooking for the recommended time above, remove the meat, marrow and bones by straining the stock ingredients through a sieve. You can do this by collecting the stock under the strainer into a larger pot. Strip off all the meat and soft tissues from the bones as best as you can and extract the bone marrow out of the large tubular bones while they are still warm: to do that bang the bone on a thick wooden chopping board. The gelatinous soft tissues around the bones and the bone marrow provide some of the best healing remedies for the gut lining and these should be put aside with the meat that has been stripped from the bones to add later to soups or as a meal. It is also ok for the patient to eat the marrow and soft tissue direct from the bones.
  9. Strain the remaining stock with a cheesecloth to remove all remaining small bones, pepper corns and any vegetables that were added. Discard any tiny bones and vegetables added. Store the stock in wide mouthed freezer safe mason jars in the fridge or freezer. The meat stock will keep well in the fridge for at least 7 days or it can be frozen. The bones can be frozen and later used again to make bone broth.
Recipe Notes

If you wish to make bone broth/stock later, you can keep the bones by storing them in the freezer and cook the ingredients for longer to extract more nutrients from the bones.  Refer to our Bone Broth Recipe to make this but remember not to introduce bone broth until you are on Full GAPS Diet or simply continue with the nutritious meat and gelatin stocks.

For Best Storage

Storing your stock properly will be key! In the fridge it lasts up to 7 days so it is best to purchase freezer safe storage containers to keep you stock on hand. I recommend purchasing a dozen or more Wide Mouthed Freezer Safe Mason Jars. These will allow you to have stock on hand within minutes because the wide opening allows the stock to slide straight out after running the bottom of the jar under hot tap water for a few minutes to loosen it up. This can be added directly to the cook pot for use. If you freeze in other glass jars, the stock will not slide out and you will have to wait for it to defrost. Other glass jars are not freezer safe and you can easily destroy an entire batch with glass cracking in the freezer or from the change in temperature when running them under hot water to loosen them. These jars are supplied at our Online GAPS Shop

Butcher supplies for meat stock

The ratio of ingredients is individual and dependant on the size of the batch you wish to make but keep in mind that some stock should be reserved for drinking and some for making your batch for soup.  The remainder of your ingredients will depend on what type of meat stock you are making.  Here is a list of bone selections you can ask for at your organic butcher shop.

Beef, Lamb, Pork or Game Selections

  • Large tubular marrow bones
  • Gelatinous meats
  • Meaty rib bones
  • Osso Buco cuts
  • Knuckle bones
  • Shanks
  • Neck bones
  • Tail bones
  • Trotters
  • Joints
  • Ears

Poultry Selections

  • Whole chicken & extra chicken frames
  • Feet from one chicken
  • Gizards & giblets
  • Spatchcock
  • Pheasants
  • Pigeon
  • Goose
  • Duck

Fish Selections

  • Fish frames with heads (no fish meat)
  • Skins
  • Fins

Hints & Facts:

  • Add 1/4 a cup of apple cider vinegar to help draw out minerals from the bones and into the stock such as calcium potassium and magnesium. Some people may not be ready to add this during intro.
  • Choose fatty fish like mackerel or salmon. But make sure they are not farmed or preserved in any way.
  • Gelatine as the substance extracted by boiling bones, hoofs, trotters and soft animal tissues from gelatinous meats.
  • The celery sticks should be avoided for patients in the introductions diet stages.  These can be added later on full gaps for added stock flavour.  They can be freshly cut as shown in the instructions or sauteed in a pan with onion and garlic prior to adding to the pot  for added flavour.

Contrary to popular belief meat, fish and organ meats like liver and kidney have the highest contents of vitamins, amino acids nourishing fats, many minerals and other nutrients which we need in order to be adequately nourished.

Charting the highest source of essential nutrients

Clinical Notes:

Low fibre is the aim initially (especially for people who have profuse watery diarhoea), however if you are more prone to constipation, you can add onion, celery and cabbage to the stock for more flavour.

 

Beef Meat Stock

It is important to understand the difference between meat and bone broth. Meat stock and bone broth are two different things. Simply put, meat stock is made over a few hours with raw bones and meat, where as bone broth is made with old cooked bones and cooked over 12 – 24 hours or more. […]

Print Recipe
Beef Meat Stock
Remember, a rich meat stock is what we are seeking to make on the introduction stages, not bone broth until you graduate to the Full GAPS Diet Program. *This meat stock recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet Stage One - onward. Things you may need: Wide Mouthed Mason Stock Storage Jars, 6-8L Stainless Steel Cooking Pot, Stainless Steel colander, straining spoon and Cheesecloth.
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Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 3-6 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
4 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
Beef Meat Joints: Your meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it - Select at least 4-5 items from this group below
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 3-6 Hours
Passive Time 30 Minutes
Servings
4 litre pot
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
Beef Meat Joints: Your meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it - Select at least 4-5 items from this group below
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Your selected meat joint must contain bones with marrow, soft tissue and bones with meat still attached to it. Osso Bucco cuts as shown in the image are perfect for this, along with the other meaty bones and joints listed in the recipe. Lightly brown the meat cuts in tallow or ghee in a frypan or . This creates added flavour to the stock. Do not cook it, just lightly sear it with a sprinkle of salt to create flavour.
  2. Place the bones and meat joints into a large pot and fill it up with 4 litres of filtered water.
  3. Cut the onions into halves or quarters and add them to the pot along with roughly chopped carrots and crushed garlic cloves. If you are following the introduction diet stages, we recommend you avoid the fibrous vegetables such as celery at this time.
  4. Add salt to taste at the beginning of cooking and about a teaspoon of black peppercorns.
  5. Add apple cider vinegar and fresh oregano.
  6. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Then reduce the heat and leave on the stove at a low simmer for about 3–6 hours. If you are cooking in the oven, cook at 150°C for 3 hours. If using crock pot, cook on high for 2 hours, then on low for 8–10 hours. This is the measured cooking time frame to make your nutrient meat stock. Bone stock without the meat cuts are usually longer. The longer you cook the bone stock the more nutrients and the softer the bones become for fishing out marrow.
  7. After cooking for the recommended time above, remove the meat, marrow and bones by straining the stock ingredients through a sieve. You can do this by collecting the stock under the strainer into a larger pot. Strip off all the meat and soft tissues from the bones as best as you can and extract the bone marrow out of the large tubular bones while they are still warm: to do that bang the bone on a thick wooden chopping board. The gelatinous soft tissues around the bones and the bone marrow provide some of the best healing remedies for the gut lining and these should be put aside with the meat that has been stripped from the bones to add later to soups or as a meal. It is also ok for the patient to eat the marrow and soft tissue direct from the bones.
  8. Strain the remaining stock with a cheesecloth to remove all remaining small bones, pepper corns and any vegetables that were added. Discard any tiny bones and vegetables added. Store the stock in wide mouthed freezer safe mason jars in the fridge or freezer. The meat stock will keep well in the fridge for at least 7 days or it can be frozen. The bones can be frozen and later used again to make bone broth.
Recipe Notes

If you wish to make bone broth/stock later, you can keep the bones by storing them in the freezer and cook the ingredients for longer to extract more nutrients from the bones.  Refer to our Bone Broth Recipe to make this but remember not to introduce bone broth until you are on Full GAPS Diet or simply continue with the nutritious meat and gelatin stocks.

For Best Storage

Storing your stock properly will be key! In the fridge it lasts up to 7 days so it is best to purchase freezer safe storage containers to keep you stock on hand. I recommend purchasing a dozen or more Wide Mouthed Freezer Safe Mason Jars. These will allow you to have stock on hand within minutes because the wide opening allows the stock to slide straight out after running the bottom of the jar under hot tap water for a few minutes to loosen it up. This can be added directly to the cook pot for use. If you freeze in other glass jars, the stock will not slide out and you will have to wait for it to defrost. Other glass jars are not freezer safe and you can easily destroy an entire batch with glass cracking in the freezer or from the change in temperature when running them under hot water to loosen them. These jars are supplied at our Online GAPS Shop

Butcher supplies for meat stock

The ratio of ingredients is individual and dependant on the size of the batch you wish to make but keep in mind that some stock should be reserved for drinking and some for making your batch for soup.  The remainder of your ingredients will depend on what type of meat stock you are making.  Here is a list of bone selections you can ask for at your organic butcher shop.

Beef, Lamb, Pork or Game Selections

  • Large tubular marrow bones
  • Gelatinous meats
  • Meaty rib bones
  • Osso Buco cuts
  • Knuckle bones
  • Shanks
  • Neck bones
  • Tail bones
  • Trotters
  • Joints
  • Ears

Poultry Selections

  • Whole chicken & extra chicken frames
  • Feet from one chicken
  • Gizards & giblets
  • Spatchcock
  • Pheasants
  • Pigeon
  • Goose
  • Duck

Fish Selections

  • Fish frames with heads (no fish meat)
  • Skins
  • Fins

Hints & Facts:

  • Add 1/4 a cup of apple cider vinegar to help draw out minerals from the bones and into the stock such as calcium potassium and magnesium. Some people may not be ready to add this during intro.
  • Choose fatty fish like mackerel or salmon. But make sure they are not farmed or preserved in any way.
  • Gelatine as the substance extracted by boiling bones, hoofs, trotters and soft animal tissues from gelatinous meats.
  • The celery sticks should be avoided for patients in the introductions diet stages.  These can be added later on full gaps for added stock flavour.  They can be freshly cut as shown in the instructions or sauteed in a pan with onion and garlic prior to adding to the pot  for added flavour.

Contrary to popular belief meat, fish and organ meats like liver and kidney have the highest contents of vitamins, amino acids nourishing fats, many minerals and other nutrients which we need in order to be adequately nourished.

Charting the highest source of essential nutrients

Clinical Notes:

Low fibre is the aim initially (especially for people who have profuse watery diarhoea), however if you are more prone to constipation, you can add onion, celery and cabbage to the stock for more flavour.

 

Fermented Sauerkraut Juice

What if you run out of sauerkraut juice on the introduction diet? Sauerkraut juice is a by-product from making sauerkraut.  There is often not enough to cater for the introduction diet stages when you purchase sauerkraut or when you make your own so here is a recipe that will help you keep up with your […]

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Sauerkraut Juice
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Servings
litres
Ingredients
Juice Ingredients
Servings
litres
Ingredients
Juice Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Fresh press your cabbage to make close to a litre of cabbage juice.
  2. And add either a cup of whey dripped from your yoghurt or kefir or use some yoghurt starter or vegetable culture.
  3. A cup of water can be added to top it up.
  4. Ferment the juice on the bench for 24 – 48 hours at room temperature and you will notice it will become slightly carbonated or effervescent. It is good to use a glass container that is sealed tight. Be sure to release any gas build up in the bottle by loosening the jar and tightening it again during the fermentation process.
Recipe Notes

Store in the fridge when fermentation is complete.

GAPS Approved Raising Agents for Baking

The GAPS diet does not allow baking powder or raising agents of any kind apart from pure bicarbonate of soda, otherwise known in USA as baking soda. (Use sparingly for people who have very low stomach acid). Egg whites (albumen) are especially good as a mechanical raising agent and for both soufflé and mousse the […]

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GAPS Approved Raising Agents for Baking
Appropriate for Full GAPS and Stage 6 of the Intro Diet
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Instructions
  1. Bicarbonate of soda is a pure leavening agent. It needs to be mixed with moisture and an acidic ingredient for the necessary chemical reaction to take place to make food rise. Because it needs an acid to create the rising quality, it is often used in recipes where there is already an acidic ingredient present, such as lemon juice, cocoa, yoghurt or honey. Baking Powder should be avoided as it contains additional non GAPS allowable ingredients.
  2. People who have very low stomach acid may need to avoid Bicarbonate of soda for a while and egg whites may be used for an alternative raising agent. Simply whisk the egg whites into soft fluffy peaks before adding to the mix.

Almond Flour Replacement/Alternatives

Almond flour is commonly used in many of the GAPS baking recipes, however these recipes can be substituted with other flours made from seeds. Almond Flour Replacement/Alternatives • Sunflower seeds ground into flour (remember to soak them first for 12 hours) • Pumpkin seeds ground into flour (remember to soak them first for 12 hours) […]

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Almond Flour Replacement/Alternative
Appropriate for the introduction diet from stage 6 onward
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Instructions
  1. Sunflower seeds need to be soaked in order to activate them. Once activated they can be dehydrated to remove the moisture and then ground into a flour in the thermomix or food processor.
  2. Pepitas (also known as pumlin seeds) need to be soaked in order to activate them. Once activated they can be dehydrated to remove the moisture and then ground into a flour in the thermomix or food processor.

How to Blanch Almonds

These instructions will teach you how easy it is to blanch your own almonds.  This means removing the husk.  Whilst it is true that it requires more work, blanching almonds can be easier on the digestive system for severe food sensitivities than simple soaking, however blanching almonds may not be required for everyone. It is […]

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How to Blanch Almonds
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Prep Time 25 Minutes
Passive Time 1 Hour
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Prep Time 25 Minutes
Passive Time 1 Hour
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Instructions
  1. Bring a small pot of filtered water to the boil
  2. Place your raw almonds into the boiling water and let sit for half an hour. They will swell and appear larger.
  3. Drain the almonds in a colander or strainer and rinse them with cold water to cool them
  4. Blot the almonds dry with a tea towel
  5. Use your fingers to gently squeeze the almonds and loosen the skin from them. They usually just slip right out.
  6. Dry nuts as per activated nut instructions
  7. Store in an airtight container in the fridge
Recipe Notes

Whilst it is true that it requires more work, blanching almonds can be easier on the digestive system for severe food sensitivities than simple soaking, however blanching almonds may not be required for everyone.  It is a preferred method for making almond milk for those who are more prone to food sensitivities as this will completely remove the phytates.  Removing the husks on almonds also make for a nicer homemade almond milk.  It is very unlikely that commercial nut milk producers will have taken the time to activate their nuts or remove the husks, not to mention any additives and preservatives within the product ingredients.

Organic Chicken liver pate

Organ meats are recognised as a ‘top GAPS nutrient dense food‘ and to ensure you are nourishing your body adequately this recipe will allow you to get your daily portions to optimise healing.  Many people having tasted liver on it’s own before (like myself) may feel that it is not on their fabourite go to […]

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Organic Chicken liver pate
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Ingredients
Soaking Solution
  • 2 Cups Kefir if you have a food allergy to dairy kefir, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar work great too.
Chicken Liver Pate
Servings
Ingredients
Soaking Solution
  • 2 Cups Kefir if you have a food allergy to dairy kefir, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar work great too.
Chicken Liver Pate
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Instructions
Preparation and Soaking
  1. After you have frozen the liver for two weeks prepare your liver by soaking it. Simply add the liver to a glass bowl and pour the kefir over the top making sure it is all covered and place it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. This will help to remove any impurities, tenderise the liver and improve the flavor of the liver.
  2. When soaking is complete, wash the liver to remove the kefir with filtered water.
Liver Pate
  1. Heat oil/fat in pan and add onion, celery and garlic and sauté for 1 minute
  2. Add liver and sauté till opaque
  3. Add herbs if selected and let cool
  4. Transfer to the blender and remaining oil/fat and blend till smooth
  5. Transfer to glass container and refrigerate
  6. Add melted ghee or lard over the top to create a skin to preserve the colour. Sprinkle a little herbs over the top for garnish if you wish.
  7. Alternatively transfer mixture to ice cube trays and freeze
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

Another way to supplement with liver if you do not like the flavour of pate is to freeze it raw and cut them into small capsule sizes and swallow them whole like a capsule.  This way you will not taste the liver as it is swallowed whole.  If you do this option, be sure to freeze the liver for two weeks first.

Activating Nuts/Seeds for Flour

What are Activated Nuts? Activated nuts have been soaked in water and salt for a period of time, which starts off the germination or sprouting process, then dehydrated at a low temperature. Soaking increases the nutrient value of the nuts along with breaking down the problematic compounds that help enhance their digestibility. Nuts and Seeds […]

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Activating Nuts/Seeds for Flour
This recipe is appropriate from Stage 6 on the Introductions Diet
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Prep Time 2-12 hrs
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Prep Time 2-12 hrs
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Instructions
  1. In a large bowl place your nuts or seed of choice.
  2. Dissolve salt in enough water to cover the amount of nuts/seeds you are activating.
  3. Cover with the salt water solution.
  4. Soak the nuts or seeds for the specified time according to the chart below (see soaking time chart)
  5. Strain and rinse the nuts when the specified time has lapsed.
  6. Spread the nuts or seeds over a dehydrator rack, or baking tray.
  7. Place in the oven on a low heat (90 degrees) or dehydrator until completely dry and the moisture is removed. The dehydrator is a longer drying process but helps to keep activated nuts active. The oven can stop the germination process, however it will get the job done in drying the nuts and seeds after they enzyme inhibitors have been removed.
  8. Eat the activated nuts as they are or make flour from them by grinding the nuts in a strong blender like a vitamix or thermo until you have a flour like consistency.
  9. Store nuts, seeds or nut flours in an air tight container.
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

Try fermenting nut/seed flour or nut/seed milk if nuts and seeds continue to be a bit of a problem.

Nut Butter

The GAPS Diet advocates you make your own nut butters especially if you are just starting out with GAPS.  This way you know exactly what is in it and whether any reactions are specific to the nuts or other hidden ingredients or chemicals.  Store bought nut butter is acceptable so long as it does not […]

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Nut Butter
This recipe is appropriate for the Introduction Diet from Stage 3 onward
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Prep Time 20 Minutes
Servings
Jar
Ingredients
Prep Time 20 Minutes
Servings
Jar
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Soak and dry nuts as per our recipe provided in the recipe section under condiments
  2. Blanch nuts if required (see almond blanching recipe instructions) This is not usually necessary if the nuts have been soaked but this step can be helpful for extreme sensitivities.
  3. Using a good strong blender, vitamix or thermo mixer, blend nuts and salt for as long as it takes to break down the size of the nuts into a nut butter consistency whilst gradually adding the coconut oil sparingly to begin with and proceed to add additional oil to produce the smooth consistency desired. This can take up to 20 minutes.
  4. If the nuts have been roasted, you may not need any oil or very little. Children love honey added to this spread but this is dependent upon whether you are ready to introduce honey at this stage and whether you are trying to avoid yeast feeding sugars.
  5. Remember: preparing your nuts through drying and soaking first will allow for a better nut butter and easier digestion.
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

Nuts and Seeds are fibrous and should not be introduced for GAPS patients until digestive symptoms have shown some signs of improvement. The introduction diet provides a slow introduction to nuts by starting with nut butter followed by baking with nut flour and finally nuts for snacks themselves with encouragement to prepare them and chew them well. The sensitivity test is advised to be carried out first for those who suspect a true nut allergy, however there are many people who express their intolerance for nuts during the introduction diet who may need to determine themselves whether to wait until further healing takes place before introducing them.

Nut and Seed Soaking Chart

Print Recipe Nut and Seed Soaking Chart Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Course Baking at home, Miscellaneous Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 6 – onward Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 2-3 Cups Organic Nuts or Seeds1 Tbs Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt1 Litre Filtered water Course […]

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Nut and Seed Soaking Chart
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Instructions
  1. Almonds 12 Hours 1 tablespoon salt
  2. Brazil Nuts 2 Hours 1 tablespoon salt
  3. Cashews 2 Hours 1 tablespoon salt
  4. Chia Seeds 2 Hours No salt
  5. Flax Seeds 2 Hours No salt
  6. Hazel Nuts 8 Hours 1 tablespoon salt
  7. Macadamia Nuts 2 Hours 1 tablespoon salt
  8. Pecans 8 Hours 2 teaspoons salt
  9. Pine Nuts 2 Hours 1 tablespoon salt
  10. Pumpkin Seeds 6 Hours 2 tablespoons salt
  11. Sesame Seeds un-hulled 6 Hours 1 tablespoon salt
  12. Sunflower Seeds 4 Hours 2 tablespoons salt
  13. Walnuts 8 Hours 2 teaspoons salt
  14. Wild Peanuts 8 Hours 1 tablespoon salt
  15. See other recipe 'Activating Nuts/Seeds for Flour' for instructions to soak and sprout seeds to make flour.
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

Nuts and Seeds are fibrous and should not be introduced for GAPS patients until digestive symptoms have shown some signs of improvement. The introduction diet provides a slow introduction to nuts by starting with nut butter followed by baking with nut flour and finally nuts for snacks themselves with encouragement to prepare them and chew them well. The sensitivity test is advised to be carried out first for those who suspect a true nut allergy, however there are many people who express their intolerance for nuts during the introduction diet who may need to determine themselves whether to wait until further healing takes place before introducing them.

Selecting organic nuts and seeds and preparing them by soaking and sometimes blanching them (skins removed) often makes all the difference for a GAPS patient to better tolerate them.  Many GAPS patients have a toxic overload and cannot tolerate even the smallest amount of chemicals or pesticides in their system and this is why organic serves to be a better option.

In addition to crop chemicals, nuts and seeds contain their own toxic substances known as enzyme inhibitors and phytates (phytic acid).  These toxins can play havoc in the digestive system, blocking nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, copper iron and especially zinc.  Enzyme inhibitors in particular, are contained on the skins or surrounds of nuts and seeds and they are especially apparent in nuts with brown skins like almonds.  Their purpose serves as a protective layer to naturally prevent animals and insects from consuming them so that they have the opportunity to germinate and sprout into a plant. Soaking nuts and seeds in warm salty water overnight will activate enzymes that neutralise enzyme inhibitors and also breakdown a large portion of phytic acid that allow the nutrients to be better absorbed in the digestive system. This soaking preparation process is often referred to as activating nuts and seeds.

Nut Seed Milk

Preparation in making nut milk is important, especially for people who already have digestive problems and food sensitivities. Almonds (as well as most other nuts) contain toxic substances known as enzyme inhibitors and phytates (phytic acid). These toxins can play havoc in the digestive system, blocking nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, copper iron and especially […]

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Nut Seed Milk
This recipe is appropriate for the Introduction diet when nuts have been successfully introduced and tolerated from stage 4 onward.
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Prep Time 5 Minutes
Passive Time 14 Hours
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Prep Time 5 Minutes
Passive Time 14 Hours
Servings
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Part 1 - Soaking
  1. Add 3 cups of filtered water to a jug or bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of salt
  2. Add 1 cup of almonds and cover with a tea towel or cheese cloth
  3. Soak the nuts in the salt water brine for 12 hours
  4. Rinse the nuts under filtered water to remove salt residue and discard the salt water brine
  5. Place the nuts in a clean jug or bowl and add 1 - 2 teaspoons of flaxseeds and 3 – 4 cups of water and place in the fridge for 2 – 3 hours. Adding the flaxseeds will allow the milk to thicken a little more. Exclude this step if you have no concern for thickness
  6. If you wish to add a little sweetener to the milk, this will be the stage that you will need to add the pitted dates to the mixture to soak for a few hours. This is optional
Part 1 - Blending and Straining
  1. Add the soaked nut mixture from the fridge (including the water) to a good strong blender, vitamix or thermo mixer and blend for as long as it takes to break down the size of the nuts into a pulp consistency
  2. Place a nut milk bag or cheesecloth over a bowl and pour the milk mixture through the cheesecloth or nut milk bag like a strainer
  3. When all the pulp and liquid has been strained through the nut milk bag or cheesecloth, squeeze any excess milk from the pulp mixture with your hands, allowing the milk to drain through the cloth. If you find that the milk is too rich, simply add more filtered water
  4. Store in the fridge for 2 – 3 days.
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

Why soak nuts and seeds?

  • To neutralize enzyme inhibitors
  • To remove or reduce phytates
  • To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes

Nut Butter Pancakes

This recipe is introduced on stage 3 and in week 8 and 9 on the GAPS Baby Diet – Introducing Solids for Baby.  It is simple to make and most children love them.  They can be served with a little honey or a spread of ghee and avocado.  This is easy to pack into school […]

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Nut Butter Pancakes
This recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet from Stage 3 onward
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Prep Time 10 Minutes
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Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Nut Butter Homemade almond, peanut, cashew etc
  • 3 Whole Eggs Organic and pasture raised
  • 3 Tbsp Pumpkin Or squash or zucchini
  • 2-3 Tbsp Ghee Or coconut oil if dairy not introduced
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Servings
People
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Nut Butter Homemade almond, peanut, cashew etc
  • 3 Whole Eggs Organic and pasture raised
  • 3 Tbsp Pumpkin Or squash or zucchini
  • 2-3 Tbsp Ghee Or coconut oil if dairy not introduced
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Instructions
  1. Process nut butter, eggs and winter squash in the food processor
  2. Melt ghee or other fat in the pan and spoon pancake sized portions in the pan.
  3. Gently fry and make sure not to burn
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

If you find that the introduction of nuts (nut butter) is too soon, you may try the Nut Free Flourless Chicken Pancakes more suitable. Some people may need to try introducing nuts much later in the diet than others, however this recipe is a good place to start when you feel that the time is right and you can make baked items from seeds as an alternative.

Nut Free Flour-less Chicken Pancakes

This recipe is introduced on stage 3 as a replacement for the Nut Butter Pancakes for people who can not tollerate nuts. It can also be adapted in week 8 and 9 on the GAPS Baby Diet – Introducing Solids for Baby. It is simple to make and most children and adults find them enjoyable. […]

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Nut Free Flour-less Chicken Pancakes
This recipe is appropriate for the Introduction Diet from Stage 3 on wards
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Prep Time 15 Minutes
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Prep Time 15 Minutes
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Using a food processor, blend all ingredients together until completely smooth. The mixture will look like thick pancake batter
  2. Heat the pan and melt some ghee or duck fat to grease the pan
  3. Pour spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. The batter may need to be spread out a bit with the spoon so that it is not too thick
  4. Watch to see tiny bubbles form on the top before flipping them over but be sure not to cook to high or they will burn
  5. Serve warm or cold with a slice of avocado or just as they are
Recipe Notes

Alternatives

When you have progressed through the stages, you may add onion, grated carrot and zucchini for extra flavour. Other ingredients to consider when making this recipe are equal amounts of organic nut butter, eggs and squash (as directed in the introduction diet).

When on the full GAPS diet you may wish to add spring onion shallots, carrot and zucchini to the recipe to make fritters.  Later when cucumbers are tollerated, you can enjoy these with a nice homemade tzatziki dip.

GAPS Milkshake/Smoothie

The GAPS Milkshake should be avoided if the patient suffers from digestive distress associated with diarrhoea. This milkshake will provide valuable raw nutrients and beneficial fats. Some parents find it easier to add Cod Liver Oil to the milkshake, rather than on its own and children don’t know it has been added. Dr Natasha suggests […]

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GAPS Milkshake / Smoothie
This recipe can be introduced on the introduction diet from stage 5 onward unless otherwise advised by your Certified GAPS Practitioner.
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Prep Time 10 Minutes
Servings
Person
Ingredients
Fruit
Vegetables
Fats
Eggs
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Servings
Person
Ingredients
Fruit
Vegetables
Fats
Eggs
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Instructions
  1. Wash all fruit and vegetables
  2. Freshly press all fruit and vegetable in your juicer
  3. Pour juice into a blender if you have one
  4. Add the eggs and fats to the juice. Blend the mixture together in the blender or mix by a hand held kitchen tool
Recipe Notes

Alternative Options

The GAPS Milkshake/Smoothie is not limited to the above fruit and vegetable combinations. You may wish to include mint, carrot, kale, berries, banana's or exclude cabbage or other items. Just remember to include one of the ingredients from the FATS and EGGS with your fruit and veg juice combination.  Avocado is also another great source of healthy fat to add to the smoothy and provides a nice added texture.

My favorite combination smoothie

Apple, Celery, Mint, Avocado, Egg and Yoghurt

Clinical Notes

If the person is not prone to diarrhoea, this recipe can be introduced the GAPS milkshake from the beginning in stage one or two.

Apple Puree

Apple Pure is introduced in the Introduction Diet on stage 5.  Apple Pure for GAPS is an easy way to disguise fats.  GAPS is a high fat diet so we want to add fats to everything and apple puree is a good way to deliver it. We usually add duck fat, ghee or coconut oil.  […]

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Apple Puree
This recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet from stage 5 onward
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Prep Time 5-10 Minutes
Cook Time 15-20 Minutes
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Fruit
Other
Prep Time 5-10 Minutes
Cook Time 15-20 Minutes
Servings
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Ingredients
Fruit
Other
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Instructions
  1. Peel and core the ripe apples and slice thinly into your stainless steel cook pot. An apple slinky is great at doing this job.
  2. Add the water and cook the apples on low whilst stirring occasionally. You may place the lid on top to create steam in the cooking process.
  3. When the apples have become soft, take the pan off the stove and mash with a vegetable masher.
  4. Add a couple of tablespoons of ghee or duck fat or coconut fat (depending on what you have introduced) and blend with the apple.
  5. Store the stewed apples in the fridge.
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

Start to introduce with a few spoonful’s  a day and gradually increase the amount if there are no reactions.

Coconut Milk

Here we have two coconut milk recipes for the GAPS Diet for people who cannot tolerate nut milks. Canned coconut milk often contains, preservatives and other additives that the GAPS Program does not allow for. BPA is also usually lined within the tin cans containing coconut milk as well. For these reasons, we encourage you […]

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Coconut Milk
This recipe is appropriate for the Introduction diet when nuts have been successfully introduced and tolerated from stage 4 onward.
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Prep Time 20-40 mins
Servings
Cups
Ingredients
Raw Coconut Milk
  • 4-6 Young green coconuts Enough to produce 1-2 cups of fresh coconut meat and 1/4 - 1/2 cup of coconut water
Equipment for Raw Coconut Milk
Coconut Milk from Shredded Coconut
Prep Time 20-40 mins
Servings
Cups
Ingredients
Raw Coconut Milk
  • 4-6 Young green coconuts Enough to produce 1-2 cups of fresh coconut meat and 1/4 - 1/2 cup of coconut water
Equipment for Raw Coconut Milk
Coconut Milk from Shredded Coconut
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Instructions
Raw Coconut Milk
  1. With a sterilised kitchen flat head screw driver, use a hammer to pierce three holes into the top of the young green coconut ensuring that it penetrates the nut inside.
  2. Line a strainer with a cheese cloth over the jug or bowl and pour the coconut water from the three holes into the jug and set aside
  3. When all the coconut water is drained, open the top of the coconut by slashing the top off with a strong knife or cleaver. This may take a few slashes on each side at the top of the coconut. There are many videos online that you can view to learn how to do this.
  4. When the top of the coconut is open, spoon out the coconut meat from the sides of the shell. Try to avoid collecting the brown husk and only set aside the white soft meaty flesh. The meat from a young coconut should be soft and moist. If you have lots of coconuts you can do this all at once and freeze the coconut meat for later use.
  5. Repeat the above 3 steps with all coconuts until you have two cups of coconut meat flesh.
  6. Place the coconut meat into a good strong blender, vitamix or thermo mixer and mix the ingredients for as long as it takes to reach a smooth thick consistency whilst gradually adding the coconut water for the desired thickness result. It is important to ensure that the coconut milk mixture is not grainy or lumpy if you wish to have the best yoghurt like resemblance to make yoghurt later.
  7. Contain in a glass bottle with a screw top lid and store in the fridge. Keeps for up to one week in the fridge or can be frozen.
Coconut Milk from Shredded Coconut
  1. Add 1 cup of shredded coconut to one cup of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boiling the coconut will rehydrate the coconut and release the natural coconut fat making it thicker.
  2. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 – 20 minutes and then add the mixture to a good strong blender, vitamix or thermo mixer and mix the ingredients well for a few minutes or so.
  3. Line the top of a jug with a strainer and cheesecloth and pour the mixture through the cheesecloth.
  4. Lifting the edges of the cheesecloth and gathering the strained coconut flakes, twist the cloth and squeeze with your hands allowing all the coconut milk to drip through the strainer and into the jug.
  5. When all the milk has been squeezed and collected in the jug, contain in a glass bottle and store in the fridge. Keeps for up to one week in the fridge.

Traditional Wild Sauerkraut & Sauerkraut Juice

Wild fermentation is specific to the live organisms naturally present on the raw vegetables. This is the traditional way to ferment vegetables and sauerkraut because there are abundant lactic acid bacteria on all plants and if submerged under its own juices with a good coverage of salt (regardless of what type vessel they are contained […]

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Traditional Wild Sauerkraut & Sauerkraut Juice
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Prep Time 45 mins
Passive Time 4 weeks
Servings
litre
Ingredients
Cabbage mixture
  • 1 kg Cabbage The green cabbages produce more brine – select a good quality fresh organic cabbage that is not dry or too old
  • 2 - 3 tbl Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt Salt is a traditional ingredient in sauerkraut because it increases shelf life, texture, and flavor. The amount of salt used can vary according to personal taste but too little can spoit the batch. The salt helps to preserve.
Special equipment
  • 1 Fermenting Jar/Vessle There are many kinds of fermenting vessles on the market. You can make your own at home or spend extra money on something fancy. See our notes for recommendations
  • 1 Heavy weight this is used to keep the cabbage submerged under its own juices
  • 1 Cabbage/vegetable pounder This aids to help push and compress the cabbage or fermented vegetables so that they are submerged udner their own brine
  • 1 Unbleached cheesecloth
Prep Time 45 mins
Passive Time 4 weeks
Servings
litre
Ingredients
Cabbage mixture
  • 1 kg Cabbage The green cabbages produce more brine – select a good quality fresh organic cabbage that is not dry or too old
  • 2 - 3 tbl Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt Salt is a traditional ingredient in sauerkraut because it increases shelf life, texture, and flavor. The amount of salt used can vary according to personal taste but too little can spoit the batch. The salt helps to preserve.
Special equipment
  • 1 Fermenting Jar/Vessle There are many kinds of fermenting vessles on the market. You can make your own at home or spend extra money on something fancy. See our notes for recommendations
  • 1 Heavy weight this is used to keep the cabbage submerged under its own juices
  • 1 Cabbage/vegetable pounder This aids to help push and compress the cabbage or fermented vegetables so that they are submerged udner their own brine
  • 1 Unbleached cheesecloth
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Instructions
Sauerkraut Mixture
  1. Thinly slice or shred the cabbage and place it into a large bowl. A good quality mandolin is great for shredding. A big cooking pot is good to contain the cabbage for this will allow you to easily get your hands into the mix later.
  2. Add a generous amount of salt to the mixture and mix the salt into the cabbage with your hands. Let it sit for 10 – 20 minutes to allow the salt to draw out some of the cabbage juice naturally. Salt actually allows the cabbage to sweat so that juices can be extracted to create the brine. 2 tablesppons of salt per 1kg cabbage.
  3. After you have allowed the cabbage to sit for 20 minutes, mix, massage and knead the ingredients with your hands. Bruising the cabbage this way allows the cabbage to extract more natural brine solution. Keep kneading until you have squeezed a substantial amount of juice from the mixture. This may take approximately 10-20 minutes. It is always handy to have someone with strong hands to do the kneading & massaging.
  4. Place the cabbage mixture into the selected kraut vessel and pack and push the mixture down so that the cabbage is compacted in the bottom and the juice is sitting on the top of the cabbage with a minimum of 4 - 5cm’s or 2 inches of the juice above. It is important to push the cabbage down firmly so that no air is trapped and the cabbage is completely submerged in and under its own brine juice. A cabbage/vegetable pounder or potato masher can be a good tool for this.
  5. Most fermented vegetable kits will have a weight but if you do not have a kit with a weight, simply make your own weight by using a plate that fits snug in the fermenting vessle and place it on the top of the cabbage and then place a smaller jar (filled with water) on top of the plate to weigh the cabbage down and keep it submerged. Push the jar down and you will see more juice rise to the top. It is very important to ensure that all the sauerkraut is submerged under its own juice. Don’t worry if you don’t have a weight to push it down, just try to make sure that all the cabbage remains under the brine and if any bits float up, remove them throughout the process to prevent them from going mouldy.
  6. When all the cabage is submerged under its own juices with the weight keeping it down, cover the top with a double folded cheesecloth to keep away the dust and store in a dark place for four weeks (ie pantry). If you use a canning jar with a rubber ring top, and close the lid, be sure to burp it a few times in the first few days to release the pressure or it will burst - you won’t need the cheesecloth if you use this type of jar. Keep checking to remove any mould or scum build up floating on the top and make sure the kraut remains under its own juices. The sauerkraut may be consumed and ready to eat after 2 weeks but it matures better and contains more good bacteria wioth more time. The sauerkraut may be stored in the fridge after 2 - 4 weeks of fermentation. If there is any scum or mould development on the top – remove this. The kraut remaining under the juice will be fine.
  7. After the cabbage has completed the fermentation process it becomes preserved and will last up to 12 months in the fridge. Fermentation is the traditional way we preserved food before companies decided to create synthetic harmful preservative options.
Kraut Juice
  1. The juice remaining in the kraut jar is a by-product of the sauerkraut but it is just as probiotic and benneficial to consume as the kraut itself. Do not discard the juice, either leave it in the jar and consume it gradually along with the kraut or strain it into a bottle to use as a fermented probiotic drink. This juice is what we like to use in the introduction stages of the GAPS Diet. It is introduced slowely and methodically. Refer to the GAPS introduction stagesfor this method.
Recipe Notes

Alternative options

This is a wild feremtnation method which often takes a little more time to ferment naturally, however you can assist this process further by inoculating the kraut batch with good bacteria from the very beginning by adding a vegetable starter culture to the mixture and massage that through with your hands along with the salt.

You may add other vegetables like grated carrots and other favourites such as caraway seeds or dill. 

Trouble shooting

If for any reason the cabbage is not submerged under enough of its own juices, you may need to add a small amount of filtered water with more salt (15 gms of salt to 1 ltr).

Sauerkraut & how to introduce it

 

 

 

Ghee (clarified butter)

  It’s hard to improve on butter, but… Ghee, a traditional Indian preparation, eliminates the milk solids and gives you just the pure, unadulterated butterfat. It’s gheelicious. And it doesn’t burn, so it is a perfect choice for high temperature frying. Before introducing butter on the GAPS diet, the introduction stages advises to introduce ghee […]

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Ghee (clarified butter)
This recipe is appropriate for stage two of the GAPS Introduction Diet and onwards
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
tub
Ingredients
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
tub
Ingredients
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Instructions
Option one
  1. Preheat your oven to approximately 60 – 120 Degrees Celsius.
  2. Add a large block of unsalted organic butter to a glass or stainless steel oven dish and leave it in the oven for 45 – 60 minutes.
  3. The liquid in the dish will separate with milk solids on the bottom (liquid creamy white colour), ghee in the middle (yellow) with some floaty bits of whey on top (crusty yellow and golden brown floaty bits). The whey can be carefully scooped out from the top with a tea strainer and the yellow liquid which is the ghee can be carefully poured into a jar with a cheese cloth on top to catch any whey or unwanted milk solids. Try not to disrupt the milk solids and ensure that they remain in the bottom of the pan as you pour out the ghee.
  4. Discard the milk solids and refrigerate the ghee in glass jars.
Option two
  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Don't stir.
  2. Reduce heat and let the melted butter simmer for an hour or until a firm "foam" forms on the surface.
  3. Remove the foam with a flat head stainless steel seive straining spoon (see image). On the bottom, you'll now see white milk protein, which you want to leave behind in the pan or filter out of your ghee.
  4. Carefully pour the clarified butter through a cheese cloth. The white milk protein should remain in the cloth, while the clear butterfat seeps through.
  5. Repeat the filtering a couple of times for optimal results.
  6. Let the ghee cool in a glass jar and store at room temperature.
Recipe Notes

Other Options: You can use your slow cooker to make ghee. Put the butter in it and turn on low heat for 6-8 hours. Then follow the steps above.

GAPS Staple Casserole

This recipe is referred to by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride as the ‘Italian Meat Casserole’ and we believe it is a staple dish that is easy to cook with it’s versatility in what can be used. It is a slow cooked method in the oven that produces a lovely tender meat that falls off the bone […]

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GAPS Staple Casserole
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Prep Time 35 Minutes
Cook Time 4-6 hrs
Servings
People
Ingredients
Meat and Stock
  • 1 Lamb Shoulder See notes for other meat options
  • 1 Litre Filtered water Approcimate: this is dependant upon how bif the pot is and the size of the lamb
Herbs & Spices
Vegetables
  • 6-8 Cloves Raw Garlic Crushed - See notes caution
  • 1 Whole Onion Large - See notes caution
  • 2 Whole Celery sticks Finely diced - Only use celery on Full GAPS Diet
  • 2 Whole Carrots Finely diced - See notes caution
  • 1/2 Whole Pumpkin Cubed - See notes caution
  • 1/2 Head of Cauliflower or Brocoli - Cut and remove all stalks - See notes caution
Special Equipment
Prep Time 35 Minutes
Cook Time 4-6 hrs
Servings
People
Ingredients
Meat and Stock
  • 1 Lamb Shoulder See notes for other meat options
  • 1 Litre Filtered water Approcimate: this is dependant upon how bif the pot is and the size of the lamb
Herbs & Spices
Vegetables
  • 6-8 Cloves Raw Garlic Crushed - See notes caution
  • 1 Whole Onion Large - See notes caution
  • 2 Whole Celery sticks Finely diced - Only use celery on Full GAPS Diet
  • 2 Whole Carrots Finely diced - See notes caution
  • 1/2 Whole Pumpkin Cubed - See notes caution
  • 1/2 Head of Cauliflower or Brocoli - Cut and remove all stalks - See notes caution
Special Equipment
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Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 140 - 160 degrees Celsius. Place your meat joint or other selection of meat into an oval cast iron pot and fill 2/3 with filtered water. Be sure not to cover the meat joint completely with water, because the exposed part at the top of the meat produces a lovely tasting stock for drinking. This recipe should allow you to save a few jars of stock when you are done.
  2. If tolerated (see recipe notes) dice some onion and celery and crush some garlic and saute in a separate pan with a little lamb fat or duck fat and add to the pot. It is often nice to salt the top of the lamb and add some of the sauteed ingredients on top as well as surrounding the lamb in the stock.
  3. Add salt, dried herbs, bay leaves and a sprig of rosemary. Cover with the pot with the lid and cook on very low heat for 4-6 hours (125 – 140 degrees Celsius).
  4. After 4 or 5 hours add a variety of chopped vegetables. We have made some suggestions for you above that work nicely but feel free to experiment with seasonal organic vegetables. At this time it is essential to leave the lid off in the final stages of cooking and increase the temperature to 180 degrees celcius and cook for a further 40-50 minutes.
  5. When cooked, serve the meat and vegetables and use the stock (strained through a sieve) for a warm drink with your meal. Keep left over stock in the fridge or freezer for later meals or stock drinks.
Recipe Notes

Alternative Recipe Options

You can use any of the following meats (joint meats are easier to digest than muscle meats) Try to use a broad range of different meats each time you cook this meal.

  • Shoulder of lamb
  • Joint of pork
  • Joint of beef
  • Pheasant
  • Quail
  • Venison
  • Whole chicken
  • Turkey legs
  • Lamb shanks

You may experiment by adding a variety of vegetables keeping a broad range in your diet, however make sure you are ready for them - Refer to clinical notes.

The fat content of these meals need to be quite high: the more fresh animal fats you consume the faster the recovery.  Be sure to add fermented vegetables with every serving.  If you are still in the introduction stage, avoid spices at this stage and only use herbs, salt, and bay leaves.  This meal is easy to cook and provides you with a variety of options to choose from.  If you make a large batch, this meal is easily frozen and defrosted and heated in a glass Pyrex dish with a glass lid in the oven.  Cooking several of these meals and freezing them will allow you to have a break in the kitchen.

This method can be achieved with a slow cooker

Clinical Notes:

Introducing new food: If and when you introduce a new food, your patient’s symptoms of diarrhoea return, or pain or any other digestive symptom is experienced, then wait a week and try again after some more healing has taken place because this indicates that they are not ready for this food.

Avoid vegetables and consume only the meat and stock from this recipe if the patient is experiencing profuse diarrhoea.  Vegetables should be added gradually until well tolerated and digestion improves.

*This recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet Stage Two - onward

Coconut Milk Yoghurt

This recipe is a good alternative for people following the GAPS Diet who are unable to tolerate dairy or who have an anaphylaxis reaction which is a true allergy. Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride does not encourage individuals to avoid GAPS fermented dairy unless there is a true food allergy, and this can be determined by doing […]

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Coconut Milk Yoghurt
Making your own coconut yoghurt is simple and cost effective. You can choose how probiotic you want your yoghurt to be by extending the fermentation length time and by what culture source you use. We recommend you select a starter culture with a good selection of beneficial probiotic strains. You can even use kefir grains to make kefir instead of yoghurt with this recipe. GAPS Diet Australia have a good selection in their shop, however if you have a good strong multi strain probiotic of your own, you may also use that for your starter.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 7-9 hours
Servings
Litre
Ingredients
Mixture Ingredients
  • 1 Litre Full fat coconut milk (see our coconut milk recipe) Avoid BPA cans & petra-paks containing added water
  • Yoghurt starter culture OPTIONS • Dairy free cultured yoghurt starter powder (measure as per product instructions) OR • Two Dairy free probiotic capsules per litre of milk OR • 1/3 cup of coconut yoghurt as a starter per litre of milk • Kefir
  • 1-2 Tbs Raw honey Generally not required for incubation depending on milk source. See notes below
  • 2 Tbs organic gelatin powder Optional: depending on viscosity preference
Optional ingredients for sweetening
  • 1-2 Tsp Raw honey Optional: To be added after fermentation & refrigeration to taste
Equipment
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 7-9 hours
Servings
Litre
Ingredients
Mixture Ingredients
  • 1 Litre Full fat coconut milk (see our coconut milk recipe) Avoid BPA cans & petra-paks containing added water
  • Yoghurt starter culture OPTIONS • Dairy free cultured yoghurt starter powder (measure as per product instructions) OR • Two Dairy free probiotic capsules per litre of milk OR • 1/3 cup of coconut yoghurt as a starter per litre of milk • Kefir
  • 1-2 Tbs Raw honey Generally not required for incubation depending on milk source. See notes below
  • 2 Tbs organic gelatin powder Optional: depending on viscosity preference
Optional ingredients for sweetening
  • 1-2 Tsp Raw honey Optional: To be added after fermentation & refrigeration to taste
Equipment
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Instructions
  1. Sterilize all equipment in hot water (80˚C) for 1 minute. If you are sterilizing glass jars, do not drop them in boiling water over 80 ˚C or you may risk cracking or breaking them. You may risk contamination with bad bacteria if all the equipment is not first sterilized.
  2. In a saucepan, bring coconut milk to 80 degrees C, then remove from heat. Do not boil the milk over 90 degrees Celsius; this will spoil the flavour. Your coconut milk must reach 80-90 degrees Celsius or you risk contamination with bad bacteria. Raw coconut milk can be made without heating, however this needs to be done with fresh naturally retrieved coconut milk that is less likely to be contaminated.
  3. In some cases you may need to add honey. Honey is not usually added to coconut milk because it does contain it’s own sweetness to feed the culture during the fermentation process, however some milk sources may require it so you may need to experiment with this in whether to add the honey or not. Sweetness provides food for the bacterial culture and your yogurt will often not ferment well without it if it is not sweet enough on it’s own.
  4. Cover and cool the milk until it reaches a temperature between 38-45 degrees Celsius. Do not add the starter culture until it has cooled down or it will kill the good bacterial culture you are about to introduce.
  5. Pour aproximately1/2 cup of cooled coconut milk from your mixture into a sterilized glass, and mix in your starter culture or probiotic. Stir well until all is dissolved.
  6. Return the stirred ½ cup mixture to the existing cooled milk and mix well with a whisk or spoon.
  7. Pour cultured milk into your sterile yogurt maker jars, or any sterile glass or enamel containers that work for you and place the jar in the yoghurt maker.
  8. Set the timer for the desired incubation period and ferment the yoghurt for 7 – 9 hours at a temperature range between 38˚C and 45˚C. The Wholesome ‘me’ yoghurt maker will ferment up to 36 hours if you wish to ferment longer and produce a strong probiotic and very tart yoghurt flavour.
  9. When the fermentation is complete, transfer the yoghurt to the fridge to set for 6 hours before consuming. Refrigeration for this time allows the yoghurt to set.
  10. If your yogurt separates after chilling (which is common), either stir it briskly with a spoon, or whip it with a stick blender.
  11. If you wish to have thicker yoghurt strain the yoghurt and drip all the liquid whey out of your yogurt using a cheesecloth. Drip the yoghurt whey for 6 – 12 hours through a cheesecloth. The whey is probiotic and can be used to add to soups (when cooled before eating) for added probiotic nourishment.
  12. Add honey or fruit to taste.
Recipe Notes

Troubleshooting

Your yoghurt should smell and taste sour like yogurt. If you notice a bad odor, mold, or hints of grey or pink on the surface, we suggest that it has been contaminated with bad bacteria overgrowth and advise to throw it out and try again. This can be caused by a number of things:

  • The equipment was not thoroughly sterilized
  • The milk source was contaminated (was it canned or other?)
  • The milk source in a tetra-pak contained too much water and very little fat
  • The starter culture died from temps too high or too low
  • The starter culture is not right for the type of milk used the starter culture did not have enough natural sugar content to feed of in the milk source
  • The starter culture is out of date or not active
  • The correct amount of starter wasn’t used
  • Other foreign “bad” bacteria colonized the batch.

Unlike nut milks, most coconut milk sources do not require added honey during the incubation period to feed the fermentation process as the coconut milk usually has it’s own sweetness.  However, we can’t control what milk source you choose to use so adding honey during the preparation before the incubation period will be something you may need to experiment with on your own.

Coconut yogurt produces a thinner and runnier yoghurt viscosity compared to cow’s full cream milk yogurt, but there are two ways to thicken it: Add a dissolved thickener like natural gelatin to your milk before fermentation, OR after fermentation, strain the yoghurt and drip all the liquid whey out of your yogurt using a cheesecloth.

Once fully cooled, your yogurt may separate again, with some of the coconut oil hardening on top and a clear or cloudy liquid on the bottom. This happens especially with homemade coconut milk which hasn’t been homogenized and emulsified with factory machinery. This is usually not a problem, as long as everything else smells and tastes right. Just mix well with a spoon or stick blender, and enjoy.

Some new tetra-paks of coconut milk are not appropriate for making yogurt because they are mostly water and very little fat. Choose a high-fat natural coconut milk or cream made for cooking.

Use the same ingredients to make kefir by switching the dairy starter or probiotics with kefir grains and follow the kefir recipe instructions.  This is best made in one large container though (not individual jars).