How to Make Desiccated Liver Capsules

 

 

I don't like to use the word Superfood; it seems so cliche.  It's on the brink of becoming to me what "epic" has become... overused and lack-luster.  But liver (from hormone/antibiotic-free, pastured animals, of course) really is nutritionally super-duper!

It's a fantastic source of quality protein and natural vitamin A (not to be confused with the potentially toxic synthetic vitamin A); contains all of the B vitamins, including the vital B12; is an excellent source of folic acid and a highly usable form of iron; contains trace minerals such as copper, zinc and chromium; it possesses CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function; and it has this totally wonderful, yet bizarrely unidentifiable, anti-fatigue factor (read more about the study here).

Some, however, have the misconception that liver is not a healthy food-source because it's primary role is to filter toxins.  The thing is, though, the liver does not store toxins, it neutralizes them.

"Poisonous compounds that the body cannot neutralize and eliminate are likely to lodge in the fatty tissues and the nervous system. The liver is not a storage organ for toxins but it is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron). These nutrients provide the body with some of the tools it needs to get rid of toxins." ~Lynn Razaitis (WAPF, The Liver Files)

It's recommended that the average adult consume 2-5 ounces of healthy liver (obtained from a healthy, pastured animal) per week.  The problem (for me) is I find the smell, taste and texture unappealing.  I've tried to hide it in small ratios in meatballs, meatloaf and chili, but I can always tell it's there and it's off-putting, to the point that it makes me question whether my meat has spoiled.

So, my favorite way to get my recommended dose of liver is to dehydrate, powder, and encapsulate it.  There's absolutely no smell, taste or texture to contend with.  And it's simple to do.

I obtain grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free beef liver from the farm where I purchase all of my beef (at about $1.60 pound - awesome).

I freeze it for 2 weeks or more to eliminate any potential pathogens and parasites, then defrost it mostly, but not fully.  Leaving it a bit frozen (firm and not squishy) makes it easier to cut it up into manageable pieces for dehydrating.

Mmmm, Zeila wants to know what smells so good up there... at least it smells good to someone!

This is about 4 pounds of liver; I like to do a lot at once because, while it's simple, it is a process that takes time.  I let it dehydrate for a a few days (3 or 4) at a low temp, about 105 degrees.  The lower the temperature, the better retention of the vital nutrients.  Heat can reduce it's goodness.

When the liver is completely dry, place it in manageable portions into a blender (or food processor) and grind them up till they're powder.  You can see I have a simple blender and it handles the job just fine - no fancy or expensive equipment required.

My 4 pounds of powdered liver filled a quart jar to the brim.

Separate the capsules and insert them in each side of the encapsulator.  In the side with the ridge, spoon in the powdered liver.

Compact it with the tamper and add a little more till they're full.

Scrape off the excess back into your bowl...

Put the empty side onto the filled side and press firmly...

Voila... 24 pills made simultaneously in a matter of moments.  That is, in moments after the dehydrating and powdering process!  The capsule process goes really quickly.  I kept making these until I filled a quart jar.


So, you're probably wondering how many capsules you should take a day.  We take between 4 and 6.

Kate over at Modern Alternative Mama has done the math for us; check it out:

I did some math on this to figure out how much liver is really in the capsules.  So, I had about 1 1/4 lbs. liver and I got 250 capsules out of that.  It’s recommended that people get 2 – 5 oz. of fresh liver per week ( pregnant and nursing women should get 4 – 5).  1 1/4 lbs. fresh is 20 oz., which is about 600g, or 600,000mg.  Divide this by 250 pills, and it’s 2400mg per pill.  The pills hold 700 – 900mg dried, so the dried is about 3x as concentrated as the fresh.
If each pill is the equivalent of 2400mg fresh liver, then 4 pills per day is 9600mg, or about 2/3 oz.  9600 mg x 7 days a week = 67.2g, or 2.25 oz.
So, it boils down to this:

• 2 pills/day = 1 oz./week

• 4 pills/day = 2.25 oz./week

• 6 pills/day = 4.5 oz/week

Store them tightly sealed in a dark location and they'll last a good, long time!

This is the dehydrator I have:



This is the capsule machine I have:

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