Kombucha

[Woody girl]

I'm thinking of fermenting some kombucha but I can't find a scoby to buy localy. I'm told I can grow my own from a bought bottle. I don't buy anything from Internet which seems to be the main option on aquireing a scoby. Does anyone have any tips or experience of doing this? How do I keep it going? Any advice gratefuly received.

 

[Janne]

Buy a ‘living’ one from the supermarket and try. Not all alive though.

Another more normal name for this type of fermented drink is Kvass.

A common drink in Russia since Centuries.
Please do not believe the hype about the health benefits, they only work if you balance certain crystals on your forehead and stand outside facing North at the Summer Soltice at a particularly powerful layline....

( you get my meaning?)

 

[Woody girl]

Buy a ‘living’ one from the supermarket and try. Not all alive though.

Another more normal name for this type of fermented drink is Kvass.

A common drink in Russia since Centuries.
Please do not believe the hype about the health benefits, they only work if you balance certain crystals on your forehead and stand outside facing North at the Summer Soltice at a particularly powerful layline....

( you get my meaning?)

I always stand outside facing south with a crystal on my crown Shakra on a full moon at midnight on a regular basis. Usually while drinking southern comfort

 

[Macaroon]

Buy a ‘living’ one from the supermarket and try. Not all alive though.

Another more normal name for this type of fermented drink is Kvass.

A common drink in Russia since Centuries.
Please do not believe the hype about the health benefits, they only work if you balance certain crystals on your forehead and stand outside facing North at the Summer Soltice at a particularly powerful layline....

( you get my meaning?)

I certainly get your meaning.

It's generally accepted these days that the more fermented foods you can eat, the better off your health will be. The single best way to ensure a healthy gut biome and as such to influence the state of health and comfort
a person will enjoy, especially as you get on into your later years.

Nothing in the slightest hippy-dippy but a good way to make use of an age old method of preserving and eating a fair few foods; bread, cheese, beer, sauerkraut, yoghurt................

 

[Woody girl]

The reason I'm wanting to make kombucha is that I suffer from ibs and other digestive tract problems due to years of heavy duty painkillers. I now have wheat intolerance too. So the idea and is to repopulate my gut system with lots of nice happy flora and fauna rather than medication. Kombucha has been recommended as a useful addition and as my local shops don't sell it the obvious solution is to make my own
Cheaper too. I've never made it so need tips on keeping it going once the scoby is hopefully made. I'm using green tea as a basis.

 

[Janne]

For sure but do not expect any health miracles. I stem from a background that are large consumers of youghurt, kefir and sauerkraut,
And tea kvass.

It is a nice drink, once you find the perfect tea to make it from!

Eat sauerkraut, it contains a higher concentrate of the brneficial beasties.

I suffer from IBS plus other intestinal problems, and eat these foids every day. I do not know if they help or not though, as I rarely go mote than one day without eating them.

 

[Woody girl]

I know there is no miracle with this or other foodstuffs. Just want to be kinder to myself than I have been. I got myself off of statins. Doc went balistic but now has to admit after last check up in july ive done an amazing job and is happy with my "madness" had to admit it is working as well as any statins. painkillers are reduced massively . Next step sort out the guts.

 

[Janne]

Just do not make the mistake to sip on the sweet kvass/kombucha all through the day. I have a couple of patients that did that and caused loads of decay of their teeth!

Good luck finding a 'mother' !

 

[Toddy]

Second the advice on sauerkraut.
Plain simple no fuss no bother cabbage and salt. Grate it up, bash it around to release the juices, pack in with salt and it's liquid in a jar with an airlock of some kind and you don't really need to footer around with weights. I just press mine down into the liquid again a couple of times a week. Tasty, works well in a couple of weeks (surprised me, it's 'supposed' to take ages and it stores well if you use kilner type jars, too.
German lady living in Ireland has a really simple demo, and I just copied Sandra's.

I am off all painkillers, all anti-inflammatories, all antacids, and I have no pain, no inflammation and no stomach ulcers or heartburn, or bloated tummy either. Fermented cabbage a couple of times a day, a pudding spoonful at a time. It's quite nice to eat doesn't smell bad, and it doesn't rot your teeth either

The other thing that's proven to be a lovely facto-fermented pleasure are lemons really nice as a flavour boost on plain rice or salad, and I'm told that it's brilliant with roast chicken.

I have lived pretty much gluten free for years, it's no longer the case that 'any gluten causes issues', and I can now eat some. I don't think I could do it every day, but as an occasional thing, I seem to be fine.

I'll find a link to Sandra's video and add it onto this post.

I hope things settle for you asap

M

 

[Janne]

Never tried to ferment Lemons. will try ferment Limes, as I have loads!

The liquid from the Sauerkraut jar is really nice and refreshing. Can be diluted 50/50 if you like a milder taste.
You can buy in health shops, and pay crazy money!

One thing is important when doing your own Kraut. Add some caraway seeds.
Parents used to make Kraut before it got imported into Sweden. The Caraway seeds are bringing a lot of flavor.
A slug of dry white wine too. Weinkraut.

I am sure Sauerkraut was common all around Europe oince upon a time.

If you like a bit of heat, cut up a hot pepper in tiny pieces and mix in with the sliced cabbage.

 

[Janne]

There is an old way to do a version of sauerkraut my dad told me about before he passed away, a version today forgotten.

In addition to the cabbage, you fine slice an onion or two, then do the mixing with salt. Then you take a mix of bell peppers ( Green, Yellow, Orange, Red) , deseeded and finely cut in julienne strips ( matchstick size) you gently mix in with the 'rubbed' and salted cabbage/onion. Important to do this after you mix/rub the cabbage, onion and salt, to keep the peppers as whole as possible.

Then ferment.

I forgot the name. He said that was away to add more vitamins. and minerals.
I think it is an Europeanized version of the Korean Kimchi. But nicer, much milder.


When you make kombucha you can also add spices to make it taste different.
Today most commercial bottled ones are flavoured with fruit, but you can make more 'savoury' ones too.

 

[Billy-o]

So, who is going to be first to give this a try?

"Another way to rebalance your gut is to get a transplant from another person whose gut is already well balanced. This increasingly popular—and very successful—technique is called bacteriotherapy, which is a euphemism for fecal microbial transplant (FMT) or stool transplant. Yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like."

No pushing, now. Form an orderly queue

You see ads and advertorials for 'Leaky Gut' all over the place nowadays. Just the latest fad that tries to protect our food industries by pathologizing anyone with an achy tum due the western diet being so awful.

 

[Billy-o]

I'm told that it's brilliant with roast chicken.

You were told right, Toddy They are big in north African style stews too -- you know the kind of thing, bit of lamb, bit of cumin, few apricots and a preserved lemon Nice with a little bit finely chopped (alongside a fig) into tabouleh

 

[Janne]

Billy-o, I have fecal transplants done after each colonoscopy. Every three years.
Nothing to it. The bottom doctor inserts a small ampule (I think) into the colon, close to the thin intestine area and opens it there before he retracts the instruments.
My complex intestinal problems blow up like a grenade if it is not done. Did once, that is why they do it.

I will ask how the ideal bacteria mix is administered next time I see him.


The North African Lemons are salt cured, not fermented. You buy small lemons, ***** the rind all around then pack into a wide mouthed jar, and pour standard table salt all around. Lid on loosely, store in cool room..
Easier to buy to be frank, as small Lemons are difficult to find in UK.

Edit: This program did not allow me to write p-r-i-c-k the rind.

 

[Toddy]

......... Nice with a little bit finely chopped (alongside a fig) into tabouleh

Hmmm, quite fancy that

 

[Janne]

I watched the sauerkraut vid. Could have been my mum 40 years ago!
That lady has some beautiful cabbage, beautiful.

But she uses jars which are to small. I eat more than that in one sitting!!

 

[Billy-o]

The bottom doctor inserts a small ampule (I think) into the colon, close to the thin intestine area and opens it there before he retracts the instruments.

O not a sandwich, then?

 

[Toddy]

I don't make mine like that Janne.
I cut off the tip of the pointed (branch end) and slice down into the lemon so that it's like a four petalled flower. I use five teaspoonsful per 2pt jar. That's it. It's just enough to salt and stop it going bad while the fermentation gets going. I might get eight or nine largish lemons into the jar.

Press the lemons down really, really firmly, so that they're more or less stacked up squished open. The juice will run. It will fill up around them. Put the lid on the jar and after a couple of days on the kitchen worktop put it someplace cool and let it get on with things.

The present jar I have on the go was made from lemons sliced into wedges and just sprinkled with salt from the salt shaker. It's only about a 700ml sized jar, but it took five lemons in 8cut slices
So far, it tastes excellent

 

[Toddy]

I watched the sauerkraut vid. Could have been my mum 40 years ago!
That lady has some beautiful cabbage, beautiful.

But she uses jars which are to small. I eat more than that in one sitting!!

I make mine in 1L clip top Kilner jars but if not using the bubbler airlock I need to leave a lot of headroom.
I do like Sandra's recipes

 

[Woody girl]

Thanks for those ideas folks. Don't like cooked cabbage so never even tried it any other way but for my own good will try the sauerkraut especially like the idea of onions and peppers added. Might be more palatable for me. The poo transplant I've heard of but it rather grosses me out. I guess if it was so bad I'd try it but I don't think I'm there yet... and hope by taking action now it never will be. I agree our present eating habits are awful nowadays. It can be tempting especially if you live alone to just buy a microwave meal and be done. I use my slow cooker all winter for healthy stews with home grown veg. Summertime is home grown salads. I've lost almost 3 Stone this past 18 months. I had some family tragedies that blew me to Kingdom come and I just stopped eating well for nearly 3 yrs. Now I'm out the other side and doing fine. Back on the planet! So despite the sugar in kombucha a little nice thing to treat and be nice to self now and then has to be good.