Probiotic recipes

[me&thegals]

Had my first glass of my kombucha last night. It was really good! I was pleasantly surprised. I would describe it as fizzy, slightly yeasty and almost like a not-sweet sparkling apple cider.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Had my first glass of my kombucha last night. It was really good! I was pleasantly surprised. I would describe it as fizzy, slightly yeasty and almost like a not-sweet sparkling apple cider.

Wht does the mother consist of? As in--can it be mailed over the border??? I guess I can always put an ad on kijiji looking for a mother. I soo want to try this!

 

[me&thegals]

The mother looks like a placenta, seriously. It is called a SCOBY (per memory, I think symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) or mushroom. It is not supposed to be without oxygen, as in plastic, so I'm not sure how it would work. If you can research it out and find a way to mail it safely and legally, I would be glad to mail you one!

Maybe you could just ask around first? Could be that someone around you is making it. I had no idea how many people in my tiny community were/are brewing it!

 

[freemotion]

Although it is not the ideal, it can be mailed in plastic with some of the finished tea. I got mine through the mail in a ziploc, all the tea had leaked out, and it still worked just fine. I would put it in a ziploc freezer bag and then put that inside a plastic jar with a tight fitting lid and put that in a box! The ziploc will keep the mushroom in contact with the liquid, and the jar will contain leaks. I think I would double bag it, too.

You probably could mail it over the border. The are not opening every box, just likely using dogs, xray, etc on suspicious-looking packages. Be sure to put a full return address (even a made up one ) and a box in nice condition and you should be fine.

 

[lonelilly]

You could also try searching craigslist--in some places, people will post when they have kombucha mommas, or scobies. I just got one this morning from a woman on the north side of town and am soooo excited to start my first batch!

 

[big brown horse]

OMG! I saw that listed on CL and was like, HUA??? Now I know what that is!!! Thank you!!

Next question, isn't all sauerkraut lacto-fermented? Store bought?

Miss the North, how close to North West Washington are you? We could figure out how to get it over the border!

I remember the smell of the cabbage fields in Wisconsin as a child...P.U.!! (My sister and I had a time of it in the back seat of the old stationwagon!!)

 

[hennypenny9]

Lol, my friend just had his car ripped apart at the border because they thought he was smuggling drugs. I'm about twenty minutes from Canada. And could you put it in a glass jar, or would that kill it?

 

[big brown horse]

The Canadians must be more careful about their borders than TX!!

 

[freemotion]

Glass jar would be ideal, but I wouldn't leave it sealed too long. Get it out and breathing asap. Ship by a faster method.

Sauerkraut the is store-bought is not alive, the good bacteria that might've fermented it is killed in the canning or bottling process. Maybe there is some that is refrigerated, but it is so easy to make, and one of the cheapest things you can make with store-bought ingredients if you must. I would discard the outer leaves of the cabbage if it is not organic. You can throw in some other things if you'd like, like shredded carrots or onions. Or both.

Lots of health food store brands use buzz words to sell their product, but they can be just as deceptive as the non-organic food giants.

Eating properly, following Sally Fallon's book, Nourishing Traditions, has improved our health and DROPPED our grocery bills! And most of the recipes are based on things we would typically grow or forage or hunt.

I can't say enough about this book, it has changed my life in so many positive ways!

 

[big brown horse]

Thank you for all of your help freemotion!! I'll have that book soon I hope!