Kombucha, Kefir, Sourdough Qs

[rachel]

Anyone into these? Dh and I have yet to get the cultures for them. Once you buy them, would you ever need to buy them again? Or is it easy to multiply and keep the cultures, Scoby, Kefir "Grains", etc. alive?

Also dh is curious re: if we have to buy them at all. Any way to grow them from scratch?

[plaid]

Anyone into these? Dh and I have yet to get the cultures for them. Once you buy them, would you ever need to buy them again? Or is it easy to multiply and keep the cultures, Scoby, Kefir "Grains", etc. alive?

Also dh is curious re: if we have to buy them at all. Any way to grow them from scratch?

Weird how you come across websites right after you read a C'Moms thread.
No idea myself, but I just came across this.
http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-g...ombucha-scoby/

My uncle makes kefir. I know it keeps going and growing like crazy if you take care of it. He always brings it traveling with him and happily shares it with anyone that wants to get started, but I am not sure how he started it.

[rachel]

Thanks!! Very helpful. I did find instructions on sourdough: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/sourdoughstarter.htm

And I'll be shocked if our whole foods place doesn't have kombucha we can start with.

That leaves the kefir, all I can find so far is instruction on choosing them (living, not dehydrated pref) and a ton of spam by people selling it pretending they are going to tell you how to make it and then only pitching their product, ha.

[rachel]

So I'm making sauerkraut in a fermenting crock for the first time. I hope it isn't a big failure. Will know in a few weeks. Ultimately it only cost 10 bucks and an hours time all together. No biggie I guess. The health food store had no kombucha drunks, but is giving our # to a local lady who does have a mother for that and may sell us some of hers.

..I have yet to start the dough.

[rachel]

all for probiotic/gut health

[Israel]

I've been making my own water kefir for about 6 mo or so. Easier to make than kombucha since you dont have to make tea. All you need is sugar. After experimenting with different sugars, I found Sucanat to be the most nutricious for my grains. DH loves the grape soda I make from it...plus I make some every week for a friend. I was not a fan of buying the dehydrated grains. They took too much time to "hydrate" IMO. I would buy the ready-to-go hydrated.

Now the dairy kefir...i have not aquired the taste for the "spoiled milk" flavor. I tried it for a few months and it was ok in my smoothies though. And my kids didn't even notice. I may start it again.

All of them are great for you. You just have to try them all and decide what you and your family like best. But, if there is ever a time where you are fermenting different things all at once...just make sure they are not fermenting anywhere near each other. You don't want to cross contaminate bacterias.

[rachel]

Ah, good tip! Thanks

I found some ads for these in kijiji, closest may be about 1hr away. So someday soon, when dh is in the area. The lady is only asking 10 dollars for each type.

[buttercup_97140]

We fermented Kefir for a long time, but I usually end up killing my grains from lack of loving them right...LOL.
My hubby really wants to me ferment the grains again, but with healthy grains they seem to multiply so fast that I end up with WAAAAY too much kefir. We LOVE kefir smoothies and we used them to help Emma with her gut when she was about 11 months old. We buy Nancy's kefir now when we get a hankering and the kids love it. We also buy liquid probiotics with 9 strains to keep up the good flora since we don't kefir it much anymore.
I would love to get some more grains, maybe some babies that ferment in 48 hours instead of the 8 I was getting.....
I can't stomach Kambucha, so we have stayed away from that. I did ferment other things, but never had a standard receipe I followed. There is a book "Nourishing Traditions" that has TONS of great recipes for fermenting and eating good stuff. Some of it is a bit beyond what we are comfortable eating, but there are good recipes. Right down the line of what you are looking to do!
I SOOOOO want to make half sour tomatoes, but I haven't found a place where I can buy green tomatoes yet. I live in the south, so it has to be out there somewhere!! I should send you a jar when I make them.....OH YUM!!!!

If you end up with a very passionate and quickly growing and dividing grain, let me know. I'll take some of your babies!

Blessings,
Amber

[Israel]

Yes, Amber...I forgot to mention how they can grow so fast when they are properly cared for. When I first started, I thought I killed mine too...but I just changed tbeir sugar water every day until they perked right back up! Now, I have to throw away half of my grains every time I strain them cause tbey multiply so well. I tell ya, that sucanat is like steroids for kefir grains!!

[buttercup_97140]

Ha, wow that's a lot of growth!! I have never done water kefir, or at least successfully. I tried transitioning some grains once and it was a disaster. LOL

Have you ever thought about putting some of your grains to sleep? You can package them carefully and probably make some money selling them online. You can get about $10 for a small group of grains.

Blessings,
Amber