Ok, now that Barb Keith has got me going on this, I decided that I'd better move it into its own topic since it was bogging down our Apple Cider Vinegar thread.

I've found several great sites with useful info:

Kombucha Tea -- this site is very well done and easy to understand. Highly readable.

Kombucha Mushroom Starter -- is one sale for $9.95! If Barb's friend doesn't have it, or no one else speaks up, I think I'm going to have to give this a try!

The Kombucha Center seems to have some good info. I've not delved very far into this site.

Another site which has a list of benefits all together.

I could go on and on. This looks as exciting to me as kefir and ACV!!!

Does anyone have the "mushroom culture" to share???

Blessings!
Sharron
Author of "Low Carb Cooking at Sharron's Place," and "Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine," available where ever books are sold.

www.thelowcarbcook.com

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart." Colossians 2:2

I'm going to paste in the information from the ACV thread, so it is all in one place. I'm not changing the other thread.

Posted by Barb Keith:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>As for Kombucha, It's much on the same order of Kefir but the growing medium is different and it yields a clear, brownish liquid that looks like ACV. You use regular sugar to feed it, and it of course uses up those sugars and converts everything to good nutrients. The "mother" is a flat, pancakeish shaped "mushroom" (actually a fungal colony) which floats atop the liquid. The cycle time is 2 weeks (if I remember correctly). You pour off the liquid, take out the "mother" and leave the "baby", which peel apart from each other. You start a new batch with another batch of BLACK tea (cooled) and sugar (can't remember the proportions, but there's lots of info on the internet) and put the "baby" back in. The mother can be passed along to someone else to start their own batch. It is full of B vitamins and other nutrients and make you feel like you have all the energy in the world. It tastes much like ACV when left to ferment longer and creates a bubbly effervescence. It requires all glass and plastic equipment also, like Kefir. If I ever get any going again, I will have 'shrooms to pass along. I will try to find a really good website about it and pass it along.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Another post by Barb:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Okay, here's some other sites, hopefully at least one will work for you. If not, do a search on Yahoo or Google and search on "Kombucha Tea Mushroom" and see what pops up.

http://www.earthcalls.com/kombucha.htm

http://www.awakening-healing.com/Kombucha_Tea.htm - good one for instructions, but no pictures

http://www.thevitaminlady.com/VLkombucha.htm - has a FABULOUS picture!!!!

http://healing.about.com/library/weekly/aa030698.htm - has some links with possibilities

HTH!!!!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Posted by Sharron Long:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> posted 12-20-03 06:53 PM
Amazing list of benefits from the kombucha tea!

I'm really glad you gave that first link that warned of "fake" kombucha, like there is "fake" kefir... I don't know if I would have known any better!

The more I read about this stuff, the more intrigued I am!!!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There, now it is all in one place.

I'm VERY intrigued by the anti-cancer properties. I wish I remembered what site it was one, but one of the better sites (maybe that last link I posted?) said that one interesting thing that nearly all cancer patients have in common is the lack of a speicific type of acid in their bodies. Kombucha tea's main property is that acid!

I would like to type for about 1/2 hour about what I've been percolating on over night and this morning, but I have to scoot.

Have a great day all!

Blessings!
Sharron
Author of "Low Carb Cooking at Sharron's Place," and "Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine," available where ever books are sold.

www.thelowcarbcook.com

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart." Colossians 2:2

The "amazing list" didn't come through, above, so here it is:

Amazing list

Also, Dom talks about his Kombucha Tea on his Kefir In-site. I have a 2nd gneration set of kefir babies that is thriving and healthy. I think I'll contact him about the availability of Kombucha starts.

I'll keep you posted.

Blessings!
Sharron
Author of "Low Carb Cooking at Sharron's Place," and "Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine," available where ever books are sold.

www.thelowcarbcook.com

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart." Colossians 2:2

COOL Sharron!!!! Good idea starting this thread. Didn't want to hijack the ACV thread. The site you posted that's selling them for $9.95 seems like a good deal. If I don't find any locally, I will definitely give them a try!!!! At this rate, we will be on a liquid diet of ACV, Kefir and Kombucha, LOL. I know the Kombucha should be drunk on an empty stomach about a half hour before eating. When I was doing it before, I did 1/2 cup per day.

I like the site (healing.about.....) that lists the brewing times and what it ends up tasting like.

4-6 days - Too Sweet, not all sugar converted
7-9 days - Tastes like sparkling apple cider (optimal time for us low-carbers-sugar is all used up)
10+ days - Vinegar taste becoming prominent

Barb
Atkins-3/14/03
174/146/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER