Now I just need to figure out how to take care of the little critters!!!



My SIL got very excited when I told her what I had learned about kombucha tea a while back. I didn't ever get around to ordering the starter, but she did right away! Last night she blessed me with a gallon jar complete with 2 'shrooms and the starter liquid. She also gave me a pint jar of little baby ones. I'm applying them to my son's foot.

Yes, his foot.

He got a rotten bee sting yesterday and he's supposed to go to camp tomorrow! I've been putting the 'shrooms on his sting and it is a lot smaller and not discolored like the one he got 2 weeks ago. So far so good...

Now, I'm going to have to go out and buy some sugar or something to feed these critters. Gonna have to do some reading about how to take care of my new "family members!"

:ivyhead:

kombucha???

gezhunteit!

LOL!

Barb, Barb! I know you know from kombucha.

__________________

I expected as much!



http://www.earthcalls.com/kombucha/page6.shtml#D

Oh, Sharron, LOL!!!!! I was offered a scobie in return for kefir babies several times........but since kefir is still a suspicious substance as far as DH is concerned, can you imagine what he'd think with kombucha brewing on the counter?

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Kombucha?

Pennicillin might help.

__________________
keep on keepin on

211/165/170

LOL@ Gregg!

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Yup. An injection, followed by several pills each day for 10 days, I've heard.

__________________

I used to grow my own shitaake shrooms. Can't say as I heard of kombuchas before.

__________________
Libby

2004 174/142/138

Begin Again 2007

164/159/142

A kombucha is not actually a mushroom as we think of them. It is more like a "starter culture" in the same manner as a sour dough culture would be. It is a living organism that eats the sugars in the tea and leaves only healthful stuff in its place...

Bren, I'm brewing it in a cabinet -- dh would never need to know

I want one!!!!!!

I read all the website. But isn't that alot of sugar? Or does it all go away during the fermenting process??
Hubby gets gout alot, so maybe it would help him. My son also has acne and was on acutane but after 2 years it has come back so I think it might help him.

Sharron do you mean more like say the "mother" in raw apple cider vinegar?

__________________
Libby

2004 174/142/138

Begin Again 2007

164/159/142

Well, it actually looks more like a mushroom, even though it isn't. And it even has babies! LOL!! Really. I know it sounds incredible, but it's true!

Scroll down for a look at one of these babies!

http://www.happyherbalist.com/pictures.htm

(just looking at these pics is another reason I've passed on kombucha, LOL!, besides the DH issue, and the fact that I'm not certain all the sugar (or how much of it) is used in fermentation.....)

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Nearly all of the sugar is used up, and you can do like with kefir and brew it longer if that is a concern. The serving size is like 4 ounces, too, so it is pretty small.

I'm not sure how I would ship it, patti. I'm successful with kefir, but I freeze it first. If you freeze or dry the scoby (mother) with kombucha it kills it. Let me think on it for a while. I've got several days before my first batch is ready, and maybe by then I'll have an idea. If I don't respond by next week sometime, remind me, ok??

Oh Sharron this is sooooooooooo exciting!!!! You lucky duck you!!!! (thanks for e-mailing me about this!!!) I killed mine awhile back and would LOVE to have another one. You could start a brew in a smaller jar to make smaller 'shrooms for shipping. Take a new baby and cut it into smaller pieces that will fit into a smaller jar, but don't use a metal knife maybe a plastic spatula or something. What I would suggest is that you put some fresh tea and sugar into a ziplock bag with the baby, seal it real well. Then put that one into another ziplock. ( I would make sure you seal a bit of air into it to, but then again maybe that's not necessary and you could squeeze all the air out, not sure.) Maybe Dom's site can answer that question. I know they get shipped all the time.

As for how much sugar it eats, if you let it brew for the whole 10 days it will pretty much use it all up. If you want to make sure it's ALL gone, let it brew for 14 days. It will start tasting like cider vinegar. I used to let mine brew that long and then add a bit more sugar when I drank it, 'cuz I liked it sweet. But I don't see any reason why you couldn't add some stevia or something to taste if you can't stand it sour. It gets quite effervescent too!!!! I love the bubblyness of a longer brew. The health benefits are amazing. If you could, I would love to get one from you!!!! I would reimburse you for the shipping of course.

This is so COOOOOOOOL!!!!!

I think I still have my BIG gallon jar I used to brew mine in from before. The jar should be covered with cloth or a coffee filter in order to keep dust and such from settling into it.

Kombucha is LOADED with B vitamins and good bacteria just like Kefir!!!!

Man will we be going through the tea now!!! DH drinks about 4 cups of tea per day. And if I start doing this, I will be using even more, LOL.

Hey Bren, great pics of the " 'shrooms!!!!"

__________________