| Author |
*Farmgirl Barter™:  Kombucha cultures Available  |
|
urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 22 2010 : 9:49:31 PM
|
I have a rather large and ever-growing collection of kombucha cultures. Anyone interested in one? They are free for the cost of shipping, OR (and I really prefer this option lol) if you have a bit of fabric or wool bat to barter, that would be great. I love to do crafting and always have room for more fabric. And I just started trying my hand at spinning with a hand spindle so I could use some basic wool. Kombucha is like kefir in that it is good for the digestion and immune system, but unlike kefir it doesn't need constant new food. A culture that is kept moist can be kept for months and will still ferment a new batch of sweet tea when YOU are ready. It is a tart beverage but I love it!
Catherine |
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
|
|
City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 04:10:58 AM
|
I would love one! (Hey, we're neighbors! Almost, I'm south of you). I'm taking a kombucha class at Whole Foods this Thursday. I'd love to get started once I know what equipment I need and how to take care of my baby. 
I have fabric. No wool though. Let me know.
Farm Girl #790
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place
https://twitter.com/EllieFunt
|
 |
|
|
Chives
True Blue Farmgirl
232 Posts
Victoria
Shelton
Washington
USA
232 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 07:14:02 AM
|
| I would love to have some to. I have fabric. What color do you like. Vicki |
|
|
|
solilly
True Blue Farmgirl
726 Posts
Lillian
Williamsburg
Virginia
USA
726 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 07:23:18 AM
|
Ok help I do not know what you are talking about?, how it is used?, why?, and the good and or the bad about it. Lilly 
learning the life I always wanted. |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 07:39:19 AM
|
Kombucha is a SCOBY which basically means it's a biomass of symbiotic yeasts and certain bacterias that when living together create a thin membrane to hold each other in. When you look at a healthy Kombucha SCOBY they look kindof like a slimy pancake or a mushroom top. You put them in a sweet tea mixture and let them be for anywhere from 10 days to a month depending on how you like your Kombucha Tea. The yeasts in the SCOBY use up the sugar in the sweet tea and the by products of the yeast activity feed the (good) bacteria. Studies show that the bacteria help produce vitamins- Kombucha Tea is often very high in B vitamins. It also helps stimulate the liver and kidneys and helps the body more efficiently scrub out the toxins.
I was pretty skeptical when my husband (My oh so NOT a farmish husband and REALLY not into alternative medicine husband! LOL) told me about it. His mom I guess kept the Kombucha always going at their house and he had it quite frequently growing up. So I ordered one and we brewed it at our apartment and it was amazing! You only drink a couple ounces once or twice a day when you are first starting and I could tell a huge difference. You know how sometimes when you are low on vitamins and you take a liquid vitamin? And you can feel it when it gets absorbed because it feels almost like effervecense going through your bloodstream? Kind of a good rush type of feeling? Anyway that what what just about 3-4 ounces of Kombucha feels like. It's amazing and my mood is always so much better on days when I drink Kombucha!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
KathyC
True Blue Farmgirl
583 Posts
Kathy
Gastonia
NC
USA
583 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 07:57:14 AM
|
I would also be interested if you have enough. Could you please post how you use, grow and care for this. I have fabric also, let know what kind and or colors you use.
Thanks
Kathy |
|
|
|
urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 08:27:36 AM
|
Alee, that was a great basic description of Kombucha Tea! I got into it last summer when I realized that I was addicted to soda pop. KT got me off the soda pop and I drink a couple glasses a day now. If you research KT online you will see that many people make many claims for its benefits, some wilder than others. I think it is credible that it helps alkalize the blood, eases digestion with a strong dose of probiotics, and does curb the appetite some. I thought the claim that it helped rid the body of toxins was a bit far fetched at first, but I have come to be a believer. I have RA and take methotrexate once a week, a strong drug originally created to treat leukemia. I have learned that I cannot drink the KT for about 12 hours before or 24 hours after I take my methotrexate or I get these severe headaches and general achiness consistent with "detox" symptoms. Overall though, I think KT helps relieve pain a touch, as long as I avoid it around drug time.
An intense overview of KT can be found here:
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kombucha.htm
Dom has really experimented over the years and shares his info well. All the details at first can make your head swarm, but KT brewing is really easy peasy. I do a continuous brew, where I just add new sweet tea to a large gallon jar when the level drops to 2/3 or 1/2 of the total. If I top it off before I go to work, it's ready to drink when I get home. So much easier than brewing separate batches all the time! The taste is a combination of tea, tart, and sweet. What tea you brew and how long you let it ferment dictate the flavor. Commercial varieties are available in health food stores but home brew is generally better tasting. You decide how tart/sweet you like, and can stop the brewing at that point by refrigerating it. It is also great tasting mixed with fruit juices. It can be slightly carbonated, but usually not nearly as aggressively as soda pop. IT seems to have come to Tibet via the Middle East, and spread from there. Since there are really no written records of its origin, there are myths abound! Most aren't accurate, though. I have successfully brewed multiple generations of flavored teas, and have brewed herbal teas like yerba mate, honeybush and rooibos. Some claim you cannot do this, but I have. But I always share cultures that have only been brewed in straight, plain tea, to keep the culture untainted. I also prefer to use organic tea and filtered water to brew. Each brew creates another culture, so if you keep them saturated in finished KT, you start getting a lot of extra cultures. The extras are the ones I experiment with.
Um, can you tell I like the stuff LOL?!? |
|
|
|
kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 8:42:58 PM
|
I have been making KT for about 6 months now. I can tell a big difference if I miss a few days. I drink it first thing in the morning. I have read it's best on an empty stomach. I like mine kind of fizzy so after pouring out all but the 2 cups you need to start another batch, I let it sit out a few days. I use Earl Gray tea.
Has anyone made it with honey or succanot? I would love to get away from the white sugar.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
|
|
|
urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 9:05:02 PM
|
I have used honey and it came out fine, but I did think the new culture grew rather slowly compared to batches with white sugar. So-called raw sugar works fine as does demermura (sp?) muscavado, and Sucanat. In fact, I think the additional minerals in the more natural sugars helps once in a while, but it can get pricey quickly. I use organic white a lot and the muscavado occasionally.
Catherine |
|
|
|
maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 10:19:58 PM
|
I love the Kombucha that they sell at the health food store. It is soo good! I have been into in for years now!
Hugs,
Channah
Farmgirl sister #1219
Friendship is not something that can be bought, it is earned. |
|
|
|
Especially For You
True Blue Farmgirl
541 Posts
Tina
Watkinsville
GA
541 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2010 : 06:50:39 AM
|
Catherine~ I would also like some. Let me know what kind of material you are looking for. I have a ton.
Blessings~ Tina |
|
|
|
prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2010 : 08:14:48 AM
|
| I would love some too please!! Have been wanting to try this for ages. I have wool to barter. :) |
|
|
|
bboopster
True Blue Farmgirl
1140 Posts
Betty Jo
West Bend
Wisconsin
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2010 : 11:21:31 AM
|
I would love some also. I love the store bought KT but it's so expensive. What type of fabric are you looking for or how many $$$ should I send. Thank you for sharing. 
http://www.bboopster.blogspot.com
Nana to 4 with 1 on the way.
3 Blue Star Mother and Proud of it!
Pray for our troops to come home safe and soon.
Enjoying the road to the simple life :>) |
|
|
|
urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2010 : 4:30:02 PM
|
I just wanted to make an update here: I am having a small but managable family crisis and I had to come stay with my aunt for a bit. Everything will be OK thankfully, but I doubt if I will get back home before the end of next week. Honestly, it didn't even occur to me to bring the cultures with me, silly as I could have gotten them mailed here probably. I emailed a couple folk privately but just wanted to say if anyone else wants a kombucha culture yes I do have more and I am happy to share but mailing will have to wait about a week. Sorry for the delay but you know how it is when family needs you! I am single so I get to run to the rescue more than others LOL. Well, that and her children are often the majority of the problem, sigh. I do have computer access so I will be online this coming week, so if you requested a culture and haven't sent me your address, go ahead and send it though. I am keeping a list and will mail them out ASAP when I return home.
Catherine |
|
|
|
solilly
True Blue Farmgirl
726 Posts
Lillian
Williamsburg
Virginia
USA
726 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2010 : 4:22:56 PM
|
I will keep up with you all thanks for all the info but right now with our travels and all I will have to wait until fall to get some from you. I will stay in touch thanks again Lilly 
learning the life I always wanted. |
|
|
|
dawnm
True Blue Farmgirl
92 Posts
Dawn
Blueridge Mts
Va
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2010 : 7:12:18 PM
|
Just a cautionary note - if you have a problem with candida or related issues it may not agree with you. This was the case for me. Some people can have an allergic reaction. Not disagreeing with the beneficial and tastiness - my son really likes it. I have a couple of cultures in my fridge.
Dawn
Dawn
"though an old man yet, I am a young gardener." Thomas Jefferson |
|
|
|
MelMel
Farmgirl in Training
31 Posts
Melanie
Wa
USA
31 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2010 : 09:26:12 AM
|
I have been looking for this...If theres enough,I`d like to also get some and directions on what to do when I get it! I`d pay the shipping and do a barter.
God is Great! |
|
|
|
urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2010 : 9:18:45 PM
|
Ah, I am finally back home!!! Tomorrow I will be going to the post office and mailing out cultures to all who sent me addresses, so if you want a kombucha culture and haven't sent me your address, please do so! I will also be including a how-to sheet for basic info. If you have any other questions, please just ask and I will be happy to respond. It really is easy peasy and I think you will find that fermenting your own tastes even better than the pricey ones at the health stores. If any of you take a daily spoonful of elderberry syrup, you might try it in a glass of kombucha first thing in the morning. That is my all time favorite!
Catherine |
|
|
|
urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2010 : 09:40:49 AM
|
OK, 6 went out Friday and I'm about to go to the post office again here and mail out another 2....that's everyone who sent me their address! I just wanted to say that if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I did include instructions and I tried to be as detailed as possible. BUT I have been brewing kombucha for a while and sometimes when you're beginning anything you see things differently than after you've been at it a while, you know? I'm happy to help out any way I can.
Catherine |
|
|
|
Especially For You
True Blue Farmgirl
541 Posts
Tina
Watkinsville
GA
541 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 1:52:50 PM
|
Catherine~ I recieved my culture yesterday. And I made my tea today. Thank you so much. I have sent your material off today, I hope it's what you are looking for.
Blessing.
Tina |
|
|
|
urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 3:29:34 PM
|
Yea! I have heard from a few and am glad they are arriving ok!
Catherine |
|
|
|
City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
|
|
theprimitivepilgrim
True Blue Farmgirl
217 Posts
Michelle
Baggs
Wyoming
USA
217 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 6:01:33 PM
|
Hi Catherine,
Received the culture today, thank you so much for sharing! We have had snow for the past week here, and won't be shearing until it warms up, hopefully in the next week or two. Forgive my ignorance, but do you want the wool straigt from the sheep? Do I need to clean it or anything? We usually put it in a wool packer and send it off, so please let me know what I need to do to get it ready for you. Would love to see what you create!
Thanks again!
~Michelle |
|
|
|
urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2010 : 8:58:54 PM
|
Michelle, you don't need to clean the wool or anything. I may be completely crazy here but I sort of want to try my hand at the whole processing part of it, doing it all by hand. I have instructions in my beginning spinning book on how to clean the fleece, card it, etc. so I think I am good to go. I know eventually I would be getting a set of hand carders, it's something I planned on doing at some point, so I guess now might as well be the time LOL. They aren't cheap but should last a long long time. I am just so enamored with the idea of creating one's own yarn and then knitting or whatever with it!
Catherine
Farmgirl #1370
City Girl By Birth,
Suburbanite By Location,
Farmgirl at Heart |
Edited by - urban chickie on Apr 07 2010 9:14:38 PM |
|
|
|
Chives
True Blue Farmgirl
232 Posts
Victoria
Shelton
Washington
USA
232 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2010 : 9:21:14 PM
|
| Catherine I received my little guy today. I will be sending yours out on friday. I know I said thursday, but I go to work on Friday and take it with me. I am really excited. I hope my material will be okay. Thank you vicki |
|
|
|
*Farmgirl Barter™: Kombucha cultures Available |
|
Kombucha cultures Available
