[ewolthuis]

I want to start a new kitchen project, but I can't decide. I have read about kombucha, adding a culture to your milk, i.e kefir, water kefir, yogurt making, buttermilk. I am curious to know what your favorite cultured or fermented beverage is. I am looking for health benefits of the bacteria/vitamins mostly. I don't really consume much caffiene, so I do wonder if I will really want to drink kombucha every day. Culturing all of our milk sounds like a good idea, so we get all those beneficial bacteria, but I wonder if the taste changes a lot. Give me some ideas! I am thinking about getting a starter kit for a holiday gift for myself...
Thanks!

 

[tinyblackdot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewolthuis I want to start a new kitchen project, but I can't decide. I have read about kombucha, adding a culture to your milk, i.e kefir, water kefir, yogurt making, buttermilk. I am curious to know what your favorite cultured or fermented beverage is. I am looking for health benefits of the bacteria/vitamins mostly. I don't really consume much caffiene, so I do wonder if I will really want to drink kombucha every day. Culturing all of our milk sounds like a good idea, so we get all those beneficial bacteria, but I wonder if the taste changes a lot. Give me some ideas! I am thinking about getting a starter kit for a holiday gift for myself... Thanks!

Well if your anything like me, you will crave it! Most everyone i know thinks its disgusting, but i LOVE it! I only buy it, and i am hoping to start making it at home soon, but i will go out of my way to get my kombucha, its very very very addictive!

 

[kl5]

With kombucha, I am pretty sure most of the caffeine is consumed or otherwise dissipates during the fermentation process. I am a huge fan and brew it with black tea. Green tea works just as well though and is lower in caffeine to begin with. I do yogurt occasionally and have done kefir in the past, but i find that kombucha is easier to stick with (i.e., keep the culture alive) and we definitely drink all that i can brew. (In fact, I am planning on using my next "baby" to start a green tea batch.)

 

[velcromom]

I've gone from milk kefir, to water kefir, to kombucha. I think the water kefir was my favorite when I made it with apple juice, but that got expensive and it was hard to pay close enough attention to the brew to catch it at the stage I liked it & then drink it all up before it got too "beery" tasting.

I hated kombucha the first time I tried it, but about a year later started craving the flavor. So I started a scoby from a bottle I bought and really enjoy it now. I find it quite good and like that I can add fruits to the second ferment to make any flavor I want. I do crave it when I'm between batches and find that my digestion is more stable when I have some every day.

Oh, thought I'd add that I do make yogurt when I have raw milk. I find it mild tasting at about ten-twelve hours, and I like to make yogurt cheese with it for dip and spreads.

 

[WuWei]

Raw milk kefir has the most probiotics. It is easiest, imo. You put the grains in and that is it. (It is sour. Add it to smoothies, or sweeten it up with maple syrup.)

Next most easy and delicious is storebought kombucha.

(It has different beneficial microbials.)

I do feel the caffeine in the kombucha, if I drink it after 3pm. But, I'm very sensitive to caffeine.

Next most easy and delicious is grape juice kefir with milk kefir grains. You put the grains in and that is it. You do need 100% grape juice with NO additives or preservatives.

Do all three!

Pat

 

[MoonStarFalling]

I love baking with milk kefir and I love some fizzy water kefir instead of soda but I would have to vote for Kombucha if a person could only have one. I crave it too. It has changed my life and my health so drastically I will never go without it. I even take it on vacation with me. Brew it with caffeine free tea if that bothers you.

 

[spiderdust]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kl5 With kombucha, I am pretty sure most of the caffeine is consumed or otherwise dissipates during the fermentation process. I am a huge fan and brew it with black tea. Green tea works just as well though and is lower in caffeine to begin with.

I wonder if this would work with white tea? It's even lower in caffeine than green tea, but is also made from real tea leaves.

 

[ellasmama2007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WuWei Raw milk kefir has the most probiotics. It is easiest, imo. You put the grains in and that is it. (It is sour. Add it to smoothies, or sweeten it up with maple syrup.) Next most easy and delicious is storebought kombucha. (It has different beneficial microbials.) I do feel the caffeine in the kombucha, if I drink it after 3pm. But, I'm very sensitive to caffeine. Next most easy and delicious is grape juice kefir with milk kefir grains. You put the grains in and that is it. You do need 100% grape juice with NO additives or preservatives. Do all three! Pat

pat, can you use water kefir grains for the grape juice kefir? can you dilute it too?
i love my water kefir, its so light and easy to drink. i like milk kefir in smoothies, but the water kefir i could drink by the gallon!

 

[kl5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiderdust I wonder if this would work with white tea? It's even lower in caffeine than green tea, but is also made from real tea leaves.

I haven't tried it, but from a quick google search, it definitely seems like it would work. I would imagine it would be really mild and nice. Sometimes I wish my kombucha was more clear and not quite so brown, and I would imagine the white tea would be more clear and less tannic. Let us know how it goes if you try it?

 

[WuWei]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellasmama2007 pat, can you use water kefir grains for the grape juice kefir? can you dilute it too? i love my water kefir, its so light and easy to drink. i like milk kefir in smoothies, but the water kefir i could drink by the gallon!

I've not used water kefir grains. But, I believe you can do a second ferment with juice. Not sure of the process though.

ETA: this thread has everything you every wanted to know about kefir and MORE, recipes too! http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=203282

Pat

 

[ewolthuis]

Thanks for the responses, ladies! Well, I didn't ask for a kit for Christmas, but I did get a big glass pitcher with a lid, so I might be able to use that to brew up something yummy! I'm thinking I might try the kombucha first, maybe with a lower caffeine content tea.