Wild Fermenations a go-go!!!!!!

Otherwise known as the cheap way to get your Probiotics!!!!!- 

 homemade yogurts and sourdough starters,Kombucha, kefir and more!!!!!!

Fermentation in progress-Yogurt in Cooler bag, Kombucha in bucket- obviously I don't stage my pics usually as you can see my son's homework in progress!!!!

  As I started on this journey called Paleo for better health as I call it, it all really came about as I was looking for ways to heal my "gut issues" if you will. I won't go into it, but I have had issues with health for a few years now, different things but continuously something it seems. Last December I seemed to finally be rid of what I would consider the major health issues, but I continued with migraines often, and then some inflammatory issues of my hip, and then gut issues.....I don't want this to sound like a sob story, but rather just to say I realized that the medical world was not going to solve my issues and I felt that I needed to seek to find the best Nutritional Health possible--- after I read Gary Taubes- Good Calories, Bad Calories I realized GLUTEN may be a big problem for me and it also led me to PALEO as a way of optimal healthy eating for the best life possible.
One of the big things I have learned in my research is that as I have a very sick Gut right now, Probiotics are important for me right now in order to  aid in healing  all the internal inflammation.
I have now also learned that a natural way to get these  is to eat lots of naturally fermented foods - this means food with live yeast cultures-YEASTY BEASTIES!!!!!  If you are interested -this book rocks

• Yogurt with live cultures ( not the stuff in the store that's been pasteurized and killed of the good yeasties- though some in the stores do still have live cultures just check)
• Kombucha
• Kefir
• Sauerkraut
• Kim chi
• Water Kefir can make fun fizzie drinks- can't wait to order some kefir so I can start some of this to try!!!!!!

I had never heard of Kombucha till last week- now I am brewing it in my kitchen!!!!! I am so excited to try it- patience is not always easy, but I hope its worth the wait.

 See the "mother" up against the side? Isn't that cool? and when the batch is done it will have produced a replication of itself, a second "mother" and the first mother will be thicker... I have seen pictures of HUGE monster size Mothers!!!!!

First Batch Kombucha Instructions:

1.Brew organic black tea (strong, as you are going to add lots of water to this)- I used about 3T of my fav Black Mint Tea from TeaVana
2.Add 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 cup white sugar( I think you usually just add a small amount of your last batch Kombucha here, but I didn't have any so they say vinegar works for your first batch). Set aside to brew and cool. ( This recipe was for doing abt a gallon- I actually did abt 5qts)
3.Strain out tea leaves and water to fill your jug to close to top. Stir and then add the "Mother". It may sink or stay at top, they say it does not matter at all. Now cover with cheese cloth or a thin towel to keep fruit flies out, and secure with rubberband.

(I am also taking a pill form of Probiotic right now called New Chapter Probiotic, it has multiple live strands and has to be kept in the fridg. I do not plan to take the pill form for too long though, just till I get this fermenting thing down pat.)

You should see my kitchen, its like a yeast factory in here ya'll!!!! I have Kombucha brewing on the desk, yogurt brewing on the other end of the desk, sourdough starter
going on the other end of the kitchen, some yogurt in the crock pot in a hot water bath all wrapped up in a big blanket....
You get the picture.

I think hubbie thinks I have gone off the deep end. 

I also have some yogurt in cheese cloth in a a strainer over a bowl in the fridg to make it thicker, and produce some whey.

(the whey is this stuff in the measuring cup that has drained off of the yogurt through the cheesecloth and strainer)

I have heard that there are lots of fermenting things you can do using whey to start, or just use the whey to make delicious bread-we shall see!!!!