probiotics in nut/seed kefir/yogurt/cheese

[EmJo]

Do y'all know whether the probiotics in kefir/yogurt/cheese made from seeds and nuts are the same as in the equivalent dairy products?

And has anyone had any experience of their elimination improving after adding fermented nut/seed products to their diet?

TIA.:)

[lukster9]

hi, i take oral probiotics daily. they are vegan and can be purchased at whole foods. They have helped greatly with going RAW. I also take Alissa's emzymes 3x daily.

I can't answer the other part of your question:p

[EZ rider]

I take a probiotic supplement. I take it WITH live raw foods. I don't take it everytime I eat or drink a raw food meal but if I think of it I take it because the probiotic is supported in the GI tract by the raw foods.

[Spiral Leana]

Hi, I did try some coconut milk kefirs but it was really hard to notice any significant changes like I do with raw milk kefir.....there is a great web resource "Dom's kefir" some aussie guy with a bend on kefir. he can supply water source/vegan grains and discusses coconut kefir extensively. good luck. I use Threelac probiotic ;)

[rawsurfer]

you could make sauerkraut. but it thinmk the spectrum of probiotics should be the same as its just the bacteria in the air multiplied. although maybe different foods culture diff bacteria. dont hold me to my answer lol

[EmJo]

I appreciate your responses. I was hoping to find a way to get probiotics via food, rather than supplements. I might just experiment w/seed/nut kefir, etc., anyway, to see what happens.

Also considering culturing veggies.

I've been to Dom's site. Guess I could go back, but he has so much info and I have so little time, LOL. Once I even had kefir grains, but I let them get moldy, :( so now I have to buy a starter if I want to go that route.

[firefaery]

*IF* you prepare them properly they have the same content.

Foods will just about always have more than a pill, as well. It's worth the minimal effort as it ends up being far cheaper.

[3kidsmommy]

Kim Chee baby! You can make it yourself. Loads of the good bacteria!

[TheAvocadess]

I make it during the fall & winter. It's awesome for warding off bugs and flu, etc ... and so easy to make! As a matter of fact, Carmella over at The Sunny Kitchen just made some. She has photos and everything!
http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/

I don't use any gadgets. I just cut up my cabbage, etc... add herbs, an toss it with grey celtic sea or himalayan pink salt. Toss it in a large glass canister, slap seran wrap over it and place a large flat river stone on to of the seran as a weight. Be sure to wash the rock really well or put it in your dishwasher. :) Place is a warm dark area. That's it!

After about a week the color will change, you will begin to smell it, and OH IT'S SO PURTY! You can eat it after a week or so. The longer it sits, the better it gets.

I mix red & green cabbage, carrots, with garlic, fresh dill, and toss in a few juniper berries.

Love,
The Avocadess

[Nurse in the Raw]

I make probiotics with my young coconut water. It takes about 36 hours with a powder culture starter that you can get from your Health Food Store.

[JulesRules]

Wills Valley Farm Products makes raw saurkraut and packages it directly from the crock...they say "never been heated".

I just ordered some...Too busy to baby sit kraut right now.

Also, I made kefit from almond nut milk. Had to let it sit on counter for a couple of days before it "soured". Was really good...I put vanilla bean in the milk while making it.

Jules

[EmJo]

*IF* you prepare them properly they have the same content.

Foods will just about always have more than a pill, as well. It's worth the minimal effort as it ends up being far cheaper.

Thanks for responding to my question. So, by "prepare them properly" do you mean make sure utensils, etc. are sterile and the seed/nut milk, etc. is left in the right temperature?

[EmJo]

I don't use any gadgets. I just cut up my cabbage, etc... add herbs, an toss it with grey celtic sea or himalayan pink salt. Toss it in a large glass canister, slap seran wrap over it and place a large flat river stone on to of the seran as a weight. Be sure to wash the rock really well or put it in your dishwasher. :) Place is a warm dark area.


Thanks a lot--to 3kidsmommy, too--for the Kim Chee suggestion. That's what I'm looking for--how to get probiotics in what I would normally consume during the day.

How much salt? And do I hide it in a kitchen cabinet or is a dark corner of the counter good enough?

And during the winter we keep our thermostat at 68 F. Probably too cold to culture the veggies. Could I keep the container in a cooler w/warm water?

[TheAvocadess]

Hi Emily!

I have mine in a spare room and it's not real warm in there. Warmth simply seems to speed things up. You'll still have delicious kraut in a cooler room. :)

Love,
The Avocadess

[firefaery]

Not meaning utensils or gadgets...I have seen people making yogurt the way you would make dairy yogurt, and that won't yield great results. Since they have no natural sugars you need to add some (honey works best) to feed the bacteria. You also need to let it ferment for a solid 24 hours. That's all!

[3kidsmommy]

Hi E.
I keep my in the oven wrapped in towels. My grandmother use to wrap it in sheets and keep it in the linens closet! One thing about kim chee is that you can eat it everyday! I make spicy ones and mild ones. The mild ones I eat it as a meal sometimes. The spicy ones I add cucumer, turnip, lettuce, jicama or whatever veggies I have on hand for a salad. Hope this helps. Oh, I also chop it with a knife by hand.

[EmJo]

Since they have no natural sugars you need to add some (honey works best) to feed the bacteria.

That I did not know. So glad I asked b4 I tried it; thanks.

And thanks, Avocadess! :)

[catdeveer]

i've made this several times and it always is wonderful. i vary the heat and ingredients to suit my mood. i only use 2 T of sea salt, as 3 is too salty for me. i've made it with napa, bok choy, brussel sprouts and other cabbages (i cut the cabbages up first - easier for me to get into the jars as well as to serve), added radishes or daikon, snap peas, carrots, beets, you name it. this is more of a procedure than a recipe. warning - the longer it sits, the hotter it gets. i've also used fresh hot peppers instead of dried. very nice.

have fun!

blessings,

cat

Traditional Kim Chi Recipe
By Dr. Ben Kim on February 17, 2006 Main & Side Dishes (www.drbenkim.co)
Ingredients:

Napa cabbage - approximately one pound
4 cups of cold water
3 tablespoons of sea salt
1 tablespoon of fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh green onions (scallions), finely chopped
1 teaspoon of dried red chili pepper flakes (more if you like things spicy, less if you don't)
1.5 to 2 teaspoons of sugar

Directions:

Separate and wash cabbage leaves. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sea or kosher salt evenly on cabbage leaves. Place salted cabbage leaves in a large bowl, add 4 cups of cold water, cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator overnight. Be sure that water covers all cabbage leaves - place a plate or other heavy object on top of leaves to ensure that they stay covered with water.

The next day, pour off water and thoroughly rinse cabbage leaves. You can shake them gently in the sink to remove excess moisture.

Place cabbage leaves back into large bowl and add garlic, green onion or scallions, ginger, dried red chili flakes, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Use your hands to rub seasoning evenly into all cabbage leaves. Be sure to use gloves to do this, otherwise, your hands will burn from the chili flakes. If you are pressed for time, mix seasoning ingredients with about a cup of warm water before adding them to cabbage to allow for easier distribution on cabbage leaves.

Transfer seasoned cabbage leaves into a large glass bottle. Be sure to use firm pressure with your hands to push down on cabbage leaves as they stack up inside the bottle. Transfer any liquid that accumulated during the mixing process into the bottle as well - it will become kim chi brine. Some liquid will also come out of the cabbage leaves as you press down on them as they are stacked in the bottle.

Leave about 2 inches of room at the top of the bottle before capping it tightly with a lid. Allow bottle of kim chi to sit at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Your kim chi is now ready to eat. Use scissors or a knife and cutting board to cut cabbage leaves into 2 inch pieces before serving as a side dish to a bowl of rice, soup, and perhaps a piece of fish. Refrigerate remaining kim chi and take out small portions right before meals. The refrigerated kim chi will continue to ferment slowly in the refrigerator over time, becoming more sour and flavorful with each passing day. So long as you use clean utensils to take out small portions, it will keep for up to a month in your refrigerator.

[mulch]

Can you use jelly jars?
I am confused on what type of lid to use.
I haven't seen any large glass jars with lids at any of the stores I have been to. I have seen the smaller jelly jar.
Could I use them with their lid or is there another process.
I read about the river rock and plastic wrap but I still don't get it?
Thanks

[catdeveer]

mulch - i just use wide mouth quart mason jars with the canning lids. easy and cheap and resuable. and washable.

cat

[EmJo]

I haven't seen any large glass jars with lids at any of the stores I have been to. I have seen the smaller jelly jar.


What about The Container Store?