Kombucha - The Immortal Health Elixir!

I have a keen interest in Fungi, that should be obvious to you by now!  I am also investigating the possibility of self sufficiency (as self sufficient as sensibly possible, anyway), and love foraging etc.  I'm not hugely into alternative medicine, but I do like the idea, doctors are all to keen to hand out drugs, quite often unnecessarily.  I like the idea of a little self help.  OH has introduced me to Kombucha.  He used to have some years ago and use it on a regular basis.  So what is Kombucha?

Kombucha is an ancient Chinese tea, which dates back over 2000 years!  It is a sweet tea which has been fermented by a symbiotic bacteria and yeast colony.  Although it looks rather strange, it is said to have some incredible health benefits.  Russian scientists have claimed it appears to be why they have such low cancer rates in some areas of the country.  It is also good for the digestive system and joints, helping to improve arthritis.   The Chinese obviously hold it in high regard, as that is where the name Immortal Health Elixir comes from!

As the colony matures it splits off new pieces called 'scobys', these can then be separated to form new beverages.  The tradition is to give them away to someone new, but I have heard that you can make face packs from them! Anyway, we recently found a local lady, through the power of Facebook, who had some Kombucha scobys to give away, and we made the trip over to meet her.  She's a lovely lady, working hard on her own self sufficiency and permaculture model, and it was very interesting to meet her.  We collected a scoby from her and now have our own Kombucha tea brewing.  It will need a few days before it is ready, but I am looking forward to trying it.  

For more information about Kombucha, have a look here.

Still Room for Mushrooms

OH has cracked a rib and is lots of pain.  We were planning a walk up Cadair Idris yesterday, but he was unable to carry his pack, so we had to abort.  Today we managed a short walk in the woods.

At first it seemed that due to our climate there were no mushrooms left to find, but before long brackets of all types seemed to appear.  Then the more we looked, the more we found.  No Jelly Ears, to my disappointment, but a brand new find for me, Elf Cups!
Not sure if they are Scarlet or Ruby, but they are Elf Cups all the same.  The brand new ones were just mm across!  They grow to about a maximum of 7cm when fully expanded.  Just as well they are the colour they are, much easier to spot!  They grow on fallen hardwood and are often surrounded by moss, making them harder to see.

I also found plentiful Birch Polypore, and have learnt that although bitter, it can be brewed into a tea which is very good for the immune system.  I might have to make up a winter brew.  Maybe with some berries added to it for sweetness.