Couple of different issues here Deborah and I think it is important to not confuse them. First, a compromised immune system isn't something to experiment with, right? If this person's doctor feels they need probiotic supplements then I'd follow his advice. With commercial supplements, as with everything else in life there are varying degrees of quality available. based on my readings, the dosage level (low vs. high counts) is often adjusted for body tolerance. In other words nothing is gained by inundating the body with high levels when the system cannot tolerate or even use them and excretes them causing additional digestive problems. So perhaps a consistent daily low dose apparently works better. Secondly, kefir or whey or any other such additives are NOT recommended for use with compromised immune systems for the reasons already discussed. More importantly, they are not needed for safe healthy fermentation. They only serve to speed up the fermentation process and that is not necessarily always a good thing. Some recipes will say 3-5 days but that in no way means you can't let it go longer. It gets better if you do. Which is why NCHFP recommends a full 7 days for full fermentation. In other words it is possible to UNDER-ferment and risk some potentailly risky bacteria but it isn't really possible to OVER-ferment. :) NCHFP does not recommend using kefir in any of its fermented recipes and millions of us ferment all kinds of fruits and vegetables (including kimchee) and benefit from the resulting probiotics without using it. So it's easy to provide good levels of fermented foods rich in probiotics without using it. Check out the link below for more info, especially the peach chutney. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Fermented food recipes

I found this at the link below... With raw sauerkraut, you have a guarantee that you are ingesting a high amount of live beneficial bacteria with every mouthful, as long as you don't heat or cook the sauerkraut, which would kill the probiotics. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/538697-is-sauerkraut-better-than-probiotics-in-the-store/#ixzz2JwMFDJUc Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Is Sauerkraut Better Than Probiotics in the Store?

Monique...so happy you got your little cukes. You can not believe how good Chase's pickles are. I know I've heard it over and over but my first bite was really good....I mean REALLY good! K..here it is and make sure to follow her directions exactly how they are written. Sharon's Dill Pickles Here is more information about Dills than you ever wanted! I have no idea what exactly makes these pickles so good so I am religious about following the steps to the tee! I make these a bushel at a time, each bushel yields about 50 jars. If using less than a bushel you can usually count on between 6-8 dills(cukes) per 1 quart jar, depending on size. Use 3" to 4" cukes that have just been picked. I get mine at the market and always insist on cukes that have been picked that morning or the day before at the earliest. Place the cukes in ice cold water (I use my bath tub!!) and add a bag or two of ice to the water. The cukes should stay in the ice water for a minimum of 2 hours but no more than 8. Refresh the ice as required. I make the brine in great big batches using this ratio: 2 cups white vinegar (I use pickling vinegar) 6 cups water 1/3 cup coarse pickling salt For each jar of dills you will need 2 nice size garlic cloves peeled and cut in half (4 pieces) and two dill florets. Use the dill heads not that fluffy stuff! So if you are doing a bushel....that is 50 jars so you need 100 dill florets and 100 garlic cloves. Leave the cukes whole. Now here is where the canning police and I part ways. This is how I do it and have for 30 years but it is not according to the guidelines . You'll need to make your own choice but I am convinced this is why they are so crisp. I sterilize my jars using the sani cycle of the dishwasher (you could boil the jars instead) When they are really hot, almost at the end of the cycle I place them in a oven at 150 degree to keep them good and hot. Make the brine and bring the brine to a full and rolling boil. Place the rings and lids in a large saucepan with water and bring them almost to the boil. Then turn down but keep them hot. Place the cukes, garlic and dill in the hot jars. I do garlic, dill, cukes, garlic, dill. Pour brine over the cukes. Only do 2 jars at a time, leave the rest in the oven to keep them hot. Wipe the rim really well, this is critical to sealing, and place lid and ring on and screw to finger tight. Let sit 6-8 weeks before eating! Here is what I think is most critical: Fresh cukes Ice bath Boiling hot brine Very hot jars Clean rim So as a recap of ingredients 1) Make the brine in the quantity you need , just keep making it 2) Count on 6-8 medium size cukes to a jar 3) 2 large florets of dill to a jar 4) 2 large size garlic cloves, cut in half, ( 4 pieces) per jar Well that's all I can think of for now! Let me know if you have questions and let me know how they turn out! Good luck !

Oh yes, the idea is not lost on us, and folks are trying it in a variety of ways. There are infrastructure dollars available right now supporting towns in this effort. We shall see how viable this all ends up being. I have seen many cute places with great ideas go out of business. We had a wonderful outlet from a local apple orchard with fresh local produce and also many local made gifts and food items. As I mentioned, it went out of business last year. We have upgraded all the parking, roads and actually the buildings too. Also built apartments downtown. Have a viable library, theater and now Children's Museum is going in. There is a local brew pub, pizza pub, Mexican restaurant and coffee house along with a long time beloved local diner. An high end antique store, craft shop, Mexican grocery, photography studio, bridal boutique that just opened up and a couple of hair salons. All new, Other buildings are just waiting for viable businesses. I am actually very involved in a blossoming community center downtown next to the park that is on the four corners of our town. That has also been revitalized, (the park). It is adjacent to three of of the mainline churches, two of which are historical landmarks. The potential is there, but the question is will the customers come in enough volume to make it work at the bottom line financial level. Stay tuned. We've had versions of all of the above before, and they all went out of business. Some quite rapidly. My church is one of the historical ones, our congregation numbers are way, way down and show no signs of picking up. Mostly elderly, and they are dropping one by one and no new generation taking their places. But that's another story too . . . We have all the festivals, etc. to, to bring folks downtown. But the level of poverty here is quite significant, and the folks with money to spend downtown is quite a small cohort. Folks have gotten out of the habit, and can find cheaper alternatives online or at Walmart and other marts out on the edge of town which is full of strip malls. Of course many storefronts empty there too, ironically. But that has become pot shop central. And not for houseplants, marijuana, which is legal in MI. I have at least seven within a mile of my house. Plenty of fast food chains there for when the customers get the munchies! As much as folks on CF might love a fermented foods shop, no way would such a thing ever be financially viable in my small rural Midwestern town. We couldn't even keep the shop selling authentic Venezuelan arepas going. That building is empty now looking for a new business. It was once the home of a fabulous family-owned upscale department store. We all fondly remember shopping there. The building still has all the classy real wood elements and antique elevator . . . nothing has been able to survive there since the 2000's.