The Gracious Gourmet Spiced Sour Cherry Spread, 4-Ounce Jars (Pack of 4)

This is the best ever. Not too sweet-I don't care much for jams and jellies-but this is wonderful. Just tart enough and flavorful. Great on toast, cheese cake, and more.

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Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder, Organic, 16-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 2)

Hello Raw Cacao Lovers!

Here is the real truth about vitamin C (ascorbic acid) content in Raw Cacao:

Despite the trafficked reports circulating the internet, the honest truth remains: even when processed at low temperatures (i.e. "raw"), there is no vitamin C (ascorbic acid) present in cacao.

Recently, highly trafficked websites such as have highlighted the misinformation of cacao's supposed vitamin C content. Included in these reports are claims that raw cacao is "extraordinarily high in vitamin C."

Back in 2004, our Navitas Naturals lab tests directly looked for vitamin C content in raw cacao, but came up negative. Despite these results, the current media blitz brought us back again for another round of lab testing of our best-selling raw cacao products (beans, nibs and powder) for vitamin C. This time, we used two different laboratories instead of one, and utilized three different analytical methods: High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Capilary Electrophoresis (CE) with UV detection, and Titration.

Though all three methods have their place in the scientific community, Titration is the most commonly used method in the food industry when determining vitamin C (ascorbic acid) content. However, there is a critical detail within the Titration method many companies miss when testing raw cacao. The method of Titration is unable to differentiate the vitamin C (ascorbic acid) from the vitamin's analogs. The result is what is known as a "false positive."

This is why, at Navitas Naturals, we use HPLC when testing raw cacao's vitamin C content. The HPLC method looks directly for vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and not just the analogs. Additionally, after sending samples of our products to another lab to test using the CE method, the reports returned consistent the HPLC results.

We have now also tested one of the largest raw cacao brands in the United States using the Titration and HPLC methods. And yet again the results confirm our previous conclusion that raw cacao has no vitamin C (ascorbic acid) present.

Cacao is a tremendously beneficial superfood, containing a wide spectrum of minerals and phytonutrients. It is important to be clear however, Vitamin C is not amongst these nutrients.

Sincerely,

Zach Adelman, President

Navitas Naturals

Okay, so I'm a vegan, and I'm a baker and now that its cold, I become obsessed with this stuff. It has 5g of protein in a serving, is unprocessed so you actually get the cacao benefit instead of Hershey crap, and honestly, its the best cocoa I've ever used. Seriously. The quality is unsurpassed and I cannot even begin to tell you how much you'll use it once you try it. I make my hot chocolate with it! Once you go natural cacao, you just don't go back.

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I love this chocolate powder. My family and I recently became aware that MSG and its hidden forms (autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed protein, yeast extract, calcium caseinate, natural flavors, etc.) are the source of our health problems. This discovery led to searching for less processed (especially by high heat) food products. This is a great find! Do beware, if you try this stuff you will not be able to go back to Hershey's....it is that good. Hot chocolate, chocolate ice cream, chocolate nut butters are all fabulous made with chocolate powder rather than highly processed cocoa powder.

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This is raw CACAO powder NOT COCOA powder. This is NOT like Ghirardelli's or Hershey's or Nestle's or Swiss Miss cocoa powder. This is NOT a direct substitute for those products in cooking or making hot chocolate. There is no sugar in this product, it is bitter (the way it was meant to be) and it is a different product.

This is also made from cacao beans like chocolate but it isn't processed the same way. This is a simply ground (minimally processed to remove the bean's husk) cacao beans. In fact, unlike cocoa or chocolate this is high in fiber and low in fat (17% of the calories come from fat content). It is low in calories at 24 calories per tablespoon. It also has ALL the health benefits of chocolate at a much, much higher concentration than even the darkest chocolate because the processing of chocolate/cocoa breaks down the healthy compounds.

So, how do people use it? I mix this product with hot chocolate mix to add a little bite to it. I also add a level tablespoon to my coffee in the morning to give it a cafe mocha type flavor that I have grown addicted to! People substitute this for cocoa only when they are either adjusting their expectations or their recipes.

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I have a subscription to this product because it's so good, and you can't beat the price. The powder easily mixes into anything. It has a full, rich flavor with no additives or fillers and it's raw. My favorite way to use it is to mix it into coconut oil and agave, with a little extract like peppermint, orange, or lemon. It makes a lovely chocolate sauce that hardens on contact when it touches something frozen. I add the sauce to banana icecream, which is made from frozen bananas which I run through my juicer machine with the blank plate to make raw soft serve. It's a wonderful, raw healthy treat that I sometimes have in place of a meal. Go ahead and subscribe and get Amazon prime. It's totally worth it for this cacao powder.

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Pedro Romero Prestige Reserva Sherry Vinegar (12.68 oz/375 ml)

We have discovered exceptional sherry vinegar, unique in its composition

and its lineage. It is made of Palomino grapes in Sanlúcar de Barrameda,

the exclusive source of light, dry Manzanilla sherry -the favorite of

aficionados throughout the world.

If you normally use one of the variety of "balsamic" wine vinegars, or cider

vinegar, you will be delighted with this new dimension you will add to your

cuisine. It has a bright zesty flavor, which is perfect for salads, and

vinaigrette dressings. It adds depth to soups and stews. Its commanding 7%

acidity means that a little bit provides a huge amount of rich flavor.

This exquisite Pedro Romero 'Prestige' Reserva Manzanilla Sherry Vinegar

comes from a long history of fine sherry vinegars stretching back for

generations within one of the original families who liberated the area

from the Moors in the 15th Century. It is made via the Solera process where

the mother vinegar is strengthened and refreshed each year by integrating

new generations of vinegar into the ancient base.

Over the years, the Valdespino family earned the reputation for producing

superlative sherry vinegar fermented in individual 500-liter oak casks.

After the fermentation had completely run its course and cold weather set

in, family members tasted each cask to make a selection. The result is

a fabled vinegar with hundreds of years of history.

In the sixteenth century, the Hapsburg Emperor Charles V (Carlos I of Spain),

sent Sanlúcar vinegars to Rome and the leading European Courts of France,

England, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Russia, and Poland. Be a part of history,

get a bottle of this.

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Back to the Roots Oyster Mushroom Kit

We have grown many mushroom kits with fabulous success, so even with the poor reviews, we bought this kit. Having followed the instructions exactly (soak 24 hours, mist twice or more daily) we got a great burst of little mushrooms. They grew, we misted. We misted and they dried up!

So, unwilling to throw $17.00 away, we read everything we could find on the web on Oyster Mushrooms. Then we cut 1/4 off the block and seeded a couple pounds of fresh, damp coffee grounds with the "seed".

We soaked the remainder for 48 hours This time we re-sealed the block in our vacuum sealer, cut an opening and covered the block with a clear plastic bag --placing it in exactly the same place in our kitchen. Mushrooms happened again! And again, even with the plastic bag serving as an incubator, they dried up.

Meanwhile, the mycellium in the fresh coffee grounds have taken off!

So, unwilling to give up, we resoaked the "Brick" and put in under a plastic cube. Mushrooms are forming again -this time we think they will make it!

After much thought, it seems clear that some "bricks" of used coffee grounds are too compressed and dry to take on adequate moisture. We love the concept of re-use and think the developers of this product are on to something. The bricks are innoculated with ample spores, however the substrate at least in some cases is too compressed to have mushrooms survive -even in a humid environment. If you try this kit, soak it for a long time and put it in a plastic cube or bell jar from the outset. Good luck!

I purchased this as a gift for my wife for Christmas, we followed the instructions EXACTLY and after 10 days, we just got a lot of white mold no mushrooms.

We contacted customer service (twice) since they state on the site that they guarantee their product. After 2 days, no response.

UPDATE: 1/15/12

Last Tuesday January 11, the company finally contacted me and said they were committed to customer service, would replace it if it was dead and could I please send pictures. So I sent pictures, and they told me it was still viable but just a "late bloomer" and to send pictures again on Tuesday, 1/17. If the kit still didn't show any mushrooms, then they'd send me a new kit.

Wouldn't you know it, yesterday morning the kit started showing significant signs of mushrooms after about 14 days, and today they're much bigger (and more of them).

So, at this point, I would say it's a ok kit, but I just think they need to revise their marketing materials and change the "mushrooms in as little as 10 days" part. I was VERY close to throwing it away twice.

Bottom line, be patient. If you get this kit and you don't have any luck, email the company with pictures of your kit(feedback@backtotheroots.com). They probably won't get back to you the next day, but hopefully they will within a few days.

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(#1 REVIEWER)These mushroom are fun to watch and tasty to eat! I just cut the package, sprayed twice a day with a provided mister, and in about 10 days got the mushrooms! I got 4 crops out of one package, with each successive crop being a little smaller than the previous one. Note that the mushrooms don't like drafts, so keep them away from fans and air conditioners.

Oyster mushrooms are mild in flavor, have a slightly nutty taste. The oyster mushroom absorbs other flavors well and change their flavor to go well with whatever you are cooking. You can use the whole mushroom the cap and the stem. They are easy to use in many different ways. They taste great just sauteed in butter. I saute and then add them to pasta. I also add them to stews or as ingredient for any sauce I make for cooking chicken. I also found they go great with any Indian sauce, like Pataks: Pataks Vindaloo Curry Paste 10 Oz

In this order you will receive 1 package of mushrooms (even though three packages are shown in a photo). However the product description does say that the total weight of the package is 2.6 pounds, and the title says that each kit is 3-pounds. So the info is there, but could have been more clear.

Ali Julia review

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Be careful on this one. I followed all the instructions: soaking it 24 hours, misting twice a day, keeping it out of direct sunlight... and all I grew was a lot of white mold. And guess what, there's no guarantee or return policy at all, so a moldy brick of coffee grounds which promises, but does not deliver mushrooms, goes for $20 on Amazon and the buyer is SOL. Very disappointing buy.

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I received this as a Christmas gift and was delighted. I followed directions EXACTLY presoaking, misting, temperature range correct, lighting correct. No mushrooms ever appeared from the "front" of the box several stems tried to grow from the covered sides, withered and died. I harvested one mushroom from "side one." As directed, I repeated the presoak, misting, etc on the second side of the box, with the same results.... nothing from the "back", but several stems weakly tried to grow from the sides, withered and died. One mushoom harvested from that side as well not a cluster a single mushroom. I'm so appreciative for the thoughtfulness of the gift givers, but extremely disappointed that the kit was a complete failure. Don't waste your money.

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