If you’ve been in natural food circles very long at all you’ve probably heard the name Kombucha. When I first heard the name I didn’t really dive into learning much about it until about two years ago when a friend of mine explained what it was and allowed me to sample her homemade Kombucha. I must say, I was hooked! I immediately acquired what I needed to make my own and set out to learn all that I could about this unusual drink. It’s especially nice when you’ve given up drinking soft drinks and want something with a little fizz on occasion.
It is believed that Kombucha first originated in China and then spread to Russia. Russians generally referred to Kombucha as “Tea Kvass” since it’s basically a fermented tea. Somewhere after 1910 it began to show up in Germany and Europe, and eventually spread from there. Kombucha is basically a fermented tea, that is cultured by a SCOBY, which stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. You may also hear the SCOBY referred to as the “mother” or a “mushroom”. This SCOBY is placed into tea along with a small amount of already brewed Kombucha and allowed to ferment for usually five to eight days. During this time the SCOBY consumes the sugar that is contained in the tea and leaves behind a slightly sweet, fizzy drink loaded with health benefits. The longer it is allowed to ferment the more “vinegar like” it will begin to taste. If you don’t allow it to ferment enough you will also lose some of the health benefits that come from the fermentation process. After the tea has been fully brewed it will contain approximately 1% alcohol, acetic acid, gluconic acid, glycuronic acid, L-lactic acid, carbonic acid, caprylic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, usnic acid, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12 and C, folic acid, amino acids, and other substances with antibiotic, antiseptic and detoxifying characteristics.
When I first began drinking Kombucha. I started off very slowly, because it does have a detoxifying effect on the body. I started off with about an ounce at first and then moved up an ounce every few days. The best thing to do is listen to your body, and consume it accordingly. I have worked up to about eight to ten ounces a day now. I noticed right away that I got a boost of energy after drinking the Kombucha due to the B vitamins it contains. You may notice at first that you have more skin blemishes or other “die off” reactions while the liver is ridding the body of toxins. If these become bothersome reduce your amount back a bit and then slowly increase to give your body more time to process. As always, it helps to drink lots of water when doing any sort of detox to flush the system of toxins.
Below are simple instructions to brew your first batch of Kombucha tea.
What you will need:
gallon sized glass jar
organic sugar
kombucha culture or apple cider vinegar
SCOBY
filtered water
organic green or black tea
stainless steel pot
It is very important to make sure everything is very clean that you will be using to make your Kombucha. Wash hands thoroughly and all equipment so you don’t introduce bacteria to your tea.
Pour approximately three cups of filtered water into pan
Bring water to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of organic sugar until dissolved and place 6 bags in the pan to steep. I use green tea bags.
Allow tea to steep for at least 15 minutes and then remove tea bags. You can either allow the water to cool completely to room temperature on it’s own or add 2 quarts of cool filtered water. Once tea has cooled to room temperature you’re ready to proceed.
Next get out your SCOBY.
This is what the SCOBY looks like. Almost like a pancake.
Next place 1 1/2 cups of Kombucha tea in gallon glass jar. (This may be purchased at the store, get some from a friend or you can start your first batch by using distilled white vinegar). Note: Do not use raw apple cider vinegar. This contains it’s own culture that is similar to Kombucha and can eventually take over your Kombucha or cause it not to work.
Add your cooled tea mixture and enough filtered water to almost fill jar, stir with a non reactive spoon. Then add your SCOBY.
This what it will like. Add sufficient headspace because the brew will bubble.
If you see stringy brown stuff on the SCOBY that is no cause for alarm. These are yeast colonies forming on the SCOBY. However if you see any mold spots on the SCOBY that are green or blue discard SCOBY and tea and start again with a fresh batch.
You can see the bubbles forming around the outside as it ferments.
Cover jar with a napkin or coffee filter with a rubber band around to keep bugs or foreign particles out and place in a cool dark place undisturbed for five days. Taste tea at this point by sticking a small plastic spoon or non reactive utensil in the jar. It should be slightly sweet with a tangy taste and have some fizz. If it is still quite sweet allow it to brew another day or two and then taste again. You may also check the PH of your tea to see if it is complete. The PH should be between 2.6 and 4.0 for consumption and to be on the safe side it is a good idea to check this. At this point you can pour tea out into glass jars or bottles with tight fitting lids and allow to sit on the counter for another 24 to 48 hours for continued fermenting without the SCOBY. This creates more fizz. Then refrigerate. Reserve a cup and half of tea with the SCOBY for the next batch of tea. The SCOBY will begin to form new layers and once it gets thick you can separate and reserve for future use in the refrigerater with some Kombucha or pass on to a friend. Now you are ready to enjoy you first glass of home brewed Kombucha!
This Kombucha is blueberry flavored. I substituted two blueberry tea bags for two green tea bags. Chai tea may also be used.
Enjoy!
Yum! Blueberry – what a great variation.
It’s probably my favorite! Even my pickier family members like the blueberry 🙂