Kombucha Tea
Stay healthy this winter with some fermented Kombucha Tea
© Terri Paajanen
Jan 19, 2007
Kombucha tea will supposedly heal almost any ailment and will keep you living longer. It's an unusual fermented drink that requires a starter culture to brew your own.
Kombucha tea is well-known among the natural medicine community, as a wonderful cure-all for a long list of ailments. It can also add years to your life.
While I don't necessarily support nor deny any of these health-related claims, I do find the whole process of making this unusual drink to be interesting. I admit I have not personally tried Kombucha tea (yet!).
A good article detailing the various physiological benefits of Kombucha can be found here: Kombucha, What it is, and how it works.
Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage, that requires a starter often called a "mushroom". That's not really correct. The start culture is actually a colony of yeast and bacteria and not related to mushrooms at all. Perhaps people call it a mushroom because it sounds better than a "blob of bacteria". These starters are light brown and looks a bit like a wet pancake.
It has a unique sharp flavour, due to the fermenting process. Your tea may even become carbonated due to the actions of the yeast.
The basic process for making your own kombucha tea is as follows:
- Add a living piece of starter culture to a mixture of brewed tea (black or green) and sugar, in a jar or container covered in cheesecloth.
- Leave the container in a dark warm place for several days while the mixture ferments.
- Once the tea reaches a certain acidity level (between 2.7 and 3.2 pH), it will have a tart flavour and be slightly carbonated. You can pour off tea for your own consumption, and leave the rest to start your next batch
A more detailed set of instructions can be found at this Kombucha Tea site or on the Coffee and Tea site at About.com.
If you want to try brewing up your own Kombucha Tea, you will need to find a friend to share a culture with, or buy one. Herbal Remedies offers a selection of starter cultures and brewing kits
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Comments
Jan 19, 2007 10:36 AM
Terri Paajanen
:
Has anyone made their own Kombucha tea before? I'd love to hear your experiences with it.
Feb 12, 2007 3:11 PM
Barbara Doyen
:
Hi, Terri!
Someone near where I live died after drinking this. Obviously, they did something wrong in making it. Just thought I'd pass along a little warning.
Love your site!
Feb 26, 2007 2:00 PM
Heidi
:
I love this tea!!! its helped me and my sister in soooo many ways!!!
Mar 11, 2007 12:09 PM
Frantz Mathias
:
Hi
I did brew my own and it was a wonderful surprise. soooooo easy to make once you follow the procedures.. You need Refined WHite sugar (YEah!! I know but the culture uses most of the sugar to "make" the Kombucha Beverage so...)> I use Distilled water, I got my culture from Anahtra Balance and it was a good healthy culture... 7 days later, KT!! It is easy but it takes a while to get the right taste, so fat my satndard for taste is GT Dave Kombucha mine is not close but I am getting there, Try it you will like it..
Mar 14, 2007 5:53 AM
Terri Paajanen
:
Did you find it difficult or hard to make? Seems bit more complicated than your typical beverages....
Mar 18, 2007 7:21 PM
Frantz Mathias
:
Hi VEry Long reply, I apologize:
Hi
Keep in mind it is a fermented beverage. You prepare a mixture and let it ferment for 5 to 14 days... I am on my 3rd Batch of Kombucha. It is easy to make, very easy... There is no much you do:
You have to first get a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast)... You get it from a person or purchase one. I got mine from Anahata balance. They are very supportive and will answer your questions vie e-mail or Phone calls. http://www.anahatabalance.com/... It comes with a starter tea. You follow the directions they would have sent you but this is how you make a gallon:
1) Boil about half a gallon of distilled water.
2) Add to it 1 1/2 cup of Refined Sugar
3) make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
4) Put 5 Teabag of good organic Green or Black tea or a combination of 3 green and 2 black organic Tea bags. The better the Tea quality the better the taste of the Kombucha. I use Organic green Tea from a Company called Long Life. Leave the bags for 30 mins or so. Take them off.
5) Mix the remaining half gallon of distilled water to the brewed tea and add the starter tea that came with the SCOBY. If you got your SCOBY from one of the person on the Kombucha exchange list, then use a good active commercial Kombucha such as the GT Dave Original Kombucha, 16 Oz plus the SCOBY will make the gallon of Kombucha Tea. Let the mixture cool to Room temperature, Very important step, else you kill the scobby. I just leave it overnight. Put the whole thing in a (1 Gallon capacity) glass Jar with a large opening. I got mine at Target and I have seen them in Wal Mart and other places, The best container is glass, most other containers react with the SCOBBY.
6) You put the scobby in the glass jar. Cover it with Bounty or Cheesecloth (I use Bounty) put a rubber band around it to keep dust from falling into the tea.
6) you put it in a dark place where the temperature is normal room temperature and away from fumes (Not in the Kitchen!!)... You leave it 7 to 14 days... You leave, undisturbed. Then you put it in a glass container and close it tightly...
It is as foolproof as it sounds.. Simple and incredibly healthy. One more thing. Do not use tap water, it is most likely chlorinated and thatis not good for the SCOBY also keep your hands and all utensils you will use very clean, Use boiled water and vinegar to clean everything when you make the Kombucha tea.. Oh The SCOBY will produce another SCOBY every time you make KT..
