Kombucha is a specially prepared tea that is made by fermenting usually green or black tea using a culture of yeast and bacteria.
Adding sugar and tea to the culture allows the fermentation process to begin with the end product being a tasty beverage that contains healthy substances such as good bacteria, vitamins, enzymes and organic acids. Kombucha is fairly simple to make and can be made inexpensively at home using these steps:
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1 – Clean your working area really well with soap and water. In addition, wash your hands and any equipment you will be using, such as pots, utensils and a ½ gallon glass jar for your Kombucha to ferment in. The items should be well-rinsed and free of soap residue.
2 – Brew The Tea. Boil a cup and a half of clean, filtered water in a pot and then turn off the heat. Let the 2 tea bags steep for 15 minutes. Green, organic, black or white tea is best to use. Stir in ¾ cup of organic cane sugar until dissolved. The sugar is food for the culture to allow the tea to ferment. Add 8 cups of cold water to the pot to cool it down and then pour the mixture into a ½ gallon jar for fermentation. Add more clean, filtered water if necessary, leaving a couple inches of space from the top of the jar.
3- The Kombucha is ready to ferment. An adhesive temperature strip added to the side of the jar is highly recommended to monitor the temperature. This may be purchased online by going to Amazon or another online retailer. You want to add the culture when the temperature of the liquid is below 100 degrees or when it feels cool. The culture is called a SCOBY and can be purchased online as well on Amazon or kombuchabrooklyn.com. Once the SCOBY is added, cover the jar with an organic cotton cover held in place with a rubber band. Place the jar in an environment between 72 degrees and 80 degrees avoiding direct sunlight. The batch should be ready in about 2 weeks.
Kombucha is a fermented health beverage that is fairly simple to make with the right equipment. Good bacteria in your gut is one of the healthiest substances that are produced from making it. A batch of Kombucha will be ready after about 2 weeks depending on different factors such as brewing temperature and taste preference, but you can start tasting it after about 9 days to see if it is ready. The second part of the brewing process consists of deciding when the Kombucha is ready to drink, adding flavor to it and getting ready to brew a second batch.
When the Kombucha is done fermenting and ready for consumption is up to you. Usually the longer you let it brew, the more sour the taste gets and if you let it stop brewing before 2 weeks, the taste tends to be sweeter. It is worth tasting a little bit of the brew every day starting before the 2 weeks using a well-cleaned spoon or other utensil. After you determine that the batch is ready, you are going to remove the SCOBY and the 2nd SCOBY which sometimes forms with the first one and place them in another well-cleaned jar. Next, take a cup and a half of the Kombucha liquid and place that in the same jar with the SCOBYS. You are now ready to start a new batch with this second jar.
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You now have a couple options with the Kombucha from the first jar. You can put it in the fridge and start enjoying it, and this would be considered an original Kombucha flavor. The second option is you can flavor the Kombucha. For this you can use fresh fruits, fruit juices, frozen fruits, spices or herbs. Add whatever item you choose to use and the sugar from the fruit you use will be consumed by the good bacteria in the Kombucha creating bubbles and fizziness. Add an item such as berries or sliced ginger to the jar of Kombucha for 1-3 days and use a closed lid instead of the cotton cloth. After that time period, the flavored Kombucha
Known as the “Immortal Health Elixir” by the Chinese and originating in the Far East around 2,000 years ago, Kombucha is a beverage with tremendous health benefits. Dr. Axe
7 Reasons to Drink Kombucha Every Day – Dr. Axe