Kombucha anyone?

[Smiles Jr.]

I'm certainly not a Kombucha expert or guru but I have been making it for many years and I have played with several different ways and flavors over the years. I always seem to return to the recipe and method that I show here.

Recipe:
3 Q. spring water
2 teabags organic black tea
2 teabags organic green tea
3/4 C. organic cane sugar

1. Bring water to a rolling boil. Allow to boil 5 min.
2. Remove boiling water from heat and place all 4 teabags in water.
3. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.
4. Remove teabags and add sugar. Gently stir with wooden spoon.
5. Allow liquid to slowly cool until approx. 90°F. Do not allow the liquid to cool over night.
6. Add 2/3 C. starter liquid (2/3 C. of previous Kombucha brew - see step 10 below).
7. Add Kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast) aka "mother".
8. Cover container with cotton cloth and allow to set for 7 to 8 days.
9. On 7th day insert plastic drinking straw into liquid, under the mother, and place thumb on straw to extract a small sample. Taste. The sample should taste slightly vinegary with a light fizz.
10. Carefully remove mother and place in a covered baking dish along with a cup of the new Kombucha. This cup of new Kombucha will be the starter liquid for the next batch.
11. Place covered baking dish in refrigerator until time to make new batch.

You can experiment with all sorts of different fermentation time lengths, kinds of teas, etc. to determine your taste preference.

Some people like to do a second fermentation but after many tries I think it is a waste of time and adds nothing to the Kombucha.

You can start your own Mother by purchasing a pint bottle of pure, non-pasturized, non-flavored Kombucha at a healthfood store. Pour the Kombucha into a shallow baking dish and cover with cotton cloth. Set the dish in a warm (75°F to 80°F) location for 10 to 15 days. A thin film will develope on the surface of the liquid. This is your new mother. When this film is about 1/16" thick you are ready to use it to make your first batch of Kombucha. As you continue to make batches your mother will get thicker in thin layers. I have found that it's OK to pull off several layers of the mother when it is 1/4" to 3/8" thick. I always give my layers to friends who also want to make Kombucha.

Your SCOBY (Mother) will eventually get thick and absolutely disgusting looking. Shades of brown/grey, oozing slobber. That's OK. I have three friends who also make Kombucha and about every 6 months we cut our mothers into fourths (pie shaped pieces) and exchange them. We use scissors to cut the mothers.

I hope others who make Kombucha will chime in here with their recipes and ideas.

 

[journey11]

I do that second brew with mine, but it's just because I like to add berries or pineapple juice/ginger. I seal the lids up tight and the carbonation builds. I only leave them about 5 days, then stick them in the fridge to drink.

Smiles, Jr., do you find your kombucha has a little "kick" to it? I was told that the alcohol content was negligible, like only 0.05%, but I swear it gives me a little buzz! Very relaxing to have a glass in the evening before bed, lol.

 

[ninnymary]

Ok, what does Kombucha taste like? I've seen it at the grocery store but haven't been brave enough to buy it. Besides, I don't know if store kind is any good.

Mary

 

[so lucky]

@ninnymary, the brand I like is called Synergy, and the flavor is gingerberry. Kombucha has a unique taste, a little like a fizzy cider but not that fruity. Don't drink the whole bottle at once, or it will cause you digestive upset, to say it politely.
@journey11, I find it has a little kick to it also. I am not making it at present, mainly because I forget to drink it and it eventually goes to vinegar. You want to drink it before that stage. However, if it does, you can add more sweet tea and let it sit a couple days and it is good again. That Synergy brand is good for starting a mother, too.
You will see a layer of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, which is the active culture. It doesn't hurt to mix (very gently) this culture back into the kombucha, and drink it. It is naturally carbonated, so keep that in mind.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I used to make it. Made one gallon of black tea and a gallon of green tea. I think the green tea was my favorite. I used 1 cup of sugar and harvested between 7 and 10 days. I LOVE IT! Right now I am buying it from a friend. She does flavor some of hers, but I am not sure how she does it. I really like the original plain way of making it the best. I have another friend that makes it with the continuous brew and I have not really understood what she is talking about, but she swears it is the best way. I guess I will try it. My house is too cold and I need a heater to make it and have just been putting off buying the supplies I need.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

There are times when I think there is a little "kick" to my Kombucha but not often. We usually only drink a 4oz. measure in some juice about twice a week.

I have a friend who adds a shot of Kombucha to a small glass of wine every night at bedtime. I have another friend (imagine that!) who mixes one dipper of our raw honey with 3oz. of Kombucha every morning and a dipper of honey in a 2oz. glass of ACV each day at lunchtime. By the way, she's 94 yrs. old and as spry as a 30 yr. old.

Off topic - The 94 yr. old lady is a pure joy to know. We take her to the grocery store every week and she keeps us in stitches the whole time. Oh, the stories she can tell!

@ninnymary - to me Kombucha looks and tastes like something you would throw out with the dishwater. People keep trying to make it palatable by adding sweet stuff and other flavors. I guess we feel that the intestinal benefits outweigh the yuckie taste. AND I firmly believe that it sometimes gets caught up in the "cool thing to do" among some people. But I must say that I think it helps to aleive some of my arthritis pains. I drifted away from it a few years ago and my pain became unbearable. After a year of trying this-and-that as well as prescriptions from the Dr. I started back with the Kombucha and my pains are much less. Psychosomatic? Maybe. I don't care - it works for me.

Some Kombucha people say that the temperature during the fermentation period makes a big difference in taste. Some hard-liners say that you must brew the "brew" in a room where there are active people. And that the Kombucha is better when brewed in a well sun-lit room. There may be something to it but I kind of think that that stuff verges on voodoo. Kind of creepy.

Go ahead and try it. You won't get stoned and you just might get some benefit from it. Of course your mileage WILL vary.

 

[ninnymary]

Smilesjr, I didn't know it was good for arthritis. I will tell my friend who has knee and joint problems about it. What other health benefits does it have? So 3-4 oz. is what we should be drinking?

I'll need to look for that Synergy next time I go to the store. You guys are opening my eyes to other stuff. Thanks

Mary

 

[Nyboy]

Smilesjr, I didn't know it was good for arthritis. I will tell my friend who has knee and joint problems about it. What other health benefits does it have? So 3-4 oz. is what we should be drinking?

I'll need to look for that Synergy next time I go to the store. You guys are opening my eyes to other stuff. Thanks

Mary

Ditto

 

[Nyboy]

What are the " intestinal benefits" ?

 

[AMKuska]

I'm not sure I would drink anything that fizzed for no obvious reason. You guys sure are brave!