One of the things I like
to do when I'm being healthy is make my own Kombucha. If you don't know what
that is I'll, give you a fast run down.
You start with a SCOBY,
a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria or Yeast. Pour Some tea in. Add some sugar, and
then let it ferment.
Sounds kind of gross,
and looks kind of gross, but I’ve actually named mine. Her name is Phillipa. (In
my mind, they’re all girls, because they make babies.)
As for why it’s healthy.
Kombucha is said to be high
in probiotics and vitamin B. While we can’t confirm this, as Kombucha is not
FDA approved, it does make me feel better and gives me more energy.
Disclaimer: Kombucha is
a fermented drink, but it is non-alcoholic depending on how long you ferment
it. You can’t get drunk from it, but as they say work out your own salvation on
that one.
You can buy a SCOBY from
the internet, or you can get a bottle of original/natural Kombucha from the
store. It just takes longer if you buy it, because you have to wait for the
SCOBY to get large enough to produce.
For making the Kombucha,
you need to make sure everything you use is glass, metal, or wooden. Plastic is
porous and the Kombucha can soak up whatever toxins the plastics has in it.
So, for the things
you'll need a jar for the Kombucha.
·
SCOBY
·
Tea—I have used both
green and black tea.
·
Sugar—Organic is
supposed to better, but I use regular.
·
Distilled water.
·
Bottles—I use old
Synergy Kombucha Bottles
·
Vinegar
·
Thin piece of fabric or
cheese cloth.
First, wash everything
with the vinegar.
Boil the distilled
water. I use a metal tea kettle. You can see it in the back.
Next, make tea. Proper
way to make tea, bring it to a boil. Let it cool and then add the tea. Add the sugar at this point too.
.
Let the tea cool
completely.
Add it to the jar that
already has the Kombucha SCOBY.
I have a siphon that I
use to do it because ladling is annoying and messy. This actually goes pretty
quickly with the siphon. Also, if you're pouring it in, you should move the
Kombucha SCOBY. You don’t want to damage it
Use the cheese cloth or
fabric. I cut up old thread-bare pillow cases in the name of economy. This allows
oxygen to get into the tea solution, but usually prevents flies from getting
in.
There you can see Phillipa
The fermentation process
takes roughly one week.
Also, note, that if
you're making the Kombucha for the first time or it's been dormant for a long
time, you'll need to make a batch and the pour it out. I know it sounds
wasteful, but you have to let the SCOBY “wake up”.
And don't ever let the
tea run out so much that it doesn't cover your Kombucha. If it does, then it
will shrivel and die.
At the end of a week,
you can get a pH tester and test the balance. It’s should be about 3.2—2.8 for
safe consumption. I did this until I felt comfortable going by taste.
If you let it ferment to
long, it will turn to vinegar. It will also turn to vinegar if the room
is too hot.
Last, pour it into bottles
and stick them in the fridge or the fermentation process will continue.
You'll notice that your
SCOBY replicates too. You can leave those or take them out. It's not a big deal
either way. If you put them in the fridge though, the will go dormant.
And bonus info:
You can use SCOBY's in
your beauty routine. It will give you a great facial exfoliation, if you want
to rub it on your skin. If you’re not too emotionally attached to it, you can
blend it up and add different things to make creams.
That is how you make
Kombucha at home, and save yourself the $4.00 a day.
