Hello Beautiful friend!
One of the things I am SUPER excited about in the upcoming changes to the blog is having sections for different topics I will be blogging about. One of those sections will be all about Holistic Living, or "Crunchy" living. * I do not really like that term because a LOT of people think they live "crunchy" but are very misguided and give those of us who are a bad rap. I am trying to say that in the nicest way possible. There are many times my time hop comes up and I just cringe at how uneducated I was! But, Hey! You live and learn and when you know better, you DO better.
Anyhow, soon ( thanks to my gorgeous friend Stephanie ) This will be in that section!
Let's chat about Kombucha. What is it? Why do I want to drink it? Should I buy or make it? How do I even go about making it?
What the heck is it? It is a magical drink that has been used for thousands of years to heal a number of ailments and restore good gut flora into your body! Okay, I say magical. But, it really is one of the unicorns of probiotics! It is a fermented tea and here are a few conditions it has been known and recorded to help! Acid Reflux, Inflammation, Allergies, Sinus Pressure, IBS, Constipation, Fogginess, Adrenal Fatigue and the list goes on. Kombucha is not a CURE for anything, it actually helps your body to create a more natural balance. Which is pretty awesome! Most Kombucha drinkers are very loyal and consume it daily. In fact in our family our Kombucha has taken over the place of soda! It is bubbly and carbonated and oh SO good!
Here are a few more reasons to consider drinking some Kombucha:
*Contains living bacteria and yeast
*Substituted for sugary sodas or multiple trips to the coffee pot
*Acts as a snack or pre-meal hunger control
*Alkalizes like vinegar or lemon juice – balances internal pH
*Compounds in the drink may bond to and help excrete toxins from the liver – happy liver = happy mood
*May speed metabolism
*The acids present may improve digestion or alleviate constipation
*Improved flexibility & fluidity of movement
*Smooth energy from low levels of tea
*Relieve headaches & migraines
*Antioxidants & polyphenols from the tea are partially fermented and so more bioavailable
*Kills h.pylori on contact
*Certain acids present are considered candida-cides
It basically is an all natural, healthy soda that helps your body to balance and function better. I have a friend who came over last week and tried my Kombucha. The next day she sent me a text and it said ," OMG! Can I have more Kombucha? Last night was the first night I was able to sleep with out my sinus being blocked and no runny nose. It was like having no allergies! I am a believer." Now, your personal results will vary, but, if it does nothing else but help you to not have soda and all of it's NASTY, DEADLY, CANCER CAUSING CHEMICALS ( How is that for a guilt trip?) then hey! Be happy!
Are you freaking out about the word bacteria?
Yes, it is a living bacteria. But, the good bacteria! The kind antibiotics kills in your intestinal tract. The kind your body needs! In fact here is an interesting excerpt from Kombucha Kamp:
"The fact of the matter is that while in the 19th century we were in dire need of sanitary practices, the negative attitude towards ALL bacteria has spiraled out of control. Bacteria outnumber our human cells 9 to 1! With all the hand sanitizers and constant antibiotic prescriptions, we have created a worse problem than we have realized. The bacterial cells tell our human cells what to do, how to behave, how to replicate. We NEED bacteria.
When you have an over population of “bad” bacteria – sugar loving bacteria – they send signals to your brain that you need to consume MORE sugar so they can reproduce. You may think you have a sweet tooth, but more likely you have an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria and unhealthy yeast like Candida. By incorporating “good” bacteria into your body – those found in ALL fermented foods – foods that humans have been consuming since they figured out how to use it for preservation (no fridge), you start to displace that “bad” bacteria. Your body’s pH returns to a more alkaline state. Your gut moves those sugar bugs out and your cravings decrease – in fact, you may find that our over-sugared food supply doesn’t taste good at all. Your body will regain its natural instincts and ability to “tell” you which foods are most nourishing.
This notion of “good” bacteria also extends to pasteurization..."
Find the entire post about it Here.
If you would like to test your spit for candida overgrowth, click right here.
To read about bacterias and their effects on child behaviors and temperaments click on this.
Now onto the next question....
Should I buy it or make it?
Well, we used to buy it. But it can be really pricey. It averages out around $5 a bottle (16 oz). That is like buying a Starbucks coffee every day. Remember I said Kombucha drinkers are loyal drinkers, so it comes out to a pricey addiction. But there is hope! You can brew your own and it comes out to about $2 a batch for our family. We make ours all organic and I get pretty creative around here with flavors. You can add fruit in the second ferment ( we will get to that) or you could have a continuous brew. Or you can do your second ferment without fruit puree and just throw in a raisin, piece of candied ginger or pineapple. Whichever works for your taste buds or your schedule. It really is so simple. Trust me, I researched for hours every night the girls went to bed and took notes. I pinned recipes and learned how to troubleshoot any potential problems weeks before I even picked up my SCOBY. ( I will tell you what that is in a minute.) One very surprising thing we have learned is home-brewed booch tastes WAYYYY better than store bought. Seriously.
Don't believe me? Well, here is Gemma enjoying a Strawberry Hibiscus Booch!
Let's get started!
Materials Needed:
- SCOBY
-Organic Sugar
-Organic Tea
(Black, Green, White,Hibiscus... whatever your preference is.)
-Large Glass Container
( I bought a big two gallon glass storage container from WalMart for $10. )
-Funnel
(Must be plastic or Stainless )
-White Vinegar
- Non Metal Spoon
- Coffee Filters
-Tea Towel
-Rubber Bands
First off there are two things you never do while making Kombucha, the first is you cannot use anything that is metal besides stainless steel. It will kill all the good organisms in your SCOBY. I chose to use a pyrex glass pan my hubs bought me at an estate sale, a silicone spoon and a plastic funnel. Second, do not use soap on anything! Soap residue will kill your SCOBY. And that is just depressing. If you use soap, rinse with very hot water and then pour your white vinegar over it as a rinse. Trust me, the vinegar makes it clean!
( Pictured above are my first two batches of Kombucha.)
Step 1
Sanitize everything with a Vinegar Rinse. Just to make sure nothing has any kind of residue.
Step 2
Boil 4 cups of water, and add 2 cups of organic sugar, stir to dissolve.
*We have a beautiful reverse osmosis filter. You must use filtered water.
Step 3
Add your tea! You can brew loose leaf or use bags. This is my recipe for a 2 gallon brew. But, you can tweak according to your taste. If I use bags I steep 10 bags. Loose leaf I brew 1/4 cup and strain after 20 min.
Step 4
Pour sweet tea into your glass container and add cold water till you are about 4 inches from the top.
Let this sit out for at least 5 hours till it is room temperature. You cannot add your SCOBY to tea that is too hot or cold, you will kill it.
Step 5
Add your SCOBY! To do this you must have a SCOBY and some reserve/ starter liquid from the Kombucha it came from. This is usually around 1 1/2 cups- 2 1/2 cups. It should be in a plastic bag, or anything with no BPAs and not metal. Rinse your hands with the vinegar, pick up your SCOBY and plop it in! Pour in the reserve/ starter liquid. Your SCOBY may float, sink, look suspended... it has a mind of its own. It is pretty cool to look at!
Step 6
Cover the top of your container with a coffee filter, then a tight weaved kitchen towel and rubber band it! I also use those wrist stretchy bracelet things you put keys on ( Do they even have a proper name!?!) or a shoelace that has a toggle. You just need to make sure nothing can get in your brew, and that your brew can breathe and ferment. Place it away from sunlight and direct heat. I keep mine on the kitchen counter where the sun don't shine. (haha! Corny, I know) The best temperature for brewing kombucha is 69-85 degrees.
Now you wait! Fermentation depends on the temperature. Some times a batch will be two weeks or just a few days. Wait a few days, then taste it! I use a plastic straw and push down the SCOBY and taste. The more fermented, the healthier. So the more vinegary (think apple cider vinegar) the better. Your SCOBY lives off of the sugar in your tea. So there will be little to no sugar in your end result.
Now I know you are dying to know what a dang SCOBY is! SCOBY is an acronym that is short for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. It is all that good bacteria that makes your body happy happy happy! It is alive and cannot be refrigerated. Every batch you brew makes a baby SCOBY and soon you shall be giving them away! Or putting them in a SCOBY Hotel, like this :
Where can you get one? Well, I have plenty to give you! If you are local to me, that is. I can also ship one to you too! I bought one off of Amazon for $5 and it took weeks to make another. The great news is Facebook has groups filled with people who will gladly share their SCOBYs with you!
Once you have your Kombucha at your preferred taste, you have two options. You can make it a continuous brew or bottle for a second fermentation to make it extra fizzy and carbonated.
A continuous brew you just add more sugar tea and drink straight from the brew. Most who use the CB process use a crock with a stainless spout and pour it like you would water, drinking it room temp or over ice.
The color difference between Black Tea based continuous brew (on the left), and black tea based Booch with dried pineapple ready for second fermentation.
Now for your second ferment you can add chunks of fruit, dried fruit ( we use crystallized ginger and pineapple) or fruit puree. Fermenting with the fruit gives your kombucha that much desired fizz.
Now, let me say this: I use flip top bottles I bought on clearance from Hobby Lobby. Some people use Grolsch Beer Bottles, Wine bottles with corks.... whatever your heart desires. No matter what container you prefer, that container can always fail. Be smart. Cover your bottles.
Bottles have exploded with no warning and it makes a huge mess. HUGE! A woman even had shards of glass in her arm on a Facebook Kombucha group I am in.
I put mine in a bag and in a storage container with a lid away from sunlight. Burp your bottles occasionally and when it is at the fizz you like refrigerate.
I know it is a LOT to take in. But, once you make your first batch... you will be HOOKED!
I will be writing another post in a couple days with some troubleshooting questions and answers. But, please if you have any questions or concerns please comment, email, message me them to include in my post!
Till next time...
Tanti Baci Bella!
<3 Marialisa
XoXo
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