Kombucha

Kombucha is an amazing addition to your daily diet, and if you are prepared to make your own it is incredibly inexpensive. This may sound a little time consuming, but once you have the starter ingredients, making kombucha is little more effort than brewing a cuppa.

Why is kombucha so good for you?
It is naturally fermented from organic tea and sugar with the help of a lovely thing called a ‘scoby’ – this is the live culture part that ferments the drink, and has the appearance of a large mushroom (gross I know). So after brewing tea and sugar, you leave it to go cold, add to the jar with the scoby and sit in a cool place for 2 weeks. That’s it – just bottle it up and enjoy daily. It tastes sweet-sour-fizzy – and you can adjust the taste depending how long you want to leave it. One scoby will make endless brews, and live forever if you look after it!
In short, the known properties of kombucha include –
• Probiotic to improve gut function, mineral absorption and immunity (also aiding digestion reduces bloating)
• Alkalizing to the body (acidity is the cause of many diseases)
• Supports appetite control and metabolism
• Improve liver function – therefore skin appearance, cholesterol & blood pressure levels and hormone balance

Where do I buy a kombucha making kit?
I have seen kits on the internet, though some are pretty expensive so shop around. You really just need the scoby, and can put together the rest of the items yourself. I bought mine from a health store, and Ive seen them for sale at local markets.  Considering a 700ml bottle is around $15, a DIY kit is really cost effective!

Method
Boil 1L of clean water up in a pot – then add 250g raw organic sugar until completely dissolved.
Switch off the heat and add 10 x organic tea bags (black, green or white – caffeinated). Leave to sit for 20 minutes before removing the teabags.
Allow to cool to room temperature, then pour into the jar with the scoby.
Top up with more clean water, leaving 1-2 inches room at the top.
Put the muslin over the top, tying on with string. Give it a blessing!
Leave for 2 weeks (away from direct heat and light) and then have a little taste using a clean spoon.

*The taste should be sweet/sour. If it’s still very sweet – leave longer. If it’s very sour- brew for a shorter time next time. Taste daily until it is the taste you like.*

Pour off the contents into bottles, leaving about 10% in the jar with the scoby. You can apply the lid now and leave until you do another brew.
In time, the scoby will grow and replicate. You can separate them (I usually pull it out onto a plate with a couple of spoons and prise them apart). Pass the new scoby on, or start another jar! (Do not put down the toilet – a friend had a plumbing problem after a scoby grew to mammoth proportions and blocked the cistern!)

Other info……

Floaty bits – these are fine, and are cultured such as the cultures in yoghurt, kefir, sourdough. You can drink them, or put them back into the jar.

Drink daily – 1/2 a glass to start with is the best way, 15 minutes before food.

Kombucha is enzymatic to help digestion, a natural detoxifier, a source of probiotics and a fantastic all-round health drink. Safe for all the family.

The scoby is quite ugly & strange – but it is the vital ingredient – it eats the sugar and caffeine and transforms it into the healthy drink it becomes :0)