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Kombucha, anyone? This satisfying cultured drink from ancient times is getting quite a lot of good press! Boasted as being anti-aging, pH balancing, an excellent energiser, as well as being absolutely chock full of good bacteria (literally millions of organisms per serving) – no wonder it’s quite the rage amongst celebrities! It is truly a living food, bursting with enzymes!
The Kombucha ‘SCOBY’ is actually a fungus (like a mushroom) which thrives in black tea and a room temperature environment. I have used organic Ceylon, green, white and even Chai teas with success, but the SCOBY is quite a creature of habit and generally tends to prefer the standard black tea. It also devours sugar, as it’s what the living SCOBY eats. When you see the amount of sugar in the recipe below, remember that most of the sugar will be eaten up by the time the Kombucha is ready to drink.
Next time you’re at the organic/farmers’ markets, see if you can find stalls with bottles of fresh Kombucha for sale. You should be able to pick up a ‘SCOBY’ from the grower – you will need this living creature to make your very own fresh Kombucha at home. Here’s everything you need to know:
Baby kombucha ‘SCOBY’ in 100ml mother culture 2 litres sweetened organic black tea (read below)
Directions:
Put the baby kombucha ‘SCOBY’ & the ‘mother liquid’ into a 2 litre glass jar.
Prepare 2 litres of black tea with 3 organic tea bags and 185g raw organic sugar and allow to cool.
Combine kombucha mixture with cooled black tea.
Cover with a paper towel and rubber band. Leave for 8-10 days, strain and store in the fridge until desired.Fresh ginger juice may be added before storing or serving over ice. You can also try the following flavour variations: lemon, lime, pomegranate, mint, cinnamon.
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Comments
And if you don’t have a local kombucha-seller? Is there another way to obtain the culture? I have been longing to try this…
Hi I’ve just had a quick look online. Good news! You can buy Kombucha fungus & have it shipped to you, which sounds pretty cool 😉 Depending on where you live you may want to have a look at different sites to compare quality/prices, but if you can get your hands on a bottle of pure, ‘raw’ Kombucha (good health food stores) you can simply ‘feed up’ the ‘mother culture’ within! It will grow & you’ll soon see a waxy scaby growing on top. T Abigail xx
abigail | 02.05.2012 | Reply
One quick thing – Kombucha’s not a fungus. It’s a culture of yeast and bacteria.
Joe Mac | 07.29.2012 | Reply
I’m new to the organic process; though i am longing to see if its for me. Can you write an article about the transition, persay?
Sydney Aston | 12.15.2012 | Reply
You said “Put the baby Kombucha ‘SCOBY’ & the ‘mother liquid’ into a 2 litre glass jar” what is the Mother liquid? The black tea?
Rachael | 08.17.2013 | Reply
The scoby will likely come in a plastic bag and have liquid with it so it doesn’t dry out. This liquid is the mother liquid.
tazan | 09.26.2013 | Reply
This may be old news, but I wanted to share that you can grow your own SCOBY (or “mushroom”) in about 10 days with a bottle of GT’s or Synergy original or raw.
Dump the entire bottle into a larger glass container, and cover with paper towels, seal with rubber bands. Happy brewing 🙂
Jeanna | 03.06.2014 | Reply
Lol now I see what my eyes must’ve skipped 😉
Jeanna | 03.06.2014 | Reply
Jeanna-I did exactly that! It took a few weeks to get it large enough, but it definitely worked. I made the tea/sugar brew, allowed it to cool and added a bottle of GT’s Kombucha. I changed the brew weekly until the scoby was large enough where I felt comfortable to use it to bottle my kombucha. It actually was more fulfilling knowing that I grew my own scoby!
Lea | 07.28.2014 | Reply
Gosh! Why do you write Ginger Kombucha and this is no ginger kombucha recipe:(
maya | 02.13.2018 | Reply
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It has good bacteria called probiotics. These microorganisms have been shown to improve human health. The studies reveals that kombucha may have health benefits, including those related to gut health, mental health, infection risk, and liver health. Kombucha tea benefits can be doubled if we add ginger to it.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends that four ounces of kombucha can be safely consumed one to three times a day. Overconsumption can lead to headache, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, or ketoacidosis.
The Bottom Line. Here's the bottom line: The probiotics in kombucha are good for your gut, but we can't say definitively that they'll make you poop. Kombucha is not a laxative. Nevertheless, studies have linked probiotic consumption with enhanced gut transit time and digestive function.
Organic cane sugar is the best option for brewing kombucha. It is easily broken down by the yeast and bacteria with consistent results. When sugar is more complex, it is less available for microbial consumption, introducing extra variables that can affect brewing duration, flavor, and overall success.
He says4 oz a day would be a healthy amount to consume for most people. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also recommends that kombucha be consumed in moderation, and one to three 4-oz cups per day is safe to consume. That means you shouldn't generally consume more than 12 ounces of kombucha a day.
Ginger is anti-viral and anti-inflammatory as well as being a powerful antiseptic and antihistamine. I love ginger kombucha and have it more than any other flavored kombucha. It's one of my favorite ways to consume ginger and I think you will love it too!
While kombucha is safe for most people, it can cause severe side effects in some. Because kombucha is unpasteurized and contains a mix of different types of bacteria and yeasts, it can promote the growth of opportunistic bacteria that can lead to infections in certain people.
If you do not have any liquid at all but what you think may be a viable SCOBY, you can make just 1 – 2 cups of sweet tea, pour over the culture in a small bowl, and add a cloth cover.Allow the culture to turn that small amount of liquid into well fermented Kombucha, which may take a 1-3 weeks.
Although kombucha does not spoil in a traditional sense, unrefrigerated raw kombucha can continue to ferment if left out too long. This extra fermentation can result in kombucha that is more vinegary, more acidic, more carbonated, or even contains a little extra alcohol.
First thing in the morning. If it takes you a little while to get going in the morning, or you struggle with feeling sluggish, kombucha can provide you with a great natural lift to kickstart your day. ...
Some studies suggest that it may offer benefits similar to other probiotic foods like yogurt. These probiotic benefits include promoting a healthy immune system and relieving stomach and intestinal issues like diarrhea and constipation.
While a glass of kombucha is A-OK, drinking multiple servings every single day may not be the best choice," Manaker says, noting that it might invade the space of good ol' H2O, can contain some caffeine from the tea, and could do a number on your teeth due to its acidity.
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