I know, Kombucha is not hunted, fished, or foraged for but during the winter months and even during the summer in between excursions it is a nice pastime that provides some additional health benefits. It is wild fermented which I enjoy doing with both the Kombucha and homemade wines and ciders. Plus it was a great learning experience for me and my family as we started it from scratch and now have multiple containers producing good Kombucha regularly. These in addition to a couple that we have split off and given to friends.
Kombucha is thought to have originated from China or Japan and is a fermented tea that has been consumed for thousands of years. Containing many of the same health benefits as tea Kombucha is also rich in beneficial probiotics, antioxidants, and is believed to kill harmful bacteria which in turn may help fight several diseases.
Kombucha is made by adding specific strains of bacteria, yeast and sugar to black or green tea, then allowing it to ferment for a week or more. The yeast forms a mushroom-like film on the surface of the liquid called a SCOBY which stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast” which is why Kombucha is often referred to as mushroom tea.
The fermentation process produces acetic acid which is also found in vinegar in addition to several other acidic compounds and trace levels of alcohol. During the fermentation process large amounts of probiotics are also produced which provide your gut with healthy bacteria that are thought to improve many aspects of health, including digestion, inflammation and even weight loss.
To start the Kombucha initially I asked a friend for a couple cups of raw Kombucha that he had made. I then boiled up six cups of spring water with one and a half cups of sugar added. Once boiling I removed it from the heat and added seven black tea bags. Nothing fancy just the generic black tea bags from our local grocer. After about fifteen minutes I removed the tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature. I added it to a glass jar with a pour spout that I purchased at target , covered the top with a coffee filter held on by a rubber band (I used a hair band J), and out it on the top shelf of our pantry where it is dark and warm.
It sat for about twenty five days before there was a thin SCOBY on top and that is when I changed out the tea with a fresh batch. This was done about three times before I began to sample the tea which has consistently got better over the past year as the SCOBY has grown.
To flavor it you can add fruit juice with about a tablespoon or less of sugar to another container. Then take the tea when and pour it into that container keeping about a cup and a half to two cups of Kombucha with the SCOBY. Put that back into the pantry with the lid sealed tight so that it can self-carbonate for about five or six days. You will want to crack open the container a couple times to release any gas and ensure that your containers do not explode. After five to seven days I take it out and re-bottle it in smaller containers or mason jars filtering it with a non-metal strainer. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy!
Here are a few things to know as you experiment with this:
- If mold forms on the SCOBY at any time during the process throw it out and start over or if the SCOBY is thick enough you can peel off the top layer and it should be fine. Just be sure that the jar is covered well. I may have double layered the coffee filter at first and then went to just one as it grew in size.
- Mason jars work really well for this as you can get different sizes, they are strong, and they seal well.
- Play around with different flavors and throw away what you do not like. It is a cheap experiment with just a few cents worth of supplies.
- I have a box that has newspaper in the bottom for absorption that I put the bottles in during the second ferment (flavoring). That way if they do explode it contains the mess. So far I have not had any do that!!
Our favorite flavor to date: Blueberry Ginger
Ingredients
- 1 gallon Kombucha see instructions above
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
Instructions
In a saucepan, add the blueberries, grated ginger, sugar water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat a little, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for about 15 minutes, smashing the blueberries, until it has become a thin syrup. Let it cool completely to room temperature before adding it to your Kombucha tea.p Add it slowly as it may foam up a little. Stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Strain and bottle leaving about 1/2-1 inch of air at the top of the bottles and cover tightly with lid. If you’d like extra fizz, let the bottles sit at room temperature for 1-3 days before storing in the refrigerator. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t explode.
Whether you choose do enjoy it with no flavoring or if you discover a favorite flavor once it is ready to drink, remove it from the fridge, strain out the newly formed SCOBY and enjoy!
This article is being republished, original article posted January 21st 2019
