for your
health
October 2014 14
CULTIVATING A MOTHER OF A
FIZZ
KOMBUCHA
A source of NUTRITIONAL and HEALTH PROMOTING PROPERTIES since 221 B.C.!
T E A O F I M M O R TA L I T Y
BY AMYLEE UDELL ombucha is sweet, fermented tea. It is fermented by a SCOBY, a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast, also known as the mother or the mushroom. The SCOBY grows by consuming the sugar and changes the tea into an acidic, fizzy drink, often compared to champagne or cider, moving closer to vinegar in taste the longer it ferments. It's been around for awhile, with references to it made in China in 221 BC.
K
As with many supplements, its proponents believe it has health improving abilities. Due to its lactic acid fermentation, it's a probiotic, with digestive and immune boosting benefits. It's full of beneficial yeasts, anti-oxidants and enzymes, offering a detoxification effect. It contains high amounts of glucosamine, benefiting joint health. Its many amino acids and several B vitamins also boost its nutritional properties. Most people using it for detoxification are seeking its glucaronic acid, a naturally occurring acid produced by our liver to bind up toxins and poisons and carry them away. The Chinese, who first wrote about kombucha, attributed many additional healing properties to it. The list is much longer than this, but includes alkanization of the body, alleviation of constipation and headaches, improved skin conditions, improved eyesight and reduced ulcers. My main reason for consuming kombucha, aka the “Tea of Immortality,” is it’s taste. My kids also enjoy it. When made at home, it's very affordable but I'm so very glad it's available commercially. Prices begin at around $3 for 16oz and go up to almost $4. If making your own you'll spend $.50-$1 per gallon! Beyond price, when you make your own you can control ingredients. Kombucha is only sugar and brewed tea. Many commercially produced kombuchas have added fruit juices and sugar AFTER fermentation to appeal
MAKE IT AT
HOME
to a broad audience, but you can adjust for sweetness in your own brew. Some commercial brews may also be pasteurized, killing the beneficial bacteria and altering some of the constituents. Making Kombucha To make kombucha you need sugar (white works the best, some people are successful with honey), water, black tea (some people use green, but no Earl Grey or teas with flavoring oils) and a SCOBY. You can get a SCOBY from a friend; each batch of kombucha makes a new SCOBY layer so there's usually plenty to share. You can also make one from bottled kombucha. This takes a little time, but if it's your only option, it will be worth it. Finally, you can buy a SCOBY. La Montanita carries Oregon Kombucha's starter kit for $13.99. It contains a live culture, organic black or green tea, and a brewing guide. Making kombucha is as simple as making sweet tea, letting it cool, and then adding your SCOBY. Your SCOBY will take the shape of your container and most people suggest a glass jar (a gallon pickle jar works great) or a ceramic crock, but never metal. Kombucha needs air so a wide container works very well. Cover it with a cloth to keep out any dust and debris. Let it sit for several days to weeks. In the summer, mine starts to ferment in a few days. In the winter, it will need a week. The longer it sits the more sour it gets, and less sugar and caffeine it contains. If it gets too sour use it like vinegar in salad dressing, to marinate meat, etc.
Most people will bottle their kombucha when it's to their taste. You can strain it as you bottle to filter out yeast floaters and "blobs" of loose SCOBY, using mason jars or rubber sealed, wire-top bottles. Airtight lids help achieve and maintain a nice fizz. Before closing the lids, many people will add a little sugar, fruit juice or fruit, as well as herbs or spices, and leave their bottles out for a second fermentation and stronger fizz. After the second fermentation, refrigerate your bottles. To save space and time, I now do a continuous brew. This means I take mine straight from the crock into my glass. When it starts to get low, I brew more tea, let it cool and add it directly to the crock. Those who promote this method say having the mix of older and newer kombucha gives you a more beneficial blend of enzymes, bacteria and yeasts. But I simply find it much more convenient. Kombucha works by the process of lacto fermentation, not alcoholic fermentation. But it CAN contain .5% alcohol. If you are extremely sensitive to caffeine, you may also need to take a test run. Green tea has less than black tea and the finished kombucha will have 1/3 to 1/2 as much caffeine as the tea used to make it. If you do struggle with too much caffeine consumption, research different types of teas, using a second steep of tea to decaffeinate, longer brew times and more. As with any food preparation, make sure you have clean hands and clean tools. Should you see any mold, discard your batch and the SCOBY and start over. A SCOBY will feel rubbery and be light and consistent in color, though you may see stringy brown yeast threads. The newly growing one will be transparent. A black SCOBY should be discarded. Extra SCOBYs can be given away, composted, fed to chickens and other pets, added to smoothies or made into jerky. Kombucha is a great soda replacement! You can customize it with lavendar, mint, juice or the ever-popular ginger. There is no shortage of kombucha variations online to spark your creativity!