"Hi", and Welcome to my Blog, I'm not super Active on this Blog - but every once in a while I like to post something really fun. We had an insanely cold and "harsh on the garden" winter this past season, and I lost about 90% of my herb garden so, I had to replant everything. I am even thinking that maybe my Fig tree died, and that makes me very sad, Scot and I keep checking it every few days, and so far - no buds :-(.
I am however hopeful that the cold killed some of the wood boring insects that have been reeking havoc on my apricot, nectarine, and peach trees, maybe this year I'll actually get a substantial harvest.
Fingers Crossed.
OK - so the reason for today's post.....
KOMBUCHA!!!
I was recently introduced to this amazing magical drink, it is kind of like a Beer/Soda that is packed with and wonderful Probiotics that help digestion. Depending on where you live when you make it, the different bacterium grow in it and it will produce a brew that tastes yummy and even better, is beneficial to your GUT!
Here is my motivation for learning how to make it - the stuff is a whopping $3.69 a bottle!!!! There is even a shop close to home that makes it on a smaller "mom and pop" scale and there's is $20 a bottle, granted it is three times the size of the commercial brand, and is amazingly delish, but really???? After doing the math, I figured out that it only costs pennies to make - GOOD MOTIVATION for me.
"I wonder if the companies that make it charge that much because it is "good" for you?" Who knows.... anyway - I want to post here how I have been making it.
Eight EASY Steps to making your own GREAT KOMBUCHA!
One.
First pick a really good store bought brand that says "RAW ORGANIC KOMBUCHA" on the label. It has to say "RAW" because if it is pasteurized (cooked) the dummies who made it killed all the good bacterial organisms in it by cooking it. Then you just have soda that has dead bacteria in it. Yuck!!!
Two.
Drink most of it, but be careful to leave the sediment and the floaty stringy/strands in the jar, and stick it back in the fridge. This is called your "Starter". I do this by pouring it off into a white wine glass, not only does it look fancy, but your friends can't tell you aren't "drinking". This is what you are going to use to make your "Baby Scoby" from. It really only looks funny in the wine glass when you to it first thing in the morning. :-)
Three.
Boil about a cup and a half of FILTERED (or bottled with no chlorine) water. This is very important not to use water that has chemicals in it, because it can kill your bacterium. Add 1/3 cup of regular refined sugar (I use powdered sugar, just because that is what I have left in the pantry after my big purge, it seems to really work well) and about a teaspoon of honey to the boil and let it dissolve. Pick a bag of your favorite Organic tea (it must be Black, Red, or Green for this step, because of the acid content - DECAF does not work well because of the chemicals) and let it boil into the water sugar mixture for a few minutes. Turn off the heat, and let it cool to room temp.
Four.
Take out your starter from the fridge, and let that sit on the counter until the Tea mixture has cooled down. When it is cool enough to touch, pour it into a mason jar, with the starter, cover with cheese cloth and tighten the lid on it. This will need to sit in a dark warm place for a few days to a week, depending on the air temp.
Five.
Once you see about an eighth of an inch "Baby Scoby" floating on the top you will need to feed it. Sometimes this "Baby" will not be easy to see so you can carefully lift the jar and tilt a little, you should see a thin film on the surface that may have a couple white spots. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MOLD!!! if it does toss it and start over. The reason you used FILTERED water, and BLACK, RED OR GREEN tea is why you don't get mold. Anyway, the next step is easy; In a sauce pan pour 2 cups of FILTERED water and bring to a boil. Add 1/3 cup of regular refined sugar and about three teaspoons of honey to the boil and let it
dissolve. This time pick TWO bags of your favorite Organic tea (it must be Black, Red, or Green for this step, because of the acid content) and let it boil into the water sugar mixture for a few minutes. Turn off the heat, and let it cool to room temp.
Six.
This is the step where you actually grow your "Mother Scoby"! Add the new batch of super sweet tea to a larger jar cover it tightly with cheese cloth and a rubber band. Place it in a dark warm place for a few days to a week, depending on the air
temp. She will show up and form a really beautiful gelatinous mushroom like cap at the top. This is your "Mother".
Seven.
Now you are ready to make your drinkable KOMBUCHA. Heat three quarts of FILTERED water to a boil, add 1 cup sugar, and three tablespoons of honey until it is clear and completely dissolved. Add 4 tea bags of your favorite Organic tea (here it can be a different
type of tea like White, or flavored, I add ginger at this point too, but
it must be TEA because of the acid content). Turn off the heat, and let it cool to room
temperature, remove the tea bags, fruit Ginger etc. and pour it in a larger
glass jar.
Float your "Mother Scoby" on
top of the newest sugar mixture using a large stainless steel spoon.
It's okay if it sinks, mine usually does.
Next, you want to pour in a cup or two of finished liquid from the
last batch (to keep the acid high) and Cover it securely with cloth and a
rubber band, and place it in a dark warm place for a week to ten
days.
After waiting patiently you will see a new "Baby Scoby" on the surface of your KOMBUCHA. When
the new "Baby" is about 1/8" thick, taste your KOMBUCHA. If it is too sweet, let it sit a few more days, if it is ready (you be your own judge) you can harvest the liquid by pouring (I use a syphon method)into bottles with removable lids, like the grolsch beer bottles or the GT bottles.
Eight.
Bottle, and add your favorite fruits, put a teensie bit of sugar, about a 1/4 teaspoon in each bottle, make sure the cap is tight and let it sit in a warm dark place for a
day or two - but keep an eye on it every day, you may need to burp it, because sometimes the
pressure of the bubbles can make the KOMBUCHA explode! OMG!!! what a
mess that is to clean up.... When it gets to the desired bubblyness it
is time to refrigerate and enjoy.
NOTE: The extra sugar makes it really bubbly, a trick I learned from making beer. Make sure you SAVE some of the stringy bits, and a little of the KOMBUCHA for your next batch.
