Kombucha

Kombucha is the thing that makes me not miss Coca Cola. It is slightly sweet with a natural effervescence, and more subtle than soda (i.e. not as sweet), so it can take a bit of getting used to... but it's well worth the adjustment. It is fermented black or green tea, and has been around in the East for 2,000 years. The Chinese call it an "Immortal Health Elixir", and it is believed to have cancer-fighting abilities. It is fantastic for detoxing your body, is good for your joints, aids digestion by increasing the good bacterial flora in your gut, and boosts your immune system! So not only is it "not as bad" as soda, it is actually super good for you!

The one problem is that a 16-ounce bottle of kombucha from the store can cost as much as $4.00. FOUR DOLLARS! Of course one can't put a price on the fact that you're not consuming high-fructose corn syrup (or, god forbid in the case of diet soda - aspartame. That stuff is speculated to cause cancer, neurological problems [including brain tumors, yikes], and kidney decline, no thanks!) and all of the other terrible stuff in soda, not to mention the phosphate that depletes our magnesium levels. But $4.00 every time you want a tasty, refreshing beverage can get pretty pricey. Drinking 1 a day, which I could do easily, would cost $120 a month! A lot of times, also, the stuff that is made commercially is carbonated artificially and probiotics are added, which is fine, but I would rather be amazed by the effervescence and probiotics that occur naturally!

The one thing you'll need to get in advance (in addition to tea bags and some sugar) is a "SCOBY" (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast), which is the "mother" you may have heard referenced when you hear of raw vinegar. They have kombucha starter kits at certain health food stores, which I'm sure are fine, but they tend to be on the expensive side. Honestly, just order a scoby online (or see if someone you know makes kombucha and has an extra one - every time you make some, you get a new scoby!). Local Bellingham friends: the scoby can be purchased here. Now, all you have to do is get some green or black (organic!) tea bags and organic cane sugar from the store, and a 1-gallon jar from Goodwill, and you're good to go. The Scoby and the jar are investments that will last your entire kombucha-making career, and will pay for themselves in no time!

One thing worth noting: Sugar, for the most part is bad. Sugar is hidden in every processed food and is something that most people are addicted to without even knowing. Excessive sugar is responsible for all kinds of health problems: It feeds cancer cells, is toxic to the liver, and causes your body to store excess fat, among other things. However, in this instance of using it for the fermentation of kombucha, the sugar is not for you (the consumer)! The sugar is for the bacteria and yeast! The sugar feeds them so the good bacteria can proliferate and the yeast can create the effervescence we love, and by the time we are ready to drink the kombucha, there is hardly any sugar left in it at all!

So let's make some, shall we?

Gather the following:

A SCOBY + 2 cups of the liquid (old kombucha) that it is stored in.
1 1-gallon glass jar
Teapot or saucepan for heating water
Strainer
1 gallon filtered water (you can also leave a gallon of tap water sitting out for 12 hours to let the chlorine evaporate)
4 tea bags each of black tea or green tea, or 1 Tbsp each of loose leaf tea
1 cup organic cane sugar *Remember, this is food for the yeast and we will not be consuming much, if any of it.
4 1-quart mason jars (or old (clean) kombucha bottles, or any bottle with a tight-fitting lid).

Directions:

1. Place your tea and the sugar in the glass jar.
2. Bring a small amount of your twater to a boil and pour in just enough to cover the tea bags and dissolve the sugar.
3. Steep for 5-7 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure sugar is dissolved.
4. Pull out the tea bags using tongs.
5. Fill the jar the rest of the way (leaving room for the scoby and the 2 cups of old kombucha) with cold, filtered water.
6. Cover the jar with a coffee filter, and label it with the date. Place it in the cupboard for 10 days.
7. After 10 days (you could check it as soon as 7 depending on the heat), taste the kombucha. If it is still very sweet, let it sit for a few more days in the cupboard.
8. When it is starting to taste less sweet, it is ready for its secondary fermentation: Pull out your scoby and put it in a jar with approximately 2 cups of the liquid for use in the future. Strain the kombucha into a large pitcher or bowl.
9. Using a funnel, distribute the liquid to the jars or bottles you're using*, and put these back into the cabinet for another few days. Again, the warmer it is, the more quickly it will be done. You don't want the bottles to explode, so check one for gas pressure after 2 days and go from there. *This is the step where you would add any fruit juices you'd like to use for flavor. I usually just make plain kombucha, so if you're interested in experimenting with flavors, read this first.

DRINK IT! There's no kombucha more delicious than your own when you've gone through such a labor of love. You'll be delighted at the natural effervescence (I've said it before - I'm not a scientist and I don't know how it happens, but it does and it's miraculous). Let me know how things work out! I'm here if you have questions!