"Okay, okay, we get it Kristin - You're cheap and don't like paying the exorbitant prices charged for trendy health foods!!"
Yes, it's the same story again... Girl finds healthful product, Girl falls in love with how the product tastes and makes her feel, Girl slowly goes broke funding new love!
OR
Girl gets all #homemade on the world's a** and makes her own, saving herself mega $$$ in the process!
Hello Homemade Kombucha!
Kombucha is a naturally fizzy, fermented tea drink (either black or green tea can be used) that originated in China. It's brewed using a SCOBY - a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast - which is where the tummy-friendly bacteria come from!
While there have been no formal studies into the benefits of kombucha the word on the street is that the beverage, as well as being super-tasty, can help boost your immune system, has anti-viral properties and improves digestion!
When it comes to making your own Kombucha you have two choices - buy a SCOBY mother or make your own. Googling 'Buy SCOBY mother in (Your Area)' will provide you with plenty of options but for me I wanted to experience the whole process from Go to Whoa so I went with growing my own mother.
While there have been no formal studies into the benefits of kombucha the word on the street is that the beverage, as well as being super-tasty, can help boost your immune system, has anti-viral properties and improves digestion!
When it comes to making your own Kombucha you have two choices - buy a SCOBY mother or make your own. Googling 'Buy SCOBY mother in (Your Area)' will provide you with plenty of options but for me I wanted to experience the whole process from Go to Whoa so I went with growing my own mother.
I used the instructions at Bonzai Aphrodite for growing my SCOBY from a store-bought bottle. Sayward has kindly provided amazing, in-depth instructions on the whole kombucha creation process - I'm so grateful to bloggers like her that are so willing to share their knowledge and experience so we can all learn! Rather than 'borrow' her instructions and write them here I would love for you to pop by her blog to get the details and the see all the other fantastic content she has created.
Bonzai Aphrodite Links -
I quickly learnt that the most important thing in the SCOBY and kombucha making process is cleanliness! Sterile glassware and clean hands are important because, at the end of the day, we are dealing with home-brewing and bacteria here! There have been some cases of illness and even death resulting from allergic reactions and bad batches of kombucha. Take some time to educate yourself on the potential dangers of kombucha if you are consuming the beverage regardless of whether you are brewing your own or buying it from a shop!
If you have the time I can't recommend growing your own SCOBY highly enough - It's an amazing thing to watch!! I was fascinated to see the mushroom of culture bloom... Danny, on the other hand, was absolutely mortified!
Once you have your SCOBY, whether you buy or grow your own, you can brew your kombucha. You'll need a large jar with a wide-mouth opening, tea, sugar (I've used brown and white sugar with excellent results) and your mother. There is some debate around whether or not you can use flavoured tea. Some thoughts are that the oils that is sometimes used in flavoured teas can interfere with or destroy your SCOBY. Either way, you can use black or green, but make sure it's caffeinated. I erred on the side of caution with my first batch and used a combination of plain green and green with jasmine petals. Another important point is to avoid any metal during any part of the brewing! Your SCOBY and metal are not friends!
The hardest part of the kombucha brewing process is the waiting! Mine took almost three weeks to develop that 'fizz'. Again, if you are in a warmer area this will happen faster for you. Taste it every few days or so by pouring a small amount into a cup. You are aiming for some fizz and not too much sweetness - the bacteria feed off the sugar you used in the original brew so it shouldn't be anywhere near as sweet as it was to start with. Don't drink straight from your brewing vessel - this can introduced bad bacteria to the mix and ruin your mix and your SCOBY.
You'll notice during the brewing that your SCOBY breeds!
The 'Mother' creates a 'baby' that are kind of fused together. When you are happy with your brew remove the mother and its baby. Here you can decide if you are going to keep a 'mega SCOBY' or separate them. If you choose to separate you will be able to stagger your brewing so that you will ALWAYS have kombucha!! Place your SCOBYs into sterilised jar/s and add enough kombucha to cover. These can then be stored in your fridge - apparently they can live happily in there indefinitely!? Then it's down to the bottling! You'll need sterilised bottles - the easiest way to get them clean enough I've found is to run them through a dishwasher - a short (but hot) wash without detergent is all you need. You might want to grab a funnel too!
And there you have it! Your very own Kombucha!! It takes a bit of time and care but the results are delicious, healthful and much, much more economical than shelling out $4-$5 a bottle! Get a new batch going the same day you bottle and you'll be able to keep the kombucha flowing!
Interested in more Fermented Food Fun?
Check out our other Foods With Culture posts
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