DIY Kombucha

THE BENEFITS OF KOMBUCHA

Kombucha is an effervescent fermentation of sweetened tea also known as a delicious ancient healthy probiotic elixer. As I've discovered, do-it-yourself kombucha is simple.   Here's the potential health benefits which includes:

• lowers blood pressure 
• reduces risk of cancer
• reduces anxiety
• balances pH levels
• detoxifies the liver
• rebuilds connective tissue
•  helps reduce symptoms of arthritis
•  reduces symptoms of asthma
• alleviates constipation
• relieves headaches and migraines
• improves eyesight
• heals eczema
• heals ulcers
• lowers glucose levels. 

Isn't that amazing?  Even though kombucha has been around since the beginning of time, scientific research has never backed these claims up.  But here's my personal experience:  I've been drinking kombucha for 2 straight years and I feel better in many ways.  Because of the probiotic qualities I rarely get sick, I have more energy, my anxiety levels are down while at the same time making me feel cleansed daily.   If I go just a day without kombucha, I'm off.

DO-IT-YOURSELF KOMBUCHA

As part of my new financial plan, I knew I needed to start making my own kombucha.  At $4.00 or over per bottle, kombucha can really make a dent in the pocketbook. 

To get started, I ordered a kombucha culture (the bacteria) from Kombucha America for $14, but if you are a kombucha crackhead like me and you'd like some - I have plenty to share.  Just leave me a comment and I'll find a way to get it to you.  With each batch of kombucha, your bacteria mother creates a bacteria baby, so I'm finding that I'm constantly producing babies and they are up for adoption. 

My Kombucha factory - up above my fridge

Here's my stand-by proven recipe (I've made 15 batches and counting):

KOMBUCHA

3 quarts of black tea (you can not use green tea)
1 cup of sugar (no substitutes, the bacteria needs to eat the sugar to ferment)
1 teaspoon of sugar
4 black tea bags (MUST be black tea, I use decaf)
1/2 cup kombucha from your previous batch
1 kombucha bacteria
1 gallon glass container

Store in a dark place where the temperature is around 75-79 degrees. 

Bring water to a boil.  Add sugar and salt until completely dissolved.  Turn off burner and add 4 black tea bags until completely cool.  If the kombucha is not cooled down before you poor it into your glass container it will kill the bacteria. 
Once cooled, add the tea to a 1 gallon glass jar.  Add 1/2 cup of kombucha and the bacteria.  Cover the top of the glass jar.  I add a dish cloth and wrap duct tape around the container, but some people use coffee filters with rubber bands.  You can not brew kombucha in anything other than glass.  I was nervous and had a lot of questions when I started - but I just went for it and it was PERFECT so I've been going to town.  If you decide to make your own, I will be your support person because I LOVE everything about this wonder drink.

THIS AND THAT

And guess what?  The garden is only 50% done.  Ugh.  Hopefully by the weekend.  We took out a 1/2 acre of forest to add the garden and more lawn.  Hopefully I'll have the finished garden to show you soon.

Garden In Progress

Thanks for reading!

Cooking - ha!  Picture by Meg Jung and make-up/hair by Jen Titus

Kristin