Kombucha Tea..
Here are three very good reasons to make your own Kombucha Tea: first of all, I wouldn’t drink homemade Kombucha from a friend, unless you fully trust their cleanliness. Kombucha is a fungus requiring bacteria and at least two types of yeast. Does this sound like moonshine to you? Well, it should, and yes you can ferment methanol. BTW, methanol can make you go blind. This is why I do not use hammy down colonies from the internet, and this is why I stress cleanliness. Here
http://www.kombuchatea.co.uk/index.asp is a website that can help and guide you through the process of Kombucha Tea. Second, homemade Kombucha Tea from a friend means, that the tea is made using their favorite tea- not yours. Third, people make their tea using so many different recipes, and that can be the biggest reason for such variation in taste. The length of the fermentation period, and the type of tea used are the most important when creating your favorite tea.
Kombucha’s Healing properties from
http://www.kombuchatea.co.uk/index.asp
“Kombucha tea is a powerful health drink, which is reported to be the answer to many health problems.
Pronounced [Com-boo-cha], It is made and drunk right around the world. It has been a 'secret formula' for those 'in the know' and a lifesaver for many a poor person in the less blessed nations.
Kombucha works with your body to boost its natural, inbuilt ability to fight sickness and disease as well as bring a healthy balance back to your metabolism and organs.
Because it has been around for so long, many researchers, chemists and others from the medical profession have spent time investigating the sometimes quite astonishing results from this natural remedy. Even the FDA (food and drug administration) have researched Kombucha, such has been the interest in it.
You have probably heard people say that "anything that is good for you tastes bad." Well, Kombucha doesn't fit into that category.
It is a very pleasant tasting drink.
Could you have better health? Need a stronger immune system? Want rid of sickness in your body? Want to ensure you stay healthy? Could do with more energy and vitality? Want better skin? Have you 'tummy' problems? ”
Need List:
Ali and Southern Bell, while there are a variety of ways to make Kombucha Tea, this is my way. I hope you like it.
1) (5 tea bags) 15 grams of Your favorite green tea: for great taste, you must use your absolute favorite green tea! You can use black tea, but of course- black tea is the processed form of green tea. Green tea is raw, and so I prefer it. I use two types of tea; my favorite is organic THAT TEA MI… BOT TRA THAI and White Tea; mix them in equal parts.
2) 1 cup of Organic white
Sugar ( do not use any other sweetener.. Honey is anti-microbial and other sweeteners do not facilitate and feed the fermentation process ) The
Sugar is completely gone by the end of the fermentation process.
3) One freshly opened RAW original Tea drink from
http://www.GTSkombucha.com don’t listen to people when they say, that you need to pay a lot of money for a mushroom colony- to start your tea; that is just a way for people to sell colonies/ cultures over the internet. If you have a Raw Organic store brand of Kombucha Tea, this will work just fine. It is only $3 to $4 for the Kombucha Tea Drink, and people over the internet are charging as much as $20 for the starter culture. Once you understand the nature of fermented foods, you will see that you can maintain your own culture for just Pennies. You don’t need expensive starters.
4) 3
quarts of Clean water : Don’t use distilled water but spring water instead.
5) Non Teflon or ceramic pot. (4
quart )
6) large clean Napkin: this is to keep bugs and dust out. Put it over the top of your tea while it ferments. Do not attempt to use a heavy lid as this will prevent the fungus from breathing. (fermentation type is aerobic)
7) Glass bowl large enough to hold your tea ( 4 quarts)
8) Wooden or plastic spoon. If you need a utensil, make sure it is wooden or plastic
9) Make sure to work in a clean environment. Simply wash everything using hot water and soap. Wash your hands , and cover or put your hair back in a ponytail. You don’t want to inoculate your Komucha with unwanted bacteria.
1) Have fun!
2. Boil your water using a non Teflon, or ceramic pot, and then allow your tea to steep for 20 minutes. Add your sugar, and let it stand for 5 more minutes. Stir this, and allow it to cool to room temperature; that is (70 F)
3. Make a run to your local organics food market, and get a RAW Kombuchaa Tea drink called (GTS, Organic Raw Kombucha by
http://www.GTSkombucha.com. This is about 2 cups and is all you need to begin the fermentation process. Add this entire drink to your brew mentioned above.
4. Place your concoction in a glass or porcelain bowl. Cover the top with a napkin.
5. Put your tea where it will remain undisturbed. (safe and dark areas of the house)
6. Let it ferment for about 8 to 14 days. It depends on the growing temperature and how acidic (sour) you like it. ( I let mine ferment for exactly 9 days) The tea becomes a health tonic by the 8 day.
7. Some people remove the nice fungus that forms on top, and then refrigerate the tea immediately. I drink my Tea in just a few days so I don’t bother removing the culture fungus until the end, and I don’t refrigerate my tea. If you drink your tea within two or three days, you can leave it in your glass container-at room temp. Refrigerating the tea changes the taste and slows down the fermentation process. What-ever you prefer, for the next time, make sure that you save 1 cup of your finished tea and the fungus that forms; put them both in a zip lock bag and refrigerate; it will last for about 10 days. Your savings are even greater if you can keep your Kombucha Tea going before your refrigerated culture expires.
8) If you want to bottle up your Kombucha and refrigerate it just as soon as it is ready, then use glass jars, and fill them all the way to the top; this along with refrigeration will virtually stop the fermentation process as you are removing the oxygen and reducing the temperature.
Enjoy…