KOMBUCHA DAY!

Home Brewed Kombucha

In an effort to get more fermented and cultured products in our diet I've chosen start with three specific things: yogurt, kombucha and kefir.

The local kombucha maker was getting rid of several of their gallon glass jars, so I decided kombucha would be my first venture.

The first time I'd ever heard of kombucha was from my daughter who thought it was helping her to get over the winter flu rather quickly. After picking her up from school one day she opened a bottle in the car and I got a quick whiff of something rotting. Turns out it was kombucha, which makes sense because it's fermented! I gave it a try and it quickly grew on me. Now it's something I often "crave".

Kombucha is actually a fermented Russian tea that has a slightly sweet, slightly vinegary taste with plenty of natural carbonation. The store bought varieties come in many flavors and it can really be a nice replacement for soda or even an alcoholic beverage, yet with far more benefits than either.

First and foremost, this will introduce your gut to all kinds of beneficial enzymes. You need these enzymes to properly digest food and to absorb their nutrients as well as clear out toxins that like to hang around and reabsorb into your system. Other beneficial claims include:

• Balancing the bacteria in your gut so there is far more "good guys" than "bad guys" (probiotics). This can result in clearing up a variety of health problems.
• Increase in energy (something I have personally experienced from drinking it)
• Reduce or eliminates the symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, etc
  
• Liver detoxifier
• Prevents and fights cancer
• Enhances the immune system
• Weight management
  
• Antioxidents
• B Vitamins

So, if I've convinced you that kombucha might be worth a shot here's how you can make it for as little as 50 cents a gallon (after the first batch). You won't need the store bought kombucha for further batches which can run around $4 for a 20 oz bottle.

Brewed Kombucha without a "mother"

6 black tea bags
1 cup sugar
1 - 1 1/2 bottles of commercial kombucha
gallon of distilled or spring water

large cooking pot
wooden spoon
muslin cloth to cover jar
1 gallon, large mouth glass jar

Pour 1/2 of your water in the large pot. Add tea bags and bring to a boil for several minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool down to room temp.

Pour this into your very clean gallon jar. Add sugar and commercial kombutcha (this has enzymes that will help the "mother" to grow). Stir and add the remaining water - leaving room for the "mother" to grow. Now cover with the cloth and seal with a rubber band. Allow this to sit for about 3 weeks.

I'll update this when my batch is done and show the finishing steps. For further instructions and tips, YouTube is a wonderful source. And for further reading and sources this is a good place to start: http://www.foodrenegade.com/kombucha-health-benefits/