on kombucha

Hi everyone!  Sorry, I’ve been MIA for a while on this space.  But I’m back today with a new recipe!  So, have you ever heard about Kombucha? Or have you tried it?  Kombucha, it sounds a bit hippy according to my friend’s daughter tee hee….😁

Well, kombucha is basically a fermented drink consisting of black tea and sugar ( or you can use honey, fruits, etc) that contains bacteria and yeast that are responsible for initiation the fermentation process once combined with sugar.  Also known as the “immortal health elixir” by the Chinese and originating in the Far East around 2000 years ago. Kombucha is a beverage with health benefits for your heart, brain, and especially your gut.  Because of the fermentation process the bacteria in kombucha known as probiotics.  These bacteria line your digestive track and support immune system.  Since 80% of our immune system is located in our gut, and the digestive system is the second largest part of our neurological system, our gut is considered the ‘second brain’ according to the article I have read.

Now, you can buy kombucha at the health shops or supermarket but you also can make your own.  I make my own kombucha, it is very easy and save me a lot of money too.  Here, I’d like to share how to make your own Kombucha.  If you’re interested, keep reading!

How to Make Kombucha

This recipe makes about 4 litres of Kombucha.  First, you will need SCOBY disk.  You can find a Scoby disk in health food stores or online, but I got my first SCOBY from my friend and then from there I grow my own SCOBY.

You need:

• 1 large glass jar or bowl with a wide opening.  Do not use plastic jar as the chemicals in the plastic can leach into the kombucha during the fermentation period.  Look for a big glass jug/jar/bowl and make sure the opening is wide enough to allow a lot of oxygen to reach the kombucha while it ferments.
• 1 cloth or dish towel
• 1 SCOBY disk
• 4 litres of water
• 4 tablespoon black tea and 2 tablespoon green tea ( I use loose leaf tea) I add the green tea for extra antioxidant
• 1 cup of raw sugar or you can use honey
• Plastic strainer (not metal one)

Method:

Mix  black tea and green tea (if you use one) and a cup of sugar/honey and 1 litre of hot  boiling water and stir with wooden spoon until sugar dissolve .  Let the mixutre cool down to room temperature.

Once it’s cooled, strain the black tea mixture into a 4 litre glass jar/bowl and add 3 litre of tap water.  Throw away the black tea.

Drop in the Scoby disk and cover your jar/bowl with fresh cloth or dish towel. Secure the cloth with rubber band or some sort of tie.  The cloth has to cover the wide opening of the jar but thin enough to allow air to pass through.  Keep it in the the dark place for 10-12 days.

After 10-12 days, take the jar out, pick out the Scoby disk and put it in the glass bowl/container.  Stir the mixture, it will become fizzy.  Transfer to sterilised bottles and keep it in the fridge.

To make it again, repeat the same process

NOTE:

1. The longer you ferment the mixture the stronger the taste. I personally think 10 days is  the perfect one.
2. If you don’t want to make another batch of Kombucha, put the Scoby in the glass container  add half cup of already made kombucha and keep it in the fridge, this means the Scoby is asleep or non active.
3.  As the fermentation process happens, you will notice that the Scoby disk grows a second Scoby disk.  I call the second one as the ‘baby’ and the first one as the ‘mother’.  The mother Scoby is located on top of the baby.  You can use the baby Scoby to make a whole new batch of kombucha, so don’t throw away the baby disk.
4. You can keep the mother Scoby up to a month after its first use then it will become inactive and should be thrown away.

So, that’s it….it’s pretty simple right?  My boys and I like Kombucha, we drink it every day.  It’s boosted immunity, support a healthy gut, powerful antibacterial agent, helps maintain a healthy liver, and may help improve mental state….which I need it!✌🏼

Give it a try, there is no harm if you like it keep doing it if not, at least you’ve tried!

Happy Kombucha!🤛🏼