Kombucha

[asg-content-box boxcolor=”gray” boxtitle=”” boldtitle=”false” boxexpand=”false” showcontent=”false”]WHAT IS KOMBUCHA[/asg-content-box]Kombucha is a naturally fermented, slightly fizzy, non-alcoholic beverage, similar to cider in color. Well, technically it may contain up to 0.5% alcohol, pretty much the same as orange juice. Such low amount is legally considered to be non-alcoholic because our bodies metabolize it as quickly as we drink it. Kombucha is made by fermentation of sweetened tea (black, green or white) with a SCOBY, which stands for ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast’, also referred to as ‘mushroom’ or ‘mother’. It looks like a jellyfish pancake floating on the surface or below, sometimes with brown strings of yeast attached.

Fermentation of kombucha is a process when bacteria and yeast from SCOBY consume sugars converting them to acids, vitamins and minerals, and carbon dioxide. The yeast species vary widely, but it looks like Brettanomyces genus and Zygosaccharomyces are present in most mushrooms (1) and (1.5). There is an argument out there that kombucha doesn’t need caffeinated tea to strive, but I don’t think it’s correct because of personal experience playing around with different mediums, and also my belief that traditional cultures that used kombucha for generations would have stopped using caffeinated tea long ago if it was not necessary.

[asg-content-box boxcolor=”gray” boxtitle=”” boldtitle=”false” boxexpand=”false” showcontent=”false”]KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFITS[/asg-content-box]

• It contains several acids beneficial to our digestive and immune systems: acetic acid, gluconic acid and lactic acid (2).
• It has antimicrobial properties and ability to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli (3).
• Kombucha has potential to prevent (4) and even revert liver damage (5), including damage from acetaminophen (6).
• It has strong antioxidant properties (7), (8).

Now, these statements are based on lab and animal studies, and if you do an internet search for health benefits of kombucha – you would have a lot of information saying all the touted benefits are not supported by human studies. Although some sources, like this ANA website, suggest that the lack of studies is based on the fact that it is simply not beneficial to the ‘Big Money’ to have people discover a cheap and effective way to improve their health. Some, like Dr. Mercola, would say researchers make too many mistakes to trust everything they say.

I grew up in Russia where we drank kombucha, or ‘chaini grib‘, on regular basis ever since I can remember. I believe that folks’ collective experience and observation are far more powerful than a publication in a fancy medical journal. I firmly believe that kombucha is a powerful, health promoting beverage that helps with countless ailments because it affects the entire human body making it more resilient to disease.

You decide.

[asg-content-box boxcolor=”gray” boxtitle=”” boldtitle=”false” boxexpand=”false” showcontent=”false”]HOW TO MAKE KOMBUCHA AT HOME[/asg-content-box]

Ingredients:
1 gallon filtered water
6 bags of unbleached black/green/white/oolong tea
1 cup of white sugar
1 kombucha SCOBY

Equipment:
Large stock pot
One gallon glass jar (I get mine at Target)
Wooden mixing spoon
Funnel
Very fine strainer

Instructions:
Bring water to boil, turn the heat off. Put sugar and tea in the water and mix thoroughly (otherwise the sugar can stick to the bottom of your pot).
Allow to cool (I put my pot in the sink filled with ice water).
Once the liquid reaches room temperature, or is just slightly warm, take the tea bags out and transfer the liquid to a gallon glass jar.
Add SCOBY using a wooden spoon or clean hands (avoid touching SCOBY with metal utensils). Cover the jar with a paper towel, tie with a rubber band, and keep at room temperature, away from sunlight, for 7-10 days.
Start tasting kombucha after 5 days. Once it reaches the level of tartness you like, remove the SCOBY, and reserve for the next batch. You can strain the remaining kombucha into jars or bottles of your choice, refrigerate and start drinking it. Or, continue to a second fermentation.

[asg-content-box boxcolor=”gray” boxtitle=”” boldtitle=”false” boxexpand=”false” showcontent=”false”]SECOND FERMENTATION OF KOMBUCHA[/asg-content-box]Second fermentation is a way to add flavor and additional carbonation. Just add 2 cups of any juice or chopped fruit to the kombucha (I use two half gallons jars so I can use my one gallon jar for the next batch of kombucha). Cover tightly, and keep at room temperature from one to three days. Keep tasting it so you can stop fermenting when you like what you get.
My favorite flavors are ginger, pomegranate juice, and fresh strawberries and raspberries.

[asg-content-box boxcolor=”gray” boxtitle=”” boldtitle=”false” boxexpand=”false” showcontent=”false”]NOTES[/asg-content-box] You can order SCOBY online, which I think is way overpriced, or better yet – make your own following these directions from theKitchn.com.
Most recipes recommend using a cup of kombucha from a previous batch when starting a new one. I think it’s better to do without, because the SCOBY stays a lot cleaner and smoother when less yeast (brown stringy stuff) is introduced to a new batch.

If you are not happy with your SCOBY that gets misshapen, doesn’t look healthy or makes kombucha that has an off flavor – leave it in a closed quart jar submerged in sweetened tea for a month or even longer. You will notice the SCOBY getting white, smooth and clean, and the tea turning into something close to vinegar. I don’t know exactly what drives that process but I’ve done it multiple times, intentionally and not, and every time the renewed SCOBY makes perfect kombucha.

how to make kombucha