Many of you may
have seen Kombucha in the grocery store.
Some of you may have even been brave enough to try it. But I don’t know if any of you realize just
how easy it is to make.
First though, what
is Kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented,
sweetened tea. The first recorded use of
a fermented tea comes from China circa 221 BC, during the Tsin Dynasty. Then, it was simply called “The Tea of Immortality.” When you find out all the possible uses and
health benefits of this drink, you’ll understand why it earned that name. The name Kombucha is said to have first been
used in Japan around 415 AD. However, it
has been used all over the world. It was
actually extremely popular in Russia up until the Second World War, when there
was a sugar shortage and people could no longer brew it. This may be why it never really gained much
popularity in the West. Well, that and
the tea we have gotten, historically, here in America is the worst quality that
shipped out of China. China kept the
best, then each country that it ships to kept the next best quality, until
finally it makes it here to the USA, where we got the stuff that’s left over. Then
it was so heavily taxed, no wonder the Boston Tea Party happened!
So why has
Kombucha become popular in recent years?
Not only is it tasty, but it is also amazingly healthy. Kombucha is beneficial for your whole body in
a number of indirect ways. However there
are four things that Kombucha is really known for.
Liver Detoxification
Our livers
naturally create an acid that binds to toxins and helps flush them out. This acid is glucuronic acid. When a healthy lifestyle and diet are followed,
our bodies naturally produce enough glucuronic acid to keep us detoxified and
healthy. However, in modern times, this
lifestyle is impossible to keep up, if only due to the amount of environmental
toxin exposure we face daily. Kombucha
contains many organic acids, but the main one is glucuronic acid. When this acid comes in contact with toxins
in the body, they cannot escape their fate.
They are flushed out via the kidney.
This helps a number of health conditions, including allergies. Glucuronic acid has also been studied as a
cancer preventative, and possible cure.
There are a number of testimonials out there where people have claimed
to have cured their cancers by drinking Kombucha daily, in combination with
changing their diet to 100% organic, vegan, and 80% raw/fermented. I do not have any personal experience with
this, but there are studies out there and it might be worth a little
research.
Joint Care
One of the side
benefits that come from the glucuronic acid is that a by-product is the
creation of glucosamine. Glucosamine is
typically found in healthy cartilage, typically in the fluid surrounding the
joints. When the joint begins to
degenerate, glucosamine can actually halt the rate of degeneration and, in a
few cases, even reverse the degeneration.
This happens because it increases
the rate of the production of synovial hyaluronic acid in the body. This acid helps to preserve the lubrication
of the joints, and even helps other parts of the body, including connective
tissues, to maintain moisture levels which help with natural lubrication and flexibility. Which all works together to make Kombucha a
great drink for athletes and arthritic patients.
Improving Digestion
Glucuronic acid is not the only organic
acid present in Kombucha. Lactic acid,
acetic acid, usnic acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, and butyric
acid are all present as well as a great number of probiotics, enzymes, and
antioxidants. All of this means that Kombucha
is a powerhouse of health for digestion.
Each acid listed has a slightly different function, but they all work
together to prevent an overgrowth of candida (the yeast that lives in your body
and can cause health issues if allowed to produce out of control), fight off
harmful bacteria, improve the health of helpful bacteria, strengthen the lining
of the stomach (thus preventing ulcers and leaky gut), prevent constipation and
bowel decay, and detoxify the liver. With
the recent studies connecting gut health and brain function, all of this can
also lead to improved mental clarity and mood stability. This all also helps to reduce inflammation in
the whole body, which can help to reduce the symptoms of autoimmune conditions
as well as fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue.
Improving Immune
Function
Kombucha is
extremely high in antioxidants which help to fight free radicals. Kombucha is made from tea (Camellia sinesis) which is jam packed
full of antioxidants already. But during
the brewing process there is a very significant antioxidant which is
created. D-saccharic acid-1, 4-lactone (DSL)
has been studied in relation to a number of health issues. It has been found to be one of the more
powerful antioxidants in its fight against free radicals, it has also been
found to significantly reduce the rate of cell degeneration and death, and lessen
the tissue damage incurred in diabetic patients. DSL in conjunction with high amounts of vitamin
C are suspected to be the main cause for the improvement of immune function in
people who drink Kombucha regularly.
Cautions
There are a few cautions that come with Kombucha. As with all things in life, please consume in
moderation. It’s good to start
with about 8oz a day and work your way up to a greater number over time. A
small number of people have reported stomach upset, allergic reaction, and
infections. Consuming an excess (which admittedly takes a
lot) can cause problems for people with existing digestive issues related to
high acidity, due to the high amounts of acid present. People with compromised immune systems should
use extreme caution with Kombucha as it is full of helpful bacteria and yeast
which could cause infections in those with weak immune systems. Kombucha does contain a trace amount of alcohol
and caffeine, so pregnant women should use caution in drinking it. People who cannot tolerate even small amounts
of caffeine, sugar, and/or alcohol should not consume Kombucha as all three are
present. Kombucha is perfectly safe for
minors because the alcohol content is so low, but if you are worried about your
child having alcohol, please know that it is present in homebrewed Kombucha. Keep in mind that the number of people who
have these issues is a small percentage of the population, and most people
consume Kombucha regularly without any detrimental effects.
How to Make Kombucha
First off, let’s
talk about the SCOBY. SCOBY stands for Symbiotic
Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. This is
what is responsible for fermenting your Kombucha. Some people refer to the SCOBY as the “mother”
or the “mushroom.” I think SCOBY is fun
to say, so that’s the term I use. So
where do you get one? Well, you can
purchase one from a variety of places online, a simple search at Etsy.com will
bring up quite a few in fact. You might
be lucky enough to have a friend who makes Kombucha and is willing (as most of
us are because they reproduce like mad) to give you one. But you can also just go to the grocery
store, find an organic, raw Kombucha, preferably one that is a little cloudy or
looks like it has stuff floating in it.
Bring it home and sit it on our counter for a few days (in Florida it
may take less than a week, but other, cooler climates may take up to a month). Eventually there will be a light colored film
over the top of the Kombucha, this is a baby SCOBY. Continue to let it sit and your SCOBY will
develop into a light colored mass about ¼ inch thick. Now in 2010 there was a Kombucha recall at
most stores, these brands reformulated their Kombucha to no longer contain
alcohol (the recall was based on the “high” alcohol content of Kombucha, which
contains about the same amount of alcohol as most non-alcoholic beer). They will not grow a healthy SCOBY very successfully,
and if they do, the SCOBY does not reproduce as healthy of babies.
So, on to the Kombucha
itself.
Basic Kombucha Tea
1 cup
organic sugar (yes, you have to use sugar), if your vessel is over a gallon,
you may have to increase this number
4-6 bags of
tea (or 4-6 teaspoons of loose leaf), if your vessel is over a gallon, you may
have to increase this number
1 SCOBY
1-2 cups
starter liquid (this can be the rest of the store bought Kombucha, or just retain
some from a previous batch of unflavored Kombucha), if your vessel is over a
gallon, you may have to increase this number
Purified/well
filtered water, enough to fill your vessel
Tea kettle
or pot
1 brewing
vessel (I use gallon mason jars, or reused pickle jars. Just DON’T use metal)
A cloth
cover (choose something with a tighter weave than cheesecloth in order to keep
the fruit flies out) or paper towel
A rubber
band
Boil 4 cups
of water and add tea bags and sugar. Let
steep for 10-20 minutes. The longer it
steeps, the stronger the tea. Pour the
tea into your vessel and fill the vessel with cold water, leaving about 1 inch
of space at the top of your vessel. If
the tea is body temperature you can continue, otherwise wait for the tea to
cool to body temperature (you can use it when it’s colder, but the Kombucha will
take longer to brew). When the tea is
the appropriate temperature, add the SCOBY and starter liquid. Cover with cloth or paper towel, secure with
a rubber band. Now you wait.
In Central
Florida, it takes about 3-5 days to brew.
In colder climates it will take longer.
But ultimately you decide when the brew is finished. After 3 days, simply stick a straw (not
metal) into the liquid (between the SCOBY and the edge of the jar, the SCOBY is
tough so you would have a hard time puncturing it) and taste it. If you think it’s too sweet, let it sit
longer. The longer it brews, the more
like apple cider vinegar it will taste.
I like mine on the sweeter side so I usually consider it done in 3
days. If your Kombucha tastes like
straight vinegar this means that the brew has continued on too long. But don’t fear, you can still use it as a
cleaning liquid, or in any way you would use apple cider vinegar. Don’t worry if it’s bubbling. The process of fermentation causes a natural
carbonation to occur, bubbles mean that the SCOBY is happily brewing away!
What kinds of tea can I use?
Kombucha is traditionally made using black
tea, but as long as you are using tea leaves from Camellia sinesis (tea tree) you can play with the tea a bit. These teas include green tea, white tea, red
tea, and oolong. Herbal teas might make
a single batch of Kombucha, but most of them are highly antibiotic and can kill
the SCOBY after one use (this is also why you have to use sugar and not honey). If I want to make Kombucha with herbal tea, I
add it in as a flavoring agent.
Flavoring your Kombucha
There are two main ways to flavor Kombucha. One is to add your flavoring agent (berries,
herbs, etc) to your tea while you are boiling/steeping it. The second is to add your flavoring agent to
the Kombucha once it is done, and let it undergo a second process, one of
infusing the flavor. This one adds a few
extra days to your brewing time. I use
both methods depending on my flavor. I
prefer to use the first method with fruit and the second method with herbs. Both methods are fun and experimentation is
highly encouraged.
A word of caution about using strawberries
Strawberries are delicious and strawberry Kombucha
is one of my favorite flavors. However,
strawberries cause a highly explosive amount of carbonation (kind of like shaking up a bottle of soda then trying to open it). So much so that many people have had to clean
their ceilings in the process of brewing strawberry Kombucha. This effect seems to be tempered by the use
of frozen strawberries, or when strawberries are mixed in with other
fruits. My favorite flavor is a mixed
berry one that uses frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I have yet (crossing my fingers here) to have
an explosive reaction with this mixture.
Back to the SCOBY
One of the major cautions when brewing Kombucha
at home is keeping an eye on the health of the SCOBY. SCOBYs are great reproducers as long as they
are healthy. Each batch of Kombucha will
yield a new baby SCOBY. You can keep it
attached to the mother (the bottom one) or peel it off to start a different
batch. You can also compost your old
SCOBY. There are actually tons of uses
for SCOBYs that you can find online, including SCOBY leather and SCOBY
jerky. I have not been brave enough to
try the SCOBY jerky myself, but I’ve heard it’s tasty. If the SCOBY is black, it’s dead and will not
brew any more, please compost it. If the
SCOBY has white and/or green mold on the top, it has been contaminated and the Kombucha
it is in can be poisonous. Throw away
both the SCOBY and Kombucha.
Contamination happens most often when the SCOBY is kept too close to
garbage or other ferments (this is a caution for those of you who do other
homebrews such as wine, beer, and/or vinegar).
If you refrigerate the SCOBY it won’t die, but it will become
dormant. This is a good way to store a
SCOBY without creating lots of baby SCOBYs, but your first brew will take a bit
longer than usual. You can also kill the
SCOBY in excessive heat (this is why it’s important to cool down your tea
before adding your SCOBY). Please do not
let your SCOBY come into contact with metal, metal can kill it or cause a
negative chemical reaction that could contaminate your Kombucha. There are few things I recommend plastic for,
but when filtering out Kombucha, I recommend using a plastic strainer to
prevent the SCOBY from being in contact with metal.
One of my favorite resources for Kombucha craziness
is Kombucha Kamp. There are also Kombucha
classes taught regularly at The Florida School of Holistic Living in
Orlando. If you have any questions or thoughts,
please feel free to leave a comment below!
Resources:
Dr. Axe: https://draxe.com/7-reasons-drink-kombucha-everyday/
Food Renegade: http://www.foodrenegade.com/kombucha-health-benefits/
Kitchn: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-173858
Kombucha Kamp: https://www.kombuchakamp.com/
Nourishing Cook: http://thenourishingcook.com/how-to-make-kombucha-tea/#more-4879
Seeds of Health: http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/fermenting/kombucha.shtml
