Nutrition: Kombucha Class Recap

Kombucha: General Info

Kombucha is a drink that has been around for centuries and is continuing to gain popularity.  The Wellness Momma explains what it is:
“Kombucha is a traditional fermented drink made of black tea and sugar. It contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and has been prized by traditional cultures for its health-promoting properties.”  
    
My family enjoys the flexibility that you have when making your own.  You can try any number of flavor combinations to suit your family’s needs.  The refreshing taste can replace some other, less desirable alternatives.  The process of making Kombucha is very similar to Water Kefir.  Read more about Water Kefir in this post.

​When making your own Kombucha at home, you need two main ingredients: sugary tea and a SCOBY; you will also need time and patience.  SCOBY is actually an acronym for: Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.  This scoby is how the fermentation happens.  The yeast in the SCOBY converts the sugar in the tea to alcohol and the bacteria converts the alcohol into acetic acid.  This acid is a main component in vinegar, long known for its health benefits.

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Safety Tip: Be careful with your SCOBY!  It can grow mold and become contaminated.  If you see or smell anything slightly off, pitch the SCOBY and start over.  It is not worth it to risk the health of your family!  A “normal” SCOBY should smell like apple cider vinegar and look like a flesh-colored, flexible disk.  

Benefits of Kombucha

• Detoxes & supports liver
  
• Supports pancreas
  
• Rebuilds colony of beneficial bacteria in gut
  
• Boosts environment in gut & supports digestion
  
• Boots immune system health
  
• Gives the body Vitamin B
  
• Boosts energy level
  

For more information, check out this site.

How to Make Your Own Kombucha

1. You need to make or obtain your own SCOBY.

• This can be done by purchasing a bottle of kombucha or by getting one from a friend
• To make the SCOBY: dump half of the bottle of purchased Kombucha into 1 cup water, 2 Tablespoons sugar and 1 oz of tea (or one tea bag)

2. Sanitize all glass containers that you will be using.  This can be done in the dishwasher or by soaking in the sink using a sanitizer such as Star San or B-Brite.  Let this air dry.

​3. Brew tea.

• Heat up 1 gallon of water and add 1 cup of cane sugar.
• Add at least 4 tea bags to steep for 10 minutes
• You may use: black, green, oolong or white tea
• Remove tea bags and discard 
• Let tea cool to room temperature, or below 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Transfer tea to a large glass container you have previously sanitized.  Add SCOBY.  Cover with a breathable cloth and store in a cool, dry, dark place.  Wait 7-10 days, checking often.  This is the first fermentation.

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6. For the second fermentation, put your choice of fruit into empty, sanitized easy top glass jars.  Depending on the fruit, use 1 - 1 ½ Tablespoons.  Here’s some ideas: blueberries, strawberries, mango.

​7. Pour the SCOBY juice into the bottles, using a stainless steel strainer and pouring vessel, if desired.

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​8. If you wish to reuse your SCOBY, add 2 cups from the first fermentation that you saved and put in the fridge.  Or, you can brew more tea and start this process all over.   

• When reusing, it is important to note that you should flip the SCOBY over so the lighter colored side is under the tea, instead of on top again.

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9. Cap bottles and store in the same fashion as you did with the first fermentation.
10. Continue to check on the bottles for 3-5 days, opening slightly to “burp” your kombucha.  Once finished, you may wish to open outside, just in case.  

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​11. When ready to drink, use stainless steel strainer to filter out fruit so you have the juice straight.  If desired, save fruit for smoothies.

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About our Presenter:

Mark is an avid fermentor that has been home brewing kombucha for the past two years. At first he started making gallon batches of unflavored kombucha. In the past year, he has expanded his production and has started experimenting with different teas and flavorings for his kombuchas, strawberry/ginger is his favorite. Mark lives in Annapolis with his wife and 6 year old lab mix. In his spare time, he enjoys seeing new places with his wife and friends, getting outdoors, and cooking new dishes.

Sources:
The Wellness Momma blog: https://wellnessmama.com/23994/kombucha-benefits/
Dr. Axe https://draxe.com/7-reasons-drink-kombucha-everyday/
Weston A. Price https://www.westonaprice.org/podcast/12-kombucha-mamma-kombucha-craze/

Sources our presenter used to get started:
http://grist.org/food/mother-load-the-secret-to-diy-kombucha/
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-173858

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