The Health Benefits of Kombucha
If you’ve not heard about kombucha yet, then you’re in for a treat. Kombucha is a living health drink made by fermenting tea and sugar with the kombucha culture – a scoby! It is thought to have originated in the Far East, probably China, and has been consumed for at least two thousand years.
This powerful probiotic drink can be brewed at home and is an amazing source of culture based probiotics. It’s packed with loads of vitamins, and has detoxification properties to cleanse the body and support a healthy immune system.
First of all – let’s talk about that scoby!
The kombucha culture is often called a ‘scoby’ which stands for ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts’. The culture (scoby) is steeped in tea and turns a bowl full of sweet tea into the bowl full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and beneficial organic acids. You can order a scoby online, make sure it’s from a reputable source.
Is kombucha alcoholic?
It’s important to remember that, while kombucha probably won’t get you drunk, it does have a little bit of naturally-occuring alcohol that develops during the fermentation process hence it will have a small amount of alcohol in it once brewed.
How to prepare kombucha – the basics.
• 1 kombucha culture (or scoby)
• 2 litres of filtered water
• 3 or 4 tea bags (green, white, or black tea)
• 160 grams of white sugar
• 200 ml of kombucha from a previous batch as a starter or 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar if you don’t have any kombucha
The equipment
• A 3 litre glass bowl.
• A tea towel for covering the bowl.
• Rubber band or piece of elastic to secure the
tea towel.
• A teapot or saucepan to make the tea in
• Measuring jug.
• A strainer.
• Some bottles for storing the finished drink.
Important note:
Make sure everything is very clean when handling kombucha. It’s a living culture, a complex system of bacteria and yeasts and you don’t want risk contaminating it. Use freshly cleaned hands also clean jars and clean non metallic implements.
5 simple steps to making this magical drink:
1. Steep tea (green, black or lemon balm tea work well) in boiling water with sugar, then cool.
2. Sterilize a container.
3. Add a SCOBY (looks and feels like a slimy, mucous disc) or a fresh, bottle of kombucha with live cultures.
4. Cover and let sit for 7-30 days.
5. Enjoy.
