Kombucha
KOMBUCHA
I love Kombucha...I mean who doesn't love Kombucha. I recently got my dad into it; I actually flew a scoby from the US to Italy so that he could taste it and begin using it. My dad is currently on his second to last round of chemotherapy. Being sick has made him really aware of his overall health and lifestyle choices. I'm really proud of him for that. On my past trip back home him and I sat down together to look at how he could integrate some healthy habits into his regular diet. He has really amazed me. He has taken up fasting with before each round of chemo, he has learned to prepare a daily morning juice, he has cut down on weekly consumption of red meat, given up drinking alcohol for the most part, and most impressively he no longer drinks coffee! Being an Italian in Italy and not drinking alcohol nor coffee is not an easy task. People literally think something is seriously wrong with you when you turn down a glass of wine or a shot of espresso. Anyhow, amongst other things I introduced him to Kombucha.---- Aside from his initial reaction of disgust, and serious investigation as to whether I was trying to poison him, he now loves it so much he makes his own, and like me drinks it instead of alcoholic beverages :)
Kombucha is one of my favorite drinks. I personally use it as a health drink and as a substitute for alcoholic beverages. It's so simple to make, and you end up saving so much money! If you make a big batch, it will last for a good while, and if you have a few jars you can keep making it, so once one batch is done, you just remake some tea and you are set- well I'll add the details to that process below. Most of you know what Kombucha is and probably love it as well. But here is a little background on exactly what it is and what it's many health benefits are.
Kombucha is a fermented drink made from the fermentation of tea and sugar. This fermentation process creates a bacteria called a scoby. A scoby is a 'symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast'. In Chinese traditions, Kombucha was known as the ‘Immortal health Elixir’. The fermentation process takes anywhere between 7-12 days depending on temperature and the strength of the scoby. The scoby consumes most of the sugar during the fermentation process, so the actual Kombucha is a low-sugar drink. Kombucha contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes good for the overall health of the body. Here are some more specific health benefits I think you'll dig:
- Detox: promotes a healthy liver
- Healing: Aids cancer prevention
- Digestion: natural probiotic, protects the lining of your stomach
- Healthy bones: helps prevent all forms of arthritis
- Mental health: helps reduce depression and anxiety
- Immunity: rich in anti-oxidant
- Boosts energy levels
It is really simple to make. This is how we do it...
All you need is:
- a starter (click here for how to make a scoby) ,
- a big glass jar (half a gallon or gallon),
- cheese cloth or one sheet of paper towel,
- string or rubber band
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 gallon of water
- 6-8 black tea bags (depending on strength of the tea)
(you can adjust the quantities accordingly...so if you want to do half, half it all...)
- scoby with starter
Directions:
1. Boil water
2. Add tea bags to water and cover. Let sit for 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like you tea. I like to keep it on the lighter end, seems to taste better.
3. Uncover and let cool.
4. Add sugar and stir.
5. Transfer the sweetened tea to the jar or jars and add a scoby per jar (if the scoby has many you can keep the 3-4 layers. The fermentation process will create a new scoby).
6. Cover the jar with a cheese cloth or peel the paper towel sheet into two and use one layer. You want the scoby to breathe in order to ferment, so it's very important that air goes through. The cheese cloth or paper towel should be very thing. You can secure the cloth with a string or a rubber band.
7. Place the liquid in a room temperature place (not cold, nor too hot). Keep it out of direct sunlight. You can put in cupboards or on a shelf or something.
8. Let sit for about 8-10 days, then check it and see if it's ready. the more it sits the more fermentation you get.
once it's ready you:
1. Remove scoby and place in a smaller jar with some of the kombucha to cover it. This scoby with liquid is what will serve as a starter.
2. Add flavors if you want. I like to add lemon juice. But you can add ginger or tumeric. You can also make this with green tea, just doesn't work as well for me.
Enjoy and share your scoby with a friend :)
As always I love to hear from you guys so share the love, if you try this post a picture and tag me on IG @bibi.lorenzetti. If you have questions, or comments you can always email me on comment below :)
Stay healthy and share your health with the people you love :)
