Kombucha is healthy!
Kombucha is a probiotic superpower! It contains bucket loads of beneficial bacteria (probiotics), antioxidants, B vitamins and Vitamin K2. It has been shown to lower cholesterol, help manage diabetes, prevent heart disease, prevent disease in general, support gut health, improve mental health and help to maintain liver function. Phew…. pretty good stuff! Check out the list below for more benefits.
Have a go at making your own kombucha at home- my simple instructions are below. All you need is a SCOBY- get one from a friend, or the health food shop or purchase one of these online.
SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. This version of kombucha is made without refined sugar. I make it with honey and organic tea. The honey and tea is mostly consumed by the SCOBY, but small amounts are left when I ferment it. At times I have decided I don’t want the minimal caffeine and sugar (from the honey), but have since decided for my health it is worth the benefits it provides. Everyone is different, and I wouldn’t recommend it to some people, but most would benefit greatly. It takes 1- 3 weeks to brew a batch.
The benefits of kombucha
- High source of probiotics
- Helps detoxify the body
- Contains antioxidants
- Helps relieve pain
- Treats gastric ulcers
- Protects your liver
- Helps control cholesterol
- Improves digestion (constipation etc)
- Has antimicrobial effects
- May decrease your risk of heart disease
- May help control blood glucose levels in people with diabetes
- May help reduce the risk of cancer.
Instructions to make your own kombucha with honey:
Ingredients
2L Filtered water/ spring water
4 organic black tea bags or 1 tbsp loose leaf tea (organic green or black tea, or mixture of both)
½ cup of raw honey
1 SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)
Equipment
Heat proof jug
3L glass jar for fermentation and glass bottles for storage
Cheese cloth if fruit fly isn’t a concern, otherwise a tightly woven fabric such as tea towel or serviette.
Flavours for the second ferment
Method
- Brew the tea in 500ml of boiled spring/ filtered water in the jug.
- Leave it to come to room temperature.
- Poor the tea into the 3L glass jar.
- Put the honey into the same jug and pour in 250ml of hot water. Stir to dissolve the honey. Pour the honey and water into the 3L jar.
- Add the remaining 1250ml of spring/ filtered water into the 3L jar.
- Add the SCOBY carefully into the tea/ honey/ water mix.
- Put the cheese cloth/ tightly woven fabric over the top of the jar and secure with a rubber band.
- Let your SCOBY mis sit out of direct sunlight for 7-10 days. I put mine at the bottom of my pantry.
- Taste the kombucha after 7 days until it reaches the desired flavour. The longer is ferments, the more beneficial bacteria, but also the more ‘vinegary’ it will taste. The longer it ferments, the less caffeine and sugar from the honey. It will take different lengths of time at different times of year with temperature fluctuations.
- You can then either enjoy your kombucha beverage, or conduct a second ferment which will add flavour and effervescence.
For the second ferment:
- Add some fresh fruit, or dried fruit, or even fruit juice to the kombucha. The following is a guide: for every litre, add either:
- ¼ cup fruit juice
- 3-4tbsp fresh cut fruit
- 1-2tbsp dried fruit
- 1/8cup pureed fruit
- You can also add 1tbsp herbs and spices per 1 L kombucha. Some ideas are cinnamon, cloves, ginger, thyme, mint, lavender, rosemary etc. You can add this to the fruit, or do it alone. If you do it without the fruit, also add 1 tbsp honey. If you do it with the fruit, there is no need to add more honey.
- After adding your extras, leave it on the bench out of direct sunlight for a further 3- 7 days. Then strain out the fruit/ herbs and pop in the fridge and ENJOY! It will have the flavour of your additives, and also be more effervescent.
You might also like to try your hand at making homemade milk kefir.