What in the Kombucha?
What is Kombucha? Kombucha is a probiotic drink that aids in adding good bacteria into your gut. We have over 100 Trillion bacteria and crawlies. Kombucha helps replenish all those bacteria that we lose throughout our daily lives. Kombucha hosts 4 bacterias: Gluconacetobacter, Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, Zygosaccharomyces. All of these bacterias help our body with digestion, detoxing, and healing our gut.
Kombucha is made by fermenting tea for about 7-14 days. My recipe involves a tea mixture of green tea, white tea, and oolong. It makes provides a light flavor of Kombucha. When buying kombucha make sure to be aware and drink only organic, as some teas are treated with pesticides. When brewing your own kombucha, the "Scoby" is the most important part of the process. The Scoby is made up of both the above bacteria and yeast. The Scoby feeds off the sugars that we place into the tea during the brewing process. Since kombucha goes through a fermentation process it does contain minute amounts of alcohol (less than 1%) produced from the yeast and bacteria feeding on the sugar.
We talked about benefits of drinking kombucha, so here are my reasons why you should drink it too:
Kombucha strengthens the immune system. Since Kombucha is essentially fermented tea, it still has all of the antioxidant properties of the original tea. Kombucha, especially made with green tea, has amazing antioxidant properties. It also contains vitamin C.
It helps with fat reduction. It has some of the same properties that apple cider vinegar has with weight loss. ( it aids in lowering your triglicerides)
Kombucha helps the body detox and cleanses the liver.
It also helps with digestion. This is obvious I know, but still. Kombucha has four of the main bacteria we need. Since many of us need the extra gut bacteria, especially those who have taken antibiotics in the last 5 years.
Kombucha has been known to help those with stomach ulcers.
It can effectively be used to treat and prevent heartburn.
With so many benefits who wouldn't want to drink it? Yea sometimes it can smell and taste really weird, but you'll get used to it. It's so good for you! With so many companies out there I'm sure you'll find one you'll like!
My Kombucha tea recipe!
6 green or black tea bags (you’ll want to stick with unflavored teas)
1 cup of sugar!
4 cups of H2O boiled! Plus 1 quart cold H2O (make sure it’s filtered)
Gallon mason jar or any other glass jar
A towel & rubber band or fermentation lid
A saucepan that can fit 4 cups of water
Your SCOBY and 1 cup of residual Kombucha (if your first starting its the liquid the SCOBY comes with)
Direction!!
1. Boil 4 cups of water in a saucepan. When boiled turn off stove and take off heat. Add 6 tea bags or 12 grams of tea. I like 2 of each, but feel free to make your own blend! Let the tea steep for at least 20 min.
2. Take out tea bags and gently squeeze out any water. Add the cup of sugar and stir till completely dissolved.
3. Add tea mixture to your jar. Add 1 quart of cold water or till the fluids have reached about a inch under the shoulders of the jar.
4. Make sure the tea is room temperature before placing your scoby in. Between 74 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. After tea has cooled add SCOBY and 1 cup of residual Kombucha.
6. Cover your jar with the towel and secure with the rubber band. or if you have a fermentation lid secure it as directed.
6. Let the scoot and tea ferment for 7-14 days or however strong you like your Kombucha.
