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Kombucha Tea; More Home Fermentation
 Kombucha tea is made by fermenting sweetened organic black, green or white tea with a flat, pancake-like culture of yeasts and bacteria known as the Kombucha mushroom, also known as tea fungus. Mmmm, tea fungus, sounds yummy, doesn't it? You can now buy Kombucha tea in many health food markets. Because of some moronic celebrity who claimed the alcohol content in her Kombucha (<.01%) set off her alcohol detector, the manufacturers had to make some process changes... drivel. In any case, the homemade Kombucha tastes much better. I actually find the store bought Kombucha to be distilled white vinegar harsh and a bit repulsive. Am I making this tea sound delicious enough to try? Trust me, homemade is very refreshing and only slightly tart. All you need to brew your own Kombucha is a starter culture, which you may obtain from a friend or a local person willing to give you a "pancake" - try Craig's List. The health benefits of kombucha tea are said to be many, and the taste is pleasantly tart, and for me, somewhat addictive. The final product is lightly carbonated too. Once you get the hang of brewing fresh Kombucha it will be second nature. I have all but given up coffee in favor of a tall glass of Kombucha morning and afternoon. The gallon I make each week is exhausted by the time the next batch is ready.  1 gallon Glass or ceramic container 1 gallon filtered water 6 tablespoons loose or bags of organic tea - non-organic tea contains fluoride which will inhibit the culture 1 cup white sugar - white sugar works best, any natural sweetener will work - no splenda, Xylotol or Stevia type sweeteners 1 Starter culture in 1 cup fermented tea Brew 1 gallon of tea (either organic black, green or white) using 2 tbs of loose tea per quart or six bags per gallon. Let it steep for at least 15 minutes. Strain the tea or tea bags out of the tea. Add 8 oz of sugar while the tea is still warm, and stir to dissolve. Cool to room temperature, no warmer than 70F. A hot liquid will kill your starter culture. Pour sweetened tea into a large china or glass container. Dont use plastic or metal which will react with the acids being created and ruin your batch of tea.  Add the culture, and the liquid that it came in.Cover the jar with a clean tea cloth, cheese cloth or paper towel to keep out fruit flies but to still allow air in. If the container has a wide mouth, add a crisscrossing of masking tape or a rubber band to prevent the cover from dropping into the brew. Keep your culture in a warm place, with no direct sunlight. A relatively dark place is best. Do not move the container while it is fermenting. The temperature should stay between 68-86F, but it's better to keep it between 74-80F. Let the fermentation process go on for 7-14 days. You'll likely have to experiment a bit to get the timing right for your own tastes. Warmer temperatures will speed up the process. Taste should be light with no sweetness remaining.  While your kombucha tea is fermenting, the sugar will be broken down by the yeast in the starter, and CO2 will be formed. Your tea will start to bubble and develop a sharper, tart flavor.You will eventually learn to tell just by the smell when the batch is ready, but if you like, buy acid test strips at any drug store. When the acid level is around 2.7-3.2 pH, your tea is ready to go. At this point, you'll need to create a new, fresh batch of tea for your culture (see the first steps). Remove the culture from your completed tea along with a cup of the ferment and place it in the new container of tea. Strain if you wish and pour your completed kombucha tea into a glass container, or to preserve and promote carbonation, into bottles with tight stoppers. Seal the bottles securely. Let it sit for 4-5 days, to enhance carbonation or drink immediately. Store in a cool place. Your kombucha tea - unless you use it all, will keep for several months. Enjoy!   Kombucha tea is reputed to help with many health problems such as: eczema and other skin problems, hair loss, hypertension, liver cleansing, digestive and intestinal disorders, arthritis, high cholesterol and more. I don't believe any of this has been scientifically proven. My skin seems more luminous and I have a better energy level with no afternoon droop. I can't attest to anything else though, I've also been making kefir so am loaded with so many good intestinal flora and fauna I couldn't possibly pinpoint which is responsible for the lift in my overall well being. related searches : Kombucha
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