You know how I am always pushing you to try something new? Well, I am taking my own advice and making a batch of kombucha from scratch this week.
I am lucky enough to have an awesome friend who makes her own on a regular basis and was willing to share a jar of babies with me. Apparently you can make your own starter "mama" from scratch, but getting babies from a friend will shorten the process and make success more likely. I hope.
It is not difficult to find directions for making kombucha on the Internet. I looked at a few recipes and they were all pretty much the same. The basic ingredients are tea (black or green) and sugar. Water, of course, is necessary to make the tea. And although this product is made with some sugar, the final kombucha does not retain all of this sugar due to the fermentation process. (You cannot make kombucha with artificial sweetener or anything but real sugar as the bacteria need this to live.)
Yes, this beverage sits in a darkened space at room temperature for a week in order to ferment. And the fermentation process is the source of many health benefits. All those lovely probiotics which are wonderful for your gut and your immune system will be growing and eating up the sugar as your kombucha ferments. When it is ready to drink, it should be slightly fizzy and sour, not overly sweet. I have never actually tasted kombucha yet, but this is what I read!
Apparently it is also possible to add fresh fruit, like blueberries, to your kombucha. Some people add other flavorings like fresh ginger root. I am starting with the basics first and hoping not to screw that up. But if everything goes smoothly this week, I may begin experimenting soon.
Once my kombucha is ready to drink, I'll post another update to let you know how it tastes. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that I haven't already killed my babies before they grow into mamas!
I am lucky enough to have an awesome friend who makes her own on a regular basis and was willing to share a jar of babies with me. Apparently you can make your own starter "mama" from scratch, but getting babies from a friend will shorten the process and make success more likely. I hope.
It is not difficult to find directions for making kombucha on the Internet. I looked at a few recipes and they were all pretty much the same. The basic ingredients are tea (black or green) and sugar. Water, of course, is necessary to make the tea. And although this product is made with some sugar, the final kombucha does not retain all of this sugar due to the fermentation process. (You cannot make kombucha with artificial sweetener or anything but real sugar as the bacteria need this to live.)
Yes, this beverage sits in a darkened space at room temperature for a week in order to ferment. And the fermentation process is the source of many health benefits. All those lovely probiotics which are wonderful for your gut and your immune system will be growing and eating up the sugar as your kombucha ferments. When it is ready to drink, it should be slightly fizzy and sour, not overly sweet. I have never actually tasted kombucha yet, but this is what I read!
Apparently it is also possible to add fresh fruit, like blueberries, to your kombucha. Some people add other flavorings like fresh ginger root. I am starting with the basics first and hoping not to screw that up. But if everything goes smoothly this week, I may begin experimenting soon.
Once my kombucha is ready to drink, I'll post another update to let you know how it tastes. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that I haven't already killed my babies before they grow into mamas!
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