BACKGROUND:
The definition of fermentation
is "breaking down into simpler components". Fermentation makes the
foods easier to digest and the nutrients easier to assimilate. In effect, much
of the work of digestion is done for you. Since it doesn't use heat,
fermentation also retains enzymes, vitamins, and other nutrients that are
usually destroyed by food processing.
The active cultures that
pre-digest the food as part of the fermentation process actually generate
nutrients. So there are more vitamins--especially B-vitamins--and minerals
like iron are released from the chemical bonds that prevent them from being
assimilated. In effect, the nutritional value of a food goes up when it
has been fermented. KOMBUCHA
A fizzy, fermented
black tea that gives you a bang for your bacterial buck because of the variety
of microorganisms it contains. "When you drink a bottle of kombucha,
you're drinking four to seven microorganisms all at once, building a really
strong gut."
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Kombucha starts
out as a sugary tea, which is then fermented with the help of a scoby.
"SCOBY" is actually an acronym for "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast." It's very
close cousins to the mother used to make vinegar.
WHAT ARE SOME BENEFITS?
Although scientific
evidence is scarce, kombucha is reported to Increase Energy,
Improve Eyesight, Aid In Weight Loss, Assist Cancer Recovery, Strengthen The
Immune System and Improve Digestion.
PROBIOTICS?
- Which brings us to the next question: what's actually in kombucha? Kombucha is indisputably full of probiotics and other happy things that our intestines love and that help boost our overall health.
- Claims that kombucha cures things like arthritis, depression, and heart burn have less of a proven track record, but hey, our bodies are all different and I say go for it if it works for you.
How to make your own Kombucha Tea: 14 Day task
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INGREDIENTS:
3 Quarts Water
1-2 Cup of
Organic Cane Sugar
2-4
Bags of Green, Black or White Tea
1 cup Kombucha Mother (unpasteurized
store-bought neutral-flavored)
Optional flavoring extras for bottling: 1
to 2 tbsp flavored tea (hibiscus, ginger), ¼ cup honey, 2 to 4 tbsp fresh
herbs
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MATERIAL:
Stockpot
1 gallon Glass Jar or 2-quart Glass Jar
Coffee filters or Cheesecloth
Heavy duty Rubberband
Marker
Small Strainer
Measuring cup
Bottles: 16 oz with lids
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Instructions:
1. Make the Tea Base: Fill a large stockpot
with one gallon of water and add 1 to 2 cups sugar. Cover and heat until the
mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 15 mins to kill any contaminants.
Turn off the heat add two to four teabags of green, white or black tea. Allow the mixture to cool completely and strain out the teabags.
2. Add Kombucha Mother: Pour the sugar-water-tea mixture into a large jar containing your kombucha mother and at least ten percent kombucha tea. Cover the mouth of the jar with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and secure with a large rubber band. Make note of the day you started it. (Note: The mother tea makes the liquid acidic, which prevents unfriendly bacteria from taking up residence in the first few days of fermentation.)
3. Ferment for 7 to 10 days: Kombucha can be aged from 10 days to one month. It will become more sour with age; smell and taste it every few days to determine what you like best. Store the jar in room temperature out of direct sunlight.
4. After seven days, begin tasting the kombucha daily by pouring a little out of the jar and into a cup. When it reaches a balance of sweetness and tartness that is pleasant to you, the kombucha is ready to bottle.
Turn off the heat add two to four teabags of green, white or black tea. Allow the mixture to cool completely and strain out the teabags.
2. Add Kombucha Mother: Pour the sugar-water-tea mixture into a large jar containing your kombucha mother and at least ten percent kombucha tea. Cover the mouth of the jar with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and secure with a large rubber band. Make note of the day you started it. (Note: The mother tea makes the liquid acidic, which prevents unfriendly bacteria from taking up residence in the first few days of fermentation.)
3. Ferment for 7 to 10 days: Kombucha can be aged from 10 days to one month. It will become more sour with age; smell and taste it every few days to determine what you like best. Store the jar in room temperature out of direct sunlight.
4. After seven days, begin tasting the kombucha daily by pouring a little out of the jar and into a cup. When it reaches a balance of sweetness and tartness that is pleasant to you, the kombucha is ready to bottle.
TIPS
& WARNINGS:
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5. Bottling Kombucha: Place
the small strainer over the top of a measuring cup and pour the kombucha
through it, along with any juice or herbs you want to use for flavoring. Optional; Keep about ten percent of the liquid with
the mother to start the next batch.
6. Carbonate the Finished Kombucha: Transfer
the strained kombucha liquid into clean bottles. Fill each bottle to the
shoulder and seal it tightly. This will allow the kombucha to carbonate.
Label the bottle with the date you bottled it and store in room temperature out
of direct sunlight (5 to 7 days).
7. Refrigerate the Finished Kombucha: The kombucha is carbonated when the bottles feel rock solid. Refrigerate to stop fermentation and carbonation.
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Always handle your kombucha mothers with clean hands and never store
kombucha in a metal container. Kombucha is acidic and contains a small amount
of alcohol -- approximately one to one and a half percent. Kombucha mothers
occasionally mold, throw away the liquid it is in and start over.
LEARN MORE AT: RoyalHealingND.com
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