Moonshine... Just Kidding (PART ONE)

Kombucha. It's like soda that's good for you. Bubbly, sweet, tangy... and magically healthy!

I got hooked on it in college when I had no mortgage and some disposable income.  This miracle juice costs almost $4-5.00 per bottle. Small bottles. Yipes!  Necessity is the mother of invention... and come to find out, you can brew your own at home. As long as you're comfortable with a gargantuan pancake slug growing above your refrigerator...   

Ok, not a slug... just a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY for short).

This colony munches on sugar and ferments the tea creating an effervescent (bubbly), tart drink full of probiotics, gut healing, and general goodness.  Not many things this good for you taste so fantastic. When I drink this tea I don't crave and snack.  I don't get gassy.  I'm much better at portion control.  'Tis a miracle drink!

So I'm going to attempt to brew my own.

Step One: Jars. Well washed and nostalgically beautiful.  P.S. My stove isn't dirty... its just approximately 60 years old.

Step Two:  Sugar!!!  We sprang for some unbleached, unprocessed cane sugar.  Delish!! Tastes like cinnamon toast crunch + molasses + joy + happy memories at grandmas.

Step Three: Tea... black or green. No herbal.  I chose a super flavorful sweet ginger peach because it just seemed to scream SPRINGTIIIIIME in a mellifluousness baritone.

Step Four:  Store bought Kombucha for "starter tea."  I love GT's brand.  It's best to use the Original unflavored kind.... at least that's what I hear. This being my first time and all, I may not be qualified to give advice.

Step Five:  Get a little cloth and some rubber bands ready... it's a sweet sugary drink to start out, so you don't want any hungry little fruit flies getting into the goods.

Is this even a step?  Seems too easy... but I took the picture, so there you go.

Step... what are we on?  Baah... I forget!!

Anyway, the last thing you do is just boil it all together.  1 cup of water. 1 tablespoon of sugar.  1 teabag... or more if you want stronger tea. (I used extra sugar because I like sweet tea!)  Put it in the jar and pour in the whole bottle of Kombucha.  Then set it away somewhere warm and out of direct sun...

And forget about it for two weeks.

Yes... 2. Count 'em. TWO.

Ew?  Um... did you see the first picture?  We're growing a SCOBY here, people, not baking a cake. =)

I'll be posting pictures of our progress a few days from now.  Check back later to see what this Mad Scientist cooks up.

Would you ever attempt this?

Cheers,
TheKawaMama
(scoby image)