Teach me to make kombucha?

[Spryte]

It's been suggested that I start making kombucha and other fermented foods, by my doc. I find this unappealing, but am willing to try, because I respect her thoughts and she's usually spot on with her ideas.

 

Anyone have tips? Instructions? Websites? Ideas to make it all more palatable?

 

Kombucha is the obvious first step, I think, but any fermented foods will help.

[Liz CA]

Kombucha is easy as are fermented vegetables.

 

Kombucha:

 

Take gallon glass jar. Put SCOBY inside - aka fermenting "sponge" or culture. You can buy it from Donna Schwenk's website if you don't know anyone who has one.

 

Heat 3 cups of water to boiling, steep 5-6 teabags in it. Use some black tea (but not Earl Grey, it contains some oils) and herbal mix, whatever you like.

Once the tea has steeped, add 1 cup of organic, white sugar and stir until dissolved.

Let tea and sugar mixture cool down a bit.

 

Fill gallon jar with SCOBY with 9 cups of cold, filtered water. Once tea has cooled a little (below F85), add to gallon jar with cold water. Wrap a dishtowel around top, secure with rubber band and let sit at room temperature (but not where it gets above F85) for at least a month or longer.

Then take out SCOBY and filter Kombucha through a fine mesh filter or cheese cloth. Now it's ready to drink. You can add sweetener like honey or maple syrup or mix it with water.

 

You have to repeat the procedure to keep the SCOBY fed (the sugar is eaten up by the SCOBY) and producing another batch of Kombucha.

 

 

Fermented Vegetables:

Chop veggies up. Put in mason jar. Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt and a little whey. Fill with filtered water up to an inch below rim.

Put lid on and let sit at room temp for 4-5 days. Then refrigerate and eat. :)

But be careful, if you are not accustomed to fermented foods in general, just a few teaspoons can send you to the bathroom...start easy.

 

Kefir (in the dairy section) is also fermented food and comes ready to drink in a bottle. It is not a dairy product but is usually stored with milk and yogurt.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Liz CA

[Spryte]

Thanks!

[Spryte]

I have not seen any non-dairy version of kefir, though I've heard many who are lactose intolerant may be able to tolerate kefir.

 

Thanks for the Kombucha directions. My husband has been buying it frequently, and I've been wondering if we should start making it instead.

 

Miso is one of the fermented foods I find easiest to eat. I just buy the refrigerated paste to make soup from. My kids like sauerkraut, but I do not. There are also fermented pickles you can get in some stores and kimchi is easy to find.

Oh, thank you! I love miso, what a good idea!

[Rosie_0801]

Dilmah Rose and French Vanilla tea makes the tastiest kombucha ever.  :drool5: