How to Make Kombucha Tea

Kombucha tea, also known as kombucha mushroom tea, is a fermented beverage harkening back to the ancient Chinese. Doctors in China prescribed kombucha as a tonic for stomach ailments. During the Middle Ages, kombucha tea made its way through the Silk Road to Europe, and by the 16th century European nobility were turning to kombucha as a tonic for everything that troubled them. The name kombucha mushroom tea refers to the kombucha mushroom, a bacterial cake resembling a mushroom that's used as a starter to ferment the beverage. The beverage doesn't really contain mushrooms. Although many health benefits are attributed to kombucha, the jury is still out whether or not it's good for you, won't do any harm, or is actually bad for you. If you'd like to try making your own kombucha tea beverage, here's how to make kombucha tea.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3 quarters filtered water
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tea bags of organic black tea
• 1/2 cup kombucha from a previous culture (or purchase from a health food store)
• kombucha mushroom (actually, a cake of kombucha bacteria and not really a mushroom, but you will find it called kombucha mushroom in the store)
• 4 quart pyrex bowl

1. Boil 3 quarters of filtered water. Add the sugar and simmer until all the sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove the pot from the heat and add the four tea bags. Let them steep for as long as it takes for the water to cool - approximately two hours. Remove the tea bags.

3. Once the water is cool, pour the mixture into a four quart pyrex bowl. Add the kombucha starter liquid and place the kombucha mushroom on top of the liquid in the pyrex bowl.

4. Place a piece of plastic wrap with holes punches in the top over the bowl. Now place the bowl, covered, in a warm dark place. Be sure that insects and dirt cannot fall into the mixture or it will contaminate it.

5. After seven days, check the mixture. The mushroom cake on top should look springy and spongy. If it's turning black, discard the tea and get a new cake. The tea is ready when the mushroom has grown a second spongy pancake. Use that to make more tea, or give it away to friends.

6. Brewed kombucha looks fizzy and tastes sour. If you can still taste the tea, it's not done yet. Once the kombucha is finished fermenting, decant into a glass container. Never use ceramic, as cases of lead poisoning have been reported from people brewing kombucha tea in imported ceramic containers. The glaze on the ceramic contained lead, which leached into the tea.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use organic black tea. Non-organic tea may contain flouride, which inhibits growth of kombucha.
• Use sugar rather than honey to get the most glucuronic acid (the active ingredient thought to have health benefits)
• A great book for anyone interested in returning to wholesome foods from our historic past, such as kombucha tea, is "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. Part cookbook, part instructional book, this well-written volume convinced me to eat closer to nature. If you like cookbooks such as "Laurel's Kitchen" this one is for you!
• Some people are allergic to kombucha.
• If you take prescription medications for hypertension, kidney or liver disease, or hormone replacement therapy, do not use kombucha.
• Any weakness, dizziness, tiredness or jaundice indicate a serious problem - seek medical help.

Resources

• Dangers of kombucha tea.
• Our gardening and simple, healthy living blog.

[keytothestars]

on 6/24/2009 Thanks, I just got a "baby" and am going to try my hand at making kombucha!