How to Make Kombucha Vinegar?
Kombucha vinegar contains healthful acids and enzymes, Vitamin C and the B vitamins. The vinegar is also reported to increase energy, aid in detoxifying the body, and help boost the immune system. The vinegar can be used in substitution of other types of vinegar in almost any recipe. When the fermentation process is complete, fruit juice can be added to create your own flavor, or you can experiment with different types of teas during fermentation. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Kombucha mushroom (also known as a culture) 2 cups of starter vinegar or 1 cup white distilled vinegar Four to six tea bags of a green or black tea, or a heaping spoonful or loose leaf tea 1 cup white sugar or cane juice crystals 3 quarts purified water Gallon jar Clean cloth or coffee filter Distilled white vinegar
Instructions
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1
Wash your jar thoroughly with soap and water, rinse well with water, and rinse again with white distilled vinegar. This will safely disinfect the jar without leaving any chemical residues that could interfere with your brewing.
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2
Pour water into a large pot and heat to a simmer. Add sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Allow your tea to steep for five to 10 minutes, or longer if you like a stronger-tasting brew. Cool the sugar and tea mixture to room temperature.
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Add the starter vinegar (the initial fermented kombucha tea from a previous batch) or 1 cup of white vinegar. The starter vinegar will create the best brew, and other types of vinegar, which may their own cultures, should not be substituted for the white vinegar.
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4
Place the kombucha mushroom in the jar, and fill with the combined liquids. Cover your jar with a clean cloth (a kitchen towel works) or a coffee filter. Secure with a rubber band. This will keep dust and other contaminants away from your brew while allowing air to circulate.
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5
Let set for nine to 10 days in an undisturbed location between 73 F and 84 F. Brewing time will be dependent on how strong you like your kombucha vinegar, the temperature of the room, and will take longer if your culture has been inactive for a long period of time. As it brews, another culture will begin to grow on the top of the liquid. At first this may look like mold, but most likely it is not. Your culture will be white, and develop dark brown yeast. Mold will only grow if there is contamination, and will be white, gray or green in color, and look fuzzy. If mold does develop, do not use the vinegar and get rid of the moldy culture.
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6
Test your kombucha vinegar by inserting a straw in the liquid. Place your finger on the top, and use the suction to remove some liquid. When the kombucha culture is 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick, and the vinegar is to your taste, pour the kombucha vinegar into a clean plastic bottle. If you do not like the sediment, filter through cheesecloth first. You may add fruit juice, ginger, or a little extra sugar to sweeten and add flavor. Remove any air from the bottle and ferment your vinegar again for two to three days.
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Start a new batch, or store your kombucha mushroom in a clean container, rinsed with white vinegar, in enough starter vinegar for another batch.
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Tips & Warnings
Though a glass jar is the best option for brewing the vinegar, food grade plastic can be used. Larger batches are possible, just increase the amount of ingredients as needed, though you still only need one kombucha mushroom. Fermentation time may take longer.
Start out drinking small amounts of kombucha vinegar, gradually adding more to your diet as you like. Drinking too much kombucha tea may cause an upset stomach, allergic reaction and acidosis. Consult a physician before drinking the tea if you have an immune deficiency, are pregnant or breast-feeding, or have a serious medical condition.
