By Alex ‘Earthie Mama’ Du Toit
Guest Writer for Wake Up World
I am a huge fan of Kombucha. It has been brewed and enjoyed for over 2000 years all over the world. Many cultures have studied this amazing concoction and applied it to their health regiments, from Russia to China, and early Europe.
I have been brewing Kombucha at my own home for many years now. During it’s brewing, it naturally carbonates and creates a refreshing and fizzy healthy drink! I attribute drinking this fermented tea on a daily basis to many health benefits I have experienced. And it’s easy to make it at home!
Benefits of Kombucha
Kombucha is an all round natural, healthy fermented beverage full of amazing amino acids, probiotics and essential minerals. Probiotic literally means “for life”. Antibiotics kill ALL of the bacteria in your body, even the good stuff, but probiotics re-establish the natural ecology and order of the intestinal system. Probiotics are believed to boost immunity, mood enhancer, fight allergies, detoxify the body and rid the body of disease.
However Kombucha is not a panacea. It doesn’t cure disorders, it simply brings the body back into balance so that it may heal itself naturally. That is the secret to how this beverage is able to do so much — it accompanies and supports your body’s natural immune system.
For that reason, the Kombucha benefits you experience may vary but it has is known for some of these great health benefits:
• Probiotics by the billions
• Helps to alkalize the body
• Helps in the detoxification of the liver
• Increases metabolism
• Improves digestion
• Relieves constipation
• Boosts energy
• Reduces the size kidney stones
• High in antioxidants
• Can be applied topically to soften the skin from eczema and other skin disorders
• Speeds up the healing of ulcers (kills h.pylori on contact)
• Helps clear up candida and yeast infections
• Aids healthy cell regeneration
• Lowers glucose levels to prevent spiking after a meal
Earthie Mama’s Kombucha Tea Recipe ~ 1 Gallon
Flavored Kombucha
Supplies:
• 1 Cup Organic Sugar
• 4-6 Teabags (Organic Green, Black or White)
• Kombucha Starter Culture ~ SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)
• 1 Cup starter liquid (from another Kombucha tea)
• Brewing glass jar
• Cloth cover
• Rubber band
Instructions:
• Bring 4 cups water to a boil.
• Turn water off , add tea bags ~ let steep for 10-20 minutes
• Stir in 1 Cup organic Sugar
• Let tea cool completely
• After it cools, pour in brewing jar
• Pour in starter liquid and SCOBY
• Cover with cloth and secure with rubber band
• Set in a dark place out of sunlight
• Keep undisturbed for 7 days.
• After 7 days try your kombucha with a straw or spoon. If it tastes too bitter than it has brewed too long. If it is too sweet put cloth and rubberband back on and let sit for a few more days trying it every so often until it tastes to your liking.
• Drink as desired.
• Put it in fridge right away or fill up smaller bottles almost to the top and store for second fermentation for more carbonation.
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Other tips:
• You can flavor you Kombucha with organic frozen or fresh fruit, honey, ginger, herbs such as lavender or rose.
• If your Kombucha is too bitter, don’t throw it away! Use it for salad dressing in replacement or addition to vinegar.
• If your have too many SCOBY’s instead of throwing it away, compost it, worms LOVE SCOBY’s!
• If you have trouble finding a SCOBY, you can make your own by using some of a bottle of already brewed Kombucha and mix it with a cup of tea and sugar. A SCOBY will form at the top.
• If you can’t find any Kombucha, you can just leave tea and sugar to ferment, it takes a while but a SCOBY will form at the top.
XOXO
Earthie Mama
ps. If you enjoy this recipe, check out my Kombucha Mojito recipe here on EarthieMama.com
Recommended articles by Alex ‘Earthie Mama’ Du Toit:
- 7 Ingredients for Natural Cancer Prevention – Health Tonic Recipe Included!
- Treating Anxiety Naturally
- Immune Support Tonic – Delicious Natural Recipe
- Natural Antibiotic Ointment Recipe!
- Make Your Own Bug-Away Spray (Easy Recipe)
- Nature’s Most Powerful Antibiotics (Recipe Included!)
- 10 Health Benefits of Cucumbers
- Dirt is NOT Dirty – How Playing in the Dirt Benefits the Immune System
- How to Make Kombucha
- Practical Tips for Raising Earth-Conscious Children
- Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe
- Turmeric Milk Recipe: a Natural Mood Enhancer and Depression Fighter
About the author:
Alexandra is a true Earthie Mama, helping others tune into their most natural, thriving state while bringing harmony and balance into all areas of their lives. She hosts a well-known blog, EarthieMama.com, where she writes about health and wellness, conscious parenting, green living, self sustainability and getting off the grid. Alex also has an MA in Psychology, and is a registered Yoga Instructor, environmentalist, conscious mother, green living advocate and natural birthing expert. She also sells all natural products and her ebooks through her website.
Please check out her website at EarthieMama.com, connect with Earthie Mama on Facebook, or sign up to the free EarthieMama e-newsletter here!
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Thank you for the article. I buy Kombucha and drink it every day. My stomach problems due to gallstone have gotten better. How do I find Kombucha starter? Can I make it just using other kombucha?
i love kombutcha! I’ve been brewing it for a while too, my recommendation: don’t skip the 2nd fermentation, that’s where the magic happens! I do my 2nd ferment a room temperature, it only takes 2-3 days.
One question on your measurements: do you really only use 4 cups of water? I have all the same measurements for the other ingredients, but use 12-14 cups…. Please confirm!
I use 4 litres (16 cups) for this recipe, not 4 cups.
What is starter liquid? Can i buy it?
I have had a gallon jar of Kombucha on my fridge for about 4 to 6 weeks. It continues to make a new scoby every time I try to take out the two or three I now have in there because the scoby sinks to the bottom, starting the process all over again. Maybe I should just start over?
Do I have to use sugar to make kombucha (I’m off sugar0? And do I have to use caffeinated tea or can I use herbal teas (I’m off caffeine)?
Hi, I’ve been told you need to use sugar as it is what the bacteria will grow on – it will not grow on a substitute at all. One of my friends uses green tea, though I think that may have caffeine? Good luck 🙂
do I need to remove the tea after adding the sugar?
Hi, I take out the teabags just before pouring into my larger jar for brewing 🙂
Do you only use 4 cups of water to 1 cup of sugar and 4-6 tea bags? I don’t see where you have added additional water.
Where do I get Kombucha for the starter liquid?
There are a few ways:
1) You can use a bottle of plain kombucha from the store
2) You can use vinegar
3) If you grew your own scoby you can use the liquid that you grew it in
If you don’t have a scoby yet consider growing your own. I grew mine and it turned out great. There’s a good tutorial on http://www.createitathome.com/?p=15.
I think you meant 4quarts of water.
great suggestion for us to make our own Kombucha. Can you rewrite your recipe assuming that none most of us readers would not know from where to get starter liquid and Scoby. Or simply give exact instructions as how how to make our own Scoby and starter…
I have been brewing kombucha for awhile now and there is a great tutorial for growing your own scoby at home on http://www.createitathome.com/?p=15. I followed the directions on this tutorial and I grew a perfectly healthy scoby which i still brew with.
It’s hard to test how much sugar is present in the kombucha when you brew it at home, but the longer you allow it to ferment the more sour it will get and the less sugar you will have due to the sugar molecules being broken down by bacteria and yeast. The sugar will ultimately be broken down to gluconic and acetic acid. That being said, it’s hard to say if all of the sugar has been broken down, but the sugar content should be quite low assuming you let it ferment for about 3 weeks. With a low sugar content (produced by a longer fermentation) it’s going to taste quite vinegary, but I personally don’t mind that taste.
I would think you could use a beer brewers hydrometer to measure the sugar content, . very inexpensive and easy to use, . its like a glass thermometer, .
Good recipe for Kombucha. I also find this recipe http://www.insightstate.com/health/kombucha-tea-health-benefits-list/
Can i use xlitol instead of sugar? Or even erithritol?
I would love an icon for easy printing. This is a recipe I would like to try.
I would think you could use a beer brewers hydrometer to measure the
sugar content, . very inexpensive and easy to use, . its like a glass
thermometer,
Why does Kombucha make my eczema symptoms worse? I read that anything with yeast content feeds the bad bacteria if there is already an overgrowth. Has anyone here had proven benefits from kombucha, knowing you already had an overgrowth?
I love Kombucha but is expensive at the healthy stores and also soo acidic some of them. Is it ok for GERD or IBS ?
If you’ve never made it before, how do you get a starter from another Kombucha tea?
There are many groups on facebook that are specifically for fermenting, kombucha, kefir etc. Many of these groups have members who will send you a scoby or grains for kefir etc for the cost of shipping. Some health food shops have them available, too.
Hi Pat. Thank You for this comment. Coud You recommend someone or some of those groups You may have been in contact with. And if You know some health food shops that sell them, I will appreciate if You can recommend them. Thanks and keep having a great day!
Hi! When would I put in the ingredients for flavoring? When you put the scoby in, or after it ferments? Thanks!
I remember my mom making kombucha, in Brazil, many many years ago! I’ll have to try it myself. Hopefully I can find it here in south Mississippi.
If making Kombucha from a bottle that has already been bought, how much of it do you use to get started?