Kombucha is a fermented drink made from sweetened black tea that is fermented by yeasts and bacteria that are good for health, being therefore a drink that strengthens the immune system and improves bowel functioning. Its preparation is similar to that of homemade yogurt and Kefir, but black tea is used instead of milk as a key ingredient.
Black tea with white sugar are the most used ingredients to make kombucha, but you can also use other herbs and additional ingredients such as green tea, hibiscus tea, maté tea, fruit juice and ginger, to get a more flavor pleasant to the palate.
How to make Kombucha at home
To prepare the kombucha base, also called the first fermentation, the following steps must be taken:
Ingredients for First Fermentation:
- 3 L of mineral water
- Stainless steel, glass or ceramic cookware
- 1 cup refined sugar (white sugar)
- 5 sachets of black tea
- 1 kombucha mushroom, also called Scoby
- 1 container of scalded glass with hot water
- 300 ml of kombucha ready, equivalent to 10% of the total volume of kombucha to be produced (optional)
Method of preparation:
Wash your hands and utensils thoroughly, passing hot water and vinegar to help eliminate any contamination by micro-organisms. Put the water in the pan and bring to heat. When the water boils, add the sugar and mix well. Then turn off the heat and add the tea bags, letting the mixture rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Put the tea in the glass jar and wait cool until it is at room temperature. Then add the kombucha mushroom and the 300 ml kombucha ready, capping the glass jar with a cloth and an elastic band, which will allow air circulation without leaving the mixture exposed. Keep the bottle in an airy place without much light for about 6 to 10 days, at which time the final drink will be ready, with the aroma of vinegar and without sweet taste. At the end of the process, a new kombucha colony is formed on top of the first, which can be stored in the refrigerator or donated to someone else.
15 Key Benefits of Kombucha
Kombucha originates in China and tastes like a sparkling apple cider, and its consumption brings the following health benefits:
- Contribute to weight loss because it regulates appetite and decreases obesity;
- To combat gastritis, by acting to eliminate H. pylori bacteria, one of the great causes of gastritis;
- Prevent intestinal infections by fighting other bacteria and fungi that cause diseases in the intestine;
- Acting as a detoxifier, by binding to toxic molecules in the body and stimulating their elimination through urine and feces;
- Relieve and prevent problems like gout, rheumatism, arthritis and kidney stones, by detoxifying the body;
- Improve the functioning of the intestine by balancing the intestinal flora to have laxative action;
- Balancing the pH of the blood which leaves the body naturally stronger to prevent and cure diseases;
- Reduce stress and combat insomnia, being a good choice for periods of increased stress or testing;
- Reduce headache and the tendency to migraine;
- Improve liver function, being a good choice for after taking antibiotics;
- Strengthen the immune system by being rich in antioxidants and acting in the gut;
- Prevent diseases like diabetes and cancer because it improves the functioning of the whole body;
- Normalize blood pressure ;
- Decrease the symptoms of menopause ;
- Prevent urinary infections because it is a good source of fluids, which will produce more urine.
The benefits of kombucha are greater than when black or green teas are taken in their traditional form, and therefore this beverage has been used as a powerful health aid. See the benefits of black tea.
How to make Kombucha the most delicious
Also called kombucha of second fermentation, kombucha can be flavored with ingredients such as ginger, pear, grape, strawberry, lemon, pineapple, orange and other fruits, bringing a new flavor to the drink and adding the benefits of fruits. The fruits and other ingredients should be added to the ready-made kombucha base, and in this fermentation the drink will be carbonated, resembling a soda.
Lemon and Ginger Kombucha
Ingredients:
- 1.5 liter of kombucha
- 3-5 ginger slices
- juice of half a lemon
- 1.5L pet bottle capacity
Method of preparation:
You put the ginger slices and the lemon juice in a clean PET bottle. Add the kombucha in the bottle, filling well until completely complete, so that there is no air in the bottle. Cover and let stand for 3 to 7 days, time required for further fermentation, but in general the flavored beverage will be ready after 5 days of fermentation. However, the drink creates gas quickly and some consumers already like the taste after only 24 hours of the second fermentation.
To make the kombucha with other flavors, paste beat the fruit in the blender, strain and add in the bottle along with the kombucha base, waiting after the 5 days for the new fermentation that will flavor the drink.
Where to buy
Ready-to-eat kombucha can be found in health food and nutrition stores, being sold for both the traditional flavor and the varied flavors of fruits and spices.
Since Skoby, which is the mushroom or kombucha wafer with the fungi and bacteria responsible for the fermentation of the drink, can be found on websites or forums on the internet that offer skoby for free, just as with Kefir. As each fermentation a new skoby is formed, kombucha consumers usually donate their skobys to other people who wish to make the drink at home.
See also the benefits of kefir, another crop of good bacteria that helps you lose weight and prevent disease.
