Kombuchade

A friend shared this recipe with me for lemonade that contained whey from yogurt for the probiotic benefits.  Since I don't strain the whey from my yogurt & rather strain it from my milk kefir, it has a pretty tangy taste.  Thinking about that in my lemonade made me kind of gag, so I decided to try kombucha in place of the whey.

The result?!  A FABULOUS, refreshing, tangy lemonade that everybody has LOVED & asked for more of.  I wanted to use honey, but since there is conflicting information whether or not the antibacterial properties of honey would destroy (or at least compete with) the beneficial bacteria in kombucha, I opted for white cane sugar that I had on hand.  Feel free to substitute with sucanat, stevia, etc. but I can't give quantities for stevia as I don't use it in larger amounts.  If you do, please come back & let us know how much you used and how it turned out!  I didn't use fresh lemons as they are not in my budget to use in large quantities, so I used bottled lemon juice.

The amount of lemon juice & kombucha varies depending upon how long the kombucha has been fermenting & how sour it is.  I use more lemon juice & less kombucha if the kombucha is really sour.  Feel free to experiment & find the taste that suits your taste buds!

Also, I don't want someone to not like whatever I make because I didn't use enough sugar so I use 1/4 - 1/3 C more when making it for guests, etc.  When making it for my household, I use 1 C because I try to use as little sugar as possible and we are used to having less sugar, & things taste good to us even with less sugar.  Again, feel free to tweak it to suits your needs!

 
INGREDIENTS for 2 quarts:

• 6 1/2 - 7 C water
• 1/2 C lemon juice (according to taste & according to how much kombucha I use)
• 1/2 C kombucha (I use more kombucha if it isn't as sour & less if it has been fermenting for a while)
• 1/2 C sugar or sweetener (I usually use a tad more if making it for others)

I add 1/2 the water & the rest of the ingredients to avoid spilling out of the container while stirring.  Once sugar is dissolved I add the rest of the water & stir it all up.  Put in the fridge for a couple of hours or more to chill & then enjoy!!

Do YOU make any different flavored lemonades??  What do YOU make as a refreshing drink when you'd like something besides water??  Do you add any probiotics to your beverage??  Try this & let me know what you think!  Feel free to substitute the kombucha for whey as the original recipe calls for, as well as water kefir, etc. and come back to comment so you can tell me what you used & how you liked it!!

<3 Mama Lee <3

How To: Water Kefir

Water kefir is a way to make a natural, well tolerated, affordable source of living probiotics.  Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria we are born with in our guts & on our skin, and they are destroyed every time we eat cooked foods, take antibiotics, eat animal products that have consumed antibiotics, as well as when we drink, bathe, swim, drink from a water fountain, brush our teeth, & wash our hands in chlorinated & fluoridated water.  Also, eating foods & drinks ready-made & on-the-go (tea, coffee, soda, juice, etc.) are made w/chlorinated & fluoridated water unless they state they are made w/reverse osmosis or distilled water.  

Keeping that in mind, it would seem hopeless to replenish the good bacteria if we dwelled on that info alone, but good thing for us God provided a way to replenish our bodies by simple means in our very own kitchens, & many require minimal time & cost involved!  Some are more involved w/complex and more expensive ingredients, but there are some really great, quick inexpensive options.  One of those options is water kefir.

Here is the way I make water kefir, but there are many ways & you may find that you need to tweak my instructions to fit what works best for you.  Feel free to experiment & have fun!!

INGREDIENTS:

·   Add 3-4 cups reverse osmosis, distilled, well, or spring water to 1 QT jar (the water MUST be NON-fluoridated & NON-chlorinated… you add 1 cup of water PER TBSP of water kefir grains)

·     1 TBSP white sugar PER CUP of water… you can also use raw sugar, brown sugar, sugar cane juice , cane sugar, or even muscavado… do NOT use honey.. it will KILL the grains/good bacteria.  Fructose can be used for diabetics… NO artificial sweeteners!

·     1 tsp of unsulphured molasses every other batch or so (optional, but really seems to help ‘em grow like crazy… I use a few drips every batch!!)

·      1/8 – 1/2 tsp of baking soda (you will need 1/2 tsp for 8 C water if you are using distilled or RO water… less if using water w/minerals in it, such as filtered tap water, etc.  You probably do not need this if using well water or spring water, but feel free to experiment.)

·    **  Optional ** About 14-20 unsulphured organic raisins (you can use regular ones too, as well as other dried fruit… figs, apricots, cranberries, sultanas, dried prunes, or any other fruit… some claim success by brewing w/bananas, fresh, frozen, &  dried, but mine turned out to be a horribly nasty goo when I tried fresh bananas)

·   ** OPTIONAL (but oh so good & I find mine do best WITH lemon!) ** 1-2 small qtr slices of organic lemon (I buy them bagged fresh, wash & slice them, put them in a freezer bag, & then pop 1-2 frozen slices/slivers in a jar w/the grain mixture... the organic lemons have been about the same price or even cheaper than the regular lemons the times I have had to buy them.. if you use non-organic lemons, peel the skin off 1^st).

DIRECTIONS:

To begin, just add all the ingredients to the glass jar EXCEPT the water kefir grains, stir vigorously until the sugar is dissolved, THEN add the grains, cover loosely (make sure it is NOT air-tight), & set on your counter.  You can also use a canning jar rim over a coffee filter instead of the canning jar lid disk. 

I brew for 24-48-72 hours & enjoy… shorter brewing time in warmer weather… taste it every so many hours in warm/hot weather to every ½ day to day in cooler weather ;0).... I usually sip some after 24 hours & may even drink some then... in the heat/higher temps, I have been brewing for 48 hours max... if I wait the full 3-4 days, it tastes like alcohol & the grains can turn into a yeasty goo... the 1st brew you do (or maybe even the 1st 2-3) may need to brew a little longer though, so as to get used to different brewing conditions/ingredient variations....

When temps are colder, it may take the full 4 days... just sip it as you go along & stop brewing when you like the taste...** note** the taste gets stronger the next day after it has been refrigerated for several hours, so you will learn what taste you like & figure out if you should brew 12-24 hours shorter, if the taste is too strong for you after being refrigerated... if that makes any sense. 

It is easy, really... you just wing it & go w/what taste suits you... the longer you brew = more alcohol content, which is apparent by tasting & smelling it. 

*** Something new I learned about is using 1 tea bag (I was told 1 tea bag no matter how much water) in place of using any dried fruit & fresh/frozen fruit… so you’d just mix the water, sugar, & baking soda (add baking soda only if needed for your water type… it usually isn’t for spring or well water, but IS for RO or distilled water) ‘til the sugar is dissolved completely… add the grains & then the tea bag (it can float around if it is tag less… if not, hang the tag over the side of the jar)… I haven’t yet used a tea ball, but I plan to… it is stainless… I think it will be fine as long as it is not sitting in the grains… & even then I think it would be fine, but I am not willing to risk that.

 

Also, since there is not a lot of info out there about brewing w/tea bags, I suggest you use the fruit & dried fruit every few batches to revamp the grains… it is not yet known if brewing w/tea bags stunts growth of the WKG, so to be on the safe side, rotate what you use…. & keep some spares in the fridge, dehydrate some, etc. 

When I brew w/tea bags, I find it takes 12-24 hours LONGER than usual to get to the same strength as the fruit brews do… which is really helpful if you forget about it like I do from time to time. ***

TIPS:

EASY BASIC RATIO TO REMEMBER

GRAINS  :   SUGAR   :   WATER   =             1       :        1          :         1

for example----------------------    2 TB GRAINS :  2 TB SUGAR  :  2 CUP WATER

Do YOU ferment anything??  Have you ever had water kefir??  Do YOU make water kefir??  Will you try to brew it yourself now after reading how frugal & easy it is??

 

How To: Kombucha Tea

See the new scoby forming on top??

Most everybody has heard of probiotics these days, but many people have no idea you can actually culture them yourself in your very own kitchen.  One way to do so is by making kombucha, a fermented, fizzy drink that has a slight kind of an apple cider taste to it.  It can also be cultured longer for it to turn into vinegar & can then be used in your recipes that call for vinegar or apple cider vinegar.  Good stuff with so many uses!!

I have been making my own for some time now... I have tried some other recipes out & have come to find a routine that works for me... feel free to tweak it to meet YOUR needs as well.  I'd love to hear from you how you like it & what changes, if any, you made to the recipe!!

You CAN use a smaller jar, but will obviously need to figure out the right ratio of starter, to water, to tea, to sugar for a smaller batch. 

 SUPPLIES & INGREDIENTS:

 

-    -   1 gallon glass jar (plastic & ceramic can leech toxins from them into the kombucha drink) – you can use a smaller jar, just use less tea,  sugar, & starter – you can use the same size scoby and the new one will be the size of the smaller jar, if you use a smaller jar; I use an old pickle jar

-    -  3 qts filtered water (no fluoride & no chlorine especially)

-    -  1 ½ c sugar (some recipes call for less sugar, but I find it just won’t work right if I use less, as much as I’d like to use less sugar)

-    -   4 tea bags or 2 T. loose tea (decaf okay, no herb/flavored/or fruit tea)- some say organic is okay, some say not as they claim claim organic tea will cause it to mold- I personally think the issue is not letting the tea cool enough before putting it in the jar… if it is cool, it should not mold... I had 2 batches mold (2 different times, some months apart) & both times I was too antsy & didn't let it cool long enough

-    -    1 scoby culture 

-    -    6 -12 oz starter (per gallon jar… so if using a smaller jar you can use less, of course) -- if you use more starter the faster it will ferment & I am all about faster!! 

DIRECTIONS:

1.       boil 1 qt water until rapidly boiling (lid on) – save the other 2 qts for another step

2.       stir in 1 ½ c sugar until completely dissolved

3.       turn off stove 

4.       add 4 tea bags & leave to steep w/lid on for 20-30 mins (longer is okay if you forget about it, but ideally not for more than 2 ½ -3 hours)

5.       remove tea bags & allow to cool for 2 ½ - 3 hours (if you steeped for 20-30 mins… if you left it steep longer, don’t let it steep & cool off for a total of more than approx 3 ½ hours or you risk it molding – advice varies on that, but I like to be cautious)

6.       add cooled sweet tea to glass jar

7.       add 2 more qts of room temp water

8.       add 6 oz starter

9.       add culture

10.   cover w/a coffee filter or thin piece of fabric, secured by a rubber band around the neck

11.   place in a warm, dim/dark place for approx 7-14 days – the warmer the place, the faster it will brew (start tasting after 5-7 days & every 1-2 days thereafter to check for the right taste you like… I brew until about 12-14 days until it gets fizzy & a bit tart, but that may take longer w/your 1^st brew or 2 until the culture adjusts to your water & brewing environment--- a dim/dark place is a must to keep the culture alive—I keep mine in a pantry that is opened several times a day, so complete darkness is not a must)

NOTES: 

 

When completed to your liking, pour into glass jars & store in fridge (it stops the fermentation process).  Do NOT store on counter or pressure can build as it continues to ferment & you risk explosion of the jars.  Be sure to reserve 6 oz of your brew for your next batch.  Use the culture from the TOP layer to start your next batch (you can use the one underneath too, but the top one is freshest), & you can even do a double batch using the other culture, just be sure to save 6-12 oz of kombucha for the next batch you want to brew (remember to save some from every batch for each successive brew following... so you brew a batch & then save 6-12 oz., then you save 6-12oz from the next brew, & so on).

You can compost any extra cultures, sell them, dehydrate them, give them away, store 1 or more in some sweet tea (no kombucha needed) in the fridge, or throw them away (GULP! LOL  I have thrown them away myself before I had a compost bin & didn’t know of anybody else to share them with before I found out how many people on Freecycle are crazy about them too! LOL).  I advise you to keep at least 1 extra one in the fridge as a back-up.

I found it is pretty hard to kill your culture, so don’t worry too much!  Use CLEAN hands only to handle the culture & while making the brew.  NO metal utensils (I do use a very fine, mesh metal strainer to strain my brew when complete & have not had any issues… it never touches the actual culture).  

Have YOU ever had kombucha tea??  If so, did you buy it or make it??  Around here they sell small bottle of kombucha tea for $4-5... yes, PER BOTTLE!!  Do you take probiotics or eat any certain foods/drinks known to contain probiotics (yogurt, milk kefir, water kefir, etc.)??  Do you think you will try making your own kombucha tea??