Kombucha tea is a traditional Russian drink that is made from fermenting plain black tea and cane sugar. When made with green tea and honey the beverage is called Jun tea.
Both types of fermented tea have been consumed for hundreds of years. Scientific testing in Russia demonstrated fermented tea to be an effective overall body detoxifier through the binding of the organic acids to all manner of toxins present in the body. Once tightly bound to the organic acids, the toxins are then rushed to the kidneys for excretion.
Russian communities that drink a lot of kombucha tea do not suffer from the cancer epidemics that plague folks who live near that country’s toxin spewing factories – even when the local flora and fauna are dying! Â Â Â Moreover, the Soviet Union used kombucha as one of its secret weapons in the training of its Olympic athletes – the athletes would drink up to 1 quart of kombucha per day while training to prevent lactic acid from accumulating in the muscles (lactic acid = Â sore muscles). Â So, athletes drinking this brew would be able to train harder and longer than athletes who did not drink kombucha.
The best thing about kombucha tea is that is is bubbly, delicious, and extremely hydrating. Â It very adequately replaces all the sports drinks and sodas that everyone seems addicted to today. Â My family has been drinking kombucha for almost 8 years now and it’s longstanding reputation for preventing gray hair is astonishing. Neither my husband or myself have any gray hair and we are both mid 40’s! It is simply “homemade soda” to my 3 children and it has proven itself over the years to be an extremely important facet of our overall wellness.
Many health food stores now sell raw kombucha tea. Â How raw it truly is, I do not know. Â I can tell you that store bought kombucha does not taste nearly as good as when you make it yourself. Â And, since it is so very easy and cheap to make, why not give it a go? Â Â Here’s what to do ..
Buy yourself a 1 gallon glass bowl to brew in, a box of plain black tea and green tea, and white sugar (yes, white sugar .. no worries as it all gets consumed during fermentation).
Boil 3 quarts of water.
Add 1 – 1 1/2 cups white sugar to the boiling water and dissolve
Continue to boil sugar water for 5 minutes
Remove pot from heat and add 3 black tea bags and 2 green tea bags.
Brew for 15 minutes.
Remove tea bags and let tea/sugar mixture cool to room temperature. Â Do not cool too long!
When mixture is just room temperature, add 6 oz of kombucha starter and 1 kombucha culture.
Cover with a white, prelaundered flour sack cloth (available at Walmart for $5 for a pack of 5) and attach with a large rubber band (available at Office Depot or Staples)
Leave in a quiet semi-lit room (no direct sunlight) for 7-10 days. Â When a new “baby” culture forms on the top of the brew and it is at least 1/8 ” thick, you may harvest the brew.
Store in clear glass only in the refrigerator. Â Repeat the process to brew as much as your family desires.
Enjoy!
More Information on Kombucha Tea
Want to know more about kombucha tea? Â These articles provide more detail for your research.
Fluoride in Kombucha: Should You Be Concerned?
Can Candida Sufferers Drink Kombucha?
Does Kombucha Prevent Grey Hair?
Batch vs Continuous Brew Kombucha
Safe Traveling with Kombucha
Kombucha: Drink It and Wear It?
Maple Kombucha Salad Dressing
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
I have the same question as Lydia H. about drinking it during pregnancy. I also wonder what your thoughts are about children drinking it at what ages and how much. I’ve found varying advice online regarding kombucha and children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, most of which I do not trust as I just do not trust the medical community and/or status quo in general. Thanks!
Thanks for all your work you put into your blog!! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning, and you have made the overwhelming Nourishing Traditions book seem so easy!
About the Kombucha, can you think of any reason why it should not be consumed during pregnancy or would you drink it throughout the entire 9 months?
Another trick that works for ridding your kitchen of fruit flies is a mixture of apple cider vinegar and a pump or two of dishwashing liquid, set out in a small prep bowl and sometimes within minutes, several fruit flies will plummet in.
I've never had much of a problem with fruit flies. A couple of suggestions .. get a carnivorous plant or some of that old fashioned sticky fly tape that maybe you could hang in the vicinity of the brewing kombucha.
Hi Sarah,
Am a new reader to your blog and am really appreciating all the good info you're sharing! I used to brew kombucha regularly but every week I noticed more and more fruit flies would show up, just hanging out on top of the cloth I used to cover the jar. The fruit flies were especially prolific during the summer and I just had to stop making kombucha for awhile. Now I'm ready to get back to brewing my own -definitely tastes better than store bought- but am dreading seeing those pesky fruit flies… any suggestions on how to keep them away? Many thanks, Maria
Huge fan of Kombucha You can do it the lazy way, and just keep using the same "blob" many layers thick if you don't want to store a new one every time. It's a great storage place for them all. And you can give them away when ever you want. A great gift.
a great web site kombuchaamerica.com
Very easy to make. I use Thai tea for a great flavor. and I use raw or brown sugar. ALSO USE FILTERED WATER. You can also find great Youtube videos of making Kombucha
No, you must use caffeinated tea. The caffeine is used up during the fermentation process so you should not have any problem with the final brew. I do not tolerate caffeine at all either and have no trouble with kombucha
Can you use a caffeine free tea? I'm not able to tolerate caffeine.
You can keep the baby and make 2 batches with the baby and the mother culture or you can give one away to a friend. Yes, the kombucha should be refrigerated when it is ready.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Hi Sarah,
What do you do with the new “baby” culture once you’ve harvested the kombucha? Do you have to use it all at once? Can it be refrigerated?
thanks!
Ann