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Part of CONTENTMENT for me has been learning how to tune OUT the hustle and bustle of society and tune IN to simple, wholesome things....like giving thanks and enjoying old time things.
While I still enjoy many modern amenities and am grateful to be alive during a time when there's so much benefit from the industrial and technological revolutions, I prefer to keep walking more and more toward a more old fashioned way of living in some areas of my life.
Food is one of the main ways I have started a new path. I confess I find it incredibly rewarding to learn new things. Shifting from a certain way of eating to another has been one of the greatest challenges I've ever faced (and that's saying something). I'll write more about our food journey later.
This Thanksgiving, we'll be enjoying oodles of an old fashioned fermented drink called KOMBUCHA. I'm crazy about cultured foods. Ferments is what we call them in our home. Recently, I brewed 6 gallons to be ready for our four-day holiday for the end of next month. With eight of us we'll drink every drop. We're getting so excited for the time to be together!!!!
Kombucha is very inexpensive to make and the health benefits are reportedly fantastic. Frankly, the taste is terrifically yummy even though it smells a bit like vinegar. You can google and find all sorts of methods, techniques, tools, tips and ingredients. We think it tastes very much better than soda pop.
Since we're obsessed with simple and practical in order to keep the line of contentment-and-thanks in the right place (and since we have a huge family full of youngsters), our favorite video for making Kombucha is from a gal named Emmy.
Below is her simple, fantastic youtube post. She gives a bit of background and then goes over the ingredients and steps. Take a look!
Below, I've included what you need if you'd like to try making your own. I assume you have sugar on hand, so I've included a few items we needed to gather which were not in our cupboards when we first started making our own Kombucha. Once you're ready, you can have delicious Kombucha ready for any special occasion or for everyday use.
It takes 7-14 days depending on the temperature. You've still got time to brew some to be ready for your Thanksgiving celebrations in a few weeks! I recommending watching Emmy's video (above) all the way through in order to accurately assess what to do next.
What we did:
We started with GT's (at Emmy's suggestion) and bought it from our local health food store.
Some areas don't carry these items locally, though as Kombucha gets more popular it will likely become easier to find. The main ingredient is called a S.C.O.B.Y which stands for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. It's something you'll need to buy online or find a friend who will give you one! It's slimy and looks weird but does the job. You'll still need some Kombucha liquid if you use Kimmy's method.
TEA:
Here's a fast and easy way to get a SCOBY if you don't have a friend nearby who's brewing. Anyone who brews has more than enough and is probably happy to share! If you can't find anyone who will share, you have a few options. First, you can but the SCOBY ready to go.
Or, if you'd rather get a kit, you might like this which contains everything you need to get started.
Or if you like Emmy's idea like we did, start with a few bottles of GT's, which we found in our local health food store. Amazon will ship you a case of twelve 16 oz bottles if you can't find it in your local area:
Next, you'll need tea. I prefer organic. From what we've researched and tried, black tea is THE best; but green works, too. I've tried Oolong, Rooibos, Ginger, Earl Grey and English breakfast. All are yummy. Your SCOBY will be altered if you use a flavored tea, so keep that in mind. You can brew a second time adding flavor, or use Emmy's method of adding the flavor into the bottles once you've finished your 7-14 day brew.
Organic sugar is another important component. The yeast in the SCOBY eats it and transforms it into a wonderful elixir of yumminess which is oh-so good for you. Organic sugar is pretty readily available these days in most grocery stores. Here is some in case you'd like it delivered right to your door. There are also many other brands and quantities you can select.
STORAGE:
These jars with lids are my favorite for brewing the tea and holding the SCOBY's for the next batches. It's important to use non reactive containers. I think they look great in the kitchen, too. Over the years at times we have ours completely full of SCOBY's and our guys call it the SCOBY Hotel. Each time you brew a batch you get a second SCOBY, which is sometimes called a baby. You can remove it from the original (often referred to as the Mother) and give it away or begin additional batches.
This is a GREAT way to store your finished product in the fridge after it's brewed. It keeps it chilled and the spigot makes it so even our children can easily serve themselves. I especially like the glass container made in the U.S.A. and the large size works great for our huge family. Remember, it's best to use non reactive containers for fermented/cultured foods.
For smaller quantities, you might like this:
Or this:
Enjoy your Kombucha! May your brewing going well and your time with special people be blessed.
Part of CONTENTMENT for me has been learning how to tune OUT the hustle and bustle of society and tune IN to simple, wholesome things....like giving thanks and enjoying old time things.
While I still enjoy many modern amenities and am grateful to be alive during a time when there's so much benefit from the industrial and technological revolutions, I prefer to keep walking more and more toward a more old fashioned way of living in some areas of my life.
Food is one of the main ways I have started a new path. I confess I find it incredibly rewarding to learn new things. Shifting from a certain way of eating to another has been one of the greatest challenges I've ever faced (and that's saying something). I'll write more about our food journey later.
This Thanksgiving, we'll be enjoying oodles of an old fashioned fermented drink called KOMBUCHA. I'm crazy about cultured foods. Ferments is what we call them in our home. Recently, I brewed 6 gallons to be ready for our four-day holiday for the end of next month. With eight of us we'll drink every drop. We're getting so excited for the time to be together!!!!
Kombucha is very inexpensive to make and the health benefits are reportedly fantastic. Frankly, the taste is terrifically yummy even though it smells a bit like vinegar. You can google and find all sorts of methods, techniques, tools, tips and ingredients. We think it tastes very much better than soda pop.
Since we're obsessed with simple and practical in order to keep the line of contentment-and-thanks in the right place (and since we have a huge family full of youngsters), our favorite video for making Kombucha is from a gal named Emmy.
Below is her simple, fantastic youtube post. She gives a bit of background and then goes over the ingredients and steps. Take a look!
Below, I've included what you need if you'd like to try making your own. I assume you have sugar on hand, so I've included a few items we needed to gather which were not in our cupboards when we first started making our own Kombucha. Once you're ready, you can have delicious Kombucha ready for any special occasion or for everyday use.
It takes 7-14 days depending on the temperature. You've still got time to brew some to be ready for your Thanksgiving celebrations in a few weeks! I recommending watching Emmy's video (above) all the way through in order to accurately assess what to do next.
What we did:
We started with GT's (at Emmy's suggestion) and bought it from our local health food store.
Some areas don't carry these items locally, though as Kombucha gets more popular it will likely become easier to find. The main ingredient is called a S.C.O.B.Y which stands for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. It's something you'll need to buy online or find a friend who will give you one! It's slimy and looks weird but does the job. You'll still need some Kombucha liquid if you use Kimmy's method.
TEA:
Here's a fast and easy way to get a SCOBY if you don't have a friend nearby who's brewing. Anyone who brews has more than enough and is probably happy to share! If you can't find anyone who will share, you have a few options. First, you can but the SCOBY ready to go.
Or, if you'd rather get a kit, you might like this which contains everything you need to get started.
Or if you like Emmy's idea like we did, start with a few bottles of GT's, which we found in our local health food store. Amazon will ship you a case of twelve 16 oz bottles if you can't find it in your local area:
Next, you'll need tea. I prefer organic. From what we've researched and tried, black tea is THE best; but green works, too. I've tried Oolong, Rooibos, Ginger, Earl Grey and English breakfast. All are yummy. Your SCOBY will be altered if you use a flavored tea, so keep that in mind. You can brew a second time adding flavor, or use Emmy's method of adding the flavor into the bottles once you've finished your 7-14 day brew.
Organic sugar is another important component. The yeast in the SCOBY eats it and transforms it into a wonderful elixir of yumminess which is oh-so good for you. Organic sugar is pretty readily available these days in most grocery stores. Here is some in case you'd like it delivered right to your door. There are also many other brands and quantities you can select.
STORAGE:
These jars with lids are my favorite for brewing the tea and holding the SCOBY's for the next batches. It's important to use non reactive containers. I think they look great in the kitchen, too. Over the years at times we have ours completely full of SCOBY's and our guys call it the SCOBY Hotel. Each time you brew a batch you get a second SCOBY, which is sometimes called a baby. You can remove it from the original (often referred to as the Mother) and give it away or begin additional batches.
This is a GREAT way to store your finished product in the fridge after it's brewed. It keeps it chilled and the spigot makes it so even our children can easily serve themselves. I especially like the glass container made in the U.S.A. and the large size works great for our huge family. Remember, it's best to use non reactive containers for fermented/cultured foods.
For smaller quantities, you might like this:
Or this:
Enjoy your Kombucha! May your brewing going well and your time with special people be blessed.
~Kate
2014
UPDATE:
As far as we understand, KOMBUCHA is THM approved.
Here are some additional steps to make large family batches. We hope you enjoy!
by Kate & Luke Mazur
November 2, 2016
TWELVE STEPS TO MAKING ONE GALLON OF KOMBUCH TEA
Luke recommends reading this through all the way before you start. We use Emmy's concept and have adapted it to work for our big family.
1) Sterilize a one gallon jar. We use old GFS green olive jars, which work great to make large batches for our big, thirsty family.
2) Fill the jar 1/4 of the way with boiled water. We have our own well and can use our own water to our hearts' content. It is NOT advised to use treated water as it will ruin your SCOBY. We suggest using filtered water if your tap water is treated.
3) To the hot water, add 6-8 tea bags.
For a lighter Kombucha, we use Green tea, etc.
For a darker tea, we use black, Oolong, etc.
4) Steep for 5 minutes and then remove tea bags using non reactive utensil. Discard tea bags.
5) Add 1 cup of sugar while the water is still hot. Swirl water in jar carefully just long enough to dissolve sugar.
6) Add cold water making sure to leave enough room to add the SCOBY and 1 cup of brewed kombucha (previous batch)
It's important the SCOBY not get too hot or too cold. Remember, it's a harmonious colony of bacteria and yeast and therefore temperature is important. Don't add ice until it's has finished brewing and the SCOBY is out!
Also if you want to flavor your tea make sure too wait until it has finished brewing and you have removed the SCOBY, or else it will become a favored SCOBY
7) Add SCOBY and 1 cup of Kombucha from previous batch.
If this is your first batch, pour the GT's right in. A SCOBY will form on its own from the culture which lives within GT's.
8) Cover the jar with cheese cloth or a coffee filter and secure well with a rubber band. While it needs to breath because it's a living organism, it's important not to allow any gaps.
Warning: Fruit flies LOVE to find their way in, lay their eggs and hatch a little family on the SCOBY. This makes for undrinkable tea. They can really be a problem. We have mourned many a batch because of them.
9) Place the jar in a good spot. We put our jars on top of our fridge and allow them to sit at room temperate for 7 -14 days.
We like waiting two weeks because then the flavor is DELICIOUS.
If it goes too long it sours and then we like to use it for vinegar.
10) After 7-14 days at room temperature, your Kombucha Tea is ready. Remove the SCOBY and 1 cup of liquid and place in a separate glass jar until you're ready to brew your next batch. We keep ours on the fridge in what we affectionately call our SCOBY Motel. As you continue to brew, your SCOBY's will multiply. Separate the layers and use one layer per batch. They reproduce quickly! Some like to share their extra SCOBY's with friends.
11) Store tea. We can hardly get enough made to put in cold storage, but it is a good idea to put the Kombucha tea, once brewed and SCOBY is removed, into the fridge or other cold place. This keeps the flavor just as it was and it gets better and better as it stays chilled.
You can pour it into small bottles if you like. We often pour it into empty, used milk jugs because we drink it so very fast. Purists will say only use glass and we agree but we gulp it down faster than Luke can make it.
12) Taste and enjoy!
For one half gallon follow the same method but cut the ingredients in half.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot an email to Luke at exuberantforlife@gmail.com
Please come back and let us know in the comments below how yours turned out.
~Kate and Luke
Your donation is SO appreciated! It helps me keep the tea coming
while I take breaks from house and home, children and hubby in order to
write for you! While your donation will completely make my day, it's not tax deductible. 2014
UPDATE:
As far as we understand, KOMBUCHA is THM approved.
Here are some additional steps to make large family batches. We hope you enjoy!
by Kate & Luke Mazur
November 2, 2016
TWELVE STEPS TO MAKING ONE GALLON OF KOMBUCH TEA
Luke recommends reading this through all the way before you start. We use Emmy's concept and have adapted it to work for our big family.
1) Sterilize a one gallon jar. We use old GFS green olive jars, which work great to make large batches for our big, thirsty family.
2) Fill the jar 1/4 of the way with boiled water. We have our own well and can use our own water to our hearts' content. It is NOT advised to use treated water as it will ruin your SCOBY. We suggest using filtered water if your tap water is treated.
3) To the hot water, add 6-8 tea bags.
For a lighter Kombucha, we use Green tea, etc.
For a darker tea, we use black, Oolong, etc.
4) Steep for 5 minutes and then remove tea bags using non reactive utensil. Discard tea bags.
5) Add 1 cup of sugar while the water is still hot. Swirl water in jar carefully just long enough to dissolve sugar.
6) Add cold water making sure to leave enough room to add the SCOBY and 1 cup of brewed kombucha (previous batch)
It's important the SCOBY not get too hot or too cold. Remember, it's a harmonious colony of bacteria and yeast and therefore temperature is important. Don't add ice until it's has finished brewing and the SCOBY is out!
Also if you want to flavor your tea make sure too wait until it has finished brewing and you have removed the SCOBY, or else it will become a favored SCOBY
7) Add SCOBY and 1 cup of Kombucha from previous batch.
If this is your first batch, pour the GT's right in. A SCOBY will form on its own from the culture which lives within GT's.
8) Cover the jar with cheese cloth or a coffee filter and secure well with a rubber band. While it needs to breath because it's a living organism, it's important not to allow any gaps.
Warning: Fruit flies LOVE to find their way in, lay their eggs and hatch a little family on the SCOBY. This makes for undrinkable tea. They can really be a problem. We have mourned many a batch because of them.
9) Place the jar in a good spot. We put our jars on top of our fridge and allow them to sit at room temperate for 7 -14 days.
We like waiting two weeks because then the flavor is DELICIOUS.
If it goes too long it sours and then we like to use it for vinegar.
10) After 7-14 days at room temperature, your Kombucha Tea is ready. Remove the SCOBY and 1 cup of liquid and place in a separate glass jar until you're ready to brew your next batch. We keep ours on the fridge in what we affectionately call our SCOBY Motel. As you continue to brew, your SCOBY's will multiply. Separate the layers and use one layer per batch. They reproduce quickly! Some like to share their extra SCOBY's with friends.
11) Store tea. We can hardly get enough made to put in cold storage, but it is a good idea to put the Kombucha tea, once brewed and SCOBY is removed, into the fridge or other cold place. This keeps the flavor just as it was and it gets better and better as it stays chilled.
You can pour it into small bottles if you like. We often pour it into empty, used milk jugs because we drink it so very fast. Purists will say only use glass and we agree but we gulp it down faster than Luke can make it.
12) Taste and enjoy!
For one half gallon follow the same method but cut the ingredients in half.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot an email to Luke at exuberantforlife@gmail.com
Please come back and let us know in the comments below how yours turned out.
~Kate and Luke
