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Elizabeth
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My son has returned from college singing the praises of kombucha. Anybody know how to make it?
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Mary Chris
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I don't even know how to say it! 
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mary theresa
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I do!
My 21 month old drinks it like its going out of style. It's so good for you too!
You'll need to get a mushroom in a bit of the tea from someone as the starter. I could give you one of my "babies" 
But I think you can buy one?? Try here:
Laurel Farms
Here's how to make it: directions
You'll need a warmish kitchen to "grow" tea (takes 7-10 days), at least a one gallon glass jar. wide mouthed is best. Walmart has perfect ones.
I find that 4 grn tea bags and 1 black per 3/4 of a gallon are the best.
You have to be careful about the tea or the mushroom touching anything that could "kill" it or make it toxic, plastic especially.
And mold too -- once my mushroom got moldy and I had to start over with a new mushroom.
It's kind of like a plant or pet. It can be pretty picky about it's living conditions. Like, for example, if you are getting your wood floors re-varnished, or painting, or anything chemically is around it it will turn toxic and then die. And it needs to be fed every week or two, though you can "suspend"/hibernate it in the fridge if you are going away.
Some ppl have trouble with them -- keeping them healthy and alive I mean. But mine are pretty hardy.
I think when you throw away the "mothers" when they get too old that you can chop them up and put them in your garden.
Sorry if too much info all at once. I'm trying to be quick here. Check out the site and if you have questions I'd be happy to help. I make it every week or so.
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Mary Theresa
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MarilynW
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You need a kombucha mushroom starter. I have never tasted it - I am a little scared of mushrooms as have some allergies. It is supposed to be reallygood for health. You can find a recipe and all the fixings atKombucha
Edited - it is a fermented tea. Not sure it has actual mushrooms in it - looking at that website. Sally Fallon is an advocate. Maybe Nourishing Traditions has something on it.
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MacBeth
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It's not actually a mushroom, but a symbiotic combination of several fungi and bacteria. Interesting...not my cup of tea, though. I understand that certain contaminants can cause the concoction to concentrate mild euphoria-inducing molecules.
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Elizabeth
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Michael has been buying it bottled. This is what he's drinking. I even stand the smell of any of the varieties except the citrus.He is sure that it's cured his lactose intolerance, which,seems entirely possible based on the research I've done. Mary Theresa, I might take you up on your offer. Seems like the starter is key to success. I wonder if my house is too cool for it to grow well. I'm a little worried that I'll mess this up and we'll all get sick. Is it easy to tell if it's spoiled? Honestly, it smells pretty rancid anyway...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Elizabeth
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Oh boy, Marilyn's link contradicts Mary Theresa's. This is already sounding much scarier than the homemade yogurt...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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mary theresa
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Elizabeth wrote:
I wonder if my house is too cool for it to grow well. I'm a little worried that I'll mess this up and we'll all get sick. Is it easy to tell if it's spoiled? Honestly, it smells pretty rancid anyway...
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Actually, my kitchen is cool too. We keep the heat at 60 at night and not higher than 67-68 during the day. I think that there can be better for you batches and weaker ones depending on the environment and more healthy and less healthy mushrooms. My batches have tasted a bit different since the weather not cold -- less of a bite or flavor maybe. It does ferment better in warmth. I'm thinking of moving my jar to a warmer spot in the house, near a vent maybe.
It doesn't spoil very easily. Mine has grown mold only once in more than a year I do throw the batch away though if it touches plastic or metal or whatever. There's not really a way to TELL if its bad, but I assume it is. Though my husband once put it in a plastic bottle for my daughter and she drank it all before i knew. Nothing ever happened . . .
I read Marilyn's link real quick. The contradiction you mentioned-- is it about the organic tea bags? I've never used organic so I actually don't know if it makes the tea more prone to mold or not.
I have used organic and non-organic sugar. Really, the "mushroom" eats all the sugar while it's fermenting, so there isn't much sugar left in the tea when its done.
And I never have done the Ph test strip thingy. I have figured out about how many days I like to ferment it -- the longer you let it ferment the stronger it is -- based on the strength that I can stand it It can taste a bit different every time.
BTW, I HATED the taste too at first. i still don't drink it as much as I should . . . But honestly, it grows on you. Sometimes you can get so you actually crave it when your body starts to "know" that you need it.
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Oh, so you'll probably think this is weird, but this is a simple way that you can test whether something is good for you or not, or if you are worried that the kombucha is bad or spoiled or whatever.
Stand lightly and balanced on both your feet.
Hold whatever you are testing (a glass of kombucha) up to your chest.
After a few seconds, your body will rock ever so slightly forward if it is good for you and back, away if its not good/toxic/allergenic for you.
Its weird, but if you think about it it makes sense.
A kinesiologist (sp?) showed me this.
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Mary Chris
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This Kombucha sounds interesting, not that I am going to try it, but I might get some for dh. Is it really expensive and where do you buy it? Whole Foods? I don't see me fermenting anything, on purpose, in the near future.
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AnaB
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Yogi tea makes Kombucha in a tea bag form!! It has some plum in it and tastes great! This is the easy way. I'm sure it's probably not as potent as the real stuff or the bottled stuff. The bottled stuff bubbles and is a bit too strong for me. I didn't experience any benefits, but the tea bags do taste good.
Hope this helps!
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Elizabeth, I have raised these for about 10 yrs., you can do it!
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Mary G
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I did "kombucha" when I lived in SC ... had some friends who were REALLY into it. I didn't much care for the taste but they swore it had wonderful benefits ... that said, I know you can "grow" the culture in just about any climate ... it will culture faster in a warm climate but it will save you a ton of $ to grow your own instead of buying it bottled (as the mushroom/fungi actually replicates and has "babies" that you can give to others or keep to keep more "going).
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We make kombucha (my husband is offering to drive you a "mushroom" from DC and give you a tutorial).
It's super easy, much harder to mess up than the websites lead you to believe and homemade tastes better than store bought (all our guests agree). It is an acquired taste but I acquired it much faster with homemade kombucha than storebought. We're freezin our buns, too, at 63 degrees and we did notice that it wasn't culturing very fast but we moved our jars to a cabinet above the stove and now it's fine again. The top of the fridge would help, too.
We have noticed some health benefits--notably lack of cravings for caffeine/alcohol. I've also heard that it works wonders for morning sickness but I haven't had a chance to try that out since I heard about it.
We estimate that the homemade version costs about 25 cents/bottle. And I'm pretty sure that bagged kombucha would be pretty different from a health standpoint, though we haven't really looked into it.
Have fun!
Susan
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Tami
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Elizabeth, here's a site How to make kombucha
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Just reviving this thread as I have recently started drinking kombucha. It is pretty pricy, so I am hoping to start making my own. I have noticed that my skin is much better since I started drinking it and my bfed toddler's stools have changed as well. She suffers from alot of allergies and sensitivities, so I am wondering if she could benefit from it as well. My 4yo dd loves it too! She always claims that she feels balanced and full of vitality after she drinks it (she got that from what I read to her from the bottle) I actually *love* the taste of it and I crave it.
When I have time I have to research the websites in this thread. Thanks for the info!
Beth
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cathochick
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I love kombucha and make my own. We bought swing top bottles so that we could add fresh fruit and do a second ferment. Makes it very tasty and fizzy!
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4Real Forums : Our Lady of Good Remedy and Care
Topic: Kombucha
