Adventures in Fermentation – Kombucha

This post is by Stacey, one of our guest bloggers. Self-proclaimed NYC Milkmaid, you can see more of her writing on her own blog, JustBraise.com.

Kombucha (Kam-boo-cha). Or as I like to call it, “booch.”

Kombu-wha?

That was my reaction when I first heard about the sparkly slightly tangy beverage. My first encounter with kombucha caught me by surprise: I was dining on a take-out lunch of sushi and grabbed a bottle of what I thought to be ginger beer (actual contents: ginger flavored kombucha). One sip and bleh- vinegar!? My dining companion on the other hand, found the beverage refreshingly tangy and gulped it up.

That dining companion enjoyed the new drink so much that a lingering hankering stayed with him and he continued to purchase it. I continued to take a sip here and there and eventually I too was addicted to the stuff. At $4 a bottle, this was turning into an expensive addiction and I eventually learned I could brew my own for mere pennies.

So what is it?

Kombucha hails from China and has been brewed in the east for hundreds (thousands?) of years. Traditionally consumed as a tonic to cure digestive problems and to help the body heal many maladies, the tea-infused beverage spread in popularity, eventually reaching our shores. Kombucha is brewed with what is called a SCOBY– Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. Yum! Other people simply call it a mushroom. I think it looks a bit like a slimy sponge. The “it” (SCOBY, mushroom, sponge) is what you add to sugary tea to convert (or ferment) the sugar into acids. Some of these acids include (from Kombucha Exchange): glucuronic acid, glucon acid, lactic acid, vitamins, amino acids, antibiotic substances, and other products.

The SCOBY is alive, brewing a probiotic (good-bacteria) filled drink. The final resulting acids depend not only on your SCOBY culture, but also the natural bacteria alive in the air and your home. If you give the “booch” a dosage of sugar at bottling (a la champagne) and stop it up for a few days in a warm place, you’ll have a lovely sparkling brew.

The flavor is slightly vinegary and tangy and many people I speak to who enjoy it say it is addictive. I’m not sure if it’s the result of how you feel after drinking it, or something inside, but I know I get severe hankerings for kombucha every once in a while. These grow especially strong if I read an article about bacteria, or stomach acids. For those who think the classic flavor too strong, you can purchase (or make) kombucha mixed not only with tea or ginger, but fruit juices. In my home we tend to stick with matcha (green tea) powder and sometimes ginger added at bottling.

There are many health claims out there that kombucha is a cure all – believe what you want – aiding in not only digestion or stomach upset, but liver detoxification, sharper eye sight, clearer skin, increased metabolism, and increased energy. It is also considered by some a general tonic to keep flu and sickness away, and more. I gave it to my 90 year old grandmother when she had a soar throat and she said she could “feel it working.” In two days her throat was clear.

Here in New York City, kombucha is rapidly gaining in popularity. The most popular company selling the beverage is out of California and I’ve seen it on shelves from New York to California and even in Indianapolis. You can find “sleeper cells” of kombucha enthusiasts across the country – those looking to pass on the love of kombucha by giving away free SCOBYs. That’s right; why pay for something when you can get it for free! See the Kombucha Exchange for more information on how to get a free SCOBY or just ask a few friends or the people who run your local health food store. I’m sure you’ll run into a source sooner or later.

To make kombucha:

Brew black, green or oolong tea and transfer to an open-mouth jar (I use a 1 gallon mason jar, but you can use any size you like as long as you can get your hand in there). Dissolve sugar in the tea (1 quart of water gets 1/3 cup sugar) and cool to room temperature. DO NOT use honey or maple syrup, both of which contain inherent active enzymes. Add a kombucha “mother” (the more friendly term for the SCOBY). Cover the jar with a light towel or cheesecloth and place in a warm, dark place. The SCOBY eats the sugar, converting it into acid. Note: With every brew “babies” are created by the mother, which is how folks can easily spread the love of kombucha. In 7 to 14 days you can begin tasting your brew. Once the acid level reaches your liking, bottle it with one tablespoon of sugar, which adds sweetness and fizz (dosage). Leave behind about 10 percent of the liquid from the last batch plus the SCOBY and brew again. After a few brews the mother tends to build up some yeast (brown mucus-like trails). It’s fine to keep, but I tend to throw the mother out at this point and allow the babies to take over.

NOTE: If you brew your own and the smell is cheesy or meaty, rather than vinegary, toss your booch and get a new SCOBY! The wrong kinds of acids have taken over your brew and it can make you sick. Also, if you see any mold develop at the top, throw it out and get a new one. Contamination is rare, but it can happen.