Beauty in the Ordinary

This is not about being brilliant, or extraordinary, it's not about wanting to be famous, or making headlines, or trying to impress...this about sharing a 'gift' each day with the world...to lift the spirit of people when they read this blog, to show them the beauty in the ordinary.
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Raold Dahl

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Kombucha!




This is my latest project at
303 Little House

Kombucha Tea!

This is an ancient Chinese 'miracle-drink'.
It is made from a mixture of green tea, black tea and sugar, which is
metabolised by the Kombucha 'mushroom'.
The mushroom is not really a mushroom, but is a flat pancake-like culture
of yeast and bacteria. It is given the name 'mushroom', because of its shape and
colour of the sac that grows at the top of the tea as it ferments.


This sac is called a scoby, (symbiotic,colony of bacteria and yeast).
Sound delicious yet!
Chinese legend says that the benefits of the Kombucha Tea only work
if the new baby mushroom that is created during fermentation is
passed on, free of charge, to someone you know.
Happy to say, my 'new baby' was a gift from my beautiful daughter.

After steeping for 7 days, the yeast breaks down the sugar and combines with the
tea to produce powerful antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
During this fermentation process the scoby also produces 'a baby mushroom' on
its surface - traditionally these new scoby's are then passed along to others who
then make their own cultures.

This super-potent concoction increases metabolism, eliminates toxins, reduces
cholesterol, fights the effects of aging, fights diabetes, and supports the immune system'
It also encourages healthy skin and hair, aids digestive and intestinal disorders
and it said to promise to ease the pain for arthritis sufferers.

Kombucha tea introduces lactic acid-producing bacteria called probiotics, similar to
acidophilus bacteria found in live yoghurt, which encourages healthy intestinal flora.

This healthy tea also contains organic acids, vitamins and enzymes. It provides a range
of vitamins, including B1, B2, B6 and B12.
It also contains vitamin C, a great detoxifier and immune booster.


If Kombucha Tea if for you here is the recipe.

What you will need

I baby scoby
I sterilized large glass jar
wooden spoon (not metal)
Square of cotton cloth to cover jar top
(do not use muslin or cheese cloth, these fabrics are too porous)
Elastic band to secure
For locations in cooler climates - a seed heating pad
1 gallon jug of distilled water
Five black or green tea bags
(do not use herbal tea or Earl Grey)
1 1/2 cups of white sugar

What you will do

In a large clean saucepan pour in about 3/4 of the distilled water
(place the rest of the distilled water in the freezer)
bring to boil then add the tea bags and sugar
Stirring the tea with the wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar
Steep the tea and sugar for 20 mins

After 20 minutes add the rest of the distilled water from the freezer
Pour the tea into the sterilized glass jar
Take the baby scoby and place in the glass jar
Add to the glass jar the tea that the baby scoby came with
Cover the jar with the cotton cloth and secure with elastic band
Place the jar on the seed heating pad in a dark cupboard
Leave for 7 days



After 7 days pour the tea into clean bottles

Make a another batch of tea and add to your glass jar
The surprise is that this tea tastes somewhere between a glass of ginger ale
and champagne!

Enjoy your Kombucha tea

Be healthy and happy!

4 comments:

  1. That is interesting Jacqueline. It remonds me a bit of how women used to pass their dough "starter" on to other women to make bread.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Would the baby scoby survive if you sent me one in the mail V?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a thoughtful gift! I never knew all that went into making this tea. Please let us know if experience any miraculous benefits.
    Thanks for sharing this.
    xo J~

    ReplyDelete

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