Part Five - Kombucha RecipesFrom Kombucha Drinkers
When working in any kitchen with food products, it is important
to remember cleanliness is essential. Canning, drying and freezing can be done safely in a home kitchen. Washing
your hands thoroughly with soap and water is very important. Set aside a special time for preparing the Kombucha
Tea during which you will be uninterrupted. If you do get interrupted, you will have to wash your hands again.
Gather and wash the utensils you will need. You may want to use these only for making the Kombucha Tea. You will
need:
Wash all utensils with soap and hot water and rinse well. Remove
all metal jewelry.Now you are ready to begin the brewing process.
A taste test on a batch of Kombucha Tea may taste like this:
10. If you notice the tea becoming too strong or fermented, dilute
it with freshly brewed tea. You can also use it for table vinegar if you wish.
11. When the tea is brewed to your taste, remove the two Cultures. Gently separate and place them in a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap or a plastic container and refrigerate. They will keep refrigerated for approximately six months, possibly longer.
12. Pour off the fermented tea and bottle it into glass or food-grade plastic quart bottles. Glass is best, but if it doesn't have a plastic screw cap, cover with plastic wrap before using a metal screw band. Filtering is not necessary, but you can filter if you wish. Use a plastic sieve, coffee filter, clean nylons or netting.
13. Date and label the bottled tea and put it in the refrigerator.
14. Begin drinking 1/2 cup (4 ounces) daily on an empty stomach. If it bothers your stomach, you can drink it after eating. The different constituents of the Tea will work on the body differently depending on if there is food in it or not. (If you wish, you can start with a daily dose of 1/4 cup). After two weeks, include another half cup dose in the afternoon. After a month, you can add another dose of a half cup - taking three half cup doses everyday. It is not necessary to increase your dose. For weight loss, it does suppress the appetite and is great for removing the urge for in-between meal snacks! Remember to drink plenty of water to flush the toxins from your body. It was reported the doctors in the Soviet military hospitals gave their patients one liter of Kombucha each day. That's approximately four cups a day! It is important to find out for yourself what the best dose of the Kombucha Tea will most benefit your body. Ask your Higher Self, pray to God, ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit, use your intuition or do whatever you feel comfortable with, but whatever you do, "Know Yourself!" Tune into your body and feel what is best for you. Remember, too much of a good thing is not always the best.
It is the responsibility of all who drink Kombucha to be aware of contaminants. Because of the acidity and other factors in the Kombucha Culture, it is highly unlikely it would become contaminated. As with any home cooking, canning, dehydrating, freezing, or brewing of wine or beer; common sense must be used and contamination has to be considered if the food products smell bad or have molds growing on them. In the fermenting container, carbonic acid bubbles can push up portions of the Culture making foamy bubbles that look like, but are not mold. Brown streamers are cells from the culture and can be strained or washed off, but is not necessary to do this. Sometimes air bubbles make holes in the Culture. Other times it may have brown edges. Cultures vary in color from white, gray, tan and brown. Raspberry and Blackberry teas grow pink Cultures! These Cultures are not contaminated, they are fine to use. Paul Stamets, a noted mycologist states "... most often the contaminants are green, pink or black mold-islands floating on the surface of the tea. You can try to re-purify the culture by removing a portion of contiguous sheath and introducing it to a newly prepared batch of tea. Prior to insertion, you should thoroughly wash the sheath (the culture) with cold water." Healthy Cultures should feel firm and rubbery. Discard any Cultures that fall apart easily. Make sure your fermenting tea smells vinegary. If it smells foul, or if you're in doubt, throw out the tea and Culture and start with a new Culture and a new batch of tea. WITH PROPER CARE, THE KOMBUCHA CULTURE WILL LAST YOU A LIFETIME. If your Culture turns really brown, you can discard it into your compost pile and continue fermenting with the "baby" Culture.
If you care to learn more about the Kombucha Tea Culture, you can check out Guenther Frank's very informative book "Kombucha, Healthy Beverage and Natural Remedy from the Far East" from your local library. Enjoy your new adventure! Good luck and good health to you!
Please feel free to share this Report when you share your Kombucha
babies.
FULL CIRCLE PRESS - Phone 541-882-3010
1121 Lincoln St., Klamath Falls, OR 97601 FAX 541-885-7396
e-mail to: minden@cdsnet.net I'd love to hear your experience w/Kombucha Tea.
©Copyright July 1995 - revised 9/28/95.
Herbal Advantage, Inc 800-753-9199
http://www.HerbalAdvantage.com
Steve at HerbalAdvantage.com
I have been making green-tea based K-tea for a few weeks. In last few batches, I experimentally added Hoji-cha (Japanese Black Tea) which has some distinct chocolate-like aroma. Surprisingly, I have found that the aroma turns into peach-like flavor in the resulted K-tea which my 6 year-old daughter calls "Peach Drink". She never wanted to try K-tea before but she now takes a few sips of "Peach Drink" every day.
So for the K-tea drinker with kids, you might try my recipe which is Green Tea x 2 bags, Genmai Tea x 2, Hoji-cha x 2, 3 & 1/2 quart water, and 1 cup white sugar. Ferment 7 days with Kombucha. All of the tea bags I use can be found in any Japanese or Chinese grocery stores. Look for the brand called "Yamamotoyama".
I heard so much about the Yeast in Kombucha being useful against those who have Candida or yeast infections that I decided to attempt to make bread. I saved the yeast from several batches of Kombucha and had a friend who has a chem. lab with a centrifuge process the yeast, it took us about 2 hours to get about 1/4 cup of yeast. The next step was to prepare two identical loafs of dough in one we used regular bakers yeast and the second Kombucha yeast. Let the dough rise approx. 30 minutes reg. yeast rose to top of glass bread pan, K-yeast rose only 1/3 higher than the original height of the dough(filled the glass bread pan 3/4 full).Baked both at the same time. When complete cooled removed from pans. Results, the regular white bread had larger holes in the bread (from yeast Taste test: I had approx. ten people try both breads. All ten liked the k-bread over the white. The comments were it is more moist than the white and taste like a German type dark bread.
It took about a month to collect enough yeast to make one loaf.
Mike Novar
Your Kombucha is a gift of healing. The babies or "starts" it produces may be given as gifts with no expectation of exchange or barter. (Except shipping and handling costs refunded by the donee.) When you work with your Kombucha assume a meditative state. It is sensitive, alive and quite miraculous. This recipe makes enough tea for 2 people for one week if each person is taking 4 ounces a day. You can divide the recipe in half if necessary.
1. BOIL for 5 minutes (not in microwave) 3 quarts distilled or filtered water in 3 1/2 to 4 quart enamel or glass container with 1 cup white sugar. White sugar works better than brown sugar, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, or honey because there are less contaminants to interfere with the growth of the organism
2. REMOVE from burner.
3. ADD 4 green tea bags and 2 black (orange pekoe) tea bags.
Green tea is usually available at grocery stores but we also carry it. Green tea is the raw unprocessed form of
black tea and research indicates that it benefits the immune system. You can make Kombucha from ordinary black
(orange pekoe) tea, but the addition of green tea enhances the immune
system. Tetley is better than Lipton because it does not contain
metal staples. Herbal teas will not work at all!!!
4. COVER and leave combination of black and green tea bags for at least 30 minutes or until the tea cools. If you are using black tea bags without green tea, 4 black tea bags is enough.
5. REMOVE tea bags.
6. COOL tea to room temperature. This will take several hours. (Note: you may want to make tea at night and transfer the start in the morning.)
7. POUR room temperature tea into 3 to 4 quart glass or plastic container. Glass is best. The shape of the container is unimportant as Kombucha will adapt. However, larger diameter containers work better because this allows more oxygen to get to the tea. What IS important is to be sure Kombucha does not come into contact with any metal.
8. SLIP start Kombucha and the tea in the plastic bag you received it in, into the room temperature tea. Most likely it will float. It does not need to be wet on top. If it sinks, do not be concerned. Usually it will float in a few days or the baby it makes will float.
9. PLACE container in any uninterrupted place in room with a light cover of tightly woven cloth such as muslin or similar. A couple of chopsticks can be used to hold the cloth in place or you can fasten cloth over the container with a large rubber band.
NOTE: Kombucha requires an uninterrupted warm comfortable environment in order to grow. The ideal temperature is 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Kombucha will grow in temperatures ranging from 60-86 degrees, but the closer to 73 degrees the better. Most people do not need to make an incubator. However, if your room is too cold, you can make an incubator using an ice chest. Put a 40 watt light bulb in the chest. Leave ice chest door open somewhat to provide air and light and to vent the heat. A thermometer may be helpful in determining how much the door needs to be kept open. Classical music enhances the growth of Kombucha so you might want to leave an FM radio tuned to a classical station playing softly in the room.
10. IN ONE WEEK (6-10 days) make a new batch of tea. Cool to room temperature.
11. LIFT your Kombucha start carefully from its 4 quart container or bowl with your hands (no metal rings on hands) or wooden/plastic spatula.
12. PLACE it on a non-metal dinner plate and separate the baby start away. The baby will be just as big as the mother start and may be on the top or the bottom. Use either the mother or baby as a start to make new fermented beverage or use both of them together in your next batch, or, save your start in a Ziplock bag with 1/2 cup of tea to keep it moist. Refrigerate. It will keep for two weeks. Either the baby or the mother can be used as a start to make another batch of Kombucha beverage, or you can leave the mother and baby attached together and transfer them into new tea as a unit. This way, you will always have a fresh start available for a friend.
NOTE: Sometimes the start does not make a baby the first week. Usually, the fermented beverage will be fine and the start will make a baby the second week.
13. YOU will get a better end result if you use 2 or 3 starts for each batch. Using more than 3 starts is not a good idea, as too many covers will keep the fermented beverage from enough oxygen. The older starts will turn darker so you can put them in your compost pile or throw away. Nutrients from these starts will enhance your garden.
14. POUR fermented tea from 4 quart container into a glass or plastic pitcher. This is what you are going to drink. You may want to strain it through some cheesecloth. Do not use a metal strainer. Put on tight lid. Refrigerate.
15. POUR new batch of cool tea into your 4 quart container. Lift start off dinner plate and slide it into new batch of tea. Cover with cloth as before, and place back on shelf so process can begin anew. It is best to make a new batch of tea every week so the start is not forgotten in the refrigerator.
16. BEGIN your regimen the next morning: Drink 4 oz. of tea from the refrigerator on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.
17. AS the week goes on your tea may get a little stronger and can be diluted with water. Do not take more than 4 oz. daily without first checking with Dr. Huntoon. Extra tea may also be frozen to use at another time. However, fresh tea is more beneficial and tastes better than frozen tea.
NOTE: Detoxification or cleansing reactions may occur. These reactions may include a tired feeling or skin breaking out. If you want to slow down the reactions, stop the tea until the reactions are gone and then start back with one ounce a day for a week and gradually increase to 4 ounces a day.
When saving your start for a friend, slip either the mother or the baby into a large zip-lock bag with 1/2 cup or so of elixir and put into a flat cardboard box in the refrigerator until it is picked up by the recipient. The cardboard pie boxes from Costco are handy for this. If it is to be shipped, it can be packed and shipped in such a box. Winter is a safe time to mail. By summer, the weather may be too hot to safely send the start through the mail.
Make copies of the instructions to send to your friend in advance of sharing this yeast culture miracle, so that he/she can be prepared when it arrives. A bowl of room temperature tea can be waiting. Or the start can be kept up to a week in the refrigerator awaiting preparation of the tea.
Visions cookware may be used directly on your burner or you
can use Corning Ware casserole dishes with a metal rack on the burner. You can purchase Visions cookware and Corning
Ware many places but the most economical way is through these Corning/Revere factory outlets.
1. Make tea in the ordinary way. Per litter (quart ) of water, infuse 2 teaspoonfuls (about 5 g = 0.2 oz) of black or green tea in freshly boiled water. You may also use tea bags. Let the tea leaves "soak" for 15 minutes. Green tea comes from the same plant as black tea and is distinguished from it principally by the way it is processed: it is not fermented. Japanese doctors found out that green tea prevents cancer growth. I would suggest to use green tea for the Kombucha beverage. If you don't want to use black or green tea you can also use herbal teas.
2. Strain off the tea leaves through a sieve, or remove the tea bags from the water, as the case may be.
3. Add about 70 - 100 g (2+ - 3 oz) of white sugar per litter (quart) of water into the filtered infusion before it has cooled. Stir the tea so that the sugar dissolves totally. 1 tablespoon of sugar is about 20 g (0.7 oz).
4. Let the sugared tea cool down to a temperature not higher than 20 - 25 degrees Centigrade = about 68 - 77 degrees Fahrenheit (lukewarm). The culture dies when it has been placed in a hot nutrient solution.
5. When the tea has cooled to room temperature, pour the solution into a glass, china, glazed earthenware or stainless steel container. Glass is best. Metal containers of other types than stainless steel are unsatisfactory and should never be used because the acids formed may react with the metal. You could also use a high-grade synthetic material of the polyolefin group, e.g. polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene. Wine or cider is also kept in containers made of this food- grade material. However, you should avoid containers made of polyvinylchloride (PVC) or polystyrene.
6. If you prepare your first Kombucha drink, add the liquid that you got with the culture. On all later batches, always keep enough Kombucha drink to add about one tenth (10%) of the quantity to your new batch as a "starter liquid".
7. Place the live Kombucha culture in the liquid.
8. Cover the mouth of the fermentation container with a tightly woven cloth, a tea towel, paper towel or similar light cloth to keep out fruit flies, dust, plant spores and other pollutants. Tie it down with a large rubber band to ensure that fruit flies can't get in. The cloth must be porous enough to allow air to circulate so the culture can breathe, but not so porous that tiny fruit flies can get in to lay their eggs. breathe, but not so porous that tiny fruit flies can get in to lay their eggs.
9. The fermentation should proceed for 8 - 12 days, depending on the temperature. The higher the room temperature, the faster the fermentation. The period of 8 - 12 days is given merely as a guide. The Kombucha culture needs a warm and quiet place and should on no account be moved. The temperature of the tea should not fall below 68 degrees F (= 20 degrees Centigrade) and not rise above 86 degrees F (=30 degrees Centigrade). The ideal temperature is about 74 to - 80 degrees F (=23 - 27 degrees C). Light is not necessary. The culture also works in darkness. The culture may be damaged by exposure to bright sunlight. Half shade is better. During the process of fermentation the sugar is broken down by the yeast and converted into a gas (CO2) and various organic acids and other compounds. It is the combination of these processes which gives the Kombucha beverage its characteristic flavor. The infusion is at first sweet but this sweetness disappears as the sugar is broken down. At the same time an acid flavor begins to develop as a result of the activities of the bacterium, so there is a transition from sweetness to sourness. If a slightly sweet drink is preferred, the fermentation has to be stopped earlier. For a dry or slightly acid flavor it has to be continued longer.
10. When the tea has attained the right acid degree (pH 2,7 - 3,2), depending on individual taste, remove the culture with clean hands. Clean the culture under cold or lukewarm water. Fill new tea into the jar and add the culture immediately. Respect the right temperature of the tea. Pour the beverage into bottles, which should be filled to the brim. Keep about one tenth (10%) as starter for the next batch. Stopper the bottles securely. I don't think it necessary to strain the fermented beverage through a cloth. A certain amount of sediment is normal. It is due to the growth of yeasts, which produced the gas which aerates the beverage. The yeasts are said to have some desirable positive effects on the human organism.
11. To find ultimate satisfaction in this drink it should be allowed to mature for a few days (at least 5 days), after having been bottled. The activity of the bacterium is stopped because the bottling excludes the air, while the yeast continues to work. If the bottles are securely stoppered, the gas produced by the yeast's activities, is unable to escape. Thus an effervescent drink is produced. For this a few days in the bottles is usually sufficient; the Kombucha beverage, however, will keep well for months. Do not worry: The yeast will stop the gas production at a certain point. It is advisable to keep the beverage in a cool place.
12. The drink has an agreeable taste. It is sparkling, slightly sour and refreshing. One normally drinks three glasses a day, one glass (4 to 6 ounces or more) on an empty stomach in the morning, the second glass after a meal in the course of the day, and the last glass a short time before going to bed.
13. When you start a new fermentation process, never forget to add to the new tea at least 10 % of the liquid from a cultivation which has already fermented.
IMPORTANT POINT TO BE NOTED:
Sometimes the culture floats on the surface, sometimes it sinks to the bottom of the liquid. Both is OK. When the culture sinks to the bottom a new culture (a baby- culture) will begin to grow on the surface of the tea.
For more details see page 33 of this book. The Kombucha culture needs some time to reproduce itself. It begins with a thin and filmy layer. The longer you leave it in peace, the thicker the new culture will grow. Because the growing of a new culture needs more time you should separate it from the preparation of the beverage that you want to drink.
Please allow the new culture on the surface of the liquid 3 to 5 weeks to grow.
The Kombucha culture grows and covers the surface of the tea completely. While growing on the surface of the tea the culture thickens considerably. The thickened culture will be composed of easily separable super imposed layers. The layers can be peeled off one from another and each can be used as independent units for the production of Kombucha beverage. If the culture should sink to the bottom of the vessel, a new culture will form on the surface of the tea.
In this way each culture will continue to propagate itself until it gradually begins to turn a dark brown color. When it is dark and dirty brown discard it and replace it with one of its offspring. Thus this unique culture can provide you and your family with an ongoing supply of Kombucha tea at very low cost.
Guenther Frank
You must use an enameled or glass pot or container (3-1/2 qt. pot by, Visions. No metal rim. When you-handle the Colony, take off your rings and any other metal that could be in near proximity, to the Colony. If you are using a spoon, make sure it is wooden or plastic.
Heat three quarts of water. When it starts to boil add one cup of white sugar and let it boil for five minutes. Turn off the tea and add five tea bags or 4 family size (Lipton or any other black tea, I prefer organic black tea) Cover for ten minutes and then remove the tea bags; let it cool off. When cool, place the Manchurian mushroom on top of the liquid, and cover the container with a tightly woven cloth. THE BACTERIA MUST BE ABLE TO BREATHE! Let it ferment for seven days undisturbed in a cool place, room temperature 70 - 75 degrees.
Remove the Manchurian Mushroom from the pot and place it on a glass plate. You will notice that it propagates itself by forming a "baby Colony" on top of the original Colony on the surface of the tea. Separate them with your hands by pulling them apart. Place each one in a different container, with tea to start the process all over again. I put each one in a baggy with some of the tea juice to store in refrigerator until I am ready to start another batch or give a Colony to someone.
When you work at it, be in a meditative state. It is sensitive. If it drops down to the bottom leave it alone. In a few days it will come back to the top. Don't leave it around bad vibes. It helps to channel some energy to it through the glass occasionally.
The tea where the Colony stayed for seven days is what you drink, but you can put it through a sieve(fine cloth). You can store it in a pitcher or glass jar(no metal lids or handles) or plastic. Keep it refrigerated.
Drink 4 ounces (1/2 glass) every morning, on an empty stomach. Do not take more than 1/2 glass per day. If you notice the tea becoming too strong or fermented, dilute it with freshly-brewed tea.
Did you ever read that there is a place in Siberia where people live to be over 100 or 130 years old? They are happy and healthy people? We are Sharing their secret!
Note: As with any cleansing process, your body may undergo conditions which would require appropriate but simple care.
Jack Barclay
Jim Sease
DIRECTIONS FOR GROWING YOUR KOMBUCHA "GROWING TEA".
And remember, no ingredient or utensil substitutions allowed! Ever......!. No matter what (You gotta promise me. Keep in mind that the Kombucha health beverage recipe is centuries old, so if you substitute honey or sucarat or sugar substitute or anything else, or herbal or decaf tea instead of black or green )(the essential oils in herbal or fruited tea can kill the Colony) , the profoundly healing properties of the Kombucha health beverage are destroyed, and you might as well drink a soda pop.
SO LET'S COOK!
Bring 3 quarts of water (distilled or non-chlorinated is best) to a boil in your stainless steel pot. Add 1 cup sugar and boil for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Add 4 tea bags and steep for 10 minutes. (It's okay if tea bags have staples). Ladle or pour tea into your 3!/2 quart glass mixing bowl, preferably see -through.. Let tea cool to room temperature before gently placing your Kombucha Tea Colony on top of "growing tea". Place crossed pieces of tape or something similar (no metal) across top of bowl.....this keeps the white cloth from dipping into the "growing tea".
Remember to add several ounces of original tea to start off the new batch. (to make acidic). Cover with a cloth. Tie string or rubber band around cloth to secure tea and Colony against fruit flies, etc. Place bowl in dim or dark, quiet. temp. approx. 70-90 F. spot with adequate air-flow. i.e.: shelf in kitchen, cellar, closet, loft, attic, etc. Remember, direct sunlight can kill your Colony, so be careful. Colony will give off a mild, "vinegary" smell. so keep this in mind when choosing its new home. Don't move it around after initial placement. This will disturb the fermenting process and cause it to stop.
AFTER A WEEK TO 10 DAYS,
You're ready to harvest your new "baby" Colony and refrigerate your sparkling health beverage. Remove the white cloth from your glass bowl. Notice that the "mother" Colony (the one on the bottom) has given birth to a baby. (the one on the top). Remove both colonies from the bowl (they're probably stuck together) and place them together on a glass plate. Separate baby from mother (they seem to cling more firmly during the full moon) by pulling apart gently with clean hands. Don't forget to take off your jewelry. No metal, remember! Now pour the newly fermented Kombucha health beverage (the 7-10 day old "growing tea") from the glass bowl (using the white cloth as a strainer) into a glass container. (a funnel is a big help here) and place in the refrigerator. Wow! Chill and it's ready to drink.
NOW, START AGAIN.
Brew a fresh "growing tea" for each Colony (this means extra bowls, etc.) Then add a few ounces of the freshly harvested health beverage to the newly brewed "growing tea" to help "start" the fermentation process anew.
NOTE: :make sure that the darker side of your Colony is floating face down in the new tea.
This recipe uses Orange blossom honey and no tea. It is made with two cups of starter tea, 3 quarts of water, 1 1/2 cups of honey and 1/2 cup of sugar. The 1/2 cup of sugar maybe eliminated, however the fermentation time will be extended as the yeast takes longer to become established without it. Boil water for 10 minutes, remove from heat and monitor temperature. When the temperature has fallen below 150 degrees F. Add the honey and stir well until all the honey is dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. At this point you may encounter a residue on the bottom of the mixture. Carefully pour off the mixture, separating the sediment. Dispose of the sediment and add the starter tea to the batch. Stir very well with a wire whisk to aerate the tea and place the kombucha into the fermentation vessel. Cover and allow to ferment until the taste is suitable for drinking.
Use Celestial Seasonings Peach tea and your favorite black or green tea mix. Prepare your recipe as normal, but add 2 peach tea bags in addition to the others. Steep for 15 minutes and continue normal preparation. Tastes very good with black tea. I add 1 peach tea bag to my normal iced tea for a refreshing flavor.
Bring 3 litters of filtered water to the boil.
Add 20 thin slices of fresh ginger (<1 mm/slice)This was about a table-tennis-ball sized piece of ginger root) I didn't bother to peel the Ginger.
Boil for a further 5-10 minutes (to assist in getting the full flavor out of the Ginger and to assist in sterilization.
Remove from the heat and put one Lipton's tea bag in and allow to brew a further 10 minutes. (I prefer not to 'stew' the tea bag by boiling it)
Remove Ginger and tea bags (a plastic lifter is ideal)
Stir in I cup of sugar (8 ounce measuring cup)
Allow to cool to room temperature.
Add 10 % fermented kombucha tea starter and Colony.(kombucha colony).
Place onto temperature controlled pad set 28 deg. Celsius.
Allow to ferment for 5 days (or until taste is satisfactory) then bottle.
Simon Ryan
***Added notes for my ginger Kombucha . by Colleen***
I prefer to boil the Ginger slices separately before making the tea/water/sugar solution. To do this I peel & slice up the Ginger and add it to 1 quart (approx.) 1 litter of water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and take out the Ginger pieces and strain the ginger water through a coffee filter; this gets out all of the tiny bits of ginger so that it doesn't contaminate the fermenting Kombucha-Ginger tea.
When I make up the tea/sugar/water solution I add this Ginger water to the boiled water to make up the 3 quarts (litters) the recipe calls for. Then I add the 1 tea bag, and steep for 10 -15 minutes, remove the tea bag and then add the 1 cup of white sugar. When cooled to room temperature, pour into a glass container and add 10% fermented kombucha tea to this solution and float a kombucha colony on the surface. Cover with new paper coffee filter and set in a warm place undisturbed for approx. 7-8 days.
After you have made one batch of Ginger kombucha tea.. You will add the new ginger kombucha baby and 10% fermented ginger kombucha tea to start your next batch of Kombucha Ginger Tea..
Colleen
**********IMPORTANT NOTE:***********
Please remember--to be on the safe side--to be sure to keep the kombucha colonies that you use to make these recipe's totally separate from your original kombucha colony--that is used to make your regular kombucha tea. It is the only way to ensure that your original kombucha remains unchanged.
Never interchange the colonies, and don't add or subtract ingredients that you use in your original kombucha recipe; always keep your original recipe pure and make it exactly the same each time for consistent results.
Colleen.
1. Strawberry/Banana Ginger-Kombucha Smoothy
2. Kiwifruit/ Banana Ginger-Kombucha Smoothy
3. Blueberry/Banana Ginger-Kombucha Smoothy
4. Super Fruit Ginger-Kombucha Smoothy
List of ingredients used to make the following smoothies.:
2. Allow to cool to room temperature
3. Strain but remove ginger pieces with wooden or ceramic implements (we use chopsticks).
4. Place strained liquid & ginger pieces into your K-T fermenting container.
5. Add your K-T critter & starter K-T (we always put it in last & make sure it pours over the critter if she's at the top - a quirk of ours that we think helps ensure that nasty molds don't develop, especially in the early stages) & cover in the usual way.
6. Leave for 8 to 14 days (depending on taste) Note: the wider the surface area of your fermenting container the faster it will ferment.
7. Harvest your K-T & enjoy!!
8. Reuse the ginger for the next few batches (don't put it into the initial "witch's brew" - just in your fermenting container). Taste a piece of ginger to see if it's ready 'cause a by-product of this is pickled ginger (a Japanese delicacy) & after a few batches you can harvest the pickled ginger (it will take time to pickle & the ginger will remain quite potent) & if you like this variation on the K-T you can start it from scratch again.
*NOTE*
It is VERY important to add 3 tablespoons of distilled white
vinegar (only if you do not have the required 10% fermented kombucha tea to add ) to your tea/water/sugar solution
right at the very start of the fermentation process.
This is required to make the solution acidic to help prevent
growth of pathogenic molds. Molds do not like to grow in an acidic solution.
Colleen
Stir the flour, sugar, Kombucha Tea and brown residue together in the 2-quart container, mixing well but do not worry about a few lumps; they will disintegrate later. This is called the slurry. Cover tightly with a lid or with plastic wrap and a rubber band. Leave at room temperature for 6 days, stirring it up once a day.
SUBJECT: K-YEAST STARTER:
The liquid will begin to separate from the flour base. The mixture will begin to taste and smell slightly vinegary, and the color will change. That is as it should be. By the sixth day the taste will be pleasantly sour: The fermentation is complete. The starter is living but weak, and it needs to be fed.
STEP 2: FEED THE STARTER (3 DAYS)
Stir up the starter thoroughly, transfer it into a clean 3-quart container. (Although you can use it after just one feeding, the starter will be stronger and healthier with the full treatment.) Three days before you plan to use it, stir 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of Kombucha into the container, blending well.
Let stand covered with cloth at room temperature until it bubbles up 8 to 10 hours then cover and refrigerate. Repeat the feeding the second day, and again on the third, and your starter is ready to use.
STEP 3: STORE THE STARTER
Store the starter tightly covered in the refrigerator, where it will keep perfectly for 4 to 6 months after which it is a good idea to pour off all but 2 cups and give it another feeding. Before using the stored starter for bread, however, give it the full 3-day feeding schedule once again to strengthen it and to tone down excess sourness. It is then ready to use.
Note: Always bring the starter to room temperature before using.
KOMBUCHA POWER ™ BREAD STARTER
Copyright 1996 Kombucha Power Products, Inc. World Rights Reserved
Kombucha Power Products, Inc. -2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd. Suite 522 - Coral Gables, FL 33134-5222 - 305.443.9988
Bring Kombucha Starter to room temperature.
Heat milk until warm (85 to 95 degrees F.)
In a large bowl, mix the starter and milk, add the salt, oil, and Honey; mix well. Slowly, while blending, add 4 cups of flour until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed; stir in raisins, orange peel, granola, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, walnuts and 3 to 4 cups flour until dough pulls cleanly away from sides of bowl.
On floured surface, knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and elastic; about 10 minutes.
Place dough in greased bowl, cover loosely with a clean cloth towel. Let rise in a warm place (85F) until light and doubled in size; about 1 hour.
Grease three 8x4 or two 9x5 loaf pans. Divide dough, shape into loafs, place in pans, and cover with plastic wrap or cloth towel.
Let raise in warm place overnight.
Heat oven to 350F.
In a small bowl mix together egg and 1 tbs. milk; brush over tops of loaves and bake at 350F for 35 to 45 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Remove from pans immediately; cool on wire rack.
Kombucha Power™ Bread recipe.
Copyright 1996 Kombucha Power Products, Inc.
World Rights Reserved
For information regarding this recipe, contact Kombucha Power
Products, INC.
2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Suite 522, Coral Gables, Fl 33134.
Phone (305) 443-9988. Outside Dade county 1-800-862-1353
email JOHNOVAR@FREENET.FSU.EDU
Copyright 1996 Kombucha Power Products, Inc. World Rights Reserved
*IMPORTANT* Remove Your Kombucha Colony and Starter-tea from the container and place in a glass jar with a cloth or coffee filter cover secured with a rubber band. You may leave it at room temperature. Brew your first batch of Kombucha tea as soon as possible.
Utensils:
1. A tea container. A 4 cup/32 oz.... glass or stainless steel sauce pan for the water/sugar/tea mixture. (Don't use aluminum.)
2. A fermentation container. We use a 2 gallon glass jar with a wide opening on top. ( We don't use plastic nor metal.) You can also use glass Sun-Tea Jars too:-)) Ask us about Continuous Fermentation:-))
3. A plastic funnel.
4. A strainer (cheesecloth, plastic, or glass).
5. A glass measuring cup.
6. Glass storage bottles for storing the Kombucha tea you've made.
7. Cloth covers to cover your jar (a thin napkin, or handkerchief will do). Don't use cheesecloth! Some folks use paper coffee filters.
8. Big rubber bands for securing the cloth covers to the containers. You can order them from us. see our Catalog They also come with our Kombucha Manna Starter-kits:-))
1. Remove all metal rings from your hand.
2. Wash your hands and rinse them well so you don't have any soap residue left on them. Use a nail brush.
3. Wash and rinse the fermentation container. Be sure to rinse very well.
4. Put 4 cups of chlorine free water into your tea container.
5. Add 1 1 / 3 to 1 2/3 cups of sugar to the water before it boils. Stir the sugar into the water as you bring it to boil (to keep it from burning on the bottom of the pan).
6. When the water/sugar mixture boils, turn off the heat. You may also boil it longer if you need to purify your drinking water.
7. Immediately add 5 or 6 bags of Organic tea to the water/sugar mixture. You can use black or green teas or an assortment of Organic Teas from our "Variety Pack":-))
8. Let it steep with the heat turned off for at least 15 minutes.
9. Remove the tea bags.
10. Pour 3 quarts of cold water into your fermenting container. If you are not sure of the safety of your drinking water boil it first.
11. Pour the tea, sugar, water mixture into the fermenting container with the cold water.
12. Wait till the liquid in the fermenting container *cools* down to 70-75 degrees around room temperature (Kombucha prefers a temperature of around 73-80 degrees F.).
13. Pour the Starter into the Fermenting Container and stir.
14. Insert the Kombucha Colony into the Fermenting Container. Sometimes they float, sometimes they sink and sometimes they stay at an angle. All are OK! As the new colonies grow; discard the old and worn colonies (usually a colony lasts a month or so). You may wish to put it onto your compost heap.) You may use more than one Kombucha Colony at a time in your fermenting container.
15. Cover the Fermenting Container with a clean, closely woven, cloth and seal it with a rubber band.
2. Keep it at around 73 degrees and out of direct sunlight.
3. Don't smoke or grow plants around your colony, (it may cause mold).
4. Fresh air and warmth are important for Kombucha.
5. Molds may form on top of the culture that look fuzzy like bread mold. Their color may be white, green, or black; powdery in appearance. If molds develop throw it ALL out and start over again with a new colony.
6. How long to ferment: On average, after 7 days it will be slightly more sweet than sour. At 8 days it will be more sour than sweet. After 8 days it becomes progressively more sour until it turns into a delicious mild table vinegar. Suit your own taste. Speed of fermentation depends on many factors including brewing temperature and the shape of your container. Suit your own taste.
2. Save 1- 2 cups Kombucha liquid for your next Starter. Keep the Starter unflavored (otherwise you could alter the chemistry of the Kombucha).
3. Pour the remaining liquid into your glass bottles through a funnel and a strainer.
4. Seal the bottles and refrigerate. The Kombucha tea can keep at least 6 months if refrigerated. It is normal for the liquid to develop a Kombucha Colony even in the sealed bottle.
5. If you need to store the Kombucha Colony for a week or two, keep it in fresh tea, so it will have something to live on. Keep it in a cool place in a glass jar covered with a cloth. The lower the temperature the slower the fermentation. When you want to start making Kombucha again you can use this liquid -- even if it is vinegary -- as Starter.
2. If you take the Kombucha tea out of the refrigerator for a long time loosen the air tight seal. (At room temperature carbonation will build up and the bottle may break.)
3. You may prefer to let the liquid come to room temperature before drinking. Some prefer it cold. Don't overheat the liquid, heat will destroy some of the healthful benefits.
4. If you are using Kombucha for the first time you may wish to start with 1 ounce a day for the first week. After that you may increase the amount slowly ounce by ounce. Go by how your body feels. Be sure to always drink lots of plain water too:-))
Questions or Comments? We like hearing from you. Please feel free to contact us:-))
* KOMBUCHA MANNA INTERNATIONAL: Organic Kombucha*: mailto: OM@bestweb.net You can get our FREE: email Kombucha Manna Information, Catalog & Newsletters Check out our *new* KMI website at: http://www.bestweb.net/~om/kmi/
Information given here is for research and educational purposes only and is not intended to prescribe treatment. Permission is granted to freely copy this document in electronic form, or in print, if the publication is distributed without charge, provided it is copied in its entirety without modification and appropriate credits are included. On the www, however, you must link to rather than copy it. Any other use requires explicit permission by the author.
http://www.bestweb.net/~om/kmi/manual.html
Copyright © 1995 updated:1998 Beverly B. Ferguson, KMI
18. Continuous Fermentation Method for preparing Kombucha Tea
by Bev Ferguson
Kombucha Manna International
Continuous Fermentation is the easiest way I have found to make K-tea and I suspect that it is probably the most common way K-tea has been made for ages, all around the world. For Continuous Fermentation you need a jar with a spigot, I prefer to use glass jars but some people use plastic food grade containers that are available in home brew stores.
You make the original batch according to the usual directions. However, when your tea is ready to drink you can take it by the glass full, or bottle full, from the spigot replacing it with fresh tea, sugar, water, mixture. The K-tea remaining in the container is your "starter". Since there is usually more "starter" by this method, the fermentation happens faster and essentially you could just keep taking out K-tea and pouring in new tea, sugar, water, mixture every time. You don't have to lift the jar and clean it out each time and the K-colony stays in the jar. Just be sure your tea, sugar, water, mixture is cool enough when you pour it in.
Every once in awhile it is probably a good idea to empty the whole thing out, clean it well, and start again. Also, it takes awhile to get the timing down so that your tea ferments the right amount for the taste you prefer. Once you experiment with it for awhile it gets quite easy to do.
The one drawback to continuous fermentation may be that you sometimes get some sugar that has not been in the fermentation process for as long as by the regular method of brewing. Therefore, it may not have undergone the conversion from sucrose to fructose and glucose. For this reason, I prefer to let mine go a few days after adding the tea, sugar, water, mixture; before taking any to drink.
I guess you could say I use a method in between the regular brewing method and continuous fermentation. I also have several jars brewing by the conventional method. You will find what works best for you. Enjoy:-))
Leonard Porzio's "Sun Tea" Kombucha Recipe
(The "Sun Tea" method was used to prepare the Tea for this recipe - 8 hours)
Ingredients:
10% Sour Starter Tea [3-4 week Kombucha Ferment]
1 Gallon Water
1 bag Bigelow "Perfect Peach" tea
3 bags Lipton Green Tea
3 bags Lipton Green & Orange, Passion Fruit, Jasmine
4 bags Luzianne Black Tea
1/4 cup Corn Syrup [or Karo if not available]
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1. Boil 3 litters water for few minutes, add 6 bags green tea
(or 2 tablespoonfuls loose tea per litter) and 3-5 dl white sugar. Mix well and let cool for 15 minutes.
Or let it to bubble up (=boil just a little).
2. Let the tea cool down to room temp (I use bucket full of cold water, I put the kettle in the bucket and it cools down fast). Pour in the jar (first take of the tea leaves if you used loose tea).
3. Put the mushroom and 1,5 dl starter in to jar, cover the jar with cotton cloth.
4. Place the jar in quiet dark place (your cupboard will be excellent).
5. Let the tea ferment for 7-10 days, depending your taste.
6. Take off the mushroom and the baby (usually stack under mom). Rinse the mushrooms under chilly running water. There may be some brown dirt in the mushrooms, this is normal and just wash it away. The mushrooms won't get injured even you handle them a bit hard. If you think the mushroom looks messy around, you may use scissors to cut off the edges.
7. Store the fermented KT in the bottles. I use plastic bottles which can be used in freezing juices. Let the bottles to stay in room temp for day or two and then place them in your fridge.
There may form a new baby into the bottle, but this is not dangerous, just take the mushroom away. When it is flu time in the winter, I put a slice of ginger in the bottle when bottling KT.
I use stainless steel kettles, knives and scissors. I ferment
in a glass jar of 5 litters (will find only from flea market or grandmother's attic, in the stores biggest jars
are 3 litters, easily found from shelves for storing juices and pickles). From same place in the store I have found
the bottles for storing (available in sizes of 3-10 dl)."
Permission is granted to freely copy this document in electronic form, or in print if the publication is distributed without charge, provided it is copied in its entirety without modification and appropriate credits are included. On the WWW, however, you must link here rather than copy it. Any other use requires explicit permission by the author.
http://w3.trib.com/~kombu/FAQ/home.html
Designed
Colleen M. Allen
Copyright 1996 - 2000 Colleen M. Allen
Maintained by:
Bob Williams
UpDt: 06/28/03
Maintained by Beverly B. Ferguson
UpDt: 2007