Lands And Peoples

There’s plenty of good ways to keep hydrated, especially during the summer months (but no less importantly throughout the year). One of my absolute best thirst quenchers is kombucha tea because it would keep me a little full until I plan the next healthy meal.

Kombucha is easy to make with a few simple ingredients.

First, you’ll need a SCOBY which is a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, and I can think of three ways to acquire it.

You can buy it from companies that specialize in healthy nutrition. There are plenty of companies online, so make sure they are trustworthy by checking their reviews.

You can get it from a friend that makes kombucha.

Or if you’re feeling frisky to experiment in the kitchen a little – make it yourself.

For the latter option here is the simple procedure.

You’ll need:
A pre-made kombucha. Again, buy it in the store or get it from a friend. DIY needs to start somewhere else. Make sure to include as many of the sedimentations as you have available, as this is the living part that will form into a SCOBY.
A couple of cups of living water (it shouldn’t contain chlorine)
A cup of sugar. You don’t need to use quality sugar and don’t worry either because the SCOBY will eat it all up to produce the cultures out of it.
A couple of non-flavored black or green tea bags. I use English Breakfast tea for mine, but any non-flavored should work.
A glass container
And a breathable tablecloth to cover

Prepare the sweetened tea with the water, tea bags, and sugar. The longer you’ll steep it, the stronger taste it will have. Let it cool to room temperature. This is very important since heat would kill the living organisms. Mix in the pre-made kombucha. Cover tightly with a breathable cloth and let it sit in a dark, dry place (cabinets or ovens that you don’t use during the time work well). After a week, SCOBY should form on top. It looks like a slimy hat and it is also slimy on the touch.
Taste-test it by sticking a straw into the tea, cover the straw with your finger so you get some tea in there without getting in contact with the mixture and once it tastes good to you, you have your first batch of kombucha with your very own SCOBY, both of which you can later use for further batches.
Make sure to leave a little tea for your next home-made kombucha.

For flavor variation, you can also add fresh fruit to it. Fruits that will complement your kombucha batch are berries, pears, apples, peaches. It should be as simple as if you’re making a fruit infused water.

Kombucha is known for its health benefits such as improving digestion because it includes a lot of probiotics.
It increases energy levels, so you might want to substitute it for your coffee or tea (psssst, it also tastes a little like wine, if you’re trying to cut down on it. The fermentation process is similar).
It has cleansing and detoxification effects.
Reduces joint pain.
And supports the immune system.

I love it and I hope you grow to love it equally.