the elixir of youth: kombucha!

The fountain of youth. People have been searching for it for centuries. Does it really exist? Who knows. So while we wait for someone to locate the fountain, we can settle for what I call the elixir of youth, more commonly known as kombucha. 

Homemade raspberry, mango and strawberry kombucha

So what exactly is kombucha? According to Wikipedia, it's an "effervescent tea-based beverage ... made by fermenting tea using a solid mass of yeast and bacteria." Sounds pretty icky. Who wants to drink yeasty tea? Well, lots of people actually, including me. Kombucha has been enjoyed for centuries. Our ancestors knew of kombucha's health benefits, including being chock full of antioxidants and probiotics, and B vitamins just to name a few.

For those of you unfamiliar with this fermented beverage, don't be scared. Think of kombucha as a fizzy, refreshing vinegary-tasting tea. OK, I realize that description may have scared you even more. It's definitely an acquired taste. I'll admit, I was intimidated by kombucha for a long time. I worked in an organic market for a couple of years and never once tried the stuff despite its popularity among my friends and co-workers. Now, I love kombucha and drink it almost every day and don't think I'll ever buy it from the store again. Homemade is so much better.

My very first batch of kombucha!

While making kombucha at home is easy peasy (water + tea + sugar), getting your hands on a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) -- the yeast and bacteria that was mentioned earlier -- can be more difficult. Each time you brew a batch of kombucha you need a scoby and starter tea. If you don't have a friend who has extra scoby babies, you can purchase the scoby and starter tea through sites like Etsy and even eBay. I've also heard that you can grow your own scoby by purchasing a bottle of commercial kombucha, drink half, screw the lid back on and keep it on the counter for a couple of weeks and eventually a baby will spawn.

Experimenting with different teas

Even if you have to buy a scoby, don't fret -- each time you make a batch of kombucha, another baby scoby forms on top of the original scoby. The original scoby (referred to as the "mother") can be used over and over again as can the new baby, which means you can have several batches of kombucha brewing at the same time.

Once you start kombucha brewing, it will be hard for you to stop. There are so many combinations you can experiment with, it's like having a fun science project to do, and you get to reap the benefits without being graded!

Serve chilled over ice and enjoy!

Next up: beet kvass, another fermented beverage. I'm getting my hands on some raw whey tomorrow and can't wait to make some kvass.

Cheers to your healthy adventure, one that I hope includes giving kombucha a try!

Peace and love --

~Jo