Page 91 - Summer 2017 Journal

me—but there was one brand and one flavor that I did like. This intrigued me, but the price tag still did not. I began contemplating how to make kombucha less expensively at home.
As with any ferment, I went through a period of trial-and-error before my beverage began to turn out the way I wanted. Since then, I have had people tell me that my kombucha is the best they have ever tasted (and I have also had people even refuse to take a taste).
Although I have been a real food advocate throughout my life, for a long time I held on to one bad habit—Diet Pepsi. (My stepmother initiated me into the “Pepsi club” when I was a teenager, encouraging
me to indulge in a Pepsi
as a treat after cleaning
her house.) For years, I
justified the habit by say-
ing that it was my “one
daily vice.” After my
transition to kombucha,
however, I easily left
my Pepsi habit behind
because kombucha’s
flavor and carbonation,
coupled with its healthy
ingredients, far sur-
passed anything I had
ever experienced when
drinking Pepsi. Out of
curiosity, I recently tried Pepsi again and it tasted awful—it was very syrupy and burned my throat!
MAKING KOMBUCHA
Although I describe my process for making
kombucha, there is no “one right way.” Have fun experimenting until you produce kombucha that is to your own and your family’s liking. I tell my clients to pick a “kombucha-making day” of the week. My day for fermenting is Sunday; on Sundays, I make not just kombucha but also kefir and vegetable ferments.
Kombucha requires four basic ingredients: a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast); tea; sugar; and water. I got my first SCOBY from a friend. If you ask around, you will find one, or you can call your closest Weston A. Price Foundation chapter leader. (The back of the Wise Traditions magazine lists chapter leaders
SUMMER 2017
by state, or you can look on the Foundation’s website under “Find a Local Chapter.”)
When you get your SCOBY, it should be floating in a little of its own kombucha. As you continue brewing kombucha over time, the SCOBY will grow and gain smaller “babies.” Eventually I get rid of (or give away) the older ones. You do not want to brew kombucha with too many SCOBYs because that will overwhelm the sugar and give it too much to feed. My SCOBYs have acquired a brownish tinge over time because of the tea, but this does not mean anything. When you see little pieces or strands in your kombucha, know that these are beneficial
bacteria and yeast!
I usually use organic
tea to make kombucha, at least half of which should be black tea. I either use tea bags or add the right amount of loose tea to a tea ball (one bag = one teaspoon). Do not use herbal teas.
When purchasing sugar, it is important to know that any sugar that does not say “cane sugar” on the package is probably beet sugar, and beet sugar is likely to
be genetically modified (GMO). However, you should also be cautious about using non-organic refined cane sugars such as C&H, which often have been sprayed with glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup). In fact, conventional agricultural specialists tout glyphosate as a highly effective “chemical ripener” that speeds up sugarcane’s ripening process and increases the sugar-to-fiber ratio.2 (These days, unfortunately, it is impossible to rule out the possibility that even organic cane sugar may be contaminated with glyphosate.3)
If you are using tap water to make your kom- bucha, consider investing in a water filter. I have a filter on my sink that takes out the chlorine. If you do not have a filter and are using tap water, let the water sit out for a minimum of an hour and preferably overnight to dissipate the chlorine.
Bad food habits can be left behind. It may be
a gradual process, but when it happens, you will experience the joys of a healthier life.
Wise Traditions
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