It's easy to learn how to make Kombucha, a yeast culture grown in tea. People who remove the culture and drink the fermented tea claim many health benefits, none of which are recognized by the federal Food and Drug Administration. This 'mushroom' dates back centuries and probably originated in Asia.
The beverage is sold commercially as a drink, but it's easy to make at home. To grow your own, assemble a large glass bowl or jar, a piece of cheesecloth or cotton for a cover, black or green tea bags, one gallon of water, and two cups of granulated sugar. You'll also need a 'starter', which can be bought or borrowed from a friend.
Since this is a health booster as well as a delicious beverage, you could use filtered water and organic tea and sugar. The 'mushroom', which is actually a dense pancake of yeast and bacteria, seems to grow well with conventional stuff off any grocery shelf. Cane sugar is probably best (for you, anyway), since most sugar beets are genetically engineered.
People experiment with different sweeteners, flavorings, and teas, but it's wise to follow the basic recipe until you're familiar with the growing process and the taste of this fermented drink. White sugar is known to be almost a non-food, since it's been stripped off all vitamins and minerals, but the yeast culture, which needs sugars to grow, transforms them into a healthy drink.
Brew a gallon of tea using five teabags. Sun tea seems to work OK. Stir in two cups of sugar and let cool. Add the starter (with a cup of finished tea if you have it), and cover so the mixture is protected from dust but can breathe.
You can start the process with a cup of finished tea or with a test tube of culture bought from a dealer. People who've forgotten a cup of this fermented drink for a week or so have found a perfect little mushroom inside. If the culture's 'happy' in your home, it'll grow quickly, produce a slick, whitish-tan 'baby', and give you a slightly sweet, slightly effervescent drink that is delicious when chilled.
Like sourdough starter or wine, results may vary. People say that the culture is affected by the moon. Place the covered jar or bowl in a secluded spot far from direct sun, where it won't be moved or shaken and isn't close to electrical appliances. A cupboard with no light at all works well, but the back of a kitchen counter is fine. You'll know if your tea mushroom's happy and healthy, if it's just getting by, or if it's failed and begun to mold or rot. Use common sense to build a relationship with this remarkable culture.
If all goes well and you've learned how to make Kombucha, you'll end up with two mushrooms. You can start over with one or both for next week's supply of enhanced tea. You can also use one and give the other to your goats, to the earthworms in your garden, or to a neighbor.
The beverage is sold commercially as a drink, but it's easy to make at home. To grow your own, assemble a large glass bowl or jar, a piece of cheesecloth or cotton for a cover, black or green tea bags, one gallon of water, and two cups of granulated sugar. You'll also need a 'starter', which can be bought or borrowed from a friend.
Since this is a health booster as well as a delicious beverage, you could use filtered water and organic tea and sugar. The 'mushroom', which is actually a dense pancake of yeast and bacteria, seems to grow well with conventional stuff off any grocery shelf. Cane sugar is probably best (for you, anyway), since most sugar beets are genetically engineered.
People experiment with different sweeteners, flavorings, and teas, but it's wise to follow the basic recipe until you're familiar with the growing process and the taste of this fermented drink. White sugar is known to be almost a non-food, since it's been stripped off all vitamins and minerals, but the yeast culture, which needs sugars to grow, transforms them into a healthy drink.
Brew a gallon of tea using five teabags. Sun tea seems to work OK. Stir in two cups of sugar and let cool. Add the starter (with a cup of finished tea if you have it), and cover so the mixture is protected from dust but can breathe.
You can start the process with a cup of finished tea or with a test tube of culture bought from a dealer. People who've forgotten a cup of this fermented drink for a week or so have found a perfect little mushroom inside. If the culture's 'happy' in your home, it'll grow quickly, produce a slick, whitish-tan 'baby', and give you a slightly sweet, slightly effervescent drink that is delicious when chilled.
Like sourdough starter or wine, results may vary. People say that the culture is affected by the moon. Place the covered jar or bowl in a secluded spot far from direct sun, where it won't be moved or shaken and isn't close to electrical appliances. A cupboard with no light at all works well, but the back of a kitchen counter is fine. You'll know if your tea mushroom's happy and healthy, if it's just getting by, or if it's failed and begun to mold or rot. Use common sense to build a relationship with this remarkable culture.
If all goes well and you've learned how to make Kombucha, you'll end up with two mushrooms. You can start over with one or both for next week's supply of enhanced tea. You can also use one and give the other to your goats, to the earthworms in your garden, or to a neighbor.
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