Kombucha is a fermented drink based on sweet black tea, fermented in the presence of healthy yeasts and bacteria, making it a drink that strengthens the immune system and improves intestinal function, its preparation is similar to that of yogurt and homemade kefir. but black tea is used instead of milk as a key ingredient.
Black tea and white sugar are the most commonly used ingredients to make kombucha, but you can also use other herbs and additional ingredients such as green tea, hibiscus tea, matte, fruit juice and ginger, to give it a more pleasant taste.
- Kombucha is native to China and tastes like sparkling apple cider.
- And its consumption will bring several health benefits.
- As follows:.
The benefits of kombucha are greater than when taking black or green teas in their traditional form, so this drink can be used as a powerful sanitary helper.
To prepare the kombucha base, also called “first fermentation”, you must follow these steps:
Ingredients for the first fermentation
Preparing
You should first wash your hands and utensils thoroughly, then pour hot water and vinegar over them to help eliminate any contamination by microorganisms, put the water in the pot and let it warm, when the boiling water add the sugar and mix well Then turn off the heat and add the tea bags, letting the mixture rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Put the tea in the glass jar and wait for it to cool and reach room temperature, then add the kombucha fungus and 300 ml of ready-to-use kombucha, covering the glass jar with a cloth and elastic, letting the air circulate without leaving the mixture exposed. Keep the bottle in an airy place without much light for about 6 to 10 days, when the final drink will be ready. It will have a vinegary aroma and will not be sweet. At the end of the process, a new colony of kombucha is formed above the first. This new colony can be stored in the refrigerator or given to someone else
Also called second fermentation kombucha, kombucha can be aromatized with ingredients such as ginger, pear, grape, strawberry, lemon, pineapple, orange and other fruits, giving a new flavor to the drink and adding the benefits of these fruits.
Fruits and other ingredients should be added to the ready-to-use kombucha base, and in this fermentation, the drink will become carbonated, resembling a soft drink.
Lemon and ginger kombucha
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Put the ginger slices and lemon juice in a clean bottle, add the kombucha to the bottle, fill it well until the bottle is completely full, so that there is no air, tape and let stand for 3 to 7 days for additional fermentation, but usually this aromatized drink will be ready after 5 days of fermentation. However, the drink creates gas quickly and some consumers appreciate its flavor after only 24 hours of the second fermentation process.
To make the kombucha with other flavors, you only need to mix the fruits in the blender, strain them and add them to the bottle with the base of kombucha, then wait 5 days, since the new fermentation will add more. taste of the drink.
Ready-to-drink kombucha can be found in health and nutrition stores, and is available in both traditional flavor and various fruit and spice flavors.
Scoby, which is the kombucha fungus with fungi and bacteria responsible for fermenting the drink, can be found on websites or Internet forums that offer Scoby for free, as with kefir. As with each fermentation, a new Scoby is formed, kombucha consumers usually deliver their Scobies to others who wish to prepare the drink at home.