How to Make Kombucha Tea

Addhttp://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-make-kombucha-tea.html caption

 I just love video's that are informative, clear and not filmed at a weird angle from a laptop with lots of background noise. This video is worth the thirteen minutes....this video is even worth watching if you really don't think you will ever get around to this project.

 At least you can tell your friends you know how to make the tea ( they probably don't know how to make their own beer or wine...well, most of them..) When they tease you about what you spend on your GT's Kombucha addiction remind them you will begin making your own... any day now...

So, are you ready to give it a try?

Kamp’s Simple Kombucha Recipe - 1-Gallon
(Scale up or down depending on the size of your vessel)
Supplies

• 1 cup sugar (organic tastes better, but white works - make sure it says “cane” to avoid GMO beet sugar) 
• 4-6 bags tea - for loose leaf, 1 bag of tea = 1 tsp (organic tastes better) 
• Starter Culture 
• 1 cup starter liquid 
• purified/bottled water tea kettle - to make hot water, or make sun tea brewing
• vessel - glass/porcelain is preferred but stainless steel, oak & food grade plastic may be used 
• cloth cover - up-cycle an old t-shirt or tea towel - make sure the weave is tight to prevent fruit flies 
• rubber band 

Steps

• Boil 4 cups of water. 
• Add hot water & tea bags to pot or brewing vessel. 
• Steep 5-7 minutes, then remove tea bags. 
• Add sugar and stir to dissolve. 
• Fill vessel most of the way with purified water, leaving just 1-2 inches from the top for breathing room with purified cold water. 
• Add SCOBY and starter liquid. 
• Cover with cloth cover and secure with the rubber band. 
• Say a prayer, send good vibes, commune with your culture (optional but recommended). 
• Set in a warm location with good air flow out of direct sunlight (unless vessel is opaque). Atop the fridge is usually a good location. Do not disturb for 7 days. 
• After 7 days, or when you are ready to taste your KT, gently insert a straw beneath the SCOBY and take a sip. If too tart, then reduce your brewing cycle next time. If too sweet, allow to brew for a few more days. Continue to taste every day or so until you reach your optimum flavor preference. Your own Kombucha Tea Recipe may vary. 
• Decant & flavor (optional). See flavoring recipe video below. 
• Drink as desired! Start off with 4-8oz on an empty stomach in the morning, then with meals to help with digestion or as your body tells you it would like some more! Drink plenty of water as it is a natural detoxifier and you want to flush the newly released toxins out. http://brooklynskillshare.org/post/12645996678/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-with-kombucha-kamp

                    
Dangers of brewing one's own Kombucha can be avoided by following a few simple guidelines. I mean, who wants to get sick from something so healthy?

1)" Anything that comes into contact with your Kombucha tea at any time must be sterile."
2) Care of your Kombucha culture: " Do not let it touch anything 'metal' and keep it stored under proper conditions - glass jar."
3)  " Do not try to heat it up to make the kombucha brewing process go faster. It should be brewed in a well ventilated, warm but not hot area"....you don't want to introduce nasty microorganisms.
4)  Remember the importance of proper storage: " Make sure that you store your finished product in sterile containers that have no metal and are all glass. Kombucha can pull the properties from metal and transfer them to you in the tea.
http://www.crazyfortea.com/kombuchadanger.html

                        Happy and Safe Brewing!

Kombucha in Days Past...and Today

                  Kombucha in Days Past....and Today

http://whatiskombucha.com/?page_id=30 

The first recorded use of kombucha comes from China in 221 BC during the Tsin Dynasty. It was known as “The Tea of Immortality”.  


Have you ever wondered about the historical records of Kombucha's medicinal properties? Today, Kombucha advocates claim the following ".. is a partial list of  benefits reported by users from the consumption of the tea. The number one acclaim being it aids the cure of Cancer,

 Parkinson's Diease
 Impotence
 Low energy
 Fibromyalgia
 AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
 Arthritis
 Asthma
 Acne
 High Blood Pressure
 Various Gastro Intestinal Ailments
 Bronchitis
 Candida
 High Cholesterol
 Chronic Fatigue
 Depression
 Colds & Flu
 Constipation
 Diarrhea
 Fluid Retention
 Gout
 Impaired immune system
 Kidney problems (including stones)
 Prostate problems
 MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
 Psoriasis
 Rheumatism
 Sleep Disorders
 Tonsillitis
 Sinus problems
 Reduction of Skin wrinkles
 eczema
 Menopause & PMS
 Glycolysis reduction
 Hyperglycemia
 WeightLoss
 Hair growth & graying"
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tward/kombuchaFAQ.html


Dr. Kombu, in 414 A.D., brought this remedy from Korea to Japan for the benefit of the health of Emperor Inkyo. The successful outcome of this treatment lead to the spread of this fermented tea to other nations. In Japan, in Kargosak , generations drank this yeast enzyme on a daily basis and many lived to be over 100 years old. Outsiders noticed that the women were astonishingly unwrinkled.

Soviet cancer researchers, in 1951, were baffled at the lack of cancer in populations in two districts in the Ural mountains in the region of Perm. Though these environments were heavily contaminated with asbestos, mercury and lead (all potentially carcinogenic ) the local residents remained free from the dramatic increase in cancer in other regions after World War I. Lifestyle, diet and work were examined, yet the only commonality seemed to be the consumption of "Tea Kvas" (Kombucha).
http://whatiskombucha.com/?page_id=30 

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

                                              
Nobel-prize winning Russian author, Alexander Solzhenitsyn claimed in his autobiography that he cured his stomach cancer during his Soviet labor camp internments by drinking Kombucha tea.
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/08/04/obituaries/04solzhenitsyn03.span.ready.html

 The American Cancer Society claims that, "No human studies have been published in the available scientific literature that support any of the health claims made for Kombucha tea".
http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/DietandNutrition/kombucha-tea

However, smaller studies are beginning to  be published about Kombucha's tested benefits. For example, " One cell-based study, destined for the June 2012 issue of the journal Swiss Society of Food Science and Technology’s, asserts that kombucha “has prophylactic and therapeutic properties” including antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal effects. Its authors speculate that kombucha “may be very healthful” in combating yeast infections, thrush, and other forms of candidiasis." Also, " A 2011 study affiliated with India’s Jadavpur University and published in Pathophysiology found that kombucha consumption effectively protects liver cells."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/28/is-celebrity-favorite-kombucha-really-a-health-and-anti-aging-cure.html

With the growing popularity of the drink, perhaps the scientific community will begin to recognize kombucha's  therapeutic value. Just as yoga and meditation's health benefits have been accepted in the scientific community, perhaps, kombucha will finally be valued as a super food.

Lindsay Lohan

 

By Jason Wachob      http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1009/Kombucha-Update-Synergys-GT-Dave-Speaks.html

 

“We are working quickly to identify the possible causes and which lot codes and/or regions are being potentially affected. Please keep in mind that this is not related to any type of food contamination, is not a recall, had NOTHING to do with Lindsay Lohan and that you can still find our products at certain retailers. We are trying our best to get our product back on the shelves of every store. Until that happens, you can check the store locator featured on our website for further information on these retailers." (http://www.mindbodygreen.com)

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“What is that all about? I can't get my Kombucha fix?” Jasmine asked her mat friend, Heidi, while doing a warm up down dog as new age music floated through the yoga studio. She couldn't believe that her raw elixir addiction had been recalled. Possible alcohol level issues after Lindsay blamed her Kombucha drinking for her raised blood alcohol level.  Heidi showed her the blog entry on her iPhone quickly so other yogis wouldn't find their tech use in the studio too offensive. The teacher sat on his mat in a half lotus ready to begin the class. Beside the teacher's mat: a GT's Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha in Multi-Green.

“Oh my Goddess”, thought Jasmine, “ I am so pissed. How can I eat purely raw without my favorite brand of Kombucha?” She had noticed how her carb- cravings would spike mid afternoon without this  detoxifying, metabolism enhancing, appetite suppressing, hair and skin enhancing drink (http://www.organicbeautytalk.com). Returning to her breath, she settled into her cat-cows and the flow....until she began her sun salutation series. When her hands returned to her heart, she began thinking of how stupid Lindsey Lohan was really wrecking Kombucha's image.

                                                                      

http://www.getkombucha.com/lindsay-lohan-kombucha-arrest-for-alcohol-calls-for-recall

“Drinking binges at the clubs, doing coke...and Kombucha?!", Jasmine thought. "Now our alternative, spiritual ways have become so trendy!" The teacher looked right at her as he reminded the class to focus on the breath and clear the mind of distracting thoughts.

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