Living Nutrition’s Guide to Kombucha & Making your own

Kombucha is a traditional form of fermented tea and all the rage right now. It is actually an ancient traditional food originating in China thousands of years ago. It is consumed globally for its refreshing taste, rich source of nutrients and benefits to digestive health.

​It is one of the amazing fermented foods that we can add to our diets to get in our daily dose of fermented nutrition.

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What exactly is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a traditional form of fermented tea that is made using a starter SCOBY (Symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) which is a mix of yeasts and bacteria which co-exist in a symbiotic relationship. The drink itself has a fizzy, sometimes sour taste and is packed with nutrients, microflora and organic acids.
Kombucha is widely available in stores but also very easy to make yourself at home. You can get a SCOBY from a store, or a kombucha brewing friend who may have a spare baby SCOBY to pass on. If you can’t get hold of a SCOBY read on to learn how to make your own. You can make kombucha with black or green tea, or experiment with different fresh herbs and teas. Over a short period of time the fermentation takes place, with the yeast digesting the sugar and emitting CO2, leaving the resulting kombucha brew.

How is it made?
INGREDIENTS
2l Freshly Boiled Water
5 Green Tea Bags (these can be flavoured)
1 Cup White Sugar
4 Living Nutrition Your Flora Capsules
 
METHOD
Stage 1

1. Fill a glass jar with boiling water
2. Add the 5 organic tea bags and sugar. Stir until well blended and leave until liquid is room temperature, but preferably overnight.
3. Once the water has cooled, remove the teabags.
4. To make your SCOBY, open 4 capsules of Living Nutrition Your Flora into to the tea mixture. Cover with a paper towel and secure with an elastic band.
5. Leave in a cool dry place for 7-14 days

Stage 2

• Test your kombucha at 7 and 14 days. you should see a small layer on top. this is the SCOBY. If the liquid is still sweet, leave it to brew longer.
• Once the kombucha is ready to be drained, remove the SCOBY and pour into glass bottles preferably with a secure top
• Leave for another 7 days and enjoy!

The fermenting process is simple and cost effective and you can add fruit or herbs afterwards to flavour the brews and do a secondary ferment. If looked after carefully, a SCOBY can retain their activity for a long time.

Benefits
Kombucha contains an array of friendly bacteria and yeasts, organic acids, and B-vitamins amongst other nutrients. It makes a great refreshing and nutritious alternative to fizzy drinks. It is a living food, rich in enzymes, yeasts and bacteria that are beneficial for the digestive tract as well as offering an array of beneficial compounds for overall health.
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Find out more about Living Nutrition Fermented Supplements here