Kombucha, a fermented tea, is a popular health drink with claims to cure various ailments. Brewing it correctly is crucial, and some health issues have been linked to improper manufacturing and overconsumption. While there is no scientific evidence to support its health benefits, it has been consumed for over 22 centuries. A recipe for making kombucha involves making a simple tea, adding sugar, and a commercially purchased kombucha bacterial culture. After ten days, the tea should be ready to consume, but experts advise consuming a store-bought pasteurized mix.
The ancient tea known as kombucha, which is pronounced “com BOO cha,” is more like tea on steroids. This meticulously prepared health drink is made from a simple mixture of a little tea, a lot of sugar, and a bacterial culture that is allowed to ferment until the drink is suitably sour and sweet, producing an elixir that is supposed to cure baldness and relieve arthritis for fight cancer and end insomnia. Brewing kombucha correctly requires careful preparations, particularly as some health issues have been linked to improper manufacturing and overconsumption.
According to the American Cancer Society, as of 2011 there is no scientific evidence to show that brewing kombucha, also known as mushroom tea, is a valuable disease-fighting practice by adding colonies of beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract, just like eating yogurt. . However, the culture has been primed for what appears to be at least 22 centuries, originating in Asia. It’s unclear exactly where the drink was first prepared or by whom, but its popularity as an alternative remedy has exploded globally over the past century, particularly in recent decades.
Perhaps the best tip for making kombucha is to learn a proven method for making this tea and follow it exactly. A recipe by Günther Frank, who wrote the book Kombucha: Healthy Drinks and Natural Remedy from the Far East, begins by making a simple black or green tea by adding two tea bags or 2 teaspoons. (approximately 9.86 ml) of tea to 1 qt (approximately 1 liter) of boiling water, then steep tea for approximately 15 minutes. According to Frank, using green tea will enhance cancer fighting qualities.
For this small batch of tea, as much as 3 oz. (approximately 100 g) of sugar is dissolved and then allowed to cool. After the tea has reached room temperature, a commercially purchased kombucha bacterial culture is placed in the liquid, and the container is covered with a lid or cheesecloth. Adding the culture while the tea is still hot will destroy the culture. For the first batch, a commercial culture will be needed, but brewing kombucha again will require about 10 percent of the new liquid to come from the previous batch of kombucha.
After approximately 10 days of storage at room temperature, the tea should be ready to consume. The zoogleal mat, a fungal mold that forms inside the container, must be carefully removed before the drink is ready. Some also filter the liquid to remove any other impurities. For a sweeter drink, try to consume it after about a week; for a sourer drink, let it ferment for a few days longer than average.
Although the practice of brewing kombucha at home is a time-honored tradition, many health experts advise consuming a store-bought pasteurized mix. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some patients were hospitalized in the mid-1990s after the tea caused excessive levels of lactic acid. Even though the beverage is typically safe to consume, the CDC reported that home brewers were more susceptible to consuming dangerous pathogens.
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