I went out for a short time this morning to a couple of different food stores, but just couldn't find anything I wanted.
Moonfly's comment about all the negative side effects of kombucha makes it sound like it would be bad for you. For one thing, moderation is the key in anything, and if you've never tried it before then drink about 1/4 of a bottle 4 times a day. One thing that is important is to drink lots of water afterwards.
I think someone who is fairly concerned about their diet, exercise, and way of life is probably not full of toxins anyway. I exercise, eat mostly organic foods, and don't take any medications that no doubt cause a huge amount of toxins in a person taking them.
I've been reading a lot about kombucha and it is good for the digestive tract, cleanses the liver, and is good for heartburn, acid reflux, etc. I've found from many different sources that it is very good for you. As I said though, if you've been eating a lot of junk, processed foods as well as those containing GMO's, you'd probably do well to go slowly, and observe how you feel. Of course if you begin to have a lot of side effects, then stop drinking the kombucha or drink less of it until your system improves.
I used to consult WebMD sometimes when I would be prescribed a new medication; those types of websites are geared to the medical topics, and of course they don't know what they are talking about when it comes to getting and staying healthy without medications. The drug companies don't want people to choose health. I often wonder about doctors, who are totally manipulated by the phamaceutical companies. There are probably billions of dollars in the drug industry worldwide, so think about it, and you can see why they would ridicule anything natural that they can't make money from.
Also, the labels on the kombucha state that "trace amounts of alcohol may be present". It's certainly not an alcoholic drink, no more than sauerkraut juice is alcoholic although they are both fermented.
Nancy1340, what equipment do you use in making your own kombucha?
It is a beautiful day here in the Hudson Valley, sunny and 76 degrees at 1 pm. The creek is very low on water and they need some good rain in this area. I'm worried most of all about the lack of rain in California.
UPDATE:
Since it has only been a few minutes from the time I published this blog post, I will address Judy's comment about beer. As of now, I've only tasted two different flavors of kombucha - multi-green and pomegranate ginger. Neither one tastes like beer, but maybe would be a bit closer to wine; I find pom. ginger tastes a little more vinegary or lemony than the green. Both have a slight fizzy taste similar to soda or beer, although neither tastes carbonated. I think without the fruit and/or veggie flavor it might not taste as good to me, but so far I find it outstanding. I would like to repeat that the articles I've read about it stress how important it is to drink extra water (from your normal daily intake) if you drink kombucha. I like the taste of water anyway so have no problem with that. If anyone out there drinks it or tries it for the first time, I would love to hear your comments about it. It probably won't appeal to everyone, but so far I think it's dynamite. Thanks.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Maintaining a kombucha culture is easy. Ever keep sour dough? Same principles apply. You already have the beginnings of a culture(Scoby) in your unpasteurized tea (the cloudy stuff in the bottom of the jar). Here's a link with the best instructions I have found.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.picklesnhoney.com/2012/04/09/how-to-make-kombucha-growing-a-scoby/
I originally bought my scoby and made it with black tea. I thought it was too acidic, more of a vinegar. Due to neglect because I didn't really like the flavor I let mine die. I do wonder if I had thinned it with water or juice, if I would have liked it better or maybe not allowed it ti brew as long it might have tasted better to me. Another thought is I don't like the taste of beer so that might have some bearing on my dislike of the flavor. It is a fun little project, so I hope you have fun with it.
I use half black tea and half green tea.
DeleteHear, hear on Kombucha. I haven't tried it yet, mainly because I haven't found a local source but it's on my list.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you are enjoying your trip East. Your flight sounded more stressful than ours from Auckland NZ to San Francisco.
Blessings.
It is good to see people getting interested in kombucha and other fermented foods. I've been making kombucha and kefir for close to 15 years. My husband likes the kombucha and I drink the kefir. There is lots of good info on the internet concerning the health benefits and how to make it. This site is pretty informative. Cheers! http://www.culturesforhealth.com/cultured-food-expert-advice
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't use the "starter" cultures, but have the scoby ("mother") for the kombucha and the real kefir "grains" a friend gave me years ago. You can purchase these on the internet or perhaps find someone who is willing to share.
ReplyDeleteI brew the tea in a stainless steel pot then pour it into a glass drink dispencer, after it cools, I bought at Costco.
ReplyDeleteI bought my mother from Kombucha Mama and followed the directions that came with it. My mushroom is very vigorous.
I have to split it about every other batch and still end up with a 1" thick mushroom. I bought flip top beer bottles and have some ready in the fridge most of the time. Though I do like it best full stregth at between 2 & 4 weeks. After that I dilute it to suite my taste. Sometimes I add honey or cherry juice.
Instead of drinking the Kool Aid doctors want us all to drink I'll take a little kombucha, thank you very much.
I've read that a little kombucha in sourdough starter gives it a kick. Haven't tried it yet though.
OH yeah!! A guy here in Dallas was making kombucha for specialty restaurants and had to stop. It was just a little too boozy. He didn't do it on purpose. At least that's what the guy at the brewing store said. LOL
Like Nancy, I bought my mother from Kombucha Mama (www.kombuchakamp.com) I make my "booch" in a one gallon glass jar, and do a second ferment in swing-top bottles that I bought from a brewing supply place. My daughter uses the continuous brew method in a large glass dispenser, and my grand kids LOVE it! You can add any flavor you like, I often add a couple blueberries or raspberries to the second ferment. And if you start making it, experiment with different teas. It's fun stuff! :) It's also WAY cheaper to make your own, those $4 bottles at the store add up quickly!
ReplyDelete