Kombucha 2.0

I was introduced to Kombucha by a good friend, who also gave me a starter kit and demonstrated how to keep producing a nonstop flow of the fermented tea. The first kit I received was left at home when I came south. I am hoping the cold weather at home will slow the process down enough so as not to evaporate the tea.

The tea is considered by many to be a probiotic, although if you google it you will see there is a considerable amount of discussion about its benefits and the same amount of folks calling it, hogwash. As long as I do it correctly, whether there is a benefit or not, it is steering me to a healthier lifestyle.

This SCOBY (a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) in my hand was the starter and as you can see, the tea developed its own SCOBY in the jar so this one will be put out to pasture. I have already drawn down some of the tea into an empty vodka bottle. I could of been filling bottles weeks ago, but to tell you the truth, based on my cooking skills, I was nervous about my first brew.

The first step to refill the tea brew is to steep some black tea (my choice) along with about 1/2 cup of sugar.

After my tea cools to room temperature, I add it to the "mother" batch to replace the Kombucha I took out.

The brewed tea and sugar are a little too strong on their own, so I dilute it with some clean, fresh water.

After refilling my host jar, it will only take a week or two before I can start draining more Kombucha into an assortment of containers.

One of the containers I used was a Popov bottle, and yes...it was empty. Besides teaching me how to make Kombucha, my friend also showed me how not to throw anything away that could be useful in the future...I mean anything! :-)

I first added the Kombucha mixture to the discarded vodka bottle that was infused with blackberries and blueberries. I squeezed a couple of the berries just to better start the fusion a little quicker. The fruit gives the yeast something to eat and after a few days on the counter, it is ready for the refrigerator and then as a refreshment.

In a smaller bottle, I infused it with frozen mango. I was told no pineapple because it was too acidic, so I assume my daily appetite for oranges would fall under the same parameters as the pineapple does.

Now the "mother" brew is back in its accustomed spot in the motorhome and her new babies are alongside for a few days, until they taste... just right.
There were a few things Donna and I talked about in her last hours and one of them was for me to lead a healthier lifestyle... I realize at 67 years old it, may be a touch late to worry about that, but a promise is a promise.

 Again, thanks to my friend...