Kombucha-Making Adventure

In the past couple of months, thanks to Angela, I've been enjoying Kombucha Tea. Kombucha, for those of you too web-lazy to follow the link and read about it elsewhere, is a fermented tea beverage that has mythical/magical health-improving qualities in the far east, and has thousands of years of history.

People drink it because it's supposed to cure cancer, restore hair color, aid in weight loss, make your nails shiny, detoxify the liver, and provide a huge number of other non-FDA-verified health benefits.

I drink it 'cause it tastes yummy, and has a naturally slightly-carbonated tinge. Also, I suspect that at least some health benefit may occur, although I'm skeptical about the cancer-curing. On the other hand, it's $4 for a 16-oz bottle. Yowza. Needless to say, it is a rare and valued treat.

So I decided to start making my own. Kombucha is made with tea, sugar, and a kombucha culture, which they call a "mushroom." I got a starter kit complete with organic tea and cane sugar in addition to the culture for a pretty good deal, and bought a huge pickle jar at Goodwill. Nine or so days ago, I brewed up a big batch of tea, cooled it to room temperature, and plopped the "mushroom" into it, rubber-banding a paper towel to the top of the jar. Then I let it sit and ferment. I feel a bit like I'm brewing moonshine in my little ghetto ex-kitchen or something. There's a definite fermented, vinegary smell wafting through the apartment when the breeze is right.

Yesterday it was time to start trying the Kombucha to see if it is "ripe," for lack of a better word. I got a little chickened out, it being my first time. They say that if you move the culture, it will start forming it's own new "baby" culture all over again (it forms a new baby every time, so you always have plenty of culture to make your next batch). So once I moved it to try the Kombucha to see if it was ready, I just decided to be done with the whole deal, collect this batch, and start the next. Later, after drinking more than just a sip of the brew, I think I should have left it longer. It's quite tart, and I think it's supposed to sweeten with time. (That doesn't make any sense to me, since the yeast cultures in the kombucha mushroom are supposedly eating away at the sugar in the liquid, which is what causes the fermenting reaction. So if it's eating the sugar, why would it become more sweet with time?) I probably should have left it another few days.

But I saved liquid from the first batch to use as a starter for the next one, and my culture is huge and mushroomy and looking ready to start it's work over again. Not that I know what a "ready" kombucha culture looks like--it's just a gut feeling.

The Kombucha, like I said, is very sour. Too sour and vinegary for my liking. But I bottled it, and find that if I mix it in equal parts with some freshly-brewed sun tea, it's quite tasty. I'm going to start my next batch today, and leave it longer this time, to see if it settles down a bit. I'm a little worried about my culture; the jar's a bit small for it, so it's not a nice, even circle, but rather blobby.

I feel that my Kombucha-making-adventure could be my first step into sustainability. If I can make my own tea, and my own Kombucha tea, I shouldn't have much need for any other sort of drink. Perhaps one day I can delve into making yogurt and cheese, and even tofu. That would be a good thing.