Kombucha Sitting Pretty
Once a week at least, someone walks into my kitchen, glances at my jug of kombucha that sits on my counter, and is bold enough to ask, "What is that?"
Sometimes I reply back, "A biochemical powerhouse."
While I see that it has some resemblance to a moldy pancake floating in old beer, foaming and bubbling, I often forget what it looks like to someone who hasn't seen my Symbiotic Collection of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY) before.
I see it as my next brew.I see it as life.
It all started when I was determined to find a way to avoid purchasing juice at the grocery store for my kids - they were guzzling the stuff.
Since the kids would drink kombucha when offered, I saw this as a way to save some money, as well as a benefit for their health.
Kombucha: A Definition
Kombucha is fermented green tea (or mixture of teas) and sugar which contains loads of cultures that produce valuable substances like enzymes, probiotics, acids, vitamins, minerals and a host of nutritional benefits that you may actually need a degree in nutrition to really understand.
Kombucha culture is, basically, a real tiny biochemical factory.
My friend, Irina is from Russia and she grew up on this stuff. Her mother gave her huge doses of it to boost the immune system when she was sick. In Russia it is called kvass and Irina tells me that it is bit stronger tasting than mine.
Lately I have been adding apple cider or pomegranate juice to my mix for a lighter, more refreshing flavor.
I have an old wild turkey bottle I drive around with in my car and when me or the kids are thirsty, we pour its contents into my car tea cup and drink on the run. I can imagine telling a police officer of my habit if I ever get pulled over!
I have a hard time finding good bottles that I can store it in because I don't use plastic for anything acidic or fermented. The plastic will leach into the product and that would add a level of chemicals I am trying to avoid!
So, I'm on a constant search for good glass bottles with solid tops, to store, transport and safeguard my brew.
Image Credit: emmahands