Since pregnancy, my stomach has been on the struggle-bus. I can’t handle spicy food anymore and find myself having tummy trouble more often than ever before. My heart truly goes out to all those who have guts issues. I have officially joined that club!
In our home, we are naturally-minded, which means my first reaction to dealing with this is to look towards mother nature’s medicinal food, instead of a bottle of pink goop.
This mint kombucha recipe has been helping my indigestion and tastes so refreshingly amazing!
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Health Benefits of Kombucha
Kombucha is a beverage made from fermented tea by using a scoby. Scoby stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeasts.
Adding a scoby to green tea causes fermentation.
In simple terms, fermentation is the process of using sugar for energy which then releases gas and special enzymes.
Science has found that these enzymes play a pivotal role in the proper communication of our immune system cells. (source)
This process actually happens inside of our gut everyday already!
Kombucha tea has many health benefits, especially when made from green tea.
Fermenting tea into kombucha also creates a delicious refreshing flavor.
Some of the benefits of kombucha include:
- Powerful antioxidants that reduce toxicity. (source)
- Rich in gut healing probiotics (source)
- Heart protective (source)
- Controls blood sugar (source)
- Contains polyphenols which protect against cancer (source)
This kombucha recipe uses mint because it improves the taste of the the tea and mint is also very effective at soothing an upset tummy. (source)
Why Make Kombucha at Home?
The best part about this mint kombucha recipe, it can easily be made week after week with little effort. You will always have yummy kombucha in the house without having to spend a fortune at the grocery store!
The average cost of one serving of kombucha is around three bucks, so making kombucha at home is much more economical.
Some people worry that you can have contamination with bad bacteria when you make kombucha at home. I have been doing this process for over a year without ever having issues.
I make sure before starting the process to wipe the counters with a clean cloth. I also spray it with a half vinegar half water mixture.
I clean the jar I will be brewing the kombucha in with hot soapy water using a chemical-free dish soap.
One thing to note when making homemade kombucha, is how to spot a moldy scoby. It is extremely rare to have a moldy scoby but you would need to throw away the entire contents if this happens.
Mold growing on a scoby will always be on the top portion that is exposed to air. It will look similar to mold you have seen grow on other food.
The mold will be green, blue, white, tan, and will always be dry. If it isn’t dry and fuzzy then it probably isn’t anything to worry about!
Now that we have gone over the safety matters, on to the recipe!
Mint Kombucha Recipe
To start, you will need a large wide-mouth mason jar to brew your kombucha.
You will also need the following ingredients:
- 3/4 cup of cane sugar (buy in bulk so you can continue to make kombucha)
- 9 bags of green tea (also buy in bulk)
- 1 medium scoby
- Enough water to fill the jar (get the jar here)
- 1 fresh sprig of mint leaves
Place about 4 cups of water on boil. While the water is boiling, measure 3/4 cup of cane sugar and unpack the 9 green tea bags.
Place the sugar, green tea, and mint sprig in the large jar and pour 3 cups of boiling water over top. Let this steep for 5 minutes.
Then remove the green tea bags and mint sprig.
Fill the remainder of the jar with cool filtered water until it reaches an inch below the top. (about 4 cups of additional water)
Stir the mixture so thoroughly combined. Let this mixture rest and cool for 10 minutes.
Now it’s time to add the scoby.
If this is your first time making Kombucha and you have a new scoby, remove it from the packaging and rinse it well with water.
Then add the scoby to the jar and here it will remain for 7 days. Studies have shown that 7 days is the requirement for the fermentation to gain the optimal balance of the microbial composition. (source)
On the 7th day, reach into the jar with clean hands and remove the scoby. You will notice it has doubled in size. You will want to rip the two scobys apart. You will only need one for your next batch.
If you skip this step then the next batch of kombucha will ferment much faster and could turn to vinegar after the 7 days.
Rinse the scoby half you plan to keep with clean water and place the scoby in a bowl. You will save it here as you repeat the process for the next batch!
After you have removed the scoby, it’s time to pour the kombucha into the container you plan to serve it from. I recommend something like this.
I found a similar versions at the Target dollar section and it has been working well, however, I wish mine had a better lid instead of a cork.
Make sure to run the kombucha through a kitchen filter as you transfer it to remove the excess solids.
Place the kombucha in the fridge for optimal enjoyment!
Now that your large jar is empty, you can clean it with hot soapy water using the same non-toxic dish soap and start the process all over again!
You will never again be without kombucha, so yay!
