Kombucha!

Finally the post of the finished product!  I was a little nervous tasting the first couple sips even though it tasted good I was hesitant to drink a large amount in case something went wrong- I mean that culture is a lot funky looking.

This first picture is the final batch of the magic potion! 

Benefits of  drinking Kombucha:

Detoxing the body- the drink  contains enzymes that help break down and flush toxins out of the body.

Joint Health- Kombucha contains glucosomines which helps prevent arthritis through maintaining cartilage structure.

Digestion- Kombucha's culture and yeast make it a pro biotic drink aiding the digestive system in breaking down and absorbing nutrients into the body.

Immunity- As an anti-oxidant rich beverage, Kombucha helps boost your immune system and increases your energy.

 

The Mayo Clinic site, which I deem as a pretty reputable source when googling some ailment (way more than Web MD which always convinces me I am dying), states that there is no scientific research supporting the benefits of Kombucha and that until further  information is available it is advisable to stay away from the drink-- but let's be honest, I really enjoy it and plan on continuing to drink it. The lack of studies may be attributed to the fact that it is not going to benefit any drug companies to fund the research for a product that is cheaply produced and sold. Pre-cold war, Russia and Germany conducted studies on the benefits of this drink and more recent studies have began to take place and be released in the US.

  This is the culture that grew on top of the Kombucha! I removed it and the mother culture was still on the bottom- not sure if this was normal but I haven't had any negative side affects from the bottles I've drank.

 If handling the culture make sure you have a clean towel and extremely clean hands while managing the culture- don't leave it out of liquid for too too long.

 I probably should have prepped bottles more ahead of time, but working with what I had in the kitchen I bottled them up and popped them in the fridge. I rotate filling the smaller two and bringing them with me.

I saved the culture to make a new batch but I hadn't realized the liquid all evaporated and now the culture is no good so I will most likely be ordering a new kit. Seriously for about $14 I got about 10 bottles of Kombucha out of it-at least. I am now saving more bottles so that I can just grab and go rather than funnel and fill!

Love Kombucha? Give home brewing a try- it was super easy and way more economical.