GNOWFGLINS™

I visited my friend’s house on Friday and tasted her Kombucha. It was awesome. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve desired a nice drink like Kombucha. It was fizzy, sweet, tangy… just delicious! To think that it has all the health benefits it has. Well, we are excited. She gave me my own starts (mushrooms, each called a scoby), which unfortunately I had to cut up since I am using (mostly) half gallon jars. She has gallon size jars and the mushrooms fit the inside of that perfectly. But no matter. I gather these mushrooms are highly adaptable to their growing environment.

It was nice to meet with someone who shares my appreciation for doing things simply. She “cooks” her Kombucha wrapped in towels on a shelf over a heater vent, which makes it cook in 3 or 4 days instead of a week or more. I don’t have a shelf over a heater vent, so I set my Kombucha jars, begun Friday evening, on the counter wrapped in towels. The jars are next to the stove, so they feel that heat when the stove is on.

I started 3 gallons. Two gallons are pictured there, in 1/2 gallon jars. Cut out of the picture is another gallon jar. The pictured jars are sweetened half with blackstrap molasses and half with local wildflower honey. The non-pictured jar is sweetened entirely with wildflower honey. I used organic green tea for the tea. The recipe calls for cool tea made from 6 tea bags and 1 cup of sugar per gallon of Kombucha. Since honey is twice as sweet as sugar, I used half the amount of honey. That means (per gallon) of the molasses-honey sweetened tea: 6 tea bags, 1/2 cup of molasses, 1/4 cup of honey. In the gallon of honey sweetened tea: 6 tea bags, 1/2 cup of honey. I added some more honey for good measure. The scoby has to have plenty of sugar to grow.

I worry (slightly) if I’ll be able to tell when it is done or not. I tasted it last night. Tasting good. I’m looking for the perfect balance of tang, not too much, but definitely there. I’ll taste again tonight and (maybe) surprise Jeff with a glass. He’s waiting for it!