Raw Sauerkraut, Probiotics & Fermented Foods

Fermented foods and probiotics make bellies happy. You've probably heard before about the health benefits of them. The yoghurt ads on TV with the flat bellies and the promise of a happy belly are all referring to the power of probiotics. The reason for these claims are basically because the more probiotics in your belly the less chance of the bad bacteria causing you any problems! 

This is why many people like to eat fermented and cultured foods as they are naturally occurring in probiotics. There are many types of fermented foods such as kimchi, pickles, yoghurt and kefir. One of my favourites is raw sauerkraut. 

I thought it would be fitting to mention the benefits of it as we are in the middle of the silly season and I'm sure I'm not the only one that's gotten slightly off track. 

Christmas parties, a few wines here and there all begin to take a toll on your digestive system after a little while. For people that suffer IBS like myself,  it can take only a few meals to get the balance out of whack which can cause massive stomach upsets. I read a blog post recently where the writer talks about how introducing fermented foods helped her with all sorts of health problems [click here to read]

When people say "gut health" they are usually referring to looking after your gut by feeding it lots of good bacteria so the bad bacteria doesn't wreck havoc on your system. I once read somewhere that the key to happiness is to have a healthy gut! Don't you think this to be true? When everything is running smoothly in your digestive system, you don't seem feel lethargic, worn out or depressed, instead you feel full of energy, light and ready to take on the day!

What I had noticed over the past few weeks of parties and unmindful eating and drinking were things like bloating, cramping, being constantly tired and feeling like it was taking hours (which it probably did) for my food to digest. Do you feel that too? 

To help combat any stomach problems I've upped the anty on probiotic rich, fermented foods such as home-brewed kombucha and home made raw sauerkraut and I'm already noticing a huge difference in how I feel and how my belly feels! If you missed my post on how to make your own raw sauerkraut, you can check it out [here]. It is so easy to make, very inexpensive, takes barely any time and has so many benefits. Sarah Wilson has talked about the the benefits of raw sauerkraut and other fermented foods, you can check out her post [here] (I love what she talks about on her blog, you may find her site useful too!).

After speaking to a naturopath about fermented foods she recommended that they are always introduced slowly so you don't shock your system. Start with a tablespoon of raw sauerkraut or a small glass of kombucha and slowly work up your tolerance to it. I usually now have one or two glasses of kombucha per day and when I have some made I have a little bowl of sauerkraut before or with dinner. These foods/ drinks are quite tangy and can take some getting used to but stick with it and after a couple of tries you will hopefully love it! If you don't really like sauerkraut you can always hide in your salad by mixing a few tablespoons through. With kombucha you can always flavour it during the second fermenation stage (more on that here) and that can make it more palatable for some. 

Fermented foods make a huge difference to many people and from personal experience I think they are definitely worth introducing to your diet.

NOTE - store bought sauerkraut is NOT raw sauerkraut, it has been pasteurised which means all of the beneficial enzymes and probiotics are no longer remaining. If you can find raw sauerkraut in a health food store you could give that a try before you make your own, but don't bother with the regular sauerkraut from the supermarket.



TIP - You can add any flavours to my basic sauerkraut recipe. The most recent batch of sauerkraut which was really delicious was just 1 small purple cabbage, a couple of carrots and an apple & pear grated up and all mixed together with salt. You can follow the easy instructions on my post [here]. I have friends that add caraway seeds to theirs and say it's delicious. I am sure there are many other great variations that I am yet to try. 

If you make your own sauerkraut or kombucha, what are your favourite flavours to add in?

Cheers to a happy gut! :)

Bee xx

Here is a great post on the health benefits of fermented foods, if you are interested in having a read from a blog I love by The Wellness Mama.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a beautiful Christmas & safe and happy holidays and New Year!

Let it be a time spent with loved ones and surrounded by nourishing food and a little indulgence!

Lots of Love,

Bee xx

4 Simple tips to help keep your health on track over Christmas

Christmas is a time of indulgence. It's a time for family and food... lots of food! It's great time of year!.. albeit a little stressful during the lead up.

It can be a time when we forget about our health and turn into over-eating sloths (well maybe that's just me?). So, how can we keep our health on track during the silly season?

Firstly I think it's important not to stress out too much if you've over indulged. I feel that the guilt that follows eating sometimes actually outweighs the extra calories!

Listed below are some easy tips to help keep you on track, so if you do indulge in a few Christmas cakes or wines you know it's not the end of the world :)

1. Always start the day with a lemon water. As soon as you wake up, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into warm water will kick start your metabolism and help clear out some toxins (great post by Kimberly Snyder here on the benefits)

2. Exercise first thing in the morning. I always seem to find an excuse to get out of exercise if I do it in the afternoon so if I do it first thing in the morning  it's done and I don't need to think about it again for the day. Also doing a little incidental exercise helps, such as getting off the bus in the morning a couple of stops early or parking your car a little further away so you need to walk a little extra.

3. If you are going to a celebration, take something healthy so even if you indulge a little over Christmas you are still getting some good stuff into you too! Take a big delicious salad or vegetable dish to share with everyone, fill up on those things first then you won't have as much room for the bad stuff. I also love taking raw desserts or treats (such as my Raw Chocolate Fudge Tart with Salted Chocolate Icing) because I can eat them without feeling gross after and everyone loves them too!

4. Take time out on your own to de-stress. As beautiful as Christmas can be, it can also be very stressful so taking some time out on your own to breath/ go for a walk/ listen to music as it can make all the difference in you enjoying your holidays or not.

 

I hope these simple tips help you as much as they help me!

Take care over the silly season! Hope you have a beautiful Christmas & New year :)

If you have any other tips for this time of year, please share in the comments section below.

Bee xx

Images sourced from
http://rubellesmoon.com/treats/gingerbread-house-frenzy/
http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/christmas-menu-roasted-turkey.jpg

How to Open a Young Coconut in 3 Easy Steps

I had a little giggle the other day when I was with some girlfriends who confessed they have no idea how to open a coconut, so they just don't bother (or they get their hubby's to do it for them). 

So this blog post is dedicated to them. Helping to get the ladies to open their own coconuts ;)

Firstly, you need a young drinking coconut. You can buy these everywhere now.  Big supermarkets such as coles, woollies, aldi or Asian grocers will usually always stock them. When I am buying coconuts I always look for really white ones with no cracks. The older they get the bottom becomes cracked and slightly yellowy/brown... you don't want these ones. They taste old.

Ok so lets get coconut opening... You will need a half decent knife that you are prepared to say good bye to for using for any proper chopping up again as it will get blunt. Very blunt.

1. Put your coconut on a firm bench, put your left hand behind your back (or right hand if you are left handed! Yes this may seem extreme but I'm sure you would find it preferable not chopping off any of your fingers during this process) and gently mark out four or five lines on the coconut around the top

2. With your left hand behind your back, slowly hit the knife hard into those lines. Keep going around with quite a lot of pressure over the lines. 



3. Some coconuts are more stubborn than others so once you have gone around the coconut, stabbing it (in the nicest possible way) and it still doesn't open, I find it helpful to put the bottom edge of the knife into one of the openings and wedge it under hitting it through the outer shell, then you can wedge up the knife and it lifts up quite easily.

It may seem daunting the first time you open your coconut (ahhh, first world problems) but you will be a pro in no time!

Good luck!

Bee xx

bare nourishment Muesli Stockist

Today I have launched my home made muesli!

Very excited to have it out there to share with you all! 

I use only quality ingredients and the muesli is toasted in organic cold-pressed coconut oil. It contains no refined sugar or preservatives.

If you live in the Hill's District of Sydney, stop by the Dural House of Herbs & Roses. They are a gorgeous little nursery that have delicious treats, teas & coffee, high tea, cakes, gifts & they now stock bare nourishment muesli!

Dural House of Herbs & Roses 745 Old Northern Road Dural 2158 

Visit them on facebook - Dural House of Herbs & Roses

Bee xx

Winner announced (Keune gift pack)

And we have a winner! - JESSICA HOUSTON


Congratulations and thank you to all for entering!

Keep a look out for more great give-aways coming soon!

Bee xx

Christmas Giveaway time! Keune So Pure Gift Pack (over $100 value!)

Who doesn't love a give away? Especially right before Christmas!?

The wonderful team at Keune Haircosmetics have given me a beautiful moisturising gift pack containing shampoo, conditioner & styling treatments valued at RRP $105.85 to give away to a lucky subscriber!

If you haven't yet tried Keune's So Pure range here is your chance to give yourself a gorgeous treat, just in time for Christmas!

Here's why I love the products; So Pure Natural Balance uses 100% pure plant essential therapy, organic essential oils and argan oil. The products are paraben & sulfate free and contain no artificial fragrances or colours. It smells absolutely divine and will make your hair feel gorgeous. It contains no animal related materials and is not tested on animals. 

So Pure Natural Balance embraces the knowledge of Phytotherapy, Aromatherapy and Homeopathy to create healthy, shiny hair through a well-functioning scalp.

What is in the pack?

If you win you will receive from the So Pure Natural Balance Moisturizing Range:
1 x 250ml Shampoo
1 x 200ml Conditioner
1 x 200ml Texture Spray
1 x 45ml Moroccan Argan Oil

So what do you need to do to win?

Here's how you enter:

1. Like bare nourishment on facebook here
2. Click share on the competition post on facebook
3. Subscribe to this blog (when subscribing, you will receive a confirmation email, be sure to activate the subscription to go in the drawer to win, check your junk mail box if you don't receive an email confirmation within a few minutes)


Competition ends midnight Saturday 14th December 2013.

The winner will be announced on this blog & facebook on Sunday 15th December 2013.

Remember sharing is caring - share with your friends to give them a chance to go in the drawer too!

Good Luck!

Bee xx

RECIPE | Healthy Chicken Schnitzel (Paleo, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly!)

(In my best German accent) Who doesn't love a good schnitzel? 

This is an easy, healthy alternative to the popular fried chicken schnitzel. It still contains oil but not nearly as much and you can either make it with coconut oil or rice bran oil depending on your thoughts on those oils. My son's favourite food is schnitzel and he loves this alternative :)

Ingredients:
2 organic, free range chicken breasts, sliced super thin
3 organic, free range eggs, whisked
Approx half a cup of almond meal or LSA
1/4 cup coconut flour or as much as needed 
Handful of parsley, chopped small
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Approx 1 tbs coconut oil or rice bran oil


Directions:
Mix garlic, garlic powder and parsley together and mix with chicken to marinate the chicken. Put in the fridge covered for about an hour to marinate
When it is ready, take out the chicken and coat in the coconut flour. I just put the flour on a plate and press the chicken into it
Then dip the chicken into the whisked eggs
Then coat the chicken with almond meal or LSA

Heat a frypan on medium to high and add oil of choice to pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan - about a tablespoon
When the oil is warm enough (you can test by putting the end of the chicken in to see if it starts to sizzle) add the chicken in and cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until golden
Once cooked, place on paper towel to help drain any oil
Serve with salad and a squeeze of lemon


Delish! Easy, Paleo friendly, kid friendly meal :)

Bee xx

3 Easy Tips to Make a Nourishing Home

I believe that to be completely nourished, you need to not only nourish yourself and your body but nourish those around you and your home. How much better do you feel once the house has been cleaned, some meals have been prepared for the week and you have treated yourself to something special for the house to make it feel warm, loved and homely? 

Here are my 3 easy tips to make a nourishing home.

1. Clean your house! But... without using chemicals!  I use white vinegar, baking soda and eucalyptus oil to clean pretty much everything in my home. I don't want my family (or myself) breathing in toxins from cleaning products. 

2. Cook! It may seem silly or tiresome to some but it is a very simple way to feel nourished and to provide nourishment to others. By providing wholesome home cooked meals to your family they will feel loved (and well fed) and you will feel good for doing it! I currently have a batch of home made pasta sauce simmering away. There really isn't much that beats the smell of home cooking! I sometimes prepare a big batch of vegetable bake or tomato pie so I have something to quickly heat up if we don't have much time through the week. I always like to have homemade treats on hand too. I made a yoghurt cake this week but sometimes I will make a big batch of my Raw Truffles  or my Paleo Banana Bread. It is nice to have something ready made in case people drop by or when your kids/ family need a treat.

3. Treat yourself to something special for the house. By this I mean, go buy yourself your favourite flowers, put them in your favourite vase and admire them! Or light your favourite candle! 

Let me know if you have any other ideas to nourish your home in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you :)

Bee xx

RECIPE | Easy Peasy Bacon & Egg “Cupcakes” (Paleo, Gluten-Free)

These are a great little snack for a paleo pre-dinner party or it is great to make a bunch of them and keep them in the fridge for your lunch at work throughout the week. You can re-heat them in the grill or microwave. I’ve kept them in the fridge for days and they’ve been just as yummy as they were to begin with.

I first saw this on Sarah Wilsons site here and thought what a great idea!



Ingredients:
As much bacon as you like, rind removed (I used about 4 long rashers to make 6)
As many organic eggs as you like (I used 6)
A handful of whichever herbs you like, chopped… Chives, parsley, oregano would all be very nice
A few shavings of parmesan cheese if you want to
Rock Salt

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 190’c
Line a muffin tin with baking paper or grease the tin
Line each hole with bacon
Crack an egg into each one
Top with herbs and sprinkle of rock salt. I also topped mine with cayenne pepper
Cook for around 15 minutes or until egg is set
Line a flat tray with baking paper
Turn out you bacon and eggs onto flat tin to cook the underside of the bacon
Cook for a few minutes
Once cooked, top with a little parmesan cheese and serve

Have you tried any other variation to these? I bet they would be delicious with some chopped tomato or olives on top!

Bee xx

Time saving tips - helping you to save time & pack your kids healthy lunches!

As mentioned in other posts, I know how stressful it can be sometimes running a household while working full time. Even if you don't work, running a household in itself is a job so hopefully these tips help to make life slightly less complicated. 

Below are my tips to help you be a little more organised when it comes to packing lunches. It is easier to give your kids healthy & nourishing meals when you have them ready to go.

1. Preparation! Write a list of what will go into your children's lunches for the week ahead and add it to your shopping list for the week.

2. Invest in a box of zip-lock bags. Seriously. They are so useful for packing lunches. (Don't worry, I  re-use all the bags. My son brings them home in his lunch box of an afternoon and I wash them and re-use them the next week. No wastage here folks).

3. Use Sunday afternoon/ evening as your preparation time. You will only need an hour maximum and it will save you so much stress throughout the week.


4. Getting organised.

What to do in your hour preparation time?

• Cut up a range of salad ingredients (cucumbers, carrots, capsicums, tomatoes etc) & put them in lunch time portions in your zip lock bags.
• Cut up pieces of fruit to make a fruit salad and pack them into small containers or zip lock bags
• If you/ your kids eat eggs, hard boil a handful to keep in the fridge.
• Make all of your children's lunches at once for the whole week (or at least a few days worth). Ham & cheese wraps, salad sandwiches etc keep fine in the fridge or freezer. Just take them out of the freezer the night before and put them in the fridge.

5. Pack the lunches the night before. I can't think of anything worse than running around in the morning packing lunch and trying to get everything else organised. It takes about 30 seconds to pack the lunch the night before if you have prepared everything in advanced. 

Example lunch ideas -

Piece of fruit

Greek yoghurt
Boiled eggs

Salad wrap/ sandwich

Homemade treats   I sometimes pack these truffles or banana bread.

Prepared cut up salad snacks
Prepared fruit salad

Crackers and cheese

These are some very easy tips but it does really help to keep the week stress free and running smooth.

Do you have any time-saving tips? Would love to hear from you :)

Bee xx


fruit salad image sourced from here http://mewkeirin.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/how-to-stay-healthy-and-fit-during.html

Kale Chips! A great way to get your kids to eat kale!

My son eats well most of the time but getting him to eat kale was a struggle until..enter.. kale chips.... 

He gets so excited now when he sees kale and practically begs me to make kale chips for him.

If you haven't tried them, it is worth giving them a go. They are very easy, delicious & nutritious! They make a great snack for the kids or side dish for the adults.

You can experiment with different spices. I usually use cumin & coriander seeds to sprinkle over the top.

Ingredients:
Kale (shock horror)
Tiny pinch of rock salt
Tiny amount of olive oil

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 200'c
Line baking with baking paper
Mix the kale, salt, oil and any other spices together and spread out over baking tray.
Bake for around 15 minutes until kale turns slightly browned (some parts will go darker) and super crunchy



Enjoy!

Bee xx

RECIPE | The Pizza Omelette (Pumpkin, Tomato & Parmesan) - Paleo

This is such a great, throw whatever you have left over in the mix kind of meal. Very filling, can be made for one or more people... 

I have listed what I used but you can throw in anything, you could add cheese or ham or any other vegetable, the possibilities are endless :)

Ingredients:

2 eggs whisked

About 200gm diced & roasted pumpkin

1 tomato, roughly chopped

Half a red onion, diced

4-5 big tablespoons home-made pasta sauce

A small handful of chopped mixed herbs, I used fresh basil, parsley & oregano - from my garden of course :)

A little parmesan to shave over the top

Pinch of rock salt 

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Heat olive oil in small pan

Add onion and cook on medium for 2 minutes

Add tomato & salt and cook for another minute

Add pumpkin and sauce and let simmer for a minute

Add whisked eggs and half of the herbs 

Cover with lid and cook until egg fluffs up and is firm

Tip on to plate, top with remaining herbs and shaved parmesan

Bellissima! Pizza Omelette :)

Enjoy!

Bee xx

RECIPE | The Ultimate Chocolate Milkshake! (Dairy Free, Low Fodmap)

Last night, I came home from a Bikram Yoga class late, hungry, thirsty and craving chocolate BADLY!

So what's a girl to do? Why make a chocolate milkshake of course!

This chocolate milkshake is like no other that I have ever tasted, it is so delicious and replenishing, especially after a work out. 

It feels so indulgent but it is packed full of nutritious super-foods!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk of choice (I used a mix of organic almond & coconut milk)
1 tablespoon raw organic cacao
Half an avocado
1 banana
Handful of berries (whatever you have, I used blueberries & raspberries)
Half a teaspoon maca powder
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup of ice

Blend all ingredients together and top with a few more frozen raspberries.

This would serve 2 people but I was being a piggy and drank the whole thing! Mmmmm.....

Enjoy!

Bee xx

bare nourishment is accepting guest posts! :)

I am very excited to share that I will now be accepting guest posts.

Have you got a great blog you would like to share?

If you have some useful healthy lifestyle tips, clean eating recipes for you or the kids or information on natural products or services then I would love to hear from you!

Please email barenourishment@live.com if you are interested in featuring your blog on my site :)

Bee xx

RECIPE | Bounty Mountains (Almost Raw)

I LOVE coconut. Coconut yoghurt, coconut ice-cream, coconut ANYTHING. Especially just plain old coconuts!

My favourite chocolate bar growing up was the Bounty. The combo of coconut & chocolate is just heaven!

My love of these chocolate bars has led me to work on making a healthier version.. And here we have it! Bounty mountains!

Hopefully you enjoy them just as much as I do!  They are (if I do say so myself) absolutely delicious!

I cheated a little here and used  store bought dark chocolate but you could absolutely experiment with home-made raw chocolate :)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup organic dessicated coconut
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
4 tablespoons filtered water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence
Little pinch of rock salt
200g organic dark chocolate (I used 80%)

Directions:
Line a tray with baking paper
Mix all of the above ingredients (except chocolate) together really well, mix for a few minutes with a whisk
With a tablespoon, pick up a spoon full of the mixture and put on the lined tray They will not hold together well, you will need to gather them up a little with your fingers once they are on the tray (you will see how they got their name 'Bounty Mountains')
Freeze for 30 minutes
In the mean time, melt chocolate in saucepan over low heat
Once the chocolate has melted and the coconut mixture is firm, pour chocolate over the top of your coconut and spread out a little with a knife or spoon
Put back in freezer for 10 minutes or until chocolate is set
Take them out, turn them upside down and pour remaining chocolate over bottoms of your little mountains
Freeze until all chocolate is set and then move to refrigerator until ready to serve

These make a delicious dessert or special treats for a special occasion! Even your not so healthy friends will be impressed! :)

Enjoy!

Bee xx

RECIPE | Bananarama Energy Smoothie

This is one of the yummiest, easiest & most energising smoothies ever. It is completely satiating so will keep you full for hours!

The recipe below makes enough for 2 people (or you can make one now and have some later for afternoon tea, it keeps well in the fridge just give it a quick shake before drinking).

Ingredients:
2 medium sized ripe bananas
1 big teaspoon almond butter
1 big teaspoon maca powder
1 big teaspoon raw honey
1 1/2 cups almond milk or milk of choice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1/2 cup of ice

Directions:
Put all ingredients into blender, blend for a minute or until all mixed together.

Enjoy!

Bee xx

A few of my favourite JUICES

The Green Alkaliser

Greens are super alkalising, best way to start your day with a beautiful green juice or smoothie.

2 celery stalks & leaves
1 green apple
1 pear
1 handful kale or spinach (or both)
half a lemon
1 carrot

The Ultimate Body Cleaner

Beetroot is a powerful blood cleanser & is very nutritious, I love to have this juice if I have a had a cheeky glass of wine the night before or something naughty to eat.

1 beetroot
1 green apple
2 celery stalks & leaves
1 carrot
a few slices of fresh pineapple
a little fresh ginger

 

Carrot Head

Carrots are full of vitamins A & C and are great to help with skin problems. It also helps to flush out toxins.

3 carrots
1 orange
1 green apple

 

 

 

Bee xx

RECIPE | Banana Bread (Paleo, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free) - Delicious!

This banana bread is a must try for all banana bread lovers. It looks just like 'real' banana bread. It is moist & delicious just how any good banana bread should be although it contains no grains, no dairy and no refined sugar. It is delicious recipe for paleo eaters :) I have been given the tick of approval by hubby and friends that this is a much nicer, lighter version of the heavy bread found elsewhere.

I embarked on a paleo lifestyle a few weeks ago and ever since I have longed for a slice of banana bread! Mainly because I couldn't eat it I am sure! I am glad I had the craving because this led me to three weekends of perfecting this delicious banana bread recipe. After trial and error I am so happy with the result! I am actually eating a slice now with a cup of tea!

Ingredients:

3 medium bananas, mashed very well

2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

1 cup tinned coconut milk

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw honey 

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

3 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup almond meal

3/4 cup coconut flour 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt 

A few almonds or whatever you have handy to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 180'c

Grease & line loaf tin

Whisk bananas, vanilla, eggs, honey & coconut milk together 

Add almond meal, coconut flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, baking soda & salt, whisk until combined breaking up any clumps with the whisk

Mix through the melted coconut oil

Whisk all for approx 1 minute until it reaches a smooth(ish) consistency

Pour into prepared loaf tin & bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 mins - until skewer comes out clean

Half way through you may need to cover the top loosely with foil to stop it browning.

Voila! Yummy banana bread to kill the cravings without any guilt :) You can serve with some butter or honey (or both) or it is lovely on it's own.

Enjoy!

Bee xx

Just a note on the ingredients, everything listed can be found at health food stores but I also have seen everything a large supermarkets. I found Bob's Mill Organic Coconut Flour at Coles so these things aren't hard to find :)

HOW TO | Kombucha

SCOBY DOBY DOO! Let’s get Kombucha making!

Making anything from scratch is so rewarding. Kombucha is no exception. The first taste of your first fizzy batch of kombucha will make you so proud!

It is a very easy process. The key is getting the balance right of sweetness & tart. You don’t want it to taste too sweet because that means it hasn’t been fermenting long enough and there is too much sugar in it still and you don’t want it too tart because it won’t be palatable. I personally find that 7 days is generally a good amount of time for the amount I make (3 litres) to ferment.

This week it has been really warm weather so I only needed it to brew for 6 days… Other times when it was really cold in winter I left it for 10 or so days. You will get the hang of it and how you like it. Another way I can tell if mine is ready is by the thickness of the new SCOBY that forms on top of the mother SCOBY. 

 

What the heck is a SCOBY you ask? It is the white ugly looking thing that forms on top of the fermented tea - Symbiotic Culture/ Colony of Bacteria & Yeast. Some people refer to it as the ‘mushroom’ or the ‘mother’’. You can see it formed my photo at the top of this page.

 

 

Once you have the first part of the fermentation down pat (meaning you know how long to brew it for to suit your tastes) you can start experimenting with different flavours & extra carbonation. This is called the ‘second fermentation’. I have made ginger flavour, berry flavour and am currently experimenting with apple flavour. So far I love the berry flavour, as does my son. It is easy to do; you literally just add pieces of what you like to the Kombucha in an airtight flip lock bottle and allow it to ferment for a few days which creates extra carbonation (caused by the sugar in the fruit and the compression of the bottle/ lack of oxygen). It is never going to be fizzy like a bottle of coke because that is forced carbonation. This is natural carbonation so once you get used to it you will be surprised at just how bubbly you can make it! Again, this is trial and error. Be careful because I have heard that the bottle tops can pop off or the bottles can explode from all of the carbonation. I have never experienced this myself though. Because I have been worried about it happening, I always store my bottles in a cooler bag in the laundry so if they do explode they will just explode in the bag and cause no damage.

 

To get started you will need a SCOBY and some starter liquid. I have heard of people making their own SCOBY’s from raw Kombucha they have bought. You will find more information on that on the links provided below. I got my SCOBY from my yoga teacher. If you know someone that brews their own Kombucha they will most likely have a spare SCOBY to give away as they are constantly multiplying. Otherwise you can buy them online. The links below have a source for online SCOBY's.

Here are some great sites with useful information if you would like to read. They also have recipes for making Kombucha.

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/make-kombucha

http://www.kombuchakamp.com/kombucha-recipe

This is what I do exactly..

What you will need:
Big wide mouthed jar (a big biscuit jar is ok)
An elastic band
One or two pieces of paper towel

Ingredients:
6 tea bags (Green Tea, White Tea or English Breakfast Tea)
1 cup plain white sugar, castor sugar or raw cane sugar (I find white sugar works best)
3 litres of filtered water
1 cup starter liquid & a SCOBY

Method:
I use 3 organic Green tea and 3 organic English breakfast tea bags (you can't use flavoured tea only, the oil in the tea ruins the SCOBY although one or two bags for flavour should be fine).

Boil 3 litres of water in a big pot.
Once boiled, add tea bags and leave to brew for 5-10mins
Take them out, stir in 1 cup plain white sugar and let it dissolve (remember the SCOBY lives off the sugar, so the end product actually has very little sugar in it)
Take off the heat, let it come to room temperature
Pour into brewing vessel (big glass jar with wide neck)
Pour SCOBY and starter liquid on top (it will start to float after a couple of hours)
Cover glass jar with a piece or two of paper towel and secure with rubber band (make sure there is no room for bugs to crawl in)
Keep in well-ventilated area (I store mine in the laundry), away from direct sunlight
Keep for 7-10 days. Taste along the way. The longer you leave it the more tart it will become

I then do the second fermentation but you don't have to, you can just drink it now :)

 

Second fermentation goes like this:

Get a few airtight flip lock bottles, wash out and dry.
Pour kombucha into bottles, add a few pieces of fruit if you like then top up until it reaches 1cm to top of bottle. Close and store in cooler bag for a few days before transferring to fridge.

NOTES ON CLEANING THE JARS – Do NOT use antibacterial soap or hand soap when touching the SCOBY or cleaning out the jar, it will kill the SCOBY. Just wash it out with warm soapy dishwashing liquid or white vinegar and dry thoroughly. I also pour boiling water all over the jar when I am cleaning it. I keep refilling my jar without washing it out for about 3-4 brews, then I clean it out and start again.

Let me know how you go.

Happy brewing!!!

Bee xx