Greetings,

I’m sitting here listening to the lovely sound of rain! We haven’t had a good rain in a very long time and we really need it. Had a very busy week last week, a combination of tax prep, real estate, gardening, and preserving. 

My harvest last week was pretty good, and I decided to give fermenting a try. I do like to can, but I really didn’t have enough to feel like I should go through the energy and expense of canning. I have been watching a lot of videos on fermenting. Fermented foods are very good to keep a healthy gut.  I am a solid kombucha drinker already, so I thought I would add this too!

 

I’ve also started my cole crops for my winter garden. This year I’ve started broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and bok choy.  I’ve ordered my garlic from a place in Idaho, and my onion sets should be here soon.  I’ll be putting in root crops too, another must have!

 

 

 

Just a reminder this is a good time to start your Fire Cider. It takes a few weeks to infuse and cold and flu season is right around the corner. Here is the link, in case you’ve never made it.  

http://www.thereikiranch.com/p/fire-cider-for-those-pesky-winter-colds.html

  I do think it helps with congestion and sore throats. It doesn’t taste great, but enough honey helps it go down.

 

Guess I better go label some soaps, they aren’t going to label themselves! 

 

Bye for now,

Tammie

 

 

 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

 

I will post my fermentation experiment in a few days and let you know how it went. 

 

Let's talk about Kombucha!

 

Kombucha is easy to make, with the simple ingredients on the above plate.... but what is that brownish slimey looking thing?  Well it's a SCOBY. A Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.  Sounds and looks yummy.  lol  It is this SCOBY that enjoys the sugar that ferments the tea into making a lovely drink full of good bacteria, antioxidants and more!  It is simple to make and a must for good gut health.

Kombucha has been around for centuries, originating in the Chinese and Japanese cultures. There are many claims to what it can help and cure, but little scientific testing has been done. I am my own guinea pig, and I have to say I do enjoy this tasty drink every morning.  

I make mine with black tea which is why my SCOBY is brownish. If you use green tea it is closer to a white color. However, I think that green tea tastes like feet, so I don't subject my SCOBY to it. lol

All my SCOBY's go back to Scoby wan Kinobe.  lol Okay it's a little silly, but I was given one years ago. And then made my own. They are very easy to make.  Just take a serving of Kombucha, pour it in a jar and leave it for a couple of days. You will see a white film start to form on the top of the liquid, and as the days go by it gets a little thicker. With this thick disc that floats on top you can make your own Kombucha

To make a 1/2 gallon all you need is 3 tea bags of either black or green tea, or a combo of both and 1/2 cup of sugar. You might think it would be healthier with less sugar, but you would be wrong. The SCOBY needs that sugar to ferment your tea. So use the amount recommended and you won't be sorry!  After about a week, less in the summertime your kombucha will start to smell a little vinegary. If you wait too long, it will smell and taste a lot like vinegar.  At this point save one cup of kombucha to keep your SCOBY happy and put the rest in the refrigerator.

You can drink it like that or do a second ferment. I like to add blueberries and ginger to increase the health benefits.  I don't add a lot, a handful of each. Then put it in the refrigerator. 

So too begin, boil water and dissolve your sugar, then turn off the stove and add your tea bags.  Let the tea cool off before adding it to the SCOBY. It is live culture and you don't want to hurt it! Fill your 1/2 gallon jug till the SCOBY is at the top and cover with a paper towel or coffee filter, I affix mine with a rubber band, set it were it won't be disturbed. Wait about a week and TADA! you have Kombucha!

My favorite way to start the day is with a drink of 1/3 Kombucha, 1/3 Carrot Juice and 1/3 Pineapple Juice with two dollops of plain yogurt. I put it all in a blender to get it to a good consistency. A nice little smoothie type thing to get your day started. 

Don't keep your SCOBY in a tightly sealed container. It's working and can develop gas (can't we all?),  and you don't want to let too much pressure build up. That is why we cover with a paper towel or coffee filter. 

If any of you are in the Grass Valley area, I will gladly share my SCOBYs with you! Just email tammie5750@yahoo.com and we can set a time to get one.