kombucha.

several weeks ago, justin's stomach started giving him grief.  he isn't sick, per se, but he just feels not super great in the tummy rather frequently.  we are pretty sure this is related to our lack of any form of exercise and our inability to eat a consistently healthy diet (i swear, it's like we can do SO well for a few days and then we get suckered in to eating mexican food AGAIN.  stupid texas and your delicious chips and queso.).  anyway, since we've been so unhealthy, we've been on a quest to re-balance our systems.  enter kombucha.  kombucha is a weird probiotic tea drink that you can buy for $5 a pint or make for yourself for pennies.  so, that's what i decided to do.  it tastes kind of like a vinegar-y ginger-y tea...but i really like it.  it also has an organism in it sometimes (that's the scoby - more about this later).  kombucha is a raw food and it's kind of an acquired taste, but it does help replenish the good bacteria in your digestive tract and it also has health benefits for your skin, etc.  so, if you are like me and you want to make your own kombucha, here is how you do it.
supplies you need:
- 1 gallon glass jar (i got mine at wal-mart for like $5 - it should have a pretty wide mouth.  you do not need a lid).
- black tea (any plain black, non-flavored tea will do.  i think i use twinings english breakfast.).
- filtered water.
- 1 cup of sugar.
- 5-6 empty, clean kombucha bottles (or other glass 16.9 oz. bottles).
- ginger, fresh berries, or other mix-ins.
- a scoby with some starter tea.  a scoby is the organism that ferments the tea to turn it in to kombucha.  you pretty much have to get this from someone who already makes kombucha (each new batch of kombucha produces a new scoby).  my friend alison gave me mine and taught me all the ins and outs of the process.  if you live in austin and want to do this, i will hook you up with a scoby...if not, you should consult with your local health food store or hippie friends...
- a piece of cheesecloth.
the process:
first, fill a kettle with filtered water and bring to a boil.  next, fill your gallon jar not quite halfway with filtered water.  pour boiling water into a container and steep four bags of tea and cup of sugar for a minimum of 20 minutes, making sure the sugar dissolves completely.  do this while the filtered water is coming to room temperature (you want the tea to be at room temp when you add your scoby, as too-hot water will kill it).  after at least 20 minutes (i have waited as long as an hour when i get distracted by other things), add your tea to the filtered water in your glass jar.  this should leave the jar near full but with some room at the top.  place your scoby into the tea.  pour starter tea on top.  place cheesecloth over the lid of the jar, securing with a rubber band.  place in an out-of-the-way area for about 10 days, but up to 30 (the longer you let it ferment, the stronger and less sweet the kombucha).
after the fermentation process, pull out your clean kombucha jars.  add grated ginger, blended berries, citrus zest, or whatever other tasty treat you want to the jar.  remove your scoby and then decant the tea into your jars, making sure to fill them.  close them tightly and leave them out overnight for the final fermentation.  put them in the fridge, then drink whenever you're ready for some awesomeness!
you should always save a small amount of tea from every batch for your next round of starter tea.  it also keeps your scoby happy.  if you don't start your next batch while decanting the previous batch (this is the easiest, quickest, and least messy way to deal with all of it), store your scoby and starter tea in a jar in the fridge (mine is in a clean pickle jar) covered with cheesecloth (scoby needs to breathe) until you're ready to make the next batch.
enjoy!