Kathy has been inspiring me for years now. She knows how to sew her own clothes like a pro and that's just skimming the surface. This girl is talented. On her blog, While Tangerine Dreams, she writes about living sustainably, raising kids, caring for a slew of farm critters, and endless creative pursuits. She recently started a nifty newsletter and has a Spring Sew Course ready for purchase right now. Kathy lives with her husband and two children in a strawbale house on a gorgeous piece of land in British Columbia.
When the dog days of summer howl at my door I'm always at the ready with my favorite cool down bevy – a short glass of Kombucha.
A friend who grew up with hippie tendency leaning parents was told as a kid that what she was indulging in was called 'pop' and this is exactly what this drink reminds me of. I'm not a pop drinker but when the day calls for something cold and fizzy, and it's not organic chicken wing and beer night quite yet, this is what I reach for. Not only does it hit the bubbly drink needing spot but it has been treasured for thousands of years for its health giving properties. I know my digestion runs way smoother when I indulge but I won't get into details here on this respectable blog of Leya's. I'll wait until I'm more of a 'regular' here (ha, ha).
To begin with you will need a starter culture. If you don't run in kombucha drinking circles yet you can buy one online here otherwise a friend would be more than happy to pass on a mother to you, for they propagate like mad.
The next step is a strong pot of tea. I bring eight cups of water in a saucepan to boil and add a cup of sugar. Once the sugar dissolves I turn off the heat and add four tablespoons of black tea in a reusable tea bag. I'm partial to black tea with pretty pink rose petals sprinkled throughout and some of my friends prefer to make this a half black/ half green tea affair. So basically you want a super sweet and strong pot of black or dark green tea.
I allow the brew to cool to room temperature and then pour into a pyrex bowl (I love using the one I have that has pouring spouts built in to it). Now is the time for a cup of kombucha from a past batch to hop in the bowl along with the mother. Again, mothers make lots of daughters so after every few batches or so I toss the mama in the compost or give it away to a friend in kombucha need. I make a cross of masking tape on the top to suspend a tea towel to fend dust off while the kombucha 'cooks'. Later I place the bowl on the shelf in our back hallway and when I can smell kombucha (kind of like sweet vinegar) after a few days I know that it's just about time to pour the loveliness into mason jars and place in the fridge. I keep Mama in one of the jars, covered with kombucha, and when I get to that jar it's time to make more. Easy and cool. Kind of like me in high school! Kidding. Stay cool y'all!