Veggie Magazine March_2019

The trend for probiotic panaceas isn’t going anywhere, so get your best

sterilised jars out to play with these fizzy fixes for better digestion...

BE GOOD TO

YOUR GUT

Basic Kombucha

Per serving: 188 cals | 0.1g fat

Makes about 1 litre

Ready in 15 mins (plus

fermentation time of 1-5 weeks)

Shelf life refrigerate for up to

3 months

“In kombucha brewing, the

sugars convert into acids, leaving

a low-sugar drink. I like to harvest

the kombucha when it’s still a

little sweet. However, if you want

to make a vinegar or a totally

sugar-free product, allow it to

ferment for several weeks and

use the kombucha vinegar in

salad dressings.”

1 litre filtered water or springwater

4 black tea bags or 1 tbsp

loose-leaf black tea

3 tbsp raw or white sugar

3 tbsp kombucha starter

culture liquid

1 kombucha Mother, a little smaller

than the size of your palm

Earl Grey Kombucha

with Lemon

Per serving: 204 cals | 0.1g fat

Makes about 1 litre

Ready in 15 mins (plus

fermentation time of 1-5 weeks)

Shelf life refrigerate for up to

3 months

“The defining feature of Earl Grey

tea is the addition of bergamot

oil, which is the cold-pressed

oil from inside the rind of the

bergamot orange. The bergamot

orange is known as ‘sour orange’,

which tastes more bitter than a

grapefruit, but less sour than a

PRIMARY FERMENTATION

1 Bring 500ml of the filtered water

to a simmer. Pour into a teapot or

heatproof bowl, add the tea bags

or tea leaves, and leave to steep

for 3-5 minutes. Strain the tea into

a heatproof 1.5 litre wide-mouth

glass jar and discard the tea bags

or tea leaves. Add the sugar to the

jar and stir to dissolve. Pour in

the remaining filtered water.

2 When the liquid has cooled

to room temperature, add the

kombucha starter culture liquid

and Mother. Cover the jar with

a piece of muslin (cheesecloth)

and secure with an elastic band.

3 Place the jar out of direct

sunlight in a cool spot where it

won’t be disturbed. Leave the

liquid to ferment for around four

days in hot weather and 14-20

days in cooler weather.

BOTTLING

1 Gently remove the Mother

to re-use or rest (see opposite).

Retain three tablespoons of the

kombucha liquid as the starter

lemon. Apparently Earl Grey tea

was created to mimic the more

expensive types of Chinese tea,

and has been used in England

since the 1820s.”

1 x basic kombucha ingredients;

replace the black tea with

Earl Grey tea

½ lemon

PRIMARY FERMENTATION

1 Follow the instructions for basic

kombucha, using Earl Grey tea

instead of black tea.

BOTTLING

1 Follow the instructions for

basic kombucha.

culture liquid for your next brew.

2 Mix in any sediment that has

settled at the bottom of the jar,

or leave it as it is. Put a funnel

in the opening of a 1-litre glass

bottle with a tight-fitting lid

and put a strainer on top of the

funnel. Pour the kombucha into

the bottle through the strainer

and discard any solids.

SECONDARY FERMENTATION

1 Tightly seal the bottle lid and

leave the bottle on the bench

to build carbonation. This could

take anywhere from 2-14 days,

depending on the temperature.

‘Burp’ the kombucha daily

to release some pressure by

opening the lid slightly, and

then tightening it again.

DRINK UP

1 When the kombucha is as

fizzy and as sour as you like,

store it in the fridge to slow

the fermentation process,

and enjoy cold.

SECONDARY FERMENTATION

1 Squeeze the lemon juice

into the bottle and tightly seal

the lid. Leave the bottle on the

bench to build carbonation.

This could take anywhere

from 2-14 days, depending

on the temperature. ‘Burp’

the kombucha daily to release

some pressure by opening the

lid slightly, and then tightening

it again.

DRINK UP

1 When the kombucha is as

fizzy and as sour as you like,

store it in the fridge to slow

the fermentation process,

and enjoy cold.