Kombucha in the Fall - Green and Sustainable

We don't have pumpkins but we do have a few flowers!

I consider Kombucha to be a very good use of resources. To me it is good stewardship of my money to combine a little tea, sugar and water and let the Kombucha organisms mine out the healthful components for me. It is effortlessly sustainable so long as I have access to some tea, something sweet and water. The results could make a huge difference in the health of a family if access to raw fruits and veggies was minimal. In good times, it can provide a nutritional boost and flavorful treats.
As the weather begins to change where I live, my tastes change with it. I begin to think of spiced cider, pumpkin spice lattes (though I like vanilla better), and flavors like orange and cranberry. My trusty kombucha pot is still just humming away on the counter as it has all summer. Perhaps it is maturing a little more slowly than in the heat of the summer, but it is still making all the kombucha my family needs for drinking, making cleaner and cooking. It is time to make some cool and warm combinations with our favorite fall flavors.

Here is a list of ways to use kombucha in flavored drinks. Note, freezing can damage some of the natural enzymes in your kombucha, but not all will be destroyed. It is still more healthful than using water. Also, heating your kombucha over 140 will also kill the enzymes. It won't change the Ph significantly nor destroy all of the good nutrition, but the live organisms and the healthy enzymes are all heat sensitive. Still, it will be more healthy that buying bottled kombucha at the store, Anyway, here goes!

1. Make Kombucha ice cubes. Every morning place a couple in your fresh juice. It is very good in cranberry apple, in orange, in pineapple or in any veggie/fruit combination. Special treat note, fresh pineapple, apple with Ginger. A 50/50 pineapple to apple juice with the juice of one piece of fresh ginger. (You have to have a strong juicer to juice ginger though.) This is practically health in a glass when you add the K ice cubes!
2. Use these Kombucha cubes in your green (or fruit) smoothies. I have done this when I didn't have any frozen fruit. What a flavorful addition. It sure doesn't taste like Kombucha in a smoothie.
3. Add Kombucha to concentrated Chai Tea, this is very good with extra cinnamon.
4. Steep your tea bag of any kind in Kombucha rather than water. This one will surprise you!
5. Make mulled cider or Russian Tea your regular way, substituting kombucha for half the water or juice, depending on your recipe.
6. Mix cold Kombucha 50/50 with anything fruity that you like to drink. I find that sweeter juices are tempered nicely by Kombucha.
7. Freeze grapes and pieces of melon. Blend the frozen fruits with enough kombucha to to make a sorbet or a slushy. Use your imagination, but the grape/cantaloupe combination is delicious.
8. Serve plain Kombucha slightly warmed with local honey. If you really want an immune boost, steep a mullein tea bag in it first. Kombucha + local honey + mullein = no more sniffles!
9. Kombucha thinned yogurt or kefir sweetened with honey makes a fizzy yummy treat!
10. A toddie can be made with Kombucha and chammomile. I think it is best to make double strength chammomile tea, mix it half and half with Kombucha and sweeten with honey if desired. Note, caffeine sensitive people will want to feed the Kombucha with green tea for a few feedings before making a night time drink with it.

This is a very giood time to get your kombucha starter going. email me at mcfamily@blackfoot.net if you need a starter! If you are interested in Mullein Herb, my younger children are harvesting and selling bulk Mullein or Mullein tea bags. Just let us know if you want any.

I hope your day is blessed.
Lawana