Try any of our Native Aussie spices in your next batch of Kombucha, all available in 50g bags in our shop.

Yes. We did. We LOVE Kombucha and LOVE strawberry gum.

Strawberry gum has super powerful nutrients that protect our microflora (read about Warndu Australian Native Bush Food Strawberry Gum here), so it makes sense to add it to our kombucha right?

Kombucha is the name of a naturally cultured, therefore slightly fizzy, tea that has been made and drunk in different parts of the world for over two thousand years. It has a pleasant mildly tart flavour, works wonders as a detox and is a great way to boost your gut microflora. Introduce it gradually: being a fairly potent source of probiotics, it’s best to start out slow with kombucha. Try 30–60ml just before or after a meal at first and increase the amount when desired. As you start to feel the benefits you may end up drinking a cup or so at a time.

Health Benefits

• Kombucha is naturally fermented by the action of a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeasts) making it probiotic-rich, which is great for your gut. These beneficial bacteria can prevent candida (yeast overgrowth) and help with improved digestion, mental clarity and mood stability.
• It is extraordinarily high in anti-oxidants, which can aid in boosting your immune system and energy levels. 
• The drink contains glucosamines, a strong preventative and treatment for forms of arthritis.
• Kombucha also contains large quantities of B vitamins, which is needed for healthy skin, nails and hair

The first step is to get yourself an active kombucha solution (you can buy tjis online or health food shops). You need to keep this at room temperature as far as possible) and a SCOBY or ‘mother’ which will start to form itself after two or three weeks. You can buy fresh SCOBY on line or beg some from a friend who is already making kombucha. Once an obvious layer of SCOBY has developed follow this recipe to start your own batch.  

To make 1 litre of Warndu Strawberry Gum kombucha you need:

• 1 piece of active SCOBY 
• 2 organic or unsprayed black tea bags (don’t use any flavoured or scented teas)
• 60g organic raw sugar (most pure sugars seem to work but don’t use honey in the early days of your experimentation, as it can be less consistent) 
• A sterilised litre jar
• Food grade plastic bottle (#2 is best, #5 is acceptable; don’t use any other plastic number or glass)

How to make Strawberry Gum Kombucha

1. Start by cleaning down your equipment and worktop reasonably thoroughly. Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Once boiling again, turn off the heat, add your teabags and submerge them. Steep for 10–15 minutes before removing the bags.

2. Pour the tea into the jar and allow it to cool to room temperature. This can take hours but is very important (see tip). 

3. Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, transfer the SCOBY to its new home – the top of the jar. Cover the jar with a piece of clean muslin or cheesecloth and leave in a dark corner of the kitchen at around room temperature to ferment. 

4. After about 5–7 days (depending on the taste you prefer) the first ferment of your kombucha should be about right to use. This may take slightly longer the first time you use your new SCOBY until it has grown up big and strong. 

5. A second ferment can be carried out to add extra flavour and carbonation to your kombucha. To do this: remove the SCOBY and start a new batch. Transfer the active solution (which is not very flavourful) into a food grade plastic bottle (#2 is best, #5 is acceptable, don’t use any other plastic number or glass for this as it can be dangerous). 

6. Add a teaspoon of Warndu Strawberry Gum for every litre would be our advice, but play around with this according to your tastes.

7. You can also add freshly juiced or cubed fruit (try using 1 apple, which will really help the fermentation) to the bottle, seal tightly and leave at room temp for 1–2 days until you can see from its shape that the bottle is clearly under pressure from carbonation.

8. Refrigerate and drink when desired. Use within a week to 10 days for best taste and bubbles (refrigeration dramatically slows the rate of fermentation).

Remember: fermentation is an active and powerful process, so be careful. Lids do fly off and things can sometimes (rarely) explode. Just be aware, not scared. 

TIP: A more concentrated tea can be made using half the amount of boiling water and topped up with the remaining purified water to speed up the time it takes too cool to room temperature.

Read about Warndu Australian Native Bush Food Strawberry Gum here.

 

◎

 

Get your taste buds dancing with a true blue selection of Australian native ingredients, ripe for the picking!