Moral of the story: I came up with a kombucha recipe that is VERY LOW in sugar and caffeine, which you can try too!
THE STORY
I bought ONE SCOBY from Amazon. I cut it into 2 using clean scissors. 2 SCOBY = 2 Kombucha! 1 week later, after following instructions online and using vinegar starter, I now had 4 SCOBY. Yep, each mama SCOBY makes a baby in just 1 week! I had 4 SCOBY, so that meant 4 Kombucha! 1 week later, all mamas had babies, so I now had 8 SCOBYs. 8 SCOBYs meant 8 Kombucha! So 1 week later, I now had 16 SCOBY. And that meant in 1 month, I had 16 SCOBYs and it was time to start a hotel, because there’s only so much mason jars THIS MAMA can handle! ;P
I researched how the SCOBYS could hang out in a cool place filled with sugary black tea and found a large amber bottle for their new pad. Then the experiments started, and in entered the MAD MAMA! She found some Jun recipes using green tea and honey to cut down on the caffeine and leave sugar alone, and since she was okay with honey because she’s not a purist vegan, the results were highly significant. Er, they were tasty!
But that buzz feeling and high on kombucha love was NOT being felt by this IBS body. And the 3-months pregnant-look was not fitting for the Mind, nor was the flatulence appreciated by Any Body. Something DIRE had to be done!
So MAD MAMA did a thing called meditation and went Zen. And this Jun recipe sans sugar was born!
Really?! No. Because the recipe I came up with uses green tea in combination with sugar. The end result is a brew that is almost sugar-free and low in caffeine. Plus, drunk flat with hibiscus + rosehip tea, IBS belly wasn’t so bad. And as for meditation, that’s any everyday thing 🙂
THE RECIPE
:FOR THE 1ST FERMENT:
– GREEN TEA is used, only Once the 1st SCOBY have “fed” for 7-10 days, it is estimated that there is ONLY 6 MG OF CAFFEINE in 2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) of Kombucha.
– 1/4 cup sugar TOTAL is used to sweeten SIX (6) mason jars of kombucha. That’s LESS THAN 2 TBSP sugar per jar for the 1st ferment! Once the SCOBY have fermented 7-10 days, it is estimated that there is LESS THAN THAN 1% SUGAR left.
:FOR THE 2ND FERMENT:
-The second ferment uses HERBAL “TEA” (no additional fructose from fruits). I used Vitamin C and antioxidant-rich Hibiscus flowers and Rosehips. I made an INFUSION (long steeped “tea”) to maximize on the herbal benefits.
-Make It Fizzy— or Not. The herbal infusion added to the kombucha tastes amazing all on its own! You can store the ‘buch in mason jars in the fridge or go ahead and add to bottles. I found it took about 7 days in flip top bottles to get a good level of fizz and every bottle had a mini-mini SCOBY floating on the top!
Note: if you have digestive compromise like IBS (as I do), then you know fermented products are best avoided. While I still get a bloated belly, it isn’t as bad when I do NOT add the ‘buch to flip top bottles and drink it as is (flat). Not using any fruit, which is common in kombucha recipes, also makes a difference, and drinking a small amount is better than going full throttle! I’m sharing my personal reaction here, as I do make vids on IBS 🙂
Also note that unlike a lot of jun recipes that use honey, this kombucha recipe is VEGAN APPROVED!
Recipe Instructions Here: https://www.catsrawpaw.com/catscuisine/almost-sugar-free-caffeine-free-hibiscus-rosehip-kombucha
INGREDIENTS (affiliate links)
SCOBY: https://amzn.to/3xV0ygj
Organic Black The Tao of Tea (lovely!): https://amzn.to/3rzmufP
Organic Hibiscus Flowers: https://amzn.to/31v3F2f
Organic Rosehips: https://amzn.to/3DtnRyR
Organic Green Tea: https://amzn.to/3pwMKVi
WATCH: SUGAR-FREE WATER KEFIR: https://youtu.be/KKyDDF8k2lE
Work With Me: VEGAN Coaching & Mindfulness Coaching: https://www.catsrawpaw.com/coachingwithcat.html
DISCLAIMER: Content shared is for information purposes only, and is not meant to diagnose or treat. Please consult with a health professional who can assess and provide proper treatment for your health issue. Be 100% certain when it comes to herb identification. Herbs do have counter-indications and are not for everyone. Seek a qualified professional who can assist you with herb identification and with your health needs.
It is always the present moment. You are well in your soul, whatever Life brings 🙂