Search Results: kombucha

Ginger Kombucha – The Anti-Inflammatory Drink

By Donna Schwenk / October 12, 2024

Ginger is powerful medicine! I have been consuming ginger every day and found it to be very effective in helping with any kind of inflammation – especially hay fever in the springtime. Ginger is anti-viral and anti-inflammatory as well as being a powerful antiseptic and antihistamine.

Read More

Help! My Kombucha Is Too Sour

By Donna Schwenk / July 27, 2024

In the early days of making kombucha, I would often let my kombucha go too long and it would lose its bubbliness. There were a few times it turned so sour that it made me squint and gasp. I honestly thought I had killed my uvula. You know that little thing that hangs down the back of your throat. […]

Read More

7 Tips for Summer Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / July 13, 2024

Kombucha is a must-have in the summertime! When the body is exposed to excessive heat, the liver can become stressed and kombucha can help! Drinking kombucha can keep you cool and hydrated in the summertime. It can also help your liver which is one of the organs most vulnerable to excessive heat. . .

Read More

10 Ways to Use Your Over-Fermented Kombucha!

By Donna Schwenk / March 23, 2024

Kombucha is a wonder drink. This fermented tea has been around for centuries and is legend in many countries such as China, Russia, and Korea. There are even stories that Genghis Khan drank it often and gave it to the men in his armies. […]

Read More

Kombucha vs Kefir Soda: What Is the Difference?

By Donna Schwenk / March 16, 2024

Kombucha & Kefir Soda Kombucha and kefir soda are both fermented probiotic drinks, and boy, are they delicious and good for you. They are bubbly, living, raw beverages that tend to have minds of their own. They ferment differently in the winter than in the summer, so understanding the process can make a huge difference.…

Read More

Kombucha – Healing My Addiction

By Donna Schwenk / March 2, 2024

Many years ago I was addicted to diet cola. I know, I know. It is terrible for you. But still, I couldn’t stop drinking it. I had drunk it for years and when I first started eating cultured foods they made me want to conquer my addiction. But try as I might, I couldn’t stop drinking it. It would call my name, so I knew it was an addictive substance. . .

Read More

Is Kombucha Good For You?

By Donna Schwenk / June 3, 2023

Is kombucha good for you? Is it alcoholic? As of late, kombucha has been getting a lot of press. Kombucha has become a 0.6 billion dollar industry and is expected to reach 1.8 by 2020. It is causing quite a stir in the beverage business. Its popularity has grown strictly by word of mouth and is growing at an incredible rate. . .

Read More

More Reasons I Drink Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / August 6, 2022

Kombucha is an amazing drink. Sales have grown to be over 600 million dollars, and this was all done strictly by word of mouth. […]

Read More

Making Winter Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / January 15, 2022

Kombucha is a wonderful probiotic drink and something you should really consider drinking daily during cold and flu season. The special probiotic yeast in kombucha (Saccharomyces boulardii, which cannot be killed by antibiotics) can help you stay healthy when viruses are all around you. […]

Read More

Kombucha FAQs

By Donna Schwenk / April 10, 2021

Kombucha – My Favorite Drink Kombucha has been a part of my life for over twenty years. It was the second cultured food I made, and down through the years I’ve learned so much about this probiotic drink it continues to amaze me. Kombucha has a special probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii). S. boulardii…

Read More
Day 1 (side view)

Eight Days With Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / January 23, 2021

Watching tea turn into kombucha is quite a thing to behold. You give it the ingredients and let it work its magic. Billions of microbes and yeasts transform the tea into a bubbly probiotic tea that you will love. […]

Read More

8 Ways To 2nd Ferment Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / August 8, 2020

There are a million reasons why you shouldn’t drink regular sodas that are laden with high fructose corn syrup, dyes, and chemicals that are hard on the body.  Kombucha  provide minerals and probiotics, and it is easy and fun to make. Replace your drinks with kombucha and you will have fewer cravings for sugary soft…

Read More

20 Smart Ways To Use Your Kombucha SCOBYs!

By Donna Schwenk / May 30, 2020

So, you all keep asking . . . What do I do with all these SCOBYs?! If you are anything like me, you have a pile of SCOBYs in a massive SCOBY hotel just waiting . . . It feels somehow wrong to throw them away when you have taken care of them and watched them grow! […]

Read More

Kombucha Bread and Muffins

By Donna Schwenk / April 11, 2020

Five-Ingredient Bread If you want a fast and easy probiotic bread, then you’re in for a treat with Kombucha Bread. The naturally-occurring carbonation in kombucha will also raise your bread without baker’s yeast. And since this probiotic yeast is resistant to heat, you will actually receive some probiotics too. S boulardii feeds on the sugars…

Read More

Chai Spice Kombucha with Blackberries Video

By Donna Schwenk / July 6, 2019

Kombucha is a wonder drink and for good reason. I drink it every day and let me explain to you how it all works. Just as yeast makes bread rise, the good yeasts in kombucha make your tea bubbly. One certain probiotic yeast found in kombucha is called Saccharomyces boulardii. […]

Read More

Did Kombucha Heal My Husband’s Eyes?

By Donna Schwenk / June 22, 2019

My husband is used to my crazy new ideas and has become accustomed to my enthusiasm for whatever happens to be my latest discovery. He goes along for the ride but never jumps in with both feet until coaxed. Kombucha was the first food he really grasped on to, and here is why. […]

Read More

History of Kefir, Kombucha, and Fermented Vegetables

By Donna Schwenk / December 1, 2018

We all have trials and struggles throughout our lives and often these struggles have brought me to my knees. But without fail, each and every one of them has been a blessing in disguise. The pain turned to wisdom and I found myself so grateful for the struggle that brought me so much pain. . .

Read More

My Kombucha’s Not Bubbly?

By Donna Schwenk / May 18, 2018

Bubbly, fizzy kombucha is one of my favorite things. Understanding the science behind how it works can help you create the carbonation that most people are looking for. Let me explain to you how it all works. When making kombucha, the fermenting tea will form a SCOBY on top. . .

Read More

How to Make Bubbly Fruit Flavored Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / January 13, 2018

There’s nothing better than bubbly fruit flavored kombucha. For those of you who don’t want to spend the money to buy it, you can make it. Many years ago, a friend of mine was in a bad car wreck. He actually broke the steering wheel off with his chest. […]

Read More

Life Changing – 20 Second Kombucha Mayo

By Donna Schwenk / October 21, 2017

Mayonnaise is a common condiment that so many of us use regularly. Mayo was said to be the invention of one of the great chefs of France. Marie-Antoine Carême was the personal chef of the Duke de Richelieu in 1756. […]

Read More

Time-Lapse Video – Kombucha SCOBY Forming

By Donna Schwenk / April 22, 2017

This is a time-lapse video I did to show you how a SCOBY forms in your kombucha. It’s quite a beautiful thing to behold with all the bacteria and yeasts dancing around in the jar. I hope you enjoy it. […]

Read More

When Are My Kefir, Kombucha, and Veggies Done Culturing?

By Donna Schwenk / March 18, 2017

Do you wonder when your kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables are done fermenting? I have a few tips to help you understand how and when they’re at the perfect place with lots of probiotics and will taste the best. […]

Read More

What Kind of Sugars Can I Use in Kombucha?

By Donna Schwenk / October 15, 2016

When you’re brewing kombucha, you need to feed the microbes so they can make probiotics. Sugar is the fuel source for these hungry critters. Always remember that the sugar is for those little microbes and not for you. […]

Read More

Kombucha Apple Scrap Vinegar!

By Donna Schwenk / October 8, 2016

Apple cider vinegar has many health benefits. Kombucha vinegar is very similar and has many of the same properties. This recipe uses the convenience of kombucha to speed up the process of making vinegar and uses apple scraps to give it that tangy apple taste. […]

Read More

Jun! New Culture or Honey Kombucha Hybrid?

By Donna Schwenk / July 3, 2016

For some of you, this culture is old news . . . for others, you may have never heard of it. Jun is a cultured food similar to kombucha but supposedly its own separate thing. It is brewed with a SCOBY culture that is light in color and is made using green tea and honey. […]

Read More

Probiotic Mocktails! Kefir, Kombucha, and More!

By Donna Schwenk / June 5, 2016

A recent study, published in the journal PNAS, suggested that bacteria in the gut may play a role in alcohol addiction and the risk of relapsing after rehab. The study was done on 60 alcohol-dependent individuals. […]

Read More

Kombucha Margaritas! 4-30-2016

By Chris Johnston / May 2, 2016
Read More

What Kind of Tea Can I Use to Make Kombucha?

By Donna Schwenk / April 3, 2016

The legend goes . . . in China, 2727 BC, the Emperor Shen Nong, who was known as “the divine healer,” was boiling his water to clean out impurities. The pot was underneath a tea bush and several leaves fell into the pot. The pot had such a wonderful fragrance, color, and taste that the emperor quickly told everyone of his findings. […]

Read More

Donna’s Live Kombucha Starter

By Chris Johnston / January 1, 2016

This is a live kombucha SCOBY and 1 cup of starter liquid. I highly recommend getting a live kombucha starter (one that has been used actively and isn’t dehydrated). I really want you to be successful and if you have my starter, I know you will. This starter has been made with a combination of…

Read More

Kombucha Treats For Your Dogs

By Donna Schwenk / August 1, 2015

Scoby treats 2I get an overabundance of kombucha SCOBYs (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). Every time you make a pot of kombucha you get another SCOBY. So what to do with them? I usually just put them in my garden. The plants love the B vitamins in the kombucha SCOBYs and they seem to nurture the soil and keep the bugs away. […]

Read More

Video – How to Make Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / May 17, 2015

Here is one of the very first videos I ever made. The first half of the video explains why I started drinking kombucha and how much it helped my family and me. The second half shows the process of how to actually make kombucha. I hope you enjoy the video and you will learn not only how to make kombucha, but why you should. It’s still my favorite beverage and I’ve been making and drinking it for 18 years. […]

Read More

Kombucha Margarita and Strawberry Too!

By Donna Schwenk / May 10, 2015

Last year on my thirtieth wedding anniversary we took a cruise to the Caribbean and stopped in Cozumel, Mexico. We took a Salsa Salsa class where we made lots of salsa, guacamole, and Margaritas. We had so much fun and since I don’t really drink, but loved the taste of Margaritas, I wanted a kombucha recipe to enjoy instead of all the alcohol. […]

Read More

Donna’s Kombucha Starter

By Chris Johnston / May 7, 2015

Donna’s Kombucha Starter This is a live kombucha scoby and 1 cup of starter liquid. I highly recommend getting a live kombucha starter (one that has been used actively and isn’t dehydrated). I really want you to be successful and if you have my starter, I know you will. This starter has been made with…

Read More

How to Second Ferment Kombucha

By Chris Johnston / January 31, 2015

There’s nothing better than bubbly fruit flavored kombucha. For those of you who don’t want to spend the money to buy it, you can make it. Many years ago, a friend of mine was in a bad car wreck. He actually broke the steering wheel off with his chest. He was in the hospital and completely…

Read More

It’s Not the SCOBY That Makes Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / January 11, 2015

Kombucha, pronounced kôm-bo͞o-CHA, is a beverage produced by fermenting sweet tea with a culture of yeast and bacteria. The good bacteria and yeasts eat the sugar out of the tea and make probiotics and then produce naturally-occurring carbonation. You don’t get tons of sugar because the bacteria eat it […]

Read More

Kombucha

By Chris Johnston / October 14, 2014
Read More

What is Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / October 14, 2014
Read More

Fizzy Blender “Juiced” Apple Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / October 5, 2014

My daughter Maci got married and moved to a farm with her husband. She has a couple of apple trees and she’s making tons of recipes with apples in them. Before her husband, the love of her life was kombucha. She has been making gallons of super fizzy apple kombucha and discovered something special. […]

Read More

Kombucha Always Brewing Method

By Donna Schwenk / February 22, 2014

Kombucha is growing in popularity and for good reason. The detoxifying power of kombucha is enormous. It has been recognized for its ability to counteract liver cell toxicity. As you drink kombucha, you will notice a flushing of toxins from your body as it filters toxins through the kidneys and the bowels. […]

Read More

What is Kombucha?

By Donna Schwenk / January 24, 2010

What is Kombucha? So what exactly is kombucha? Kombucha (pronounced come-boo-cha) is a living health drink made by fermenting tea and sugar with the kombucha culture. It has been around for hundreds of years. If you are concerned that it is made with sugar, you needn’t be. The sugar is consumed by the culture leaving…

Read More

How to Make Kombucha

By Donna Schwenk / January 10, 2010

Gather Your Materials  Materials Gallon Jar or non-lead-based crock. Linen or cloth napkin that will fit completely over top of jar or crock Rubber band to go around neck of jug or crock 1 cup raw sugar or white sugar – Check out these options. 4 to 5 tea bags: black or green tea, organic is best 3 quarts filtered water,…

Read More