Disclosure: I received a complimentary Kombucha Home Brew Kit from UnCommonGoods for review purposes. All opinions remain my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible.
It’s getting to be that time of year when–dare I say it?–we have to start thinking ahead to how we’re going to shower our loved ones with tokens of our affection. Yup, it’s almost Christmas shopping season. I’m getting an early start this year, though, and checking out a new-to-me resource to see how many names I can check off my list. There are gifts for mom, which you can find by clicking here, and gifts for dad, which can be found here. But then there are the things that the food lovers in your life will adore. Like kombucha.
Remember when I told you I was that sorta-soggy, not-quite-granola mommy at one point in my life? The one who jumped from one extreme to another, in the hopes of providing a healthier life for my children? What I didn’t tell you was that I had a secret lurking in my cabinets during that phase. This creature I kept hidden away from the world, with a voracious appetite and a penchant for reproducing like a rabbit. It was ugly and I felt a little weird about having it in my house, but I couldn’t really explain it to anyone either. They knew so little about it back then, this mass that managed to thrive despite these dark recesses. Guilty as charged, I admit it: I was harboring… a SCOBY.
SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, which sounds like the yummiest thing on earth, right? Alright, the creature itself leaves much to be desired, looking like a misplaced jellyfish, truly outside of its natural habitat. But what it produces not only tastes fabulous, but is purported to be pretty good for you, too. And I had that all to myself without having to hand over my whole paycheck every week. Because I was brewing my own.
Kombucha is a brew that’s a little bit like a fizzy apple cider vinegar. Which may not seem all that appealing at first, but seeing as I had been drinking doses of apple cider vinegar daily when I first encountered kombucha, it was a welcome variation on the tonic. The taste of the finished brew is affected, naturally, by the tea used to brew it, as well as the length of initial fermentation, if you bottle it and let it sit for a second fermentation, and if you add anything to the kombucha tea during that second fermentation to flavor it. All these variables allow you to adjust the sweetness, sourness, and strength for your tastes. Which is pretty amazing that you have that much control, but also sounds a little overwhelming, right? I know I got overwhelmed after a few months of feeding my mushroom and I let the poor thing wither and die away. A huge mistake on my part.
What’s really cool is that it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Thanks to UnCommonGoods–a company known for its unique designs and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people–you can get a kit that contains absolutely everything you need to begin your kombucha brewing adventure. Neat, huh? They recently sent me a kit to see for myself how easy it can be, and I’m so glad they did!
When you open up the box, you’ll have at your fingertips everything you require. (And if you can’t open it right away, refrigerate it–that SCOBY will not be happy otherwise.) Most of the work is hands-off: waiting for tea to brew, sugar to dissolve, etc. And once you add the SCOBY, all you need to do is cover it with the included cloth to keep out the nasties and put it in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Then wait. Because it’s all on that mother mushroom now to do the work. Not a bad deal at all.
The included instructions also tell you what to do when that first batch is done so you can keep on keepin’ on. Hint: all you’ll need is tea (nothing artificially flavored/sweetened or herbal, for best results), filtered water, and sugar. That’s it, folks! That’s all that stands between you and week after week of delicious kombucha, right from your own kitchen. I’m on my second batch right now and I’m very pleased so far. You can find your own key to happiness by clicking here.
UnCommonGoods has a lot more to offer than just kombucha kits, of course. Run out of the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal–where their lowest-paid seasonal workers start at 50% above minimum wage!–UnCommonGoods makes it their mission to support and provide a platform for artists and designers. And I love supporting businesses with a conscience and an appreciation for those who make the world that much more beautiful and wonderful to live in!
What more special way to show you care than by proffering a cutting board with you and your sweetheart’s names on it, or a whiskey barrel that says whatever lies in your heart? Their large selection of personalized gifts, which you can find by clicking here, include something for everyone. Me? I’m finding that personalized tree trunk glass duo to be pretty sweet. I wonder if I can fit more glasses in my cabinets…
So now that you now how easy brewing kombucha can be, as well as where to go to get your very own kit, I want to know: