How to Make a Kefir-Enhanced Herbal Tea
The health benefits of herbal teas may be increased by fermentation with kefir grains--communities of microorganisms that produce enzymes and vitamins while feeding on nourishing liquids. Culturing herbal tea with kefir grains also releases substances that are insoluble in water, further enhancing the medicinal action of the herbs.
Things You'll Need:
Kefir grains
Herbal tea bags, loose dried herbs or fresh-picked herbs
Honey or raw sugar
Filtered or spring water
Wide-mouthed jar with lid
Square of cloth mesh, about 2 inches on each side (optional)
Clean cotton string (optional)
1
Brew a jar of herbal tea, cap and allow to cool. If using loose or fresh-picked herbs, strain out the plant matter when cool. If using tea bags, remove them when cool.
2
Add one tbsp. of honey or raw sugar per 2 cups of water, stirring thoroughly to dissolve. The sweetener is not for flavor but to feed the kefir microorganisms. It will be consumed, and the final product will not be sweet.
3
Put the kefir grains into the jar. If they are coming from a milk product fermentation, you may want to gently rinse them in filtered or spring water to remove the milk.
4
Cap the jar and allow to sit in a corner of the kitchen. Rock or gently shake the jar once in a while. Taste the ferment daily. The first time, it may take several days to develop a nice, sour flavor, since the microorganisms must adapt to the watery environment. Later, it will generally take only 24 to 48 hours.
5
Remove the kefir grains once the ferment has reached a flavor you like. Your fermented herbal tea is now ready to drink. Refrigerate the liquid and re-use the grains in a new culture.
Tips & Warnings
Also try the no-heat method, which preserves substances that would be destroyed by heating. Simply put the herbs or teabags into room-temperature water with the honey or sugar and add the kefir grains.
For the no-heat method, if you are using loose tea or fresh-picked herbs, put the kefir grains into a square of mesh cloth and tie it closed with string. Suspend this bag in the tea and close the cap with the string hanging out. When the ferment is done, simply pull out the mesh pouch to separate the grains from the plant matter.
Some herbal ferments will taste better than others. Here are my own favorites: yarrow, lemon balm, raspberry leaf, St. John's wort, assorted spring flowers (dandelion, cinquefoil, speedwell). Experiment with individual herbs and then try combinations.
Keep in mind that herbs have medicinal actions and tailor your choices to your own body's needs.
Reproduction in an herbal environment may change the structure of the kefir grains and alter their action when you return them to milk culture, changing the flavor of the finished kefir. Eventually, they may recover, but it is best to wait until your kefir colony has doubled, so you can use one half for culturing herbal tea and reserve the rest for milk product fermentation.
Certain herbs may contain substances that are not friendly to the kefir, resulting in death of the colony. The grains will harden and shrivel.
Very rarely, contamination may result in an off-taste or growth of brightly colored mold on the surface. In this case, discard the liquid and rinse the grains thoroughly before re-using them.
Tap water containing chlorine may kill or weaken the kefir microorganisms, so stick to filtered or spring water.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2171656_kefir-enhanced-herbal-tea.html
The health benefits of herbal teas may be increased by fermentation with kefir grains--communities of microorganisms that produce enzymes and vitamins while feeding on nourishing liquids. Culturing herbal tea with kefir grains also releases substances that are insoluble in water, further enhancing the medicinal action of the herbs.
Things You'll Need:
Kefir grains
Herbal tea bags, loose dried herbs or fresh-picked herbs
Honey or raw sugar
Filtered or spring water
Wide-mouthed jar with lid
Square of cloth mesh, about 2 inches on each side (optional)
Clean cotton string (optional)
1
Brew a jar of herbal tea, cap and allow to cool. If using loose or fresh-picked herbs, strain out the plant matter when cool. If using tea bags, remove them when cool.
2
Add one tbsp. of honey or raw sugar per 2 cups of water, stirring thoroughly to dissolve. The sweetener is not for flavor but to feed the kefir microorganisms. It will be consumed, and the final product will not be sweet.
3
Put the kefir grains into the jar. If they are coming from a milk product fermentation, you may want to gently rinse them in filtered or spring water to remove the milk.
4
Cap the jar and allow to sit in a corner of the kitchen. Rock or gently shake the jar once in a while. Taste the ferment daily. The first time, it may take several days to develop a nice, sour flavor, since the microorganisms must adapt to the watery environment. Later, it will generally take only 24 to 48 hours.
5
Remove the kefir grains once the ferment has reached a flavor you like. Your fermented herbal tea is now ready to drink. Refrigerate the liquid and re-use the grains in a new culture.
Tips & Warnings
Also try the no-heat method, which preserves substances that would be destroyed by heating. Simply put the herbs or teabags into room-temperature water with the honey or sugar and add the kefir grains.
For the no-heat method, if you are using loose tea or fresh-picked herbs, put the kefir grains into a square of mesh cloth and tie it closed with string. Suspend this bag in the tea and close the cap with the string hanging out. When the ferment is done, simply pull out the mesh pouch to separate the grains from the plant matter.
Some herbal ferments will taste better than others. Here are my own favorites: yarrow, lemon balm, raspberry leaf, St. John's wort, assorted spring flowers (dandelion, cinquefoil, speedwell). Experiment with individual herbs and then try combinations.
Keep in mind that herbs have medicinal actions and tailor your choices to your own body's needs.
Reproduction in an herbal environment may change the structure of the kefir grains and alter their action when you return them to milk culture, changing the flavor of the finished kefir. Eventually, they may recover, but it is best to wait until your kefir colony has doubled, so you can use one half for culturing herbal tea and reserve the rest for milk product fermentation.
Certain herbs may contain substances that are not friendly to the kefir, resulting in death of the colony. The grains will harden and shrivel.
Very rarely, contamination may result in an off-taste or growth of brightly colored mold on the surface. In this case, discard the liquid and rinse the grains thoroughly before re-using them.
Tap water containing chlorine may kill or weaken the kefir microorganisms, so stick to filtered or spring water.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2171656_kefir-enhanced-herbal-tea.html
