Last month, I was at the store (Wal-mart, no less!) and spied a rare (in my neck of the woods) and new product that I hadn’t ever seen before: GT’s Kombucha. I had heard about Kombucha a few years ago, but as with many new ideas, it seemed weird and scary to me. Fermented tea? How can I be sure I don’t grow some really bad bacteria on the tea? Oh, how little I understood about whole health! When I saw the Kombucha in Wal-mart, I knew I wanted to at least try it to see if I wanted to get in to the Kombucha business.
I popped open the top and fell in love. When my bottle was empty, I was dreaming about the Kombucha for days. I became obsessed. I scoured the internet for supplies, read the Kombucha book by Cultures for Health, and was unwrapping my pet SCOBY within a few weeks after my first taste of GT’s Kombucha.
My SCOBY really felt like a new part of our family. It was something I was going to care for and it was going to sit at the dinnertable with us. I was very enthusiastic with my first batch and started with a whole gallon. I counted down the days eagarly until my first batch would be done. I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve!
I was so pleased with the flavor of my first batch. It was so yummy and I imagined the Kombucha flowing through my body and strengthening my cells! But I soon got disheartened and frustrated. Even though my Kombucha was delicious, it lacked the pizazz of GT’s Kombucha. Every dose of Kombucha that I drank just reminded me more of how delicious the storebought Kombucha was and how inferior my Kombucha was. I half heartedly made my second batch, only a quart this time, just days before we completely packed up our house and moved.
I made sure to be a good owner and I lovingly packed my brewing Kombucha. It rode safely by my side in the van. I brought it in to the hotel room with me. I took care of it dutifully. I get new pet SCOBYs every few days, and I sadly look at the SCOBYs piling up. It somehow communicates that I am a neglectful owner, although I am still brewing it according to instructions. The multiplication of the SCOBYs should be a happy sight; something that makes me feel that I am being successful in my brewing. However, I feel that I have SCOBYs coming out my ears and I have no place to rehome them.
After much procrastination and exasperated investigation, I decided to invest in some airtight flip-top bottles. If they work as they should and my Kombucha ends up fizzy after the second fermentation, I think I will once again be in love. If not, the alternative is not good for my newest pet.
In the meantime, if anyone wants a new pet SCOBY, I’d be happy to share! Let me know!
Adventure to Whole Life 