Not all of these are drinks. All work on the presumption that the goal is two-fold, that of providing an herbal benefit, and a probiotic benefit, without the harmful alcohol in traditional and herbal kombucha.
Now, we know, from the great Kombucha debacle of 2010, that if an alcohol containing beverage has carbonation caused by fermentation, and has NOT had pressurized carbon dioxide added, that it is OVER the limit for classification as an alcoholic beverage, and it is therefore illegal to give it to children in the US, and not advised for use by pregnant women, or those with conditions or medications that interact poorly with alcohol.
Let me repeat part of that – If a fermented beverage has carbonation (and you did not add carbon dioxide manually), IT IS ALCOHOLIC, and capable of intoxicating a child, and potentially damaging a child in utero, and it is NOT RECOMMENDED for healing the body!
Normally, carbon dioxide does NOT suspend in a liquid. It bubbles out. It bubbles out of kraut and pickles, because there is no significant alcohol volume to suspend it. As the alcohol content rises, carbon dioxide begins to stay suspended in it (dissolved in it), and does not bubble out as easily.
We also know that Beet Kvass is brewed to an average alcohol content of 11%, often more, and no, I did not misplace a decimal, that is ELEVEN percent. It is done the same way homemade soda is done, and the same way water kefir, and kombucha is done. The more fizzy, the higher the alcohol content. The finer the bubbles, the higher the alcohol content.
Kombucha in the great Kombucha debacle had alcohol levels of 3% and higher. Often MUCH higher. Enough to cause intoxication in children, and enough to damage intestinal bacteria and intestinal wall cells.
So what do you do? Do you give up Kombucha entirely? Do you try to make it safe by making it another way? Or do you go for alternatives?
You can try making your kombucha safe. To do that, you have two choices:
1. You can push it through the alcoholic phase, and into a vinegar stage, just like ACV. You just sweeten it again before you drink it, and have a sweet and sour flavor.
2. You can put it into an open container (wide is better than tall), and shake it every time you go by to evaporate out the alcohol. I recommend a cloth cover, because fruit flies love this, and while it makes a great fruit fly trap, that isn’t really the intention here! When it is FLAT (no bubbles), it is safe to drink.
Other options exist also, that are NOT kombucha.
Pickled herb drink. Salt cure chopped herbs, in the same manner as pickles, in a brine with a slightly low salt percentage. Keep in the fridge. Use a tablespoonful or two of the brine, combined with water, and lightly sweetened.
Apple cider vinegar drink. Honey, ACV, and water, either hot or cold. (Some people react really well to this, some people do not, so please don’t force this on your children, if they do not like it, chances are they cannot tolerate it.)
Freshly squeezed lemonade, or limeade. Yes, there are probiotics in fresh lemons, and if you add other fresh fruit, you get even more.
Infused waters. Ok, I think these are kinda dumb, and a gimmick. But you do get a wee bit of herbal benefit, and you do get a bit of probiotics if you use fresh fruits or herbs or veggies. If you add very thin pieces of fruit or veggies, to a cooled brewed tea, you’ll get both.
Yogurt or milk kefir, added to fruit flavored teas.
Raw eggnog. 1 raw egg, 1 cup raw milk, sweetener to taste, splash of vanilla, and shake of nutmeg, whir in a blender until smooth. Extra delicious with raw cream!
Fresh fruit and veggie smoothies. You get more nutrition from whole foods than from tea anyway. If you really need a strong probiotic, I add yogurt or raw milk, and a raw egg.
Juice from fresh kraut or fresh brined pickles. Use this in your meals, or serve as a refreshing drink the same way you do with ACV, with some raw honey to power pack it.
These things are not drinks, but are foods with a high probiotic and nutritional content, that do not have the alcohol backlash.
Salt rising bread. Really. It contains healthy bacteria that are not killed in the cooking process, and which can colonize your intestinal tract. Making it is a skill. http://coddiwomplefarm.com/index.php/coddiwompling-blog/28-some-finicky-things-really-aren-t-finicky
Dry cured meats. LOADED with meat tenderizing bacteria, if you use them raw like prosciutto (this is safe to do, and you only need a thin slice). http://coddiwomplefarm.com/index.php/coddiwompling-blog/30-adventures-in-dry-curing
Probiotics in fresh fruits and veggies – Fresh fruits and vegetables contain a wide variety of microbes for health. When you lacto-ferment vegetables, it is the probiotics in them that grow in the brine, creating an acid environment.
Probiotics in raw honey. Raw honey is also full of lovely friendly microbes, and a range of other benefits.
Probiotics in yogurt and kefir. We all know that these two foods are loaded with friendly bacteria and yeasts. So is buttermilk and sour cream, and many cheeses.
Sugar in homemade soda. Homemade soda still has a fairly high amount of sugar, or other simple carbohydrate. Fermentation only reduces it somewhat, but does not eliminate it.
Other alcoholic home ferments. The rules for sugary ferments hold for any food with simple carbohydrates, including fruits, fruit juices, potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, and other starchy vegetables.