Probiotic Tea

I'm so happy about this new discovery!

... I've been drinking ginger tea to help me detox while I'm undergoing treatments for Lyme disease. An added plus is that this tea is also wonderful for the digestive system. I couldn't help but wonder if I could make it even better for me.

 So how exactly would I do this? By turning it into a probiotic rich drink, of course!

Ginger Ale, Root Beer, Dr. Pepper - these were all drinks that used to exist in the good ol' apothecary's back in the day, as a delicious, effervescent drink. Why would they do this? To make taking medicine fun and delicious. (Yes, Dr. Pepper and even Coca Cola, I believe, were originally meant to be healthy!) Only thing is they usually used sparkling water and lots of sugar!

I found a YouTube video that showed a guy making Ginger Ale simply by using ginger, raw honey and dairy kefir grains. I just had to try it! And I'm now in love with this drink. It's so refreshing and energizing! "Need a lift? Take a sip!" That's this drinks logo.

Then I got to thinking ... well, ginger ale is splendid but what other tea concoctions could we make into a probiotic beverage. The options are endless and I'm so excited! So far we've made the ginger ale and a peppermint and hibiscus probiotic tea.


Here's what you'll need:

4 cups filtered water
2 T. herb(s)
(I used 1 T. peppermint and 1 T. Hibiscus)
1 Tbsp raw honey
3 Tbsp dairy kefir grains (rinse off dairy)
(or use water kefir grains)
1/4 lemon
1/4 lime

Here's how to make it:

1. Boil your water.

2.Turn off unit and add the tea.
(However, if the tea is a root such as ginger root, boil for 5-10 minutes before turning unit off.)

3.Cover and allow to seep (and cool) for 15-20 minutes. (The reason why I recommend allowing it to cool is so that the enzymes in the honey aren't destroyed by the tea's heat.)

4. Strain tea and pour into a glass jar.

5. Stir in raw honey.

6. Add the kefir grains and the lemon and lime.

7. Place lid on tightly. Shake a bit and let sit 24-36 hours.

After the day to two day waiting period, when you open the lid it should fizz up and be a very delightful, addicting and super-good-for-you drink.

Note: It may take a couple of  tries to get your kefir grains feeding on the new "food". However, mine took off on the first try. If they're still struggling I'd try adding some more honey.

** Our favorite probiotic tea thus far is: some Hibiscus, lots of Peppermint and a bit of Ginger root. Love it!!!