Why We Don’t Filter or Pasteurize Our Kombucha
Before you can understand the benefits of raw kombucha, let’s talk, first, about exactly what kombucha is, and how it’s made.
Kombucha is a fermented tea product that starts with a base of slightly sweetened green, black, white, or oolong tea, to which a bacterial culture is added (known as a SCOBY), and left to ferment for anywhere around 1-3 weeks, until the particular brewer determines the base is ready. There often is a second ferment where fruits, flowers, juices, and/or herbs can be added for either taste, or nutrient benefit. As the kombucha ferments, it releases a large amount of probiotics, amino acids, enzymes, B-vitamins, and antioxidants already present in tea. If left untouched, this compound is biologically active, and in this state, known as raw kombucha.
This brewing of kombucha creates a balance - each of the flavors, bacteria, enzymes, yeasts, vitamins and amino acids are engaging in a symbiotic process perfected by nature over billions of years. In our kombucha vats, and your bottle, is actually a large ecosystem of microscopic and valuable, visible particles.
Raw food and drinks are completely unpasteurized, unprocessed, unrefined, and often unfiltered, left in their natural state. Additionally, to be raw, no heat is to be added above 118 degrees - about 20 degrees warmer than your own body temperature. Food manufacturers are able to accomplish an astonishing number of things that change the natural state of the food, and either alter, or completely kill off, any other biologically active processes in the food. As far as kombucha is concerned, pasteurization is one of the most harmful.
Pasteurizing is a partial sterilization technique, most often accomplished by adding heat to a product. It was specifically intended to remove bacteria and alter biological processes within the food in order to make them more shelf stable, uniform, and/or appealing. However, this is sometimes actually necessary for safety concerns - milk, for instance.
Some kombucha brands, for reasons of longer shelf-stability and uniformity, actually pasteurize their kombucha, in essence, killing off the rich probiotic bacteria and beneficial biology of the drink, which is the very reason why most of us drink it. Going a step further, some brands filter their kombucha for looks, which removes any visible SCOBY and yeast particles. Some brands do both. If you want your kombucha living, with all the vitality of its natural processes, here are some tips to making finding it easier.
How to spot pasteurized kombucha:
Raw kombucha needs to be refrigerated. If you are seeing kombucha in a non-refrigerated environment, it is a very strong indicator that this kombucha has been altered in some fashion, and made to only mimic the taste and health benefits.
Sediment on the bottom of your bottle is a good thing. It’s proof that your kombucha contains real bacterial and yeast particles and, at minimum, was at least not filtered to remove them. And, yes, you can drink these. We encourage it. This is where you get a heavy dose of all of the good things, and it has little to no taste or texture. If you don’t see sediment, it’s definitely filtered, but also a good candidate for a drink that’s been pasteurized as well.
Pay attention to your labels. If it says “Live Probiotic Drink”, it’s most likely not even true kombucha to start with. “Live Probiotic Culture” listed as the last ingredient on the label is also a very good indicator that you are not getting actual kombucha, and certainly not raw kombucha.
This is why we at Seek North pride ourselves on the fact that our kombucha in not only raw, but wholly unfiltered, leaving every bit of its nutrients and ecosystems intact. The particles you see in the bottom of our bottles are our promise that what you’re getting is exactly how we made it. Just very gently rock the bottle upside down and upright a few times to evenly distribute the unfiltered goodness. Be careful not to actually shake it. The fermentation process results in a natural carbonation that still continues to a degree in the bottle, and if shaken, you may have an explosive mess once you open it.
We refuse to mess with nature, take anything away from you, or the health of your body and its ecosystem. You have our word that we will always be raw, unfiltered, organic, and best of all, living.
———-
This article was originally published for Seek North Kombucha on Seek North.
Learn more about Seek North and read more here: Seeknorth.com