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Kombucha in Student’s Lunchbox Leads To Threats, Harassment & Bullying…From The Police & The Vice Principal

Ignorance about Kombucha is nothing new, even in the 21st century. We have been alienated from traditional, fermented foods by design because they are expensive to produce commercially and difficult to store in warehouses for weeks, therefore less profitable for the conglomerates that control the mainstream food supply. Non-inebriating fermented drinks have an even more troublesome path to acceptance. Kombucha is the modern pioneer in this endeavor, often paying the PR price for our society’s unfamiliarity with human nutritional history. The 2010 Kombucha Recall / Withdrawal is one example, and now we have another.

As first reported by Sarah at The Healthy Home Economist, a 7th grade student in the Newport Mesa School District in Southern California was suspended because his mother packed Kombucha in his lunchbox.

The incident began on Tuesday October 9th, 2012, when an unidentified school official confiscated the boy’s Kombucha because it was in a glass bottle. The next day, he was removed from classes without parental notification, held in the Vice Principal’s office and apparently interrogated, threatened and bullied by school officials and at least one uniformed police representative, according to his mother’s blog post here.

As she found out after her son returned home, the Vice Principal told the child that he was being suspended for bringing alcohol to school, pulled his “problematic” school history report and discussed transferring him out of the school. When turned over to the uniformed police representative, the child was told the drink was illegal (it was not), subjected to specific questioning regarding what medications he is taking and subsequently threatened with enrollment in Alcoholics Anonymous for Kids. He was then forced to sign a 5-day suspension notice, a terse call was made to the mother by the Vice Principal informing her of the discipline being enforced and he was sent home immediately.

Bucha is formulated to remain below .5% alcohol and is labeled clearly tot his fact. It’s important to note at this point that the mother specifically identifies the bottle as a Bucha Live Kombucha Guava-Mango flavor in this comment below her article. Bucha is an “all ages” Kombucha that is specially formulated to remain under .5% alcohol. As seen in the picture below, the label clearly states that the beverage has less than .5% alcohol, which is plainly not an “alcoholic beverage” according to Federal Law (see page 15 here) and is therefore perfectly legal for any age individual to possess and consume. The school officials’ inability to correctly read a label and subsequent misinterpretation of the laws is sadly ironic considering how random the alcohol percentage limits are in the first place. There was nothing illegal about the beverage and no reason to come to that conclusion.

After repeated attempts to schedule a meeting with the Principal were rebuffed, the mother was finally granted the opportunity to meet with the Vice Principal, but the meeting did not go well, leaving the mother “feeling ridiculous, confused, outraged, ridiculed and blamed,” and the Vice Principal downplayed the incident.

That’s when she turned to Sarah Pope, who placed a call to the Principal. At that point, it appears the school began to take the situation seriously, had discovered their mistake and started backpedaling in earnest.

Both Sarah and the mother, who was finally granted a meeting with the Principal on Friday, October 12 (3 full days after the incident began), reported that the Principal portrayed the incident as no big deal after the fact, denying that any discipline had been instituted.

By that afternoon, the school district had issued a press release stating that, “No disciplinary action was taken and the student was not suspended,” yet the mother notes that her son was forced to sign a 5-day suspension notice. It’s also curious that they claim no disciplinary action was taken when the child was pulled from classes, interrogated, vilified and then sent home.

Newport Mesa School District Release October 12 2012 Child Suspended for Kombucha in Lunchbox

Click the image to see the release at full size.

They further state that “a substance on campus containing any level of alcohol content is a violation,” yet there have been no reported instances of confiscated fruit juice, soy sauce, yogurt or coca cola at the school, all of which contain trace alcohol similar to this Kombucha brand and well below the legally allowed limits. The release offers no apology, admits no wrongdoing and promises no further investigation of the events or the officials involved to determine the appropriateness of their actions, a troubling trifecta of denial.

There is one other note that is particularly bothersome in the way this situation played out. The Kombucha bottle was confiscated at lunch time on Tuesday. The child was not brought to the Vice Principal’s office until Wednesday. Excuses for not notifying the parents before taking disciplinary action become more difficult to imagine based on that timeline. The school officials appeared to have ample time to contact the mother and set up an appropriate forum for discussing the issue. They also appeared to have ample time to investigate Kombucha Tea and re-examine the bottle to confirm their initial and incorrect assumptions.

These steps could have prevented a traumatic experience for a young child in their care. These officials chose to shoot first and ask questions later, and for this they deserve investigation. If their actions are not in violation of the policies of the school district, the school district needs to re-examine their policies and make the appropriate changes to reflect parent’s and children’s rights.

The family’s remedies for this unfortunate incident may still include legal avenues, though they have made no statements regarding a lawsuit at this time. The mother does mention in this comment that her son has taken interest in starting a Real Food Club at his school as a means of making the best of a bad situation, which could offer badly needed education in this arena to serve not only the students, but the faculty and administration as well, so that incidents such as this one don’t occur in the future.

Hannah Crum is The Kombucha Mamma, founder of Kombucha Kamp, Industry Journalist & Master Brewer, educating others about Kombucha since 2004. Connect with her on Google +

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Written on October 16th by kkadmin

Kombucha Flavoring Recipe: Turmeric the “Queen” of Spices

The rhizome root system is a survival strategy.

There’s a “new” rhizome on the block that is catching everyone’s attention – turmeric. As a native of South Asia, it has been cultivated as a spice and medicine for nearly 4000 years, which hardly qualifies it as “new.” However, just as everything old is new again, part of its popularity is stemming from trendy new health beverages (such as Tumeric - notice it’s missing an ‘r’).

Rhizomes, a term derived from the Greek meaning “mass of roots,” are exactly that – plants that have evolved a specific root structure that acts as seeds. The roots can be broken into pieces, individually planted and will grow into new plants.

Other rhizomes include asparagus, hops and, the most famous rhizome of all, ginger. In fact, turmeric is also referred to as Yellow Ginger.

Long revered in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, turmeric (Curcuma longa) has received more attention lately as many studies are confirming the healing properties for which it has been held in high esteem. While it has a rich history of use in a variety of Indian, Asian, African and Middle Eastern dishes, Americans are most familiar with turmeric in curry powder.

Did You Know?

In traditional Indian weddings, a turmeric paste is applied to soften the skin and ward off the evil eye.

Dried turmeric is what provides that quintessential golden, yellow color not only to curries but to a variety of other foods such as butter and cheeses (along with annato), mustards, chicken broth, and even some pickles. It is also used as a natural dye for fabric or Easter eggs!

Look for the knobby, orange fingers of fresh turmeric in the produce section next to the ginger at specialty stores.

The health benefits of consuming turmeric are numerous. As previously mentioned, both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the classical Indian medical system, use turmeric for a variety of ailments including:

aid and warm digestion
reduce inflammation throughout the body
heal various skin disorders and wounds

Western scientists have shown that turmeric is a strong anti-oxidant, which in conjunction with its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties, it is little wonder that it is affectionately referred to as the “queen” of spices. Due to these properties, scientists are investigating turmeric’s possible benefits as a both a cancer preventative and a secondary treatment to help counter the strain on the body from chemotherapy.

Turmeric is also good for heart health, as it helps thin the blood to reduce blood clots and may help keep cholesterol in balance. Research is currently being conducted into how it may help with Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, diabetes and eye inflammations. Overall, turmeric is a boon to human health!

The recipes below are approximate for a 16oz bottle.
Scale up or down depending on your taste preference and bottle size.
You can try drinking these right away or
for even better results, allow to second ferment for a day or two.
(don’t forget to burp your bottles!)

Orange Blast Off Kombucha

½ tsp of turmeric
1 Tbsp fresh squeeze orange juice
½ tsp of cinnamon

Kombucha Mamma Sez: “Fresh turmeric may temporarily stain your fingers and cutting board yellow. Don’t worry, the color will fade with washing and exposure to light.”

Soothing Sunrise Kombucha

½ tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of chamomile

Hannah Crum is The Kombucha Mamma, founder of Kombucha Kamp, Industry Journalist & Master Brewer, educating others about Kombucha since 2004. Connect with her on Google +

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Written on June 21st by Hannah Crum

Kombucha Flavoring Recipe: Elderflowers

The heavenly scent of elder flowers wafting through the air heralds the close arrival of Summer.

When summer is close at hand, the elderflowers go to blossom. Their characteristic creamy, honey-scented blooms have been boiled into a delicately flavored cordial since Roman times when Hippocrates expounded on its myriad uses. Termed “the medicine chest of the common people”, elder’s usage pre-dates the Stone Age and includes the berries, roots and flowers as well as the wood for making beautiful pipes.

It has been used as a home remedy for colds, tonsilitis and kidney ailments. Research shows that the traditional use of elderflower for diabetics has validity in regulating blood sugar levels.

There has been a resurgence in popularity of this ancient tonic that can be seen in the rise of elderflower cocktails served at higher end establishments using St Germain, an artisan crafted liqueur.

Did You Know?
The lore of the elder tree is rich in Northern Europe where it has been considered a sacred tree among the native population.

Ancient peoples thought that the “Mother Elder” spirit inhabited the tree so the removal of its branches was considered bad luck unless they were used to make flutes (listen here) or magic wands.

Elder tree branches, twigs and bouquets were used by witches and created a bridge between this world and the spirit world. Shakespeare referred to the Elder in his Love’s Labour Lost citing the common medieval belief that Judas was hung from the Elder tree.

It was also thought that the Cavalry Cross was made from it as well thus becoming an emblem for suffering and death. However, as the cycles of life invariably move forward, the tree also signifies rebirth, regeneration and new life.

Kombucha flavored with elderflower has a dry, champagne like quality, especially when bottle aged for longer periods of time. Bring the delicate, sunkissed flavor of elderflower to your Kombucha recipes this Summer for a delightful treat!

The recipes below are for a 16oz bottle. Scale up or down depending on your taste preference and bottle size.

Sunny Delight Kombucha

Hints of citrus and floral give this Kombucha a refreshing twist.

½ tsp of elderflower
1 Tbsp of lemon juice or orange juice
½ tsp of sugar, honey or other sweetener

Sunny Delight Kombucha by Kombucha Kamp - Elder Flower, Lemon & Honey Kombucha Flavor

A light, delicious Kombucha flavor perfect for any weather!

Kombucha Mamma Sez: “You can also flavor old Kombucha with elderflower to make a delicious vinegar for salad dressings & marinades.”

English Garden Kombucha

Escape hot summer days with this cooling blend of cucumber, mint and elderflower reminiscent of elixirs enjoyed in Victorian times.

1 tsp of elderflower
3 slices of cucumber, finely diced
1 sprig of fresh mint or 1/2 tsp dried peppermint

English Garden Kombucha by Kombucha Kamp - Cucumber, Mint & Elder Flower Kombucha Flavor

Easy drinking with this smooth minty Kombucha flavor!

Hannah Crum is The Kombucha Mamma, founder of Kombucha Kamp, Industry Journalist & Master Brewer, educating others about Kombucha since 2004. Connect with her on Google +

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Written on June 6th by Hannah Crum

Top 5 Signs of a Healthy Kombucha Brew

Brewing Kombucha at home is a fun and easy process. Like most hobbies, the more you brew, the greater your skillset.

However, to the newbie, the Kombucha brewing process can be fraught with uncertainty, mostly due to lack of information. Oftentimes the mere sight of the culture alone is enough to inspire shudders of revulsion to the uninitiated. With experience comes familiarity but first you must learn to “speak Kombucha.” Heck – you might end up like me, singing to your cultures and calling them your Boochie Babies! Coochie coo Boochie boo!

Since the SCOBY can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, it can be easy to mistake a healthy brew for a science experiment gone awry. However, using the guidelines below, you too will be able to recognize the 5 signs of a healthy Kombucha brew.

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Kombucha has its own special smell that longtime brewers will immediately recognize. The signature sweet-sour smell of Kombucha wafting from the brewer is a unique delight. It may take a couple of days for the smell to appear but it is unmistakable once you learn it. Sometimes described as fermented or beerlike, it also has notes of vinegar and a slightly sour pungency that indicates a healthy KT. If you store your KT in a smaller room, you may notice the smell is stronger than when stored in a more open space.

TRY THIS – Smell your batch everyday and taste it too. You will quickly learn how to detect how much sugar is present with just your nose.

Kombucha Mamma Sez: “Does your brew smell like rotten eggs? Check your water source. Some municipal and well water sources may contain sulpher producing bacteria that can create a ‘rotten egg’ smell.“

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One of the most obvious signs of a health Kombucha brew is the formation of a new SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast – often referred to as a “baby”). While SCOBY growth will vary with the seasons due to differences in temperature, air pressure and the like, the culture is hardy and is constantly reproducing as part of its survival strategy. SCOBYs do not miraculously appear fully formed, but grow in gradually until the entire surface area of the brewing vessel is covered. This survival strategy creates a seal which slows down evaporation and allows for the anaerobic fermentation to occur.

Since Kombucha is of nature (as we are) it follows the seasons. In the summer, the Kombucha ferments very quickly and SCOBY growth is more rapid. In the winter when the temperature is cooler, SCOBY growth will still be present but may be much thinner. It can also take longer for the brewing cycle at this time of year.

Kombucha Mamma Sez: “Remember! Taste is King. Let your tongue be the ultimate tester rather than your eyes because you may have a delicious Kombucha even if there is thin SCOBY growth.”

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Since the culture is a symbiosis of both bacteria (the SCOBY itself) and yeast (the brown strands), it is important that both are in balance. In the early stages, before the culture has fully formed, you may notice yeast congregating at the top of your brew. They look like brown strands or clumps (or a brain!) that eventually attach themselves to the underside of the culture or fall to the bottom of the vessel when they expire. Some confuse the yeast blooms for mold because beneath the newly forming culture they may look bluish or black.

Kombucha Mamma Sez: “If you still aren’t sure if you have mold or normal culture growth, take a look at these Kombucha mold photos or send a photo to Kombucha Kamp and we will help you identify what you are seeing.”

Again, balance is key – so you want to have some yeast, but not too much. For that reason, it is important to always use starter liquid from the top of your brew where it is bacteria rich. Only using starter from the bottom of your vessel may result in “beery” Kombucha. Check out this article on balancing yeast and bacteria in Kombucha if you suspect yours is out of balance.

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One of the Kombucha culture’s most important defense mechanisms is its low pH. The average pH of properly fermented Kombucha tea is 3.2-2.5. The high acidity prevents other potentially harmful microorganims from colonizing the culture. In fact, the bacteria and yeast work so well together, that they kill other harmful bacteria on contact. Although making Kombucha at home seems daunting, it is actually quite safe.

TIP! Use a pH meter to monitor your brew’s progress.

However, pH will not indicate that your brew is ready to drink as it will often reach the desired pH within the first 3 days of brewing. Therefore, you need to use your taste buds to tell you when your brew is ready. Remember, the longer it ferments, the more sugar is converted and the tarter the flavor. Bottle conditioning will mellow the flavor.

Kombucha Mamma Sez: “Although Kombucha’s pH is low, once it hits the body’s digestive system, it has an alkalizing effect, like vinegar & lemon juice.”

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A freshly brewed batch of starter tea can be quite dark, depending on what type of tea you use. Tannins give tea its color and astringency.

As the culture goes about its business of converting sugar into healthy acids, the tannins are also converted. This causes the color of the tea liquor* to gradually lighten, shifting from dark brown to a lighter tan color.

Kombucha Mamma Sez: “Remember! If you are using green or white tea, the color shift may not be as dramatic but will still be noticeable.”

*Tea liquor is the term used to refer to the liquid created when tea is added to water.
There is no alcohol in tea liquor.

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Learning to “speak Kombucha” is a fun and informative process. Use a notebook to jot down your observations. Remember – Kombucha is a living organism and as such will not behave exactly the same from batch to batch, month to month. Learning to recognize these signs will help you adjust your process throughout the year to harmonize with the seasons.

What other signs have you noticed?
Leave a comment below!

Hannah Crum is The Kombucha Mamma, founder of Kombucha Kamp, Industry Journalist & Master Brewer, educating others about Kombucha since 2004. Connect with her on Google +

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Written on April 26th by Hannah Crum

Lamb for Easter with a Kombucha Recipe: Herbed Kombucha Lamb Shanks

Herbed Kombucha Marinated Lamb Shanks from Kombucha Kamp Lamb has a long history as a sacred food at this time of year and within Christian, Jew and pagan traditions, the lamb carries powerful symbolism.

After a long, hard winter in which access to fresh foods were limited, the ritual of slaughtering a Spring lamb was heralded not only as a first taste of fresh meat but also as a reminder of sacrifice and salvation.

In Jewish tradition, Pessach, better known as Passover, celebrates the Jews’ liberation from enslavement by the Egyptians. Known as the “Egyptian Passover Sacrifice“, according to Exodus, the Lord sent a message to the Jews instructing them to stain their lintel with the blood of a freshly slaughtered lamb. As the last of 10 plagues brought on to free the Jews, the Lord skipped or “passed over” the homes of those who had proven through this blood sacrifice that they were among the chosen people while visiting the homes of all unproven Egyptians and killing the first born of both man and animal.

Staining the lintel with blood from a freshly slaughtered lamb

In Jerusalem, the Jewish temple leaders also had the custom of a daily sacrifice of a lamb to atone for the sins of the people. This lineage of sacrifice as a means of purification was also reflected in the Genesis story of Abraham and Isaac.

Naturally when Jews converted to Christianity, they brought their traditions with them. The sacrificial lamb clearly had deep significance in these ancient times. Christians identify strongly with the concept that the sacrifice of the Lord’s only son was for the salvation of the human race.

Moreover, the book of Revelation makes reference to the Lamb of God. Thus, eating lamb at Easter is a way of commemorating and remembering that sacrifice.

For me, the most important aspect of Easter is the opportunity to be with family and friends; creating new memories, sharing time and space together, and honoring the ancestors who have handed down these time-honored traditions.

The Agnus Dei or Lamb of God

As you gather with those you love, enjoy the blessings of Spring, the promise of new life and the warm feelings that sharing a sacred meal with family and friends sparks.

Hannah Crum is The Kombucha Mamma, founder of Kombucha Kamp, Industry Journalist & Master Brewer, educating others about Kombucha since 2004. Connect with her on Google +

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Written on March 29th by Hannah Crum