Hippocrates’ Tea:
Fill a
wide mouth jar to about ¼ full with soft spring wheat berries. Cover the mouth of the jar with a nylon
mesh or cheesecloth, and secure the mesh with a strong rubber band. Add enough spring or filtered water to
fill the jar. Allow the wheat
berries to soak for 8 to 10 hours, then drain, rinse and drain again. Place the jar at an angle so that it
can continuously drain. Make sure
that all the wheat berries do not cover the mouth of the jar, because they need
ventilation.
The wheat berries will begin to sprout. Rinse them twice a day, in the morning
and evening. After 2 days of
sprouting, fill the jar to the top with spring or filtered water, and allow the
wheat berry sprouts to soak for 48 hours.
If you live in a warm climate, less than 48 hours may be
sufficient. After 48 hours, this
soaked liquid is your first batch of Hippocrates’ Tea. Pour this off into another jar for
immediate use.
Refill the jar with more water. Two more batches of Hippocrates’ Tea
can be made with the same sprouts.
The second batch requires only 24 hours to become Hippocrates’ Tea. Pour off this second batch and refill
for a third and final batch.
Again, only 24 hours is needed. After you have made three batches, feed
the "spent" wheat berries to the birds. They really look forward to that.
Each batch is likely to have a slightly
different taste. This is because
Hippocrates’ Tea is a fermented beverage, made from living wheat sprouts. The wheat sprouts can vary
significantly in their nutritional content, depending of their length, how
often they were rinsed, and the temperature they were grown in. During the fermentation process, many
elements in the sprouts are converted into a liquid by yeast and bacteria that
are found in the air, the sprouts and the water.
This process is affected by the temperature,
the quality of the water, the length and health of the sprouts, and of course,
the length of fermentation. All of
these variables will affect the flavor and appearance. Good Hippocrates’ Tea is a cloudy, and
very faintly yellow, liquid. It
has a tart, lemon-like flavor, tinged with a doughy, yeasty flavor.
When fermented for too long, it can become
slightly sour. Since it is
constantly fermenting, it is natural that tiny bubbles rise through the liquid
occasionally. The very best
Hippocrates’ Tea is in fact slightly carbonated.
When the sprouts are not long enough, the
Hippocrates’ Tea is weaker, and may taste bland or bitter. When the sprouts are too long, it may
taste sour or sweet. It is natural
for a layer of white foam to form on top of the Hippocrates’ Tea. This is not harmful. It can be used, but should be skimmed
off if desired.
Hippocrates’
Tea will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Drink Hippocrates’ Tea in place of water or juices. Also, drink Hippocrates’ Tea before or
in between meals, to avoid diluting the digestive juices after a meal. Hippocrates’ Tea is vital, because it
is used for everything that is blended.
Its high vitamin E content acts as a natural antioxidant, to prevent
certain vitamins from being lost during the blending process.
