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.