Have you ever heard of kombucha? Or do you drink it all the time? It is a wonderful probiotic for all those non-dairy eaters out there! Kombucha is a raw, fermented, naturally carbonated tea.
I was in Home Goods this summer and found this gem. A “Brew Your Own Kombucha” Kit from the Brooklyn Kombucha Company.
My thought process was that it was always too hard to make on my own (such a misconception!) Kombucha is so expensive, so I was determined to figure it out. The great part about making your own kombucha is that you can make all of your own flavors!
Ingredients and Supplies:
- 2 one gallon glass jars (like the one pictured to the left)
- 6 green or black tea bags
- water
- 1/2 cup kombucha from a previous batch or nutrition solution
- thermometer
- scoby
- cotton cloth (8 X 8 inches)
- rubber band
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, boil 4 cups of water.
2. When the water boils, remove from heat and add tea bags.
3. Let tea bags steep 20 minutes and then remove tea bags.
4. Stir in sugar until completely dissolved. Are you worried about the sugar content? Don’t be! The scoby absorbs the sugar during the fermentation process so there is almost none left when it’s done!
5. Add sugar/tea mixture to one large glass jar.
6. Add 3 more cups of water and the 1/2 cup of kombucha or nutrient solution.
7. Take the temperature of the kombucha. It must be cooler than 90 degrees to put in the scoby.
8. Once your water has gone below 90 degrees, drop in your scoby and cover with cloth and elastic band.
9. Your kombucha should be kept in a warm place out of sunlight (Brooklyn Kombucha suggests the top of the refrigerator).
10. Your first batch of kombucha will take 14-28 days to create a new scoby. It may look stringy, it may be somewhat brown, don’t worry! That is what it is supposed to look like!
10. Once your kombucha has made a new scoby, you can put the liquid into your second glass jar, leaving the scobies in the first jar. This is the fun part! You can add slices of ginger, dried fruit, fresh fruit, etc. for whatever flavor you please! You can also just drink it plain if you’d like.
11. To get your kombucha bubbly: Seal your kombucha with fruit, etc. in your bottle. Put it in a dark place for 2-3 days (I put mine in the coat closet). I have found this will ensure the carbonation. After 2 or 3 days, put it in the refrigator over night for it to get cold and then drink up! DELISH!! (Mine pictured below is with fresh blueberries).
12. To make more kombucha, keep your 2 new scobies in the first big jar (you can take the scobies out, rinse with warm water to clean the residue and then put them back in). Repeat the process: boil the water, add the tea bags and sugar, fill with cold water. This time you should get a third scoby in 7-10 days. I like to keep two scobies in my kombucha bottle. Once you start growing more new scobies, you can give them away to friends! Or keep more than one batch going at a time!
Nutritional Information, 8 ounces: (with blueberries and ginger)
Calories: 30 Fiber: 0g Sugar: 2g
Make Your Own Kombucha
vegan, gluten free, paleo, raw
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