Today's post is how to make your own Kombucha. We love this fermented tea that is chock full of probiotics and try to have some everyday to help keep our immune systems boosted. Fortunately, it is delicious and super refreshing so it's not hard to do. Simon would drink it all day if I would let him.
Now, in order to start making your own Kombucha you will need to find someone who already makes it to get a scoby from them. Once you have a scoby you are ready to go!
I like to use green tea to make Kombucha. I think the flavor is nice and I just like it. You can use decaf tea or regular tea - your preference. There is an actual green, Kombucha tea that you can also use.
For a 1 gallon jar, you will need 10 tea bags. Steep the tea bags in boiling water for around 10 mins (more is fine). While the water is still hot, add 1 cup of sugar to the mixture so that it can melt and dissolve. Once this cools down, add this mixture (minus the bags) to the jar with your scoby (side note, you will need some previously made kombucha in your jar already with the scoby so when you get a scoby from a friend, take some of their mix too). Then fill the rest of the jar up with water.
Once that is done, cover your jar with a clean cloth and put a rubber band around the top to seal it off. Make sure you don't have wrinkles in the cloth to keep out the fruit flies. =)
Allow this mixture to "ferment" on your counter for 7 days. Then taste test it to make sure it is ready for a second ferment. It should not taste too sweet or too tangy. It should be right in-between. Once it is ready, get your jars ready for your second ferment.
In your jars, add sugar - enough to cover the bottom of the jar but not a ton.
Once that is done, add fruit of your choice to flavor it. I use frozen fruit and have tried all sorts of flavors. You really can't go wrong. =) If you want to play around with ginger and things that is ok too!
Now fill up the jars with the mixture and close them up. These will sit on your counter for a second ferment for 3-4 days.
After 3-4 days, place your jars in the refrigerator and drink up! I like mine served over ice and with a straw to feel fancy. =) Also, I strain out the fruit. Some people eat it but I prefer not to. This is what it will look like:
You can leave your scoby in the 1 gallon jar (with some mixture to cover it) until you are ready to use it again. Also, you can filter out the sediment that will gather and wash your gallon jar regularly.
I hope you enjoy it!
Cheers!
Joy
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