Kombucha
Ingredients
The kombucha:
Kombucha Ingredient Ratios
One-Quart Batch:
- 1-1/2 teaspoon loose tea OR 2 tea bags
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2-3 cups water
- ½ cup starter tea or vinegar
Half-Gallon Batch:
- 1 tablespoon loose tea OR 4 tea bags
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 6-7 cups water
- 1 cup starter tea or vinegar
Gallon Batch: (This is the one I make most often)
- 2 tablespoons loose tea OR 8 tea bags
- 1 cup sugar
- 13-14 cups water
- 2 cups starter tea or vinegar
Yields: 1 Gallon
Prep Notes
Kombucha Tips
My recipe was shared with me by my friend Cindy who has perfected it to be a true family favorite over the course of time.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented sweetened tea that has been around for centuries. We think originated in China. Tastes tangy and slightly sweet. Can be double fermented into a fizzy soda with a slight fruit taste.
It has been reported to have a variety of health benefits including:
- Liver detoxification
- Improved pancreas function
- Increased energy
- Better digestion
- Has naturally occurring levels or antioxidants, b-vitamin, and probiotics
Most of the sugar get consumed out as it ferments so there is minimal sugar content making it an ideal fizzy drink that has minimal effect on blood sugar.
What you need:
- Gallon size glass jar
- ASCOBY + 2 cups of liquid from a previous batch of Kombucha
- Tea of choice + sugar (both ideally organic) + filtered water
- Coffee filter or thin cloth and a rubber band
- If doing a second ferment
- 5 quart sized bottles + juice of choice or fruit
Directions
Tea can be English Breakfast or plain Black Tea. Works well with Green Tea and helps it to get more fizzy. Rooibos tea works well too, as does Jasmine tea especially when using Jasmine pearls to brew the tea. A great combination that my friend Cindy uses is to use half English Breakfast and half Green Tea.
- Heat water plus sugar on stove top until water boils (can use sucanat as an alternate sweetener but do not use honey).
- Add tea and brew for 10 minutes. Then remove tea bags and allow to cool fully. Cooling the tea completely is very important as heat it will kill the SCOBY.
- Put cooled tea in a jar, add starter with the SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). If it falls to the bottom that’s ok. Be sure there is just over an1 inch of room at the top.
- Place a coffee filter (or thin cloth) and a rubber band around the mouth of the jar. (This is important to prevent fruit flies coming around that will ruin your kombucha batch). Remember to write the date on it.
- Put the jar in a warm corner (around 70-75 degrees is best) of the kitchen at least a few feet away from other fermenting products. I often put it in a warm cupboard in the dark.
- Let it sit to ferment for around 8 days and taste by slipping a straw under the SCOBY for a sample. It should taste tart but still lightly sweet (you don’t want it to get tasting vinegary). Length of time may vary depending on your room temperature (ferments quicker in warmer temps).
- 1st Ferment is usually done in about 10 to 14 days. Begin testing the flavor around day 8 especially in warmer temps you may need to test sooner.
- When desired flavor is done, bottle into individual jars with a locking lid or place in a spigot jar in the fridge ready to drink. Try doing a second ferment to adda flavor. Be sure to leave aside 2 cups of brewed Kombucha with the SCOBY for your next batch and repeat process.
Second Ferment:
- Add ¼ cup of juice. Can allow this to sit on the counter for another 2 days to carbonate before drinking or cool in the fridge and drink as is.
- To flavor add any of the following: Watermelon, apple, grape, tart cherry juice or any flavor you like (not citrus or pineapple).
- Can also add crystalized ginger sliced segments or a fruit of choice chopped up and ferment on counter to allow the flavor to come out and the fizz to develop for an additional 2 days before storing in fridge in jars to enjoy.
Credit: Donna Schwenk
