K O M B U C H A
I had been absolutely hanging out to have a go at making Kombucha and I was super stoked that my partner arrived home with a fresh scoby he’d been given by a friend he works with who makes Kombucha on the regular. The scoby is the essence of the Kombucha culture because it’s what takes the caffeine and sugar and converts that into different kinds of beneficial acids along with a small trace of vitamin C and B vitamins.
What I love about gut health foods or drinks like Kombucha is that so much of it is inexpensive when you make it yourself. However, if you are planning on buying this while you are out then be prepared to pay around $6.00 for a small bottle! Kombucha is simply six ingredients:
- Organic Black Tea
- Organic Green or White Tea (or whatever floats your boat!)
- Water
- Scoby
- Organic Sugar
- Half a cup of existing kombucha solution (Your scoby will be stored in this)
You might have read those ingredients and been familiar with all of them apart from a ‘scoby’ which may leave you sitting there wondering what it is and how it sounds kind of gross! A scoby is an acronym for ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts and basically looks like a white rubbery mushroom that should live in the ocean. Yup, it’s kind of gross looking!
Fermented drinks like Kombucha are known to help restore the correct balance of bacteria in your gut by feeding the good bacteria. So basically, Kombucha can be considered to be a power house hit of probiotics to help regulate gut function, improve digestion and boost immunity. Although Kombucha is made with sugar, by the end of the fermentation only little remains. This is all down to how long you ferment for.
If you aren’t use to drinking Kombucha it’s recommended that you start with a small quantity and increase this gradually to make sure you don’t have any adverse effects. However, provided your scoby is in good condition and you have sterilised everything before making the Kombucha then a small amount enjoyed should be absolutely ok!
In saying that, I am obviously not a doctor and if you have any existing health issues that you are concerned about then I would recommend speaking to your holistic health care professional before beginning to drink home-made Kombucha.
YOU WILL NEED:
- One large sterilised glass jar that has a large opening at the top. Like the one featured in the photograph.
- One large piece of cloth or a breathable dish towel that can be placed around the top of the jar and secured with a rubber band. Either way the cloth must be breathable.
- Three teabags of organic black tea
- Three teabags of your choice – for my first batch I used organic green tea.
- One Scoby (Your key ingredient for the fermented tea)
- Eight cups of water
- One cup of organic sugar - Half a cup of exisiting kombucha solution (your scoby will be stored in this)
WHAT TO DO:
- Boil eight cups of water and add this to your sterilised glass jar along with the teabags and sugar. Making sure all of the sugar has dissolved and allow it to steep for around five minutes. If it steeps longer it may become quite bitter. However, if you like that type of flavour then you can steep longer!
- Allow the sweetened tea to cool down to room temperature
- Once the tea has cooled add your scoby, cover it with a breathable cloth and secure with your rubber band. I tend to store it on my kitchen bench to ferment.
Your fermentation will take anywhere between seven to twenty one days depending on your taste preference. After seven to ten days you can taste it and if you are happy with it then drink away! Make sure you have your Kombucha fermenting in a room temperature enviroment. Remember to remove your scoby from the kombucha you have made and store it in a sterilised glass jar with some of the kombucha tea you have just brewed. Your scoby should have multiplied and will each time you make it. This means you can share them with friends or family so they can make their own! The liquid will need to be changed every 4-6 weeks to keep your scoby in good condition.
If you want to flavour the kombucha like I have you can take it to a second stage of fermentation which is the carbonating process and this makes it really pleasant to drink as it becomes fizzy.
YOU WILL NEED:
- Two whole organic cloves
- Two organic cinnamon sticks
- Nine tablespoons of homemade organic apple juice with a good amount of ginger juiced with it.
- Your original eight cups of Kombucha.
WHAT TO DO FOR CABONATION FERMENTATION:
- Halve your ingredients into two flip top bottles as featured in the photo leaving at least half an inch of headspace. Close the bottle and transfer it to a warm spot in your home. Allow the Kombucha to ferment over the next five to seven days before transferring to the fridge.
Congrats! You have now made your first lot of some delicious gut healing goodness Kombucha!
Enjoy! Yours in health and wellness, Bec
** Please note the large jar that has been photographed is not my own and photo credit goes to google. However, I have the same large glass jar that I recomend using. All other photos are my own.
