DIY Kombucha

Kombucha originated in Northeast China around 220 B.C. and was prized for its healing properties. Its name comes from Dr. Kombu, a Korean physician who brought fermented tea to Japan as a curative for Emperor Inkyo. There are somewhere between 5,000 and 500,000 colony-forming units of probiotics in each ml of kombucha. There is a range of 8-10 strains in kombucha. This is why kombucha is so beneficial for your gut health. It is a good way to get your healthy gut bacteria through your food. The recommended dose to drink every day is between 8 and 16oz.

Ingredients:

• 1 wide-mouth ½ gallon glass jar (do not use metal)

• 7 cups filtered water

• SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacterial Yeast)

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 4 bags black tea or 1 tbsp loose leaf black tea

• 1 paper towel or clean bandana

• Rubberband

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a clean pot. Once boiling remove from heat.

2. Add the tea and sugar. Allow to steep while the water cools to room temperature. Only when water is at room temperature is it ready to work with. 

3. Take your teabag out of the water or strain your loose leaf.

4. Pour the cooled sweetened tea into your jar with your SCOBY. 

5. Cover jar with a paper towel and tighten it up with a rubber band. This is important because you don’t want any dust or bugs to get in, but it needs oxygen.

6. Set the glass jar where there is no direct sunlight and a constant temperature of 75-85 degrees. Once set in its place do not move the jar. 

7. Let sit for 7-8 days and see how you like it. Then you can decide if you want it to ferment longer. To flavor your kombucha you will do a second ferment. This means after the 7-8 days you will then add fruits or herbs, such as berries, to your jar and then ferment for another 7-8 days.

8. After fermentation time strain out most of your liquid into bottles. Store in the fridge and enjoy.

*If you want to keep your SCOBY going leave 1/3 of the liquid in the jar and the SCOBY and prepare your tea with sugar all over again.