Have you ever tried kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented tea and one of our favorite drinks. It’s not only tasty and refreshing but also packed with health benefits. We’ve been brewing our own Kombucha for a long time, and it has become a delightful staple in our kitchen. It’s always a nice feeling whenever we start the day by drinking our kombucha tea.
In this blog, we will talk about this wonderful drink and how you can make it at home.
What Exactly Is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a living beverage, which means it contains helpful probiotics that can improve your gut health. These probiotics assist to balance bacteria in your intestines, strengthen your immune system, and even enhance digestion.
A little organism known as a SCOBY is responsible for the magic of Kombucha. The acronym SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It resembles a jellyfish or a thick pancake and is essential for tea fermentation. Every time you brew a batch of Kombucha, a new SCOBY grows on top, creating your own tiny Kombucha family!
How To Make Kombucha?
Ingredients:
2 SCOBYs
2 liters of filtered water
16 grams of black tea (though you can experiment with other types of tea)
8% of the tea’s weight in sugar (brown or white works great)
Juice of your choice to fill 1/3 or 1/2 of your bottles during the second fermentation phase
Instructions:
1. Brew the Tea: Begin by heating two liters of filtered water. Once it’s boiling, add your tea and steep for around 10 minutes. After that, remove the tea leaves or bags and stir in the sugar until thoroughly dissolved. Now, let the tea cool to room temperature. This step is critical since putting a SCOBY in hot tea can kill it.
2. Fermentation Phase One: Transfer the cooled tea to a big glass container. Gently add your SCOBY to the jar, along with a cup of previously prepared Kombucha. Cover the jar with a clean cloth and fasten with a rubber band. This allows the tea to breathe while excluding any undesirable particles.
3. Fermentation Phase Two: After the first fermentation, your Kombucha is ready for the next phase. Pour the brewed Kombucha (minus the SCOBY) into bottles, leaving some space at the top. This is where you add your juice. Fill each bottle 1/3 to 1/2 full with the juice of your choice. This will add flavor and help with carbonation. Seal the bottles tightly and let them sit at room temperature for another 5-7 days.
4. Burping the Bottles: During this second fermentation, your Kombucha will produce a lot of gas. To prevent the bottles from exploding, you need to “burp” them daily. Just open the cap to release some of the gas and then close it back up. Be careful, as it can sometimes be quite fizzy!
Tips and Tricks:
- SCOBY Hotel: I like to keep an extra jar where I store all my extra SCOBYs. This is known as a SCOBY hotel. Each time you brew a batch, save one cup of the brewed Kombucha and add it to this jar. This way, you’ll always have a backup SCOBY if anything goes wrong.
- Cold Tea: Always let your tea cool completely before adding your SCOBY. Adding it to hot tea will kill life cultures, which we surely don’t want!
- Experiment: Do not be scared to try different teas and juices. Each variation creates a distinct flavor profile, so have fun with it!
Brewing Kombucha on your own is not only affordable, but it also lets you the flavors to your preferences. Plus, it’s a fun little scientific project that you can do every day with your family and friends, even your children. It’s really worth it.
Cheers to your health and happy brewing!
