Home-Brewed Kombucha Tea Recipe

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey adds a unique flavor while brown sugar is often cheaper.

SCOBY

💰Cheaper: store-bought kombucha

Store-bought kombucha can be used to start a new batch.

flavorings

🥗Healthier: fresh fruit

💰Cheaper: dried fruit

Fresh fruit enhances flavor without added sugars.

tea

🥗Healthier: herbal tea

💰Cheaper: generic black tea

Herbal tea can provide unique flavors without caffeine.

Put 8 cups of filtered water in a glass pitcher in the fridge to cool.

Bring the other 6 cups of water to a boil and add the sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve.

Add 8 tea bags to the hot water and remove the pot from the heat. Let sit for 20 minutes to steep before removing the tea bags.

Add the 8 cups of cool water to the pot. This will cool down the tea so it doesn't kill the live bacteria in the SCOBY.

Add the SCOBY and the starter tea that comes with the SCOBY to a large glass jar, like an iced tea pitcher.

Add the cooled tea from the pot to the jar.

Cover the jar with a coffee filter or cheese cloth. Secure it with a rubber band and place the jar in a dark place for 7 days.

After the 7 days, remove the SCOBY and 2 cups of the tea and put it in another jar with a coffee filter or cheese cloth covering. Store it in a dark place. This will be used for your next batch of kombucha.

Your kombucha is ready to drink, or you can proceed with a second fermentation to create fizz.

Trim the stems from the strawberries and put the berries into a blender and blend until pureed. Add the puree to the original jar that doesn't have the SCOBY. Stir well, and cover with cheese cloth or a coffee filter and put it in a dark place for 2 days. You are doing this to infuse the fruit flavor into the tea.

Strain the tea to remove any of the fruit pulp and discard. Using a funnel, distribute the mixture into 6, 16-ounce glass, flip-top brewing bottles, leaving 3 inches empty at the top. Seal tightly and store somewhere dark for 3-4 days. This is the second fermentation.

After the 3-4 days have passed, the kombucha is ready.

Put these bottles in the fridge for at least 4 hours before opening.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary