T I M E : prep- 15 mins | fermentation- 10 to 13 days
H E A L T H Y : Mega healthy
Y U M M I N E S S: Energenic deliciousness
S E R V I N G S : depending how much you drink (it’s about 2 litre)
I N G R E D I E N T S
>> Basic kombucha ( first fermentation)
+ 1 Scoby ( kombucha mushroom) + 1 cup of older kombucha
+ 2 litre filtered water
+ 6-8 tea bags ( 4 black tea, 2 green tea)
+ ½ cup of organic cane sugar ( no raw sugar, it will destroy the scoby bacteria)
>> flavoured kombucha ( second fermentation)
+ juice of ½ lemon
+ some fresh chopped ginger
+ some fresh mint leaves
+ a teeny tiny bit vanilla extract
+ optional: some extra sweetener like honey, cane sugar, maple syrup
>> tools
+ a big glass jar
+ a piece of cotton or paper towel
+ rubber band
+ wooden spoon
+ a couple of glass bottles
I N S T R U C T I O N S
First fermentation :
1. You can get the scoby either from a friend or you can buy it Online. Without scoby there is no kombucha.
2. Boil the 2 litre filtered water, pour it in a big glass jar and stir in the sugar. The sugar is meant as food for the scoby, so don’t be afraid to add even more then ½ cup. After the fermentation there will be almost no sugar left in your kombucha.
3. Add the teabags and let it rest. I often let it rest for hours, to get a real strong tea flavour. A lot of recipes call for only black tea, but I would always add some green tea bags to prevent the kombucha tea from turning bitter
4. The kombucha tea needs to cool down until it has the same temperature as the scoby ( that’s bathing in a cup of older kombucha). This is very important because the scoby is super sensitive. Whenever your scoby sinks to the bottom of the jar when gently adding it to the kombucha tea, it means that there is a temperature difference. No big deal, just wait for some hours or days for the scoby to make its way up to the top. The purpose of the scoby is to float on top of your tea. It seals the drink and makes your kombucha a bit fizzy
5. Place a cloth over your big jar, tie it with a rubber band ( or basically anything) and let it ferment for 7-10 days in a shady spot. No direct sunlight. After 7 days you can try a sip of your kombucha and see if you like the taste of it. I let mine mostly ferment for about 10 days. The longer you ferment the more it will taste like vinegar. You can ferment your kombucha up to a month, so don’t worry if you forget about it.
6. Most probably there will be growing a little baby scoby on top of your mother scoby during the fermenting process
Second fermentation :
1. Now it’s time to add some flavours. While I bottle the kombucha, I also make a new batch ready for its first fermentation. Don’t forget to leave 1 cup of your kombucha for the new batch.
2. Try to fill your bottles all the way to the top.
3. Add all the ingredients and if you like your kombucha a bit more sweet, you can add some extra sweetener. Sugar will also give your kombucha a little more fizz
4. Let it ferment for 3 days
5. And voila your kombucha is ready! Just place the bottles in the fridge and enjoy a glass of kombucha every morning. It’s very good for your digestion ( and it’s has tons of other qualities)
*if you don’t like the ginger chunks and mint leaves in your kombucha bottle, you can always sift and rebottle your kombucha