How to Make Kombucha Recipe
This recipe teaches how to make kombucha, lists its many benefits, and gives a few recipe variations to make your DIY kombucha recipe unique.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon filtered water
- 8 black tea bags
- 4 green tea bags
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1 SCOBY (get one either from a friend or find them online here)
- 1 cup kombucha (use either the liquid that comes with your SCOBY or store-bought raw/unpasteurized kombucha)
- large wide-mouth glass jar (I use a gallon-sized jar like this)
- tea towel (you can find tea towels here)
- large rubber band (find one here)
Instructions
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Heat the water and add the tea bags. Steep for about 5-10 minutes and remove the bags. Remove from heat.
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Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Allow the tea to cool.
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When the sweetened tea is cool, pour it into your clean glass jar.
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Add about ½ cup of kombucha – use either the liquid that comes with your SCOBY or store-bought raw, unpasteurized kombucha. With clean hands, place the SCOBY in the jar. (Ask around to see if you can get a SCOBY from a friend or purchase one online. I got a small piece of one from a friend and it took over the jar within a week.)
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Place a tea towel or double layer of paper towel on top and secure tightly with a rubber band. You want it to be able to breathe, but you also need to keep bugs out.
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Place jar in a relatively warm, dark place where it will not be disturbed.
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Allow your kombucha recipe to sit for about a week. To test it, slip a straw into the liquid and put your finger over the top. This will hold a small amount in the straw so you can taste it. If it is very sweet, leave it a bit longer. It should be slightly sweet, tangy, and slightly effervescent. If it tastes off at all, start over. It could take two weeks depending on fermenting conditions, but shouldn't be much more.
Recipe Video
Notes
If you're having trouble with your kombucha recipe fermenting, find ideas for troubleshooting here or here.
Once the taste is to your liking, you can remove the SCOBY and ½ - 1 cup of the kombucha. Set this aside and use to start another batch of kombucha. Bottle and refrigerate the rest of your kombucha.