Kombucha is beverage made with sweetened tea and then cultured with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast). Don't let the bacteria part scare you away! Our bodies are made up, in large part, of bacteria, and kombucha provides the beneficial bacteria that boosts our immune system and can prevent harmful bacteria from taking hold.
Although uncommon in the US, kombucha has a long history of use in China, Russia, Japan, and Korea that can be traced back 2000 years . From 1950 to 1970, Russian scientists studied kombucha tea and found when properly made it contained a number of substances that are important for good health including chondroitin sulfate, gluconic acid, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, lactic acid, and usnic acid. Usnic acid is a substance with strong antibacterial and anti-viral effects.
Click Read More below to see the complete post.
Because kombucha provides nutrients our bodies need, boosts immune function, and promotes detoxification, it has been used to help treat a number of conditions. According to the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" (second edition), by James and Phyllis Balch, kombucha has been used to help cases of acne, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, candidiasis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, digestive disorders, hair loss, hemorrhoids, high cholesterol, incontinence, kidney disorder, and menopausal problems.
Kombucha is commercially available in co-ops and health food stores and costs around $3.50 for a 16 oz bottle and comes in a variety of flavors. For a fraction of the cost you can brew kombucha at home.
I typically make four 3 quart containers of kombucha at a time. This requires four cups of sugar and at least 16 bags of tea. The organic sugar I buy costs about $1.20 per cup. The cost of tea depends on the kind of tea purchased, but you can plan to pay about $4.00 for 20 bags of tea. So for under $9 you can make 12 quarts, which would equal about 24 bottles for a savings of $75 dollars! The cost per bottle is about 38 cents.
Saving money isn't the only reason to brew your own kombucha, freshly brewed kombucha tastes better than commercial brands which have fermented for a much longer period of time. It is also fun to experiment with different teas and add flavorings to your finished kombucha for unique taste sensations.
The most challenge part of beginning your kombucha making adventure is finding a SCOBY, which some refer to as a "mother".
Kombucha mothers can be made by purchasing a bottle of kombucha at a store, pouring it into a jar, covering the jar with a towel, and allowing a mother to grow on the top. You can also purchase kombucha SCOBYs online.
But the best way is to find a friend who brews kombucha and get a SCOBY from them. Because a new SCOBY is formed during the fermentation period of each new batch, kombucha brewers always have extra SCOBY's to share.
Assemble your supplies
Cooking pot
Clear glass fermentation jar/container - 4 quart (1 gallon) capacity
Dish towel - tightly woven
Rubber band - big enough to fit over the mouth of the jar
Glass bottles or jars for the finished product
Gather your ingredients
Organic sugar - I use white cane sugar
Tea - black, green, white or red
Filtered water - chlorine and fluoride need to be removed
SCOBY
4 oz finished kombucha or raw apple cider vinegar
If you search the internet you will find many different techniques for making kombucha, but I have found this method (suggested by Sandor Katz) to be fast and efficient.
To make one 3 quart batch;
Tips
As with all food preparation, use common sense sanitary practices. Make sure your supplies are clean and that your hands are washed thoroughly. I have found that finished kombucha can be easily poured out of the fermenting jar leaving the mother and an inch or so of kombucha in the jar. Then the new batch of sweetened tea can be poured right on top of the SCOBY. With this method, your hands do not touch the inside of the jar or the SCOBY.
A new SCOBY will form with each new batch. If you leave the SCOBYs in the jar, they will adhere to each other and get thicker. This is fine until the SCOBY starts taking up too much space. Then it is time to remove a few layers.
Extra SCOBYs can be shared with friends, placed in a "SCOBY hotel" (a jar with kombucha) and stored for future use, or composted. Some people even give the excess SCOBYs to their chickens.
Do not use metal or plastic when brewing or storing finished kombucha. The acidic nature of kombucha can leach toxic compounds out of plastic and metal and into your tea.
Most publications recommend drinking about 12 oz of kombucha a day. Like most things, moderation is key.
Finished kombucha can be flavored with dried fruits, fresh ginger, or fruit juices. One of my favorites combinations is Oolong tea kombucha flavored with fresh ginger.
A certain level of acidity is necessary to safely brew kombucha. You can achieve this by making sure you use black, green, white or red tea. Herbal tea blends alone will not work.
You can store your finished kombucha at room temperature or in the fridge. Kombucha will continue to slowly ferment even after the SCOBY has been removed. Cool temperatures will slow down fermentation.
SCOBY's should never be refrigerated. Store them in a glass jar with finished kombucha, at room temperature, and out of direct sunlight.
The flavor of each batch of kombucha will be unique. This is a live beverage and subtle differences in temperature, sugar, tea and brewing time will make each batch taste a bit different. Think of it as an artisan product and embrace the inconsistency!
If you enjoy the sparkle of carbonated beverages you may want to put your kombucha through a secondary fermentation process to make it bubbly. To do this add about 1 tsp of sugar to 16 oz of finished kombucha. Place in an EZ cap bottle or other air tight bottle and allow to sit at room temperature for a few days. Use caution when you open the bottle as the contents may fizz out.
Fruit flies are very attracted to kombucha. Be sure that the towel you use to cover the fermentation vessel has a tight weave or has been folded a few times to create a tight barrier.
If you see mold forming on the SCOBY or anywhere in the fermenting container, dispose of the entire batch, SCOBY and all, and start over with new ingredients.
I hope you will enjoy making and drink kombucha as much as I do!
Please note: The objective of this blog is to raise awareness of alternative ways to achieve wellness and to empower you to take an active role in your health decisions. To accomplish this, you will need to explore these subjects in greater depth and then determine what makes sense for your life. My hope is that this information will inspire you to start your own search into ways to make your life happier, healthier and more fulfilling.
 |
| I drink a glass of kombucha every day. |
Although uncommon in the US, kombucha has a long history of use in China, Russia, Japan, and Korea that can be traced back 2000 years . From 1950 to 1970, Russian scientists studied kombucha tea and found when properly made it contained a number of substances that are important for good health including chondroitin sulfate, gluconic acid, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, lactic acid, and usnic acid. Usnic acid is a substance with strong antibacterial and anti-viral effects.
Click Read More below to see the complete post.
Because kombucha provides nutrients our bodies need, boosts immune function, and promotes detoxification, it has been used to help treat a number of conditions. According to the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" (second edition), by James and Phyllis Balch, kombucha has been used to help cases of acne, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, candidiasis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, digestive disorders, hair loss, hemorrhoids, high cholesterol, incontinence, kidney disorder, and menopausal problems.
Kombucha is commercially available in co-ops and health food stores and costs around $3.50 for a 16 oz bottle and comes in a variety of flavors. For a fraction of the cost you can brew kombucha at home.
I typically make four 3 quart containers of kombucha at a time. This requires four cups of sugar and at least 16 bags of tea. The organic sugar I buy costs about $1.20 per cup. The cost of tea depends on the kind of tea purchased, but you can plan to pay about $4.00 for 20 bags of tea. So for under $9 you can make 12 quarts, which would equal about 24 bottles for a savings of $75 dollars! The cost per bottle is about 38 cents.
 |
| Kombucha brewing in a gallon glass jar. |
The most challenge part of beginning your kombucha making adventure is finding a SCOBY, which some refer to as a "mother".
Kombucha mothers can be made by purchasing a bottle of kombucha at a store, pouring it into a jar, covering the jar with a towel, and allowing a mother to grow on the top. You can also purchase kombucha SCOBYs online.
But the best way is to find a friend who brews kombucha and get a SCOBY from them. Because a new SCOBY is formed during the fermentation period of each new batch, kombucha brewers always have extra SCOBY's to share.
 |
| Kombucha SCOBY with several layers. |
Assemble your supplies
Cooking pot
Clear glass fermentation jar/container - 4 quart (1 gallon) capacity
Dish towel - tightly woven
Rubber band - big enough to fit over the mouth of the jar
Glass bottles or jars for the finished product
Gather your ingredients
Organic sugar - I use white cane sugar
Tea - black, green, white or red
Filtered water - chlorine and fluoride need to be removed
SCOBY
4 oz finished kombucha or raw apple cider vinegar
If you search the internet you will find many different techniques for making kombucha, but I have found this method (suggested by Sandor Katz) to be fast and efficient.
To make one 3 quart batch;
- Measure 1 quart of filtered water and pour into a non-aluminum cooking pot.
- Add in 1 C organic cane sugar (the sugar is food for the fermentation process and will be "eaten". Your end product will contain very little sugar.)
- Bring to boil, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves
- Turn off heat and put at least 4 tea bags into the boiling water
- Let steep for the amount of time suggested for the tea you selected
- Remove the tea bags and add 2 quarts of cool or room temperature filtered water to the pot
- Pour the cooled tea into the glass fermentation jar
- Add the 4 oz of finished kombucha or raw apple cider vinegar
- Gently set the SCOBY on top of the sweetened tea
- Place a dish cloth (folded in fours) over the top of the jar and secure with a rubber band
- Set in a cupboard or other out of the sunlight area and leave undisturbed for 5 days
- After day 5 check the flavor and see if it tastes good to you, if so it is time to decant. If it tastes sugary, allow to ferment longer. The longer the kombucha is fermented the less sugar it will contain.
- Once the kombucha tastes good to you, pour it out of the fermentation jar and into glass storage containers.
 |
| I pour the kombucha directly into a spouted pitcher and then into glass jars. |
Tips
As with all food preparation, use common sense sanitary practices. Make sure your supplies are clean and that your hands are washed thoroughly. I have found that finished kombucha can be easily poured out of the fermenting jar leaving the mother and an inch or so of kombucha in the jar. Then the new batch of sweetened tea can be poured right on top of the SCOBY. With this method, your hands do not touch the inside of the jar or the SCOBY.
A new SCOBY will form with each new batch. If you leave the SCOBYs in the jar, they will adhere to each other and get thicker. This is fine until the SCOBY starts taking up too much space. Then it is time to remove a few layers.
 |
| A SCOBY on top of the glass fermentation jar. |
 |
| My SCOBY hotel. |
Do not use metal or plastic when brewing or storing finished kombucha. The acidic nature of kombucha can leach toxic compounds out of plastic and metal and into your tea.
Most publications recommend drinking about 12 oz of kombucha a day. Like most things, moderation is key.
Finished kombucha can be flavored with dried fruits, fresh ginger, or fruit juices. One of my favorites combinations is Oolong tea kombucha flavored with fresh ginger.
 |
| Fresh ginger floating in finished Oolong tea kombucha. |
A certain level of acidity is necessary to safely brew kombucha. You can achieve this by making sure you use black, green, white or red tea. Herbal tea blends alone will not work.
You can store your finished kombucha at room temperature or in the fridge. Kombucha will continue to slowly ferment even after the SCOBY has been removed. Cool temperatures will slow down fermentation.
 |
| I place my half gallon jars of finished kombucha under a stand. |
SCOBY's should never be refrigerated. Store them in a glass jar with finished kombucha, at room temperature, and out of direct sunlight.
The flavor of each batch of kombucha will be unique. This is a live beverage and subtle differences in temperature, sugar, tea and brewing time will make each batch taste a bit different. Think of it as an artisan product and embrace the inconsistency!
If you enjoy the sparkle of carbonated beverages you may want to put your kombucha through a secondary fermentation process to make it bubbly. To do this add about 1 tsp of sugar to 16 oz of finished kombucha. Place in an EZ cap bottle or other air tight bottle and allow to sit at room temperature for a few days. Use caution when you open the bottle as the contents may fizz out.
Fruit flies are very attracted to kombucha. Be sure that the towel you use to cover the fermentation vessel has a tight weave or has been folded a few times to create a tight barrier.
 |
| A cloth dish towel folded twice does the trick to keep out fruit flies. |
If you see mold forming on the SCOBY or anywhere in the fermenting container, dispose of the entire batch, SCOBY and all, and start over with new ingredients.
I hope you will enjoy making and drink kombucha as much as I do!
Please note: The objective of this blog is to raise awareness of alternative ways to achieve wellness and to empower you to take an active role in your health decisions. To accomplish this, you will need to explore these subjects in greater depth and then determine what makes sense for your life. My hope is that this information will inspire you to start your own search into ways to make your life happier, healthier and more fulfilling.
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