My first batch of Kombucha was a huge success! I honestly wasn't expecting it to turn out. I thought maybe it would taste off or at least be lacking in carbonation or flavor, but it is prefect!
It is so simple! My friend found someone with scoby in another city in Zambia and they shared it with her and then she shared some with me. Scoby just keeps growing so I'll have more to share...whoever is ready to take it up next!
I used a half gallon mason jar. We bought these jars for our wedding and used them for big bouquets of baby breath down the isle. When my parents visited in December they brought me one. Now I'm wishing for all of them to make lots of different flavors and brews. (They were only $5 at Michael's on sale!)
Kombucha is so easy. 3 ingredients: Tea, sugar and scoby. Do you know what scoby is? I know I had to look it up when April brought over this weird jelly looking thing that apparently eats sugar?!
First off, scoby is an acronym: Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. It transforms sweet tea into tangy and fizzy drink full of probiotics and other health benefits. Everyone who has tried it so far (Husband, brother-in-law, and 2 guy friends) had never had kombucha or ever heard of it but they all went, "hmmmm, that's good" or "not bad" and David said, "It's safe to say, Kombucha will be taken up." I'm still not sure if he thought it was beer or not, but I didn't say whether or not it was alcoholic. It smells a lot like beer and tastes like a tangy, fizzy non sweet soda or even a cider.
Half Gallon Mason Jar Kombucha Recipe:
6-7 cups water
4 black tea bags
1/2 cup sugar
scoby with 1 cup of starter or vinegar
Method:
1. Boil the water and steep the tea in the glass jar. Add the sugar.
2. Let the tea cool down to room temperature. I put the jar in the fridge for about 2 hours for it to cool off (not get cold, just to room temp). You can remove the tea bags at any time, I left them in even until it cooled down.
3. Once the tea bags are removed, add the scoby and starter tea. If you don't have a cup of left over from your last batch, substitute vinegar. Mine ended up being 1/2 cup starter and 1/2 cup vinegar.
4. Cover the jar with a breathable top. I use the ring from the metal mason jar top and 2 squares of paper towel.
5. Find a room temperature place to store your brew for 2 weeks. I kept mine in the cupboard pantry on the highest shelf. You can try it out for longer or shorter amount of time until it's ready to your taste buds!
A little over half of our brew we drank as is and loved it! It only lasted 1 day. The other part I wanted to flavor it ginger so I added about 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger and 1/2 teaspoon sugar and I will let it continue to brew for another week or so!
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