Let’s see, where do I begin?
I’ve been brewing a colony of bacteria and yeast, fed by pure white sugar, which looks like a placenta, on my kitchen counter for weeks. All for the purpose of drinking the resulting liquid.
There it is. The simple truth.
Kombucha.
If you are a little turned off by the whole idea, you’re not alone! In fact, my entire family thought I’d completely lost it. That is until they tried this amazing drink and learned of its amazing health benefits. So, don’t stop, continue to read. I promise, it gets better.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a naturally carbonated sweet, fermented tea which contains probiotic benefits. Kombucha is produced by using tea, water, sugar (plain ol’ white organic sugar), and a giant “mushroom” (I think it looks more like a placenta) called a “SCOBY.” The sugar feeds the SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) which ferments into a delicious, nourishing tea.
I know that sounds even scarier. A giant mushroom placenta that eats sugar. Just keep reading.
After the SCOBY has done its job, a simple mixture of tea and sugar is turned into a naturally carbonated drink filled with naturally occurring health benefits.
As a result of the fermentation, almost all of the sugar is converted by the SCOBY and when fermenting is finished, there will be about 2-3 grams per 8 ounce glass. By contrast, an 8 ounce glass of orange juice has about 24g of sugar. Natural carrot juices have 13g per 8 ounces. Source
Kombucha is a traditional drink enjoyed first by the Chinese and later spread to Russia, Japan, and Korea.
Kombucha is enjoyed for its unique taste (a wonderful way to replace sodas and juice) as well as its many health benefits. One of its greatest health benefits is detoxing the body. It’s also rich in glucaric acid and amino-acids which can help prevent (and possibly) treat cancers. Kombucha boosts the immune system as is anti-oxidant rich. This wonder drink is also a mom’s best friend as it gives energy.
What mom couldn’t use an energy boost? Sleep deprivation is a real thing, folks. Come over for a night.
Remember, that colony of bacteria and yeast? All that goodness is part of the amazing health benefits of Kombucha. We need good bacteria to maintain a healthy gut. The good bacteria makes Kombucha the perfect probiotic which helps restore good gut flora in your system and fight off the bad yeast (candida). You can read more about the health benefits of Kombucha here.
Now that you’re just longing for Kombucha, you have a couple of options:
- Pay $3-5 for a small bottle of store-bought Kombucha
- Make your own for just pennies
How to Make Homemade Kombucha
Ingredients
- 1 scoby you may be surprised to find a fellow Kombucha-brewer willing to share the love or check out Culture for Health
- 3 quarts water filtered
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 3 black tea bags
- 2 green tea bags
- 1/2 cup kombucha you will need at least 1/2 cup of already fermented Kombucha
- fresh fruit frozen fruit, herbs, spices, even juice (optional)
Instructions
- Bring 12 cups, 3 quarts, of water to a boil. Add in 1 cup of sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add in 5 tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for about 5 minutes and remove the bags. Allow the tea to completely cool.
- Once cooled, pour the sweet tea mixture in a gallon-size jar. Place your SCOBY inside the jar with 1/2- 1 cup Kombucha. Cover the jar with a cheesecloth and rubber-band. Store in a warm, dark place for at least 6 days up to 28-30 days. The longer your SCOBY and tea ferment the less sweet and more sour the tea will taste. I like to go about 12 days.
- Remove the SCOBY and any babies from the Kombucha and reserve 1 cup of Kombucha liquid with the SCOBY in a bowl. Strain the Kombucha through a mess strainer to remove any loose pieces. This is optional. If you don’t mind drinking the pieces, you’re welcome to skip this part of the process. I skip the straining.
- Now, it’s time to add flavor and add fizz. Use about 1/4-1/3 cup of fruit per 1/2 gallon of kombucha. You can also add fruit juice of choice (about 1/2 cup). When adding fruit (or something like fresh ginger), I also like to add 1 teaspoon of honey to give the kombucha bacteria something to feast on. I find the honey makes it even fizzier!
- Pour the Kombucha into bottles (I use 1/2 gallon beer growlers--like this). A funnel is a handy tool for pouring. You don’t want to waste any of that precious Kombucha. Seal your bottles and leave the Kombucha on the counter for 2-7 days, until fizzy. This is called the second ferment. During this time the tea and flavor will infuse together creating a delicious, fizzy beverage. Once the kombucha is to your liking, you can refrigerate your tea and start drinking.
Notes
Tools needed to make kombucha:
- 1 gallon jar-not metal as it will kill the SCOBY-- Cultures for Health is a great resource for getting a SCOBY
- 1 large stock pot (for making tea)
- cheesecloth or dish towel (where to buy)
- mesh strainer (where to buy)
- funnel (where to buy)
- bottles for fizzy Kombucha (where to buy) or mason jars (where to buy) or beer growers (where to buy)
Nutrition
I ferment my tea for seven days.
The SCOBY will grow a baby (I told you this was like a placenta.) A new SCOBY (a thick film) will also grow over the top of your Kombucha and the original SCOBY, “the mother”.
Real Food RN has great suggestions for flavoring your Kombucha. You can also check out Cultures for Health’s suggestions. You can find my recipe for Berry Lemonade Kombucha here.
Yes, a tad bit unusual, but once you start drinking Kombucha you’ll forget you ever handled a placenta-looking “mushroom”.
The final result is a tea that’s delicious and full of health-giving benefits.
Hello,
How many times can you reuse the “mother” and how long can you store the “babies” in the hotel?
Hey Lindsay, You can reuse the “mother” forever. The babies will last a very long time (years even) in the hotel until you share or use them.
Had good success with this post. I have one question though. When seperating the mother SCOBY and babies after the batches what one would you keep in a SCOBY “hotel” as a spare incase of mold ect?
Hi Karla, I usually place the SCOBY “baby” in the hotel and continue to use the “mother” for making Kombucha.
I LOVE kombucha and LOVE making it. But I seem to have a problem with it growing mold. It has started to mold as early as the 6th day. The starter pack (includes SCOBY, sugar and tea) that I get from our local co-op doesn’t say to add the ½-1 cup of pre made kombucha to it. Could that be part of the problem? I live in WA, so I don’t think weather is an issue. HELP!
Hey Ericka, It sounds like you are doing correct to make kombucha. I’m not sure what would be causing the mold growth. Do you allow the tea to breathe with just a light towel or cheesecloth over the jar, during fermentation? A lack of air can cause mold growth.
Hi Ericka, we are in WA also, I am thinking it is the very hot days that are making our scobys get a bit of mould. Was reading this trying to see if someone else lived in hot places such as WA and get some ideas. Cheers Gloria
Just made our first batch tonight! I’ll let you know in a week. Thanks Kristin!
So glad you got a SCOBY :). Let me know how it goes.
I am so excited to start this process and a friend shared with me a scoby start and her kombucha. You are so inspiring and your instruction is such a blessing! Thank you! Can you use flavored tea bags to impart flavor to the kombucha?
Hey Emily, Yay for great friends that share Kombucha and SCOBYs! I haven’t used flavored tea bags for making Kombucha. I’d recommend not using any herbal teas as they may kill the SCOBY. So glad you found the tutorial helpful. Let me know how it goes and if you have any questions.
I’m just starting out, and I don’t know anyone who does this. Where do I get the 1/2 to 1 cup Kombucha (you will need at least 1/2 cup of already fermented Kombucha)? Any suggestions??
Hi Michelle, You can generally find bottles of already prepared Kombucha at any health food store. You can use 1/2-1 cup of this liquid as your starter Kombucha.
Thank you Kristin. 😀 We only have one health food store in the area. If they don’t carry it do you know where I may be able to purchase online?
Hey Michelle, I think the health food store will probably carry a brand, but if they don’t I’d try Vitacost or Amazon.
Is the already prepared Kombucha (for the starter) in the refrigerated section? How is the already prepared different from the Kombucha drinks. I know the drinks are flavored and I would think you are talking about two different things. I love Kombucha and want to attempt making my own as to save $
Hey Penny, The already prepared kombucha comes in both flavored and non-flavored options, and is found in the refrigerated section at the store. I believe store-bought prepared kombucha and kombucha drinks are the same thing, but I could be wrong. To make a flavored version, similar to the famous ones at the store, you’ll need to add flavor to the second ferment.
Kristin – what do you do with the SCOBY if you are going to be away, or unable to make Kombucha for awhile?
Hi Lara,
If you’re going away or don’t plan to make Kombucha for a time, I recommend keeping the SCOBY in a SCOBY hotel, just a storage container with Kombucha, kept in a dark place.
Do you share the Kombucha with your kids? I recently read it can contain alcohol because of the fermenting process. I was concerned as this is all new to me.
I wait till they are a year old and then I give them about 1/4 cup of kombucha daily. It’s more a medicinal drink than a drinking beverage. There is a minute amount of alcohol particularly the longer you let it ferment. I do 6-7 days and so I don’t need to worry about it.
Thank you for the info Kristin!
Your welcome 🙂
How do you store the SCOBY in between making batches of kombucha?
I keep my SCOBY in 1 cup of Kombucha in the fridge while I am not using it.
Do you keep in covered in Tupperware or open in a bowl?
Hi Jayne, I keep my Kombucha, during brewing, covered with a cheesecloth or breathable towel and rubber-band. Fruit flies tend to love kombucha and can quickly invade if left uncovered. The Kombucha needs to breathe, so it’s best not to use a tight-fitting top.
You really shouldn’t keep your SCOBY in the fridge. Check out kombuchakamp.com.
Hey Lisa, Thanks so much for the suggestion! In Florida, we’ve had really bad issues with the SCOBY sitting out, even in an enclosed SCOBY hotel. Enjoy the kombucha!
I found this from Stupid Easy Paleo on how to grow your own SCOBY. I have one working up as we speak. It’s cheaper than buying a SCOBY if you have noone to give you a starter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3TN54s_ezA
Thank you so much for posting this! I was able to buy a GTs Original on sale for $1.99, and over the coarse of two weeks it grew a beautiful Scoby about a quarter of an inch thick. Amazing, I love home science!
That’s so awesome, Bethany!!
Is there a place to get the bottles? Shipping from AMazon is astronomical. This is the ONLY reason I haven’t attempted this yet. Thanks for the excellent tutorial! I’ll be referring back to this!
You can look at a local wine or beer store in your area. I have also found them at Home Goods or store like Home Goods. Target or Walmart too 🙂 Thank you 🙂
Where do you get a SCOBY??
You can purchase one through Cultures for Health (http://www.culturesforhealth.com/starter-cultures/kombucha.html), amazon, or ask around at a local health food store or even craigslist.
A friend gave me a scoby starter this past weekend and I’d like to give this a shot. I don’t have any white sugar in the house, but I do have an old bottle of agave that’s collecting dust in my pantry. Do you think that will work instead of the sugar or should I just go buy some sugar?
That’s great! I would buy some sugar. If you are planning on making it regularly you will need it on hand too. I didn’t have any sugar in the house either, so for the first time in a long time, I had to go out and buy some. The SCOBY feeds off the sugar, not sure how it would do with Agave.
Hope you are having a great summer weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Water kefir gives me that energy boost, too! Love it!
I used to make this by the gallons at a time. It nearly worked me to death. I was wondering where I could get a start. Now I know. Thanks
I am still on the fence about Kombucha. Have you read this? http://www.orawellness.com/blog/why-we-dont-drink-kombucha/ What is your take?
I have read it. It certainly made me think when I read the article a while back. I did some research and feel safe consuming Kombucha. This is an excellent article from the Weston A. Price Foundation. http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/kvass-and-kombucha. Here is a quote from the article…”Researchers looking at the toxic effects of fluoride have recently raised concerns about kombucha because most commercial tea is very high in fluoride. Fortunately, kombucha made with organic tea contains very little fluoride. We had fluoride levels tested in organic black tea and in the kombucha made with the tea. The levels in the tea were only slightly higher than those in the filtered water from which it was made and actually slightly lower in the kombucha than in the black tea. These results suggest that the process of fermentation actually removes some of the fluoride from the tea and may explain why the kombucha “mushroom” eventually gets black. These older, darkened “mushrooms” can be replaced with the newer, cleaner “babies” that grow on top of the original “mushroom” during the fermentation process.”
Now this is interesting. So just use organic tea? You have peaked my interest. Do you have to use white sugar? Can you use honey?
Organic tea is best. I’m not sure about honey, however, I do know the SCOBY feeds off the sugar (literally it’s food) so it really is one of the keys. Without sugar the SCOBY dies. The SCOBY eats nearly all the sugar, so there is very little remaining in the Kombucha. I’d be interested in what you find out about using the honey.
I’m using honey and green tea in one of my jars. The other has oolong tea and coconut sugar or raw sugar when I feed it. Working well !!
Thank you for sharing, Anne. That sounds great.
You shouldn’t use honey to make kombucha as it is naturally antibacterial, and it’s all that good bacteria that makes it so wonderful 🙂
I’ve heard that using anything other than straight white sugar really weakens the scoby. Honey, as one example, can kill the scoby because it has so many anti-bacterial and anti-microbial benefits. The scoby survives and thrives on straight sugar. And it transforms the sugar, so it’s not like you’re digesting it straight (something that I also worried about upon hearing about kombucha. I don’t like eating a lot of sugar in my diet and I definitely don’t like giving my kids a ton of sugar). Most of the sugar is “eaten” by the scoby and transformed into healthy flora and enzymes, which are super beneficial for you and your gut.
Thank you so much for sharing, Bekah! Great tips!
Yay!! Love this post!!
Thanks. Can’t wait to hear about your Kombucha!
Olive kombacha and have been making it for a while. I think I forgot the sugar this last time. Will that hurt my mother. :/ ?
Do you have a favorite flavor? I am still experimenting, but so far love the berry combo! A SCOBY really needs sugar in order to thrive. If you begin to spot any mold growth I’d toss it. Can you start a new batch with the SCOBY using sugar?
Great pictures, Kristin!
Thanks, Kimberly 🙂