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Easy Kombucha Recipe!

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How to make kombucha? Making this kombucha recipe at home is a little bit weird, a lot of fun, and cheaper than store bought! 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 gallon of water
  • 6 bags of tea (we use plain organic black tea)
  • 1 cup of sugar (preferably organic)
  • 1 SCOBY
  • 1 gallon glass jar (we ate a bunch of pickles to get one)
  • funnel
  • paper towel
  • rubber band
  • litmus paper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring 1 gallon of water to a full boil. Turn the heat off, add 6 bags of tea, and 1 cup of sugar. Stir to combine.
  2. Let the tea cool to room temperature (about 2 to 3 hours). Then remove the tea bags, and fill a 1 gallon glass jar.
  3. Gently slide the SCOBY onto the top of the tea, including 1 cup of kombucha from the last batch (or the liquid included with the SCOBY).
  4. Cover with the jar with a paper towel and a rubber band.
  5. Place the jar in a dark, room temperature location for about 9 days (shorter or longer depending on temperature, up to 2 weeks in winter).
  6. After fermenting, taste the kombucha for doneness: it should taste tangy and fruity. If it’s still too sweet, allow it to ferment for another day and taste again. Starting out, we used litmus paper to test — fermented kombucha should be between 3-4 pH.
  7. Remove the SCOBY and set it aside in sealable container with about 1 cup of kombucha. (Store the SCOBY in the fridge for about 1 week; if desired, split the SCOBY on a layer and provide it to a friend in a plastic bag with enough kombucha to cover. Then start the process again with your remaining SCOBY!)
  8. Pour the kombucha through a strainer or cheese cloth into sealed jars. Close the jars or bottles and return them to the warm, dark storage location. Store for 24 hours to allow the kombucha to naturally carbonate. (Don’t leave them for more than 24 hours, as pressure can build in the bottle.)
  9. When the kombucha is ready, refrigerate and serve cold. Keeps up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.