Brew Your Way to Better Health with Homemade Kombucha: Recipe and Benefits

Have you heard about the Kombucha trend?

Kombucha is a bubbly, slightly sweet “fermented” tea that you can make at home!  It has many benefits that aid in building a healthy gut and it can taste so good, especially if you flavor it.  One of our favorite flavors is grated fresh ginger and a blend with raspberries and blueberries to create a truly delicious and refreshing beverage.  

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What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a drink made from black tea that is fermented using a SCOBY, or a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.  The SCOBY is also known as a “mother” as it continues to grow with every batch of kombucha that is brewed.  You can purchase a SCOBY online right on Amazon or find a friend who brews kombucha and ask for a starter SCOBY.

Health Benefits of Kombucha

According to Healthline, 

• Kombucha may reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Help manage type 2 diabetes.
• Reduce your risk of cancer.
• Helps heal the gut. The antioxidants and probiotics help fill your gut with healthy bacteria, which can help you lose weight and improve digestion.

What do you need to make homemade kombucha?

• SCOBY
• Black tea
• White sugar
• 1 gallon glass jar

How to Make Kombucha at Home

It only takes a few ingredients to get your own batch started.  

1. After you have a SCOBY, you will brew some black tea in a pot on the stove. For a 1-gallon batch, you will use 5-7 bags of black tea.
2. After the tea has brewed, pour in 1 cup of white granulated sugar and stir until dissolved.  This will provide the “food” for the fermentation reaction.  Let cool to room temperature.
3. Next combine your brewed tea, the SCOBY and 1 cup of kombucha (if this is your first batch, you can use store-bought kombucha, borrow from a friend or alternatively use apple cider vinegar to jumpstart your kombucha) into a sanitized gallon container.

*You can sanitize your gallon container (preferably glass) by running it through your dishwasher or using a food-grade sanitizing solution.  

4. Cover the jar with a cloth and store at room temperature for 7-10 days.  During this time, the scoby will begin to ferment your tea into kombucha! You may notice a cloudy layer forming on top of your tea, this is a new SCOBY and shows that the fermentation is working!
5. After 7-10 days, try a bit of your brew.  It should taste slightly sour, but also a little sweet.  If it is too sweet, let the jar continue to ferment for a couple of days.
6. When it is ready to drink, you can strain your tea into a new container and store it in your refrigerator. At this point you can add in any extra flavor you choose including fresh ginger, fruit, or a bit of apple juice.

In the fridge the reaction will slow and you will be able to enjoy the kombucha for a couple of weeks.  To keep the cycle going, you will brew a new batch of tea and repeat the fermentation cycle.  

A quick review how to make homemade kombucha:

1. Make black tea.
2. Stir in sugar.
3. Let cool.
4. Put tea, SCOBY, and kombucha in a jar.
5. Wait 7-10 days.
6. Taste test.
7. Add in any extras and store in the fridge.
8. Enjoy!

 Now that you know the basics, why not start your batch of kombucha today?