Kombucha is a fermented tea; best when consumed in its raw, unfiltered and unpasteurized state! Did you know that Kombucha has been consumed for thousands of years? Not only does it have the same health benefits as tea, but it's also rich in beneficial probiotics. Kombucha also contains antioxidants, can kill harmful bacteria and may help fight several diseases. Since the Kombucha drink took off - it has been seen on shelves everywhere - not just in specialty health stores. But are all Kombucha drinks made equally healthy? The answer is NO! Many manufacturers caught up with the trend and are cutting corners to create this product quickly while trying to edge out the competition. If you see words on labels such as "pasteurized", "artificial flavors and colors" - move on!!! Or better yet, make it yourself - so now, instead of paying $4-6 for a 12 oz bottle - you can make your own by purchasing all supplies you need once, for about $15-20.
We started making our own Kombucha in our home a while back... as a matter of fact, my grandma used to make Kombucha in Russia when I was still a little girl - we drank it a few times a week, sometimes we added it to cold Russian soup, and sometimes we would splash it into salads.
Making Kombucha at home is so easy, and actually fun and fulfilling! Not to mention, you know exactly what goes into your health drink.
I bet you have more than half of the items on this list at home already. No need to run out and buy special bottles, new funnel, etc.. I am a strong believer that to make things at home - most of us just need to dig through what is already in our cabinets and we may be pleasantly surprised to have some if not all that is needed already!
What is Scoby?Scoby is actually an acronym: Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. Scoby is the living home for the bacteria and yeast that transform sweet tea into tangy, fizzy kombucha drink. I like thinking of a SCOBY as the coral reef of the bacteria and yeast. Yes, you can create scoby at home, but to make things easier and faster - I recommend you purchase one from a reputable vendor. It will come with kombucha starter tea - meaning it will be floating in already fermented tea and ready to transform your tea into Kombucha drink.
Step 1. Put 2 tea bags into a pint jar and 2 tablespoons of organic sugar. Pour boiled water not quite to the top. Let the tea steep and cool off to the room temperature
Step 2. Take out the tea bags out and put scoby and starter tea in, cover with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Set aside for 7-14 days. Try in 7 days if tastes done yet, if not let it sit for another couple of days. Why 7-14 days - depending on the size of scoby, it's hard to put a set time frame, once you do a couple of batches you will master it. For instance - in our home, it takes about 10-12 days...and at times a bit faster when new scoby forms in the jar.
Step 3. Pour Your Kombucha into a glass bottle through a fine mesh strainer and store in the fridge. Drink 2-4 ounce shots or more daily, no harm in having more! Save a bit of tea as a starter tea for next batch and set aside with scoby. Make a new batch of tea and repeat!
Overtime from experimenting I have found the following tips helpful:
Email us with any questions! Cheers to Great Health! Irina Allison, Master The Body
Comments will be approved before showing up.
