Homemade Kombucha

Kombucha

1 activated Kombucha and Scoby starter culture
12 cups of filtered water
6 black or green tea bags
1 cup of cane sugar

Boil 2 cups of water and remove from heat. Add tea bags and steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags. Add sugar and mix until dissolved. Add sweetened tea to gallon jar and then fill the remainder with water, leaving 4 inches of headspace at the top. Add the Kombucha starter culture and Scoby; mix well. Take a pH reading to ensure the pH is below 4.5. If not add 1 TBSP of white vinegar and test again. Cover with a coffee filter and rubber band. Allow to ferment for 7-10 days at 75-85° F. Temperature can easily be maintained by placing the jar on top of a heating pad set on high. Buy a specific Kombucha heating pad or use a regular medical heating pad you might have lying around the house. Keep the heating pad plugged in and on throughout the entire fermentation process. Ferment for a minimum of 7 days and up to 21 days until the desired flavor is achieved. Take pH reading to ensure pH is less than 4.5. Reserve 2 cups Kombucha and the Scoby to act as your starter culture for your next fermentation. Then bottle the remaining kombucha and add desired flavorings, fruits, and spices, leaving about 1-2 inches of headspace. Let ferment for 1-3 days. Pop the lid once a day to release carbon dioxide pressure. When desired fizziness and flavor is achieved, refrigerate, and enjoy!

Flavor Kombucha with your favorite juice, purees, fresh/frozen/canned/dried fruit pieces, fresh/dried herbs, or your favorite jam or preserves. Common flavors include honey lavender, raspberry lemon, blueberry vanilla, peach, strawberry, pineapple, hibiscus, mango ginger, and much more.

Mango Strawberry Kombucha

Unflavored Kombucha
5-6 (16 oz) bottles
½ mangos
¼ cup strawberries

After kombucha has finished fermenting and before the final fermentation, pour the kombucha into bottles, leaving 3 inches of headspace. Then add fruit into a blender and mix until smooth. Evenly distribute blended fruit into bottles. Let ferment for an additional 1-3 days. Pop the lid once a day to release carbon dioxide pressure. When desired fizziness and flavor are achieved refrigerate and enjoy!