Of course, you’ll have to start with normal homemade kombucha, which is basically just fermented sweet tea. Making kombucha is less intimidating than it sounds, but it’s important to understand the fermentation processor booch. Once you master the dos and don’ts with this nifty little guide, you’ll be ready to put that new SCOBY to good use.
By bottling your own kombucha, you not only get to enjoy the fermented beverage at a lower price, but you reap all the health benefits, as well! Kombucha is packed with probiotics that aid in digestion and detox the body. It also has antioxidants, which depending upon your flavoring, can increase the health benefits. Delicious and downright good, with a tangy vinegary taste and just a bit of carbonation, making your own batch of kombucha is where it’s at.
Before you get crazy with your kombucha flavors (apple, green tea, hibiscus, oolong, you name it!), you’ll have to start with the basics for your first batch. The Healthy Maven has a step-by-step recipe that can get you started. What you’ll need is a kombucha SCOBY (which is the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast that causes fermentation), loose tea or tea bags, cane sugar, filtered water, and some already brewed kombucha – plus your equipment. That will include a glass jar or glass bottles, some cheesecloth (or a coffee filter or paper towel), and a rubber band to seal it, though the size of cloth will depend on your batch size.
Once you’ve figured out your basic kombucha recipe, the different flavors are endless! Kombucha brewing is a rewarding experience because you quite literally watch the continuous brew come to the perfect flavor. Brewing kombucha at home couldn’t be more fun!