Maria Nasir
Table of Contents
Homemade Kombucha
So guys this past summer was my first time ever making Kombucha tea at home from SCOBY. What is Kombucha? It’s a lightly fizzy, sweet & sour fermented black tea drink that seems to be rapidly growing in popularity. This entire summer I’ve been totally in love with this very refreshing drink. But as most fermented foods become trendy these day due to their probiotic benefits, they are sold at a hefty price. I did some Google search and decided to make more kombucha at home from my last store-bought bottle.
And once you’ll learn the secrets of making kombucha at home your digestive system will thank you. You’ll never buy expensive kombucha from stores. Instead you’ll have an unending supply of this delicious, fun and healthy drink at home. Making homemade kombucha is a slow process, no doubt, but so simple, especially when making it from a SCOBY that you can borrow from a friend who brews kombucha or easily buy online. Let’s dive straight into details now!
Kombucha Origins
Kombucha has many different names around the world now and as many claims of origin. But most historians agree that it its beginnings in China in the early Qin Dynasty as far back as 221 BC. Because of its healing quality, it was called “The Tea of Immortality”. The credit for the name ‘kombucha’ goes to a Korean physician, Doctor Kombu, though, who introduced the fermented tea in Japan in the 19th century. From there it’s popularity spread to the entire Far East through trade routes. In the 20th century it reached Europe through Russia.
What Is SCOBY?
Kombucha is made by allowing a safe and healthy culture of bacteria and yeast to consume the sugar in tea. But can only be made with a healthy culture that comes from a a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast – hence the name SCOBY. Cleanliness is paramount in making of kombucha as in any other fermented food. You MUST keep a careful eye out for mold as your SCOBY grows. If you see the SCOBY turn brown or greenish, you’ll have to throw out the entire mixture and start over with fresh “mother” SCOBY. It looks a bit weird – like a slimy alien life form. But it is the base that gives kombucha it’s amazing health benefits and carbonated magic.
Health Benefits of Kombucha Tea
In past people used fermentation, primarily, to preserve foods, improve flavor and enhance the shelf life. Nearly all traditional cultures ate fermented foods. Overtime they discovered the amazing health benefits of fermentation. Yogurt, sourdough, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut and, from our own culture, kanji and shaljam ka pani wala achaar are some examples. Now fermented foods are exploding in popularity as social media influencers, health gurus and foodies are embracing them everywhere.
Kombucha like most fermented foods, supports the gut microbiome and thus promotes gut health. It helps with bowel regularity and digestion. It inhibits the growth of harmful and pathogenic microbes. Unhealthy gut can contribute to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Therefore, kombucha improves mental health by reducing levels of inflammation in digestive system. It may also lower blood sugar and blood lipids and, as a result, the risk of non-alchoholic fatty liver disease if consumed in moderation.
Homemade Kombucha Do’s & Don’ts
- Don’t use decaf tea. SCOBY is not very fond of decaf so it won’t grow very well if fed on it.
- Choose only black tea to start the SCOBY. Once it’s big and strong enough, you can add green or flavored teas.
- Use white sugar, not honey or jaggery to start with. Honey can contain botulism bacteria and jaggery other impurities that will multiply in kombucha making process and can be harmful.
- Be patient. Nothing noteworthy will happen for first few days. Then a very thin layer will form which will thicken into a slimy disc. It might sink or float sideways but that’s okay.
- Cleanliness is very important.
- Don’t use metal plastic containers for fermentation. Only glass and non-corrosive materials.
- Keep your kombucha somewhere warm through the process. Fermentation slows down in cold surroundings.
- Throw it all away if you see mold.
- SCOBY formula – 7 cups water:1 cup store bought kombucha for starter:4 teabags:1/2 cup white sugar.
Ingredients
- 7 cups clean water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup unflavored store bought kombucha
- 4 teabags black tea
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
Directions
First Fermentation.
Step1
Bring water to a boil in a clean pan. Add sugar and stir till sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add teabags and leave to steep till the tea cools down to room temperature.
Step2
Pour the cooled, sweet tea into clean bottles or jars. I used two 1 liter bottles. Make sure the tea is cool not warm. Then pour store bought kombucha into each bottle or jar. Make sure to include any little fragments of SCOBY in kombucha to your bottles.
Step3
Add synthetic vinegar to the bottles/jars. I once used apple cider as well and it turned out fine. If you decide to choose apple cider make sure it’s good quality.
Step4
Now cover the bottles with 3-4 layers of clean cotton cloth. And secure with rubber band or string.
Step5
Place the bottles somewhere dark but out of the way of drought, like in a kitchen cupboard or box. Keep it there for 1 to 4 weeks or till a 1/4 inch thick layer of SCOBY forms.
Step6
Your SCOBY is ready to make new batches. Keep it inside the original tea until you are ready to brew your first batch. The tea used to make SCOBY is usually very sour. If you wish to consume it, you can dilute it with water or fruit juice.
Step7
For 2nd Fermentation. Divide your SCOBY to make more batches in similar way. If treated carefully and with respect this cycle can go on for a very long time. Now you can add even green tea or fruit juices to flavor your kombucha drink.
Step8
This time pour in airtight jars or bottles and store in a dark place once again. Now that the liquid is in airtight containers, bubbles will form resulting in a fizzy delight.
Conclusion
Keep the ready kombucha refrigerated and enjoy chilled.