Homemade Kombucha

Kombucha is a refreshing fermented tea drink that is packed with beneficial bacteria and probiotics.  My husband and I first tried it a few years ago, we would by the bottles of GT Kombucha at Whole Foods.  It was a treat for us since they were about $3 a bottle!! I was excited when I found a Kombucha recipe in the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook.  This recipe is adapted from hers, I just have changed the amounts to a 2 gallon jar because we go through lots of Kombucha now that I found a frugal way that we can drink it often.  There are many health benefits from drinking kombucha. The SCOBY or kombucha mushroom feeds on sugar and caffeine and produces acetic acid and lactic acid and also detoxifying substances like glucuronic acid. This refreshing drink is a great replacement for sugary sodas!!

I have a 2 gallon glass jar that I think I bought at Walmart so this recipe fits the 2 gallon jar.

Here is what you are going to need:

- a large stock pot

- 2 gallon glass jar
- white dish towel
- large rubber band
- 2 2/3 cups white sugar
- 11 organic black tea bags (I do half black tea and half green tea)
- 8 quarts of filtered water
- kombucha SCOBY or mushroom (you can buy this online or get one from a friend)
- 1 cup of kombucha from a previous batch


Here is what you are going to need if you are doing a one gallon jar or bowl:

- a large stock pot
- 1 gallon glass jar or bowl (the picture at the top is a one gallon brew of kombucha in my 1 gallon glass bowl)
- white dish towel
- large rubber band
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 organic black tea bags
- 3 cups of filtered water
- kombucha SCOBY or mushroom
- 1/2 cup kombucha from a previous batch

*it is important to use organic tea as non-organic tea is high in fluoride.

1. First thing you are going to do is make sweet tea.  In a large stock pot bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. (or 2 quarts if you are doing a one gallon jar)

2. Once you have a rolling boil going, stir in all the sugar, be sure to mix it well.

3. Turn off the heat and throw in the tea bags and let steep for about 5 minutes.

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4. Remove the tea bags and let the sweet tea cool.  I like to then add the other 5 cups of filtered water (or 1 cup of water if you are doing one gallon) to cool down the tea faster.

5. while the sweet tea is cooling take the brewed kombucha out and put in separate jars, be sure to leave in about 3/4 cup or so for the next batch.  (sometimes I leave the SCOBY in the jar while I take the brewed kombucha out and sometimes I put the SCOBY in another glass jar covered with the 3/4 cup brewed kombucha and covered with a dish towel so I can clean out my brewing kombucha jar.)

6. Once the sweet tea is about body temperature pour it over the SCOBY and put the towel on and secure it on with a large rubber band to keep the fruit flies out.  I leave a couple inches at the top of my jar because I do not want my SCOBY touching the towel on the top because the fruit flies can sometimes lay eggs right onto your SCOBY through your towel, yuck!!

6. In the picture above you can see the difference of the kombucha on the right with the sweet tea I just added to the SCOBY.  Let the Kombucha ferment for about 5-8 days depending upon how warm your house is. It will ferment faster in the summer.  Take a taste test to see if it is ready.  It should taste kind of like apple cider but with a vinegar tang at the end. The beauty of homemade kombucha is that you can make it just how you like it, if you like it sweeter or if you like it to have more of a vinegar kick to it.  Apparently SCOBYs like a quieter environment so we let ours brew on a dresser in our master bedroom.  If you like kombucha that is nice and bubbly leave your brewed jars out on the counter for another day or two instead of sticking them immediately in the fridge.

**  Here is a great video on how to make kombucha and the benefits behind it, check it out!

** You can make your own SCOBY at home with a bottle of GT kombucha with a culture in it.  Stay tuned for a post on that soon...

** SCOBY stands for a Symbionic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast- which means that the SCOBY or mushroom feeds on the sugar and caffeine in the sweet tea and leaves behind beneficial bacterias and acids.

**Here is a picture of what our SCOBY looks like, I know it looks a little scary and this deters some people from making their own kombucha, but trust me it is not that scary and it is worth it for this delicious beverage which is sooo much healthier than a soda.  Every time you brew a new batch of kombucha you will have a new layer form (a baby) on top of your SCOBY which you can keep or share with a friend.