Kombucha

Recipe by Calypso- HealthLab Australia (CG Admin)

  • Time needed: 1 hour (needs 1-2 weeks to ferment)
  • Calories per serving:
  • Servings: Makes 1 Litre
  • Difficulty: 3
  • Rating: no ratings yet

We have become hooked on Kombucha – fermented tea – a refreshing drink with an appley flavour combined with a slightly sweet and sour taste and a bit of fizz. It contains highly effective probiotics, delivering health enhancing live bacteria. It is produced by fermenting black or green tea along with a rubbery mushroom-like ‘SCOBY’, AKA Symbiotic Combination of Bacteria and Yeast.  A perfect subtle soft drink which can be taken neat, diluted, or with added flavours. And which just keeps on producing…

Ingredients

• A SCOBY (from a friend or online)
• 1 litre wide-mouth clean glass jar
• 1 litre of spring or filtered water
• 2-3 tea bags, ideally organic black or green tea.
• 60g unbleached sugar
• Small piece of cotton cloth

Method

1. Make the sweetened tea; Boil about 300mls of the filtered water then pour into a 1litre jug containing the tea bags. Stir in the sugar. Allow to steep for 30 minutes before removing the tea bags. Leave to cool then add the remaining water.
2. Place your SCOBY, using clean hands, along with its fluid into the cooled tea.
3. Cover with the cloth. Secure with an elastic band. Leave on the kitchen surface out of direct sunlight at room temperature to brew.
4. After a few days small bubbles form around the edge of the SCOBY. Your alien life form is springing into action.
5. It will be ready to drink after around 5-14 days, gaining a richer, more tart taste with a slight fizz with time.
6. When ready, decant into a clean glass bottle with a tight lid. Leave behind the same volume of fluid as the size of the SCOBY, so it can be restarted by repeating the cycle.

More details and TIPS in The Clever Guts Diet Recipe Book.

2 reviews for “Kombucha”

  • review by:
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    Very clear explanation.
    Thanks.
    I bought a large Kombucha making crock ( there wasn’t much difference in price between sizes so I thought what the heck!).
    So my SCOBI is bigger than a dinner plate! I make the same proportions as you but double.
    I drain off about 2 L and make more and add. The next day it’s palatable but after that I can tolerate it but no one else can! So I have litres in the fridge!
    Is such a quick turn around still full of goodies? Full of sugar still?
    Couldn’t find where to post this question. Sorry!

  • review by:
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    If it’s too strong, water down with sparkling water, or add some homemade elderflower cordial or ginger syrup.. My nightly tipple…

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