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How to Make Kombucha at Home Cheap and Easy
Photo credit: bigstock.com
Instructions:
- Make your tea. You can use 2 “family size” tea bags or 8 to 10 regular tea bags or 2 tablespoons of loose tea, to one gallon of water (if you have a larger container, you can double or triple this recipe.) Any type of plain old tea will do.
- Add one cup of sugar to the water. Do not use honey or other types of sweeteners, it won’t work.
- Allow the tea to cool to room temperature. Be sure it’s completely cool or you will kill the SCOBY.
- Pour the cool tea into the glass jar. You will need to leave about 20 percent of room in the jar, so don’t fill to capacity. Add ½ cup of starter kombucha or vinegar.
- Wash your hands well, and then gently place the SCOBY on top of the liquid. It should float, but if it falls to the bottom, that’s OK. Don’t touch the liquid!
- Cover the jar. Flies love this mixture, so be sure they can’t get inside.
- Put the jar in a warm place in the kitchen. An ideal temperature is between 70 and 75 degrees.
- Allow it to sit and ferment for 7 days. Pour a little bit in a cup and see if it tastes right. It should be tart, but still sweet. If it’s too tart, let it sit another couple days.
That’s it! Your kombucha is ready for another brew! So now dispense this brew into several quart size Mason jars (with plastic lids!) and be sure you leave a bit of room at the top.
Your kombucha is ready to drink! You can repeat the process above, using your SCOBY.
You only need to clean the container and spigot when necessary. For example, if the spigot becomes clogged with yeast or if you notice that a great deal of yeast has accumulated in the bottom of the container. When you need to clean it, simply remove some of the kombucha and the SCOBY and put it in another container. Clean the container and spigot, preferably with white vinegar. If you use soap, be sure you rinse it very, very, very well. Soap residue will kill your SCOBY. Once your container and spigot is clean, put the SCOBY and kombucha back inside the container, and continue making a new batch of kombucha!
Your SCOBY will eventually grow in size until it becomes quite large. This is the time to use a NON-METAL cutting device, such as a plastic knife, and distribute it to your friends. Passing on a good thing, like SCOBY, is what friendship is all about, right?
SEE ALSO: Want a Healthy Sweet Drink? Check Out This Medicinal Turmeric Tea Recipe!
Kombucha is like any other recipe, there are hundreds of variations. This is a basic recipe and works well for most beginners, but don’t be afraid to have fun experimenting with it.
Happy fermenting!
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