Have you heard of kombucha? It’s a fermented tea that seems to have a bit of a cult-like following. Kombucha lovers talk a lot about a "scoby" and “the baby." Well, I love kombucha and thought about making it myself, but it was a bit intimidating.
That's when my fellow Meteorologist Monica Woods told me that she makes it all the time for her family and she didn't mind showing me all the ins and outs of making my very own homemade kombucha.
I have to tell you, the "scoby" part was pretty gross, but the end product was amazing. Monica adds ginger and pear to flavor her kombucha. It was pretty good! More importantly, she saves about $60 per month making kombucha at home.
Before you get started, you'll need a "scoby" and 2 cups of starter brew. Both are items you can get from a friend or a health food store.
So, what is a “scoby”? It’s actually an acronym that means, Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It’s a product that forms when you brew tea and allow it to ferment. It’s a place that allows the bacteria and yeast to live and eventually create the drink known as kombucha.
HERE ARE THE STEPS
1. Have the scoby, along with 2 cups of starter brew ready
2. Brew 6 cups of water with 16 tea bags (steep for 4 minutes)
3. Add 1 cup of sugar
4. Add 8 cups of water
5. Let the mixture cool to room temperature
6. Add the brew to a large mason jar, along with the scoby and two cups of starter brew. Then you place the brew in a cool, dry place for 1 week.
7. After a week, you're ready to bottle.
8. Remove the scoby and reserve 2 cups of tea mixture for your next batch
9. Slice up a couple of small pieces of ginger and a quarter of a pear and put into the smaller bottles for individual servings. Then fill with the fermented tea mixture. Do this for about 4-6 bottles. You may have less bottles depending on how much fruit you put in your bottle for flavor.
10. Place the filled bottles in a cool, dry place for two more days then refrigerate for at least 6 hours before drinking.
11. Enjoy!
Before you start your home-brewed kombucha journey, there are health risks you should consider.
Experts advise that you test for an ideal ph between 3.5 and 2.5 to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms.
Continue the conversation with Tracy on Facebook.