Kombucha is the tea everyone is talking about. While it's been around for eons, the tea has become the latest nutritional crazy. Best of all, it's super easy to make at home.
What is kombucha?
Kombucha is a sweet fermented, fizzy drink. It's usually made with a SCOBY (an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), a lovely little haven for yeast and bacteria to grow, turning it into a nutritious and delicious healthy drink.
The SCOBY is a weird, rubbery looking object that sits on the surface of your kombucha. It gets the fermentation process going, and stops any air or "bad" bacteria from interrupting the process.
How long does it take to make?
Once you've made your kombucha tea, it will take between one week and around 12 days to ferment into the finished drink. Although, this depends on a few factors such as temperature and the SCOBY you use.
How to make kombucha
There are many in-depth online guides to making our own kombucha (this guide is a good one). Here are some quick steps to get you growing your own SCOBY so you can then make the tea:
- Put 1 cup of kombucha (maybe ask a friend for one or buy a bottle) into a small bowl.
- Place a cloth on top and keep it at room temperature.
- The SCOBY will start to grow – looking like a weird little alien thing.
- Brew some sweet tea (recipe here).
- Pour the tea into the kombucha mix.
- Cover the bowl securely and store it for up to 4 weeks at room temperature.
- Watch as the mix bubbles, then develops a film.
- As you continue brewing kombucha, the SCOBY will grow and make little SCOBY babies. True story!
- You can then use the SCOBY to make more batches of kombucha.
- Then, enjoy!