Overview
Kombucha is a fermented sweetened tea that has been around for centuries; it's speculated that it originated in Asia. It is slightly tangy and slightly sweet, and a great treat on a summer day. If you ferment it long enough, it has a powerful vinegar kick that will lock up your jaw muscles like Apple Cider vinegar. Kombucha contains high levels of antioxidants, b-vitamins, probiotics and glucaric acid. It's easy to make!My recipe for Kombucha.
Equipment Needed
- A gallon size glass jar with a wide opening at the top.
- 4 liters of brewed sweetened tea. Black tea is typical (or red tea as its called in China) but Green tea is also nice; I haven't played with herbal teas yet, but it's reported to be good as well.
- Sugar. The ratio of sugar to tea is 60 grams of sugar per liter of tea
- A "scoby" ...aka the alien looking thing that grows on top of the tea and might gross you out the first time...but it's actually just a water mushroom with a fancy acronym for a name; here's what it means: "Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast". It is often called the "culture" as well. (hopefully you have a friend that can give this to you. Search on Craigslist or somewhere for a donor - there's plenty of advocates for this drink that want to spread it around)
- 1/2 cup of liquid from a previous batch of Kombucha (hopefully you have a friend that can give this to you as well.)
- A tea towel and a rubber band or string to cover the top of the jar, but still allow it to breathe (fruit flies will be all up in your sweet tea if you don't cover it, but the Kombucha will not grow properly if it can't breathe)
Initial Research found on (thank you!):
http://www.kombu.de/anleit-e.htm
http://wellnessmama.com/2673/kombucha-recipe/
