DIY KOMBUCHA
STEP 1
Make a sweet tea and let it cool
The ratio I use: 1litre + 70g sugar + 3 tea bags.
Must use black or green tea, rather than infusions as it has the nutrients that scoby needs
STEP 2
Put the scoby and the juices the scoby comes in with the tea in a glass jar to ferment. I use both standard jars and also use a Kilner drink dispenser jar for the continuous method. Don’t screw the lid on too tight - ideally pop a muslin or cheese cloth over the top of the jar and secure with a rubber band because the scoby needs oxygen.
Taste after 7 days - the longer you ferment the more intense the flavour gets
When fermented to your tase, remove the scoby to start another batch
STEP 3
Flavour the kombucha via infusion.
I like to use chilli, various herbs like rosemary etc.
If using fruit, chop and add (some people use juice or blended fruit). Bear in mind that fruit will have sugars so there will be a secondary fermentation that happens and the resulting kombucha will be more intense in flavour and may be sweeter.
Store in the fridge.
Some things to remember:
> People have messaged me wanting exact methods but whilst its been around for about 2000 years, kombucha making is not an exact science. There are lots of variables; temperature, ratio, types of tea, humidity to name a few + your personal preference! Scoby is very resilient, so I would encourage you to do a bit of trial and error
> Kombucha is alive, so the fermentation will keep going albeit slowed down in the fridge. This means fermentation is slower in the winter and faster in the summer
> You can ferment until it is sour, and use as a vinegar in salads
> The scoby will grow and multiply - at some point, you will need to cut the scoby to keep it a manageable size
> Off-cut scoby is good for trying out different kombucha (like coffee kombucha!). I have marinated it in soy and added in salads. Apparently they can also be dehydrated as dog treats
SCOBY + BOOCH GALLERY
