Kombucha is a refreshing probiotic drink that is made with just a few ingredients. It’s a very popular drink in Russia that is thought to have originated in China. It’s very simple to make, however you do need to source a SCOBY culture also known as a kombucha mother - this is needed to make kombucha.
A kombucha mother is a round, layered gelatinous looking culture that is full of bacteria and yeast. It eats away at the added sugar and creates a refreshing sour tonic beverage that is full of healthy bacteria.
To source a kombucha mother, ask around your community or buy one online.
Here are some tips for making kombucha:
- Always use filtered water as the kombucha mother doesn’t like any chlorine
- Use clean hands and wooden utensils when handling the SCOBY directly
- The kombucha mother will grow in size over time, you can tear it lightly in 2 parts and start another kombucha jar or give away to friends/family/people in the community
- A new kombucha mother forms on the surface of the original kombucha mother during the process. Each batch it will grow in size due to this.
- Do not add any fruit or other ingredients to the tea/sugar mixture while the kombucha is fermenting as this will alter the process, add the fruit when serving the kombucha. Add any flavours after you have created and stored your kombucha drink in a separate jar.
- Every time you make a batch of kombucha, store the kombucha drink in the fridge and make a new batch so that it keeps the kombucha mother alive and is a continuous process.
- You can try making kombucha with either green or black tea, using tea bags or even tea leaves – just make sure you remove the tea leaves before adding the kombucha mother.
Kombucha can be ready made in 7-10 days. I would recommend to start by drinking ½ cup or 1 cup that is then diluted with filtered water and increase the amount over time as you get used to it – however its completely up to your preference and taste.
Get the recipe for our Homemade Kombucha here.
