K is for Kombucha

Basic ingredients to make kombucha

Today I learnt how to make Kombucha for the first time. I was thrilled. The local library put on a fantastic event: Fermenting and Infusing at Home

We were shown how to make Kombucha, sauerkraut and herb infused vinegar – all in an hour by Wendy Skala of The Urban Pear.

The aim of the session was to inspire us to make our own fermented foods at home at very little expense and to reap the rewards in health and sustainability.

Kombucha is a fermented, fizzy drink that has lots of health benefits and tastes pretty good too. Because it is fermented using a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) it acts like a natural probiotic for the gut. The effect is enhanced if the diet is rich in ‘prebiotic’ foods like colourful vegetables, fruits and legumes.

Easy Kombucha Recipe

Ingredients:

1.    The SCOBY

2.     2 teaspoons of black or green tea per litre of water

3.    ½ cup of refined, white sugar per litre of tea

4.    2 tbs of distilled white vinegar or 10% of your previous Kombucha

Method:

1.    Make up the tea and let it cool down to room temperature and strain off the leaves

2.    Make a sugar solution with ½ cup of sugar in water if you are making 1 litre of Kombucha

3.    Add the sugary solution to the tea

4.    Add 2 tbs of distilled white vinegar or 10 % of your last Kombucha

5.    Add the SCOBY to the sugary, tea solution

6.    Cover the container with a paper towel secured with an elastic

Place the container out of direct light and wait for a few days without disturbing it.  The rate of fermentation depends on the weather so this may take up to 7-14 days.

The sugar in the solution is broken down by the yeast and converted into a gas – carbon dioxide which makes the drink fizzy.

I’ve just made our first batch with a packet of loose, black tea, some sugar and the SCOBY that we were given at the presentation today.

And just remember:  Avoid contact with all metal, stainless steel is OK for brief contact.

  The SCOBY dies at temperatures higher than 20°-25° C

I am looking forward to tasting our first Kombucha.