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Fermenting – it’s as easy to do at home as it is to buy, and I love it. I find the process of fermenting epic because it can bring out all those hidden goodies in food. In the beginning, I had no bloody idea what I was doing or what to expect, so I just winged it as ya do.
So making your own kombucha at home is also easy. YES, but it can also get weird too, so try not to freak out. The scoby looks odd – like really weird at first, and you kinda have no idea when the tea is ready to bottle up and drink…
Like I said, just wing it, and you’ll see it is really really simple.
I remember when I was making my first kombucha batch. The thing I needed first was a kombucha scoby, so I went online and found one website that sent me my scoby. So, if you want one, jump online kids! It was sealed well, packed together with the instructions, and it was epic. Just like my own science experiment in my kitchen really..
I was so impatient to make my first kombucha…
…and from there, I’ve gone on to grow my own Scobies.
Some years after these beginnings, I have made many different flavours and even got a little tipsy from a batch. I also turned a batch of kombucha into vinegar!! FYI don’t throw away the vinegar-tasting kombucha, as it makes GREAT vinegar, and I use it as a replacement for any vinegar.
See what I mean by wing it! It all works out in the end. Xxx
Now, I’ll teach you how to make this scented, delicious, sweet, kind of soda called kombucha that I love, so you will be making your own kombucha at home in no time.
Making Your Own Kombucha At Home – This is how I do it.
For this recipe (and there are many), you will need rosella flowers, pure sugar (rapadura sugar), clean filtered water and your kombucha scoby.
What I do first is fill a large pot with water and add sugar. I prefer raw cane sugar called rapadura sugar, but you can use coconut sugar as well. I add enough to make it taste as sweet as I like. This is actually like making a big cup of tea.
Then I add some dried rosella flowers. These are really epic. They are crazy red in colour and when sweetened, they have a lovely flavour. Bring this to the boil, allow it to simmer for some time like when you prepare tea and then leave it to cool completely.
When this ‘big cup of tea’ has completely cooled down, strain it into a big jar (discard the flowers). Any kind of jar will do the job here.
And now comes the moment of adding the scoby to the jar. I know this thing looks really weird but don’t freak out. When you add it to the tea, it will do one of two things – float or sink to the bottom.
What happens now is something really amazing. This sweet tea that you prepared and the yeast in the air will ferment this weird-looking liquid called kombucha and turn the tea into this epic beverage. This concoction will ferment for 7-10 days, depending on where you live and the temperature in the room. Here in Bali, Indonesia, the weather is hot, so it takes about 5-7 days, but in Melbourne, for instance, it will take more time ‘cause it’s colder.
Don’t freak out again. I know it looks like an animal/alien floating at the bottom of the jar, but an amazing process is going on here actually….
…I just love fermentation!
You know, what you get will be a beverage that is bursting with probiotics, enzymes, B-vitamins and acids. My friends who started drinking it regularly told me that they felt more energetic.
Well, if you use black tea instead of rosella flowers, iron gets released from the black tea, and combined with the B-vitamins, it can surely make you feel invigorated. It’s also said that kombucha can improve digestion and help in detoxification since it counteracts liver cell toxicity.
So, the whole process involves going from this big cup of super sweet tea to pure vinegar with almost 1% of alcohol. What I do is bottle it when this flavor is between sweetness and vinegar, and that’s it! So, tasting everyday is a must. Also make sure you have a lid or a cloth over yours so the ants don’t get in!
Now that you know how to make your own kombucha at home, go find a website that can send you a scoby, follow the instructions, and later on you can play and experiment with different types of flavours like rosella flowers. Or why don’t you start with rosella flowers first? It’s really incredible.
Here’s the recipe for how to make your own kombucha at home
KOMBUCHA RECIPE
- 2.5 liters Water (clean, filtered water)
- 1 cup Sugar* (rapadura sugar works best)
- 35-45 Rosella Flowers
- 1 scoby, homemade or purchased online
- *You can add as much sugar as you like to have that sweet taste
METHOD
- Pour the water into a pot and bring it to a boil.
- Add the sugar and flowers, taste and add more sugar if desired.
- Boil for 5-15 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to cool down completely.
- Strain the liquid into your glass jar and discard the flowers.
- Add the flowers to the compost bin or leave for the the chickens.
- Add the scoby to the jar of the red, sweet, now cold tea.
- Wait for around 7 days… maybe… I think so… perhaps.. See what happens… taste daily!
- Taste it everyday within those 5, 7, 10 or whatever days… Ok… Ok!!
- Bottle and put in the fridge and drink daily! It will keep for ages, but of course it won’t last
Keep the Scoby in some of the tea for your next batch. And it will grow so share with all your mates
Tell me what happens…
This is how easy it is to make your own kombucha at home, and it’s great to get the kids involved in this one!!
Love,
Cynthia
