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Berry flavored kombucha in a decorative tall glass garnished with a cocktail skewer of blueberries, a sliced strawberry, and a sprig of mint leaves.
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Kombucha Recipe

Sweet, tart, fizzy, and full of healthy probiotics, This kombucha recipe is an easy step by step apporach for how to make kombucha at home.
Course Beverage
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
fermentation time 10 days
Total Time 10 days 20 minutes
Servings 16 cups
Calories 48kcal
Author Chellie Schmitz
Cost $3

Equipment

  • 1 large stockpot
  • 1 gallon size glass jar
  • tightly woven cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter to use as a lid to cover the jar.
  • rubber band to secure the cloth covering.
  • ladle and funnel to easily bottle the kombucha
  • Optional: Siphon could be used instead of ladle and funnel.
  • swing top bottles no metal tops.

Ingredients

Basic Kombucha

  • 8 tea bags black tea, oolong tea, or green tea. Nothing decaffeinated, and no herbal teas.
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 quarts water
  • 2 cups starter tea From a previous batch of kombucha, or store bought kombucha. Should not be flavored.
  • 1 SCOBY Symbiotic Culture Of Yeast.

Flavored Kombucha for optional second fermentation

  • 1/4 cup berries Fresh or frozen. Fruit juice works too.
  • 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and sliced.

Instructions

  • Heat 1 quart water in a stock pot until hot, but not boiling.
  • Add the tea bags and let brew off of the heat for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the tea bags.
  • Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
  • Add 2 cups of ice and 2 1/2 quarts of cold water to bring the tea to room temperature.
  • Pour the tea into a gallon sized jar with the starter tea and the SCOBY.
  • Cover with a coffee filter or a tightly woven cotton kitchen towel secured with a rubber band.
  • Let it sit at room temperature for 7-10 days where it will be undisturbed.
  • Pour tea into bottles and store in the refrigerator.

Optional Second Fermentation

  • If flavoring, add fruit, fruit juice, or herbs (depending on how you want to flavor it) to swing top bottles and pour the tea in.
  • Let stand at room temperature for another 3-7 days.
  • Refrigerate and serve.

Notes

  • If you purchase a SCOBY online, don't get the dehydrated one, get the live one that comes in some liquid.
  • Be sure that every bottle, instrument, and also your hands are very clean. Remember that you are working with good bacteria, and the last thing you want is cross-contamination with bad bacteria.
  • After the first fermentation, taste it. If it tastes too sweet, then let it ferment a couple more days.
  • The second fermentation is optional. The longer time will give you more fizz or bubbles in your end result. There is no fizz in a single fermentation batch.
  • If you like flavored kombucha then a second fermentation is the time to add the flavor.
  • Do not use metal tops to seal your bottles. Metal can react with the ingredients in Kombucha and cause toxicity. Also, avoid plastic bottles because plastics are porous and can contain bacteria. The best Kombucha bottles are sterilized glass with a swing top lid. 
  • Sometimes your kombucha will have 'floaties' or particles from the flavoring or just the process (think apple cider vinegar with the mother), this is normal and if that bothers you, strain it as you pour it into your glass. 

Nutrition

Calories: 48kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Sodium: 12mg | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 7mg