By Marie Lorraine Johnson MS, RDN, LD, CPT
Kombucha has been growing in popularity since the early 2010’s. At bright sky we are strong supporters of this drink due to its antimicrobial activity and probiotic content. Today you can find this drink in most stores for a little over $2.50 for a 16 oz serving.
If you want the taste and health benefits of kombucha without leaving your home, you can begin to brew your own. The first thing you will need is a scoby.
What is a SCOBY?
Scoby stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. You can get a scoby from a friend, order one online or grow your own.
How to Grow your own SCOBY
- Purchase a bottle of Raw Kombucha
- All kombucha has the bacteria and yeast in it. So buying kombucha raw is simply buying the live ingredients to grow your own scoby, you just need to add in the food.
- The Food: Very sweet black tea
- The type of black tea you purchase is up to you, just make sure it is not decaf, as the SCOBY feeds on caffeine and sugar in the tea.
- Patience
- Wait until the scoby is ¼ inch thick before using it to brew your first batch of kombucha. This should take about 30 days. If you don’t see a SCOBY forming after 3 weeks, throw the batch out and start over.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz of raw Kombucha
- 2 cups of water
- 5 tea bags
- 3/4 cup of sugar
Material:
- Glass Jar
- Coffee Filter or Dish Cloth
- Rubber band
- Wooden spoon (Using metal can harm the bacteria and yeast in the kombucha)
Directions:
- Heat 2 cups of water till boiling.
- Steep 5 black tea bags in the water for 3 minutes.
- Stir in 3/4 cup of sugar into tea
- Let tea cool to room temperature
- Pour 8 oz of kombucha in glass jar and 8 oz of black sweet tea
- Cover the jar with coffee filter, or clean dish towel and secure with rubber-band
- Store in dark, warm area, and check weekly to see your scoby develop. If no scoby grows after 3 weeks throw out batch and start again
Read more about Kombucha
