Jen Mayer

Food Projects: Part III

KOMBUCHA!
It really is a great word. Kom-bu-cha. I just started brewing another batch today. Last fall my neighbor gave me a SCOBY and I was brewing a new batch every other week. Then I took a break over the holidays by ending all the batches I had going. Now I am back, thank you craigslist.org. Within 24 hours of posting a WANTED: kombucha scoby I had two in my hands.

BTW: a SCOBY is a “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast” and it is what ferments the sweetened tea to make kombucha

How to Make Kombucha- simplified

1. use a glass container 1/2 to 2 gallons large
2. wash hands with hot soap and water, clean workspace
3. clean glass container well
4. boil water to make enough tea to fill your container
5. add sugar, 1 cup per every 3 quarts
6. use only pure green or black tea with caffeine and brew tea
7. allow sweet tea to cool to room temperature (70 °)
8. add SCOBY and cover with a lint-free cloth (dishtowel) and secure with rubber band
9. allow to brew undisturbed
10. check on kombucha brew. it could take 7-14 days to ferment

A good link with more intensive directions and a video can be found here: Wikihow page on making kombucha

I’ll let you know how these new batches turn out!