Making your own kombucha is not as hard as it may seem. With the help of some slimy science, you too can have delicious, carbonated tea with health benefits (some believe), including improved digestion and strengthening the immune system. As much as we adore our local kombucha suppliers, we thought we would try our hand at a batch. (Important note!: Please be sure to brew in very sanitary conditions. Improper preparation could lead to contamination by possibly harmful bacteria.)

Ingredients:

Active SCOBY (Mother)
4 bags or 1 tablespoon black or green tea — Try to avoid any flavored teas; you can add your own flavors later!
Raw sugar
6 cups filtered water
Starter tea or distilled white vinegar (Tip: You can even use store-bought kombucha for starter tea)

Instructions:

1. Boil water and steep tea for 30 minutes. Add sugar.

2. Let the tea cool to 68-85° and strain the loose tea or remove tea bags.

4. Add 1/4 cup of starter tea along with the active SCOBY to the freshly brewed tea. If you would like to add any spices or fruit, add them into the tea. Make sure they are underneath the SCOBY.

5. Cover container with paper towel to let the tea breathe while it ferments. Let tea sit and maintain 68-85°, out of direct sunlight, for 7-14 days or to taste. The longer the kombucha ferments, the less sweet and more vinegary it will taste.

6. While the tea ferments, a second starter SCOBY will grow. Once the taste is to your liking, remove the SCOBYs and 1 cup of tea to become your starter tea for your next batch.

Note: If you don’t plan on making your next batch right away, keep your SCOBYs covered in the refrigerator.