Have you ever given up on a particular soda, sugary drink, Coke, Dr. Pepper - in the past - OR you want to do that?

One way you can do that is by introducing kombucha -  not the ONLY way, but one way. What is it anyway? It's a sweet, fizzy drink made of yeast, sugar, and fermented tea. It has a number of health benefits, including gut health and liver function but we aren't going to go into those today. Today is going to be more about the HOW. How to make this simple, yet powerful and yummy drink for your family!

If you'd like more info on the health benefits you can read more about the many bonuses from this awesome drink here. 

If you've had kombucha before, where do you get it? Store? On tap somewhere? Do you make it yourself?

When you buy kombucha at the store, each bottle can be anywhere between $3-5 and typically have not fermented as long so they have less health benefits than if you are drinking homemade SO.... why not make it at home? Making your own can be WAY less expensive, but you want to have the tools to do it well.

Tip #1: You need to brew in a glass or stainless steel container as others like plastic, clay, ceramic and contaminate or disrupt the balance of bacteria.

What is a SCOBY?

In order to make kombucha, a SCOBY is needed. This is an acronym that stands for "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast". The SCOBY appears like a rubbery, disk-shaped blob that forms and new layer and thickens with every batch. It may seem weird, but this is a good sign that the microorganisms are hard at work breaking down the sugar in the tea and releasing probiotic bacteria. This drink is one that has been reported to have orginated in Asian cultures and has been around for a VERY long time. BTW, this becomes a SUPER fun science experiment with your kids, creating great memories too!

How do you get your own SCOBY?? By getting one from a friend - we will be in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, NM and Arizona over the next few months so if you are in any of those areas -- hit me up and we'll see if we can meet up!! Another option is to purchase one from a reputable source like Fermentaholics.

Does this drink contain alcohol? Yes, the fermentation does create a small amount of alcohol, but very little. Not enough to qualify as an alcoholic beverage.

Does it have caffeine? Yes, but only about 1/3 remains in the kombucha after it brews. However, there are ways to decaffeinate the tea even more before brewing.

How much kombucha is good to drink each day? Less is MORE! 4-8oz per day is a great start!

How can I add flavor to my kombucha drink? Try these flavors in your second fermentation!

Supplies:

SCOBY - get one from a friend or purchase here: 

Starter Liquid - at least one cup of previously brewed kombucha per gallon container

Purified Water - no chlorinated water, use spring water, or an under-sink filtered system

Tea - organic, fair-trade(when available) loose leaf tea since it reduces waste - recommend this tea for the best brew:

Muslin Tea Bag

Organic Cane Sugar

1-2.5 Gallon Glass Container

Stainless Steel Spout

How can You Enjoy it in Your life Too

There are two ways to make kombucha - batch brew and continuous brew. We are going to talk about continuous brew today.

Your Initial Batch for a 2.5-gallon vessel:

1. Add tea to eight cups of filtered water and steep for 5-15 min.

2. Remove the tea leaves.

3. Add sugar (1 cup per gallon of brewed tea). Stir until dissolved.

4. Add 1 gallon cold water to cool it off and then add to your vessel. Once the liquid is lukewarm - not too hot or too cold - add the SCOBY and starter liquid. Cover with cloth and rubber band. Ferment for 10-28 days, depending on your preference. You can start taste testing at 10 days and stop when it is to your preference. The longer you ferment your booch, the less sugar it contains and the tarter the flavor.

AFTER the initial batch is made, you will just replace with more sweet tea as you take it from the brewing vessel. Rule of thumb is: one cup out, one cup back in. Another option is to pour out a few bottles and replace with more brewed sweet tea.

Enjoy!

To see how we continue to do this while on the road full-time, watch the full video here: