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Green Tea Kombucha Recipe

Prep Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour
Course: Drinks
Keyword: fermentation, Kombucha
Servings: 6 bottles of kombucha

Ingredients

  • 16 grams of organic green tea or 8 tea bags
  • 12 cups of water
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 cups kombucha starter
  • flavoring of your choice see the above notes about flavoring

Instructions

  • Heat water in a large heavy bottom pot. Only heat until the water is producing steam. Remove from heat
  • Add tea bags and sugar. Steep for a few minutes, taste it and see how strong you prefer. Adjust as necessary
  • Allow the tea to cool to room temperature
  • Pour in a large jar
  • Add (1 cup) starter liquid and scoby to jar- do not add SCOBY or starter until the tea is at room temperature because heat will kill the bacteria of the SCOBY!
  • Cover the jar but do not seal it tightly. You can use a small jar cover cloth or something similar.
  • Rest in a cool dark place for 12-14 days
  • Start tasting the kombucha on the 12th day to test flavor
  • Ferment longer if it doesn't taste strong enough
  • Remove your scoby and at least 1 cup of the kombucha starter liquid from the jar
  • Store your scoby and the starter liquid together in a jar in the fridge until ready to make another batch
  • Add your flavoring to the kombucha jar. Remember to make sure all elements are at room temperature before adding to the kombucha.
  • Leave your jar again on the counter covered but not tightly sealed for 2-4 days
  • At this time I like to taste the kombucha every day to see how I like the flavor.
  • After a day or two a seal will start to form at the surface of your buch, that's totally normal and a natural thing. The kombucha is sealing itself off from bacteria and other outside contaminants
  • When you like the flavor, strain out all of your fruits and flavorings with a fine mesh sieve. These can be composted.
  • Pour kombucha into bottles using a pour spout. LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM AT THE TOP OF YOUR BOTTLE!!!!! otherwise you will create a small bomb. Trust me, I accidentally did this several times
  • Leave on the counter for 2-4 days. Do not touch, do not disturb
  • Without opening or disturbing, place bottles in the fridge for 5-10 hours.
  • Now you can gently open your kombucha. Remember to open your kombucha (for the first time) outside or over your sink, using a cloth to cover the opening top in case it bubbles up. Taste your kombucha to see if you like it
  • If you want it to be more carbonated, leave it out on the counter for another day or two

Notes

NOTE: be careful when opening your pop top bottles for the first time--> always open them over the sink and cover them with a towel