The mighty BOOCH.
That’s my affectionate name for Kombucha. I feel like I’m friends with the stuff now, though I didn’t use to like it much at all. Somehow the version we regularly make at home is different. It’s tangier and less sugary.
Plus, it’s fun to experiment and play around with the flavour a bit. Super good times (for healthy food geeks like me).
This video explains in more detail some of the nuances of making Kombucha at home so you don’t have to read a lengthy load of text.
Have a watch and see how simple it is.
For those that like the bog-standard recipe, scroll down for the basics. I recommend you watch the explainer video above in order to understand the nuances of kombucha making at home.
At the very least the ground rules are these.
+ minimise handling the SCOBY, especially be sure to wash your hands thoroughly first.
+ make sure your implements are clean, and don’t have residue detergent on them as that may inhibit the fermenting process.
+ avoid using metal with the SCOBY, it doesn’t like it. Use wood, glass or if you have to, plastic.
+ you can make a SCOBY from scratch, I did with the one you see in the video above, but it’s also nice to get them from other people who make fermented food at home if you can. Try posting on a local forum, or visiting a community garden.
+ when you want to take a break from making it, place the SCOBY, with enough liquid to cover it from your last batch, in a closed container in the fridge. It can last many months like this, in its ‘SCOBY hotel’.
Recipe
You’ll need
3.5 litres of filtered boiled water
1 cup of granulated sugar (white or raw)
6 black tea bags, or equivalent loose leaf
3.5-4 Litre jar, or drinks dispenser – best if it fits in the fridge
Cleaning cloth, or paper towel, or muslin (as long as it’s breathable, but still covers the top)
Elastic band or string to secure cover cloth
Method
- Boil water and place into a large pot with granulated sugar and tea bags.
- Stir till sugar dissolves.
- Allow to steep until fully cooled to room temperature. Remove tea bags.
- Place your SCOBY into the jar or dispenser and fill with the tea and sugar liquid.
- Place breathable fabric over top of container and secure over the opening
- Leave covered and undisturbed in the back of a cupboard for 7-10 days. Make sure it is not in a place where the temperature changes, or in a draught, or in the sun.
- Taste check it and see when it is ‘vinegary’ enough for you. Bubbles may form. It can ferment more slowly in cooler temperatures.
- Once ready, halt the whole thing, SCOBY and all in the fridge.
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