Homemade Kombucha

 Blueberry Kombucha 

Not all people like Kombucha. I dont like the stuff  that I have purchased from the store, it tastes too vinegar-esq to me. Enter my Mom, she makes most everything taste better. Someone gave her a kombucha "baby" and she brewed a few batches and voila a drink that was healthy and tasted good too! I dont think Mom has made kombucha in a while though.  

A friend of mine recently introduced me to the concept of adding fruit to make it flavored instead of using flavored teas...I like this much much better. So go find yourself a "baby" and be prepared to make some of the best most cost affective kombucha around!

Kombucha
4 black or green tea bags (black tastes best) - plain unflavored
1 cup white sugar, it does work with raw cane sugar too
3 quarts filtered water
1 Kombucha Mushroom
1/2 - 1 cup unflavored kombucha tea

1 gallon glass jar (I got an old huge pickle jar from someone)
3 quarts worth of small glass jars with plastic lids (do not ever use anything metal with homemade kombucha, if it comes in contact with metal it can leach and make the tea potentially dangerous to drink) 
1 coffee filter and a rubber-band
jelly strainer bag (a new paint straining bag can work too, or you can use another coffee filter, it might rip though) 

Bring 2 quarts of the water to a boil, turn off he heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved completely. Run hot water over your gallon jar to heat it up (this will prevent the jar from cracking) pour the hot sugar water in the jar. Add the tea bags and steep for a minimum of 20 minutes. Discard tea bags.  Add the remaining 1 quart water. Cover with the coffee filter and rubber-band and allow the tea to cool to room temp. Add 1/2 to 1 cup unflavored kombucha tea. Place the kombucha mushroom on top with the light side facing up. Cover again with filter and rubber-band. Allow to brew for 5-10 days on the counter in a draft free place. (if your house is warm it will take less time to brew, cold longer)

After this brewing period is up pour into your glass jars you can flavor your tea now if you like. Remember to set aside 1 cup of the brew for your next batch, store your mushroom in this tea too in a mason jar with a plastic lid in the fridge until you make your next batch.

Flavor suggestions (each suggestion is per pint of tea)

Raspberry/blueberry: one TBS each fruit per pint of tea
Honey/ginger: 1 TBS honey, 1 TBS fresh grated ginger, 1 TBS water (tastes like ginger ale)
Strawberry/lemonade: 1 TBS chopped strawberries, 1 TBS lemon juice, 1 TBS honey

Per every one pint of unflavored kombucha you can add 2Tbs of frozen, friesh or dried fruit of your choice, allow the tea to brew for a few extra days (2-4) on the counter until fizzy. You should see bubbles forming in the jar, now store them in the fridge. Before drinking the tea strain it through a coffee filter or jelly bag and discard the fruit. Enjoy you own homemade healthy kombucha!

Note: pineapple is not a good option

If you dont have a SCOBY  (or kombucha mushroom) here are directions to make one (I have not tried this but if you do let me know if it works. :) 

Also PLEASE read the info here to know what to look for if you suspect mold or something looks funky with your tea or mushroom  

Here are some important links to read prior to consuming the tea it is HIGHLY DISCOURAGED to drink the tea while pregnant and nursing as it is a STRONG detox drink, talk with your doctor or midwife if you choose to continue to drink the tea during this time.

- http://www.anahatabalance.com/kombucha_warning.html
-  http://www.organic-kombucha.com/kombucha_use.html
- http://www.anahatabalance.com/teakombucha2.html