Making Your Own Fermented Foods: Kombucha

By Risi Idiokitas

What is Kombucha?

Does anyone need a SCOBY? A what?? SCOBY stands for “Symbiotic Colony of Yeast and Bacteria” and it’s the key ingredient needed to make kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented drink made from sweet tea that has many health benefits.

Thought to have originated in China centuries ago, kombucha was later popularized in Russia, and now has spread throughout the world. You can even find kombucha in the healthy beverage section in Safeway right up the street.

Why Drink It?

To be honest, most people aren’t drinking kombucha because of its great taste. Really, kombucha has grown in popularity because of its many health benefits. Through fermentation, the good bacteria and yeast in the SCOBY feed on the sugar in the tea and, in the process, create an acidic, vitamin- and probiotic-rich beverage. Kombucha contains high levels of antioxidants, B vitamins, probiotics, and glucaric acid. It has been reported to have a variety of health benefits, including cleansing and detoxification, immune support, increased energy, improved digestion, and helping the body absorb nutrients.

Making Kombucha at Home

If you want to try kombucha, you can buy a bottle, but you can also make it yourself. Making kombucha at home is cheap and easy.

The first thing you need is a SCOBY. You can order one online, but the best and easiest way to get one is to find a friend or neighbor with a spare. The SCOBY used to make a first batch of kombucha is called the “mother.” Each time a new batch is made, a new SCOBY is created and this is the “baby” SCOBY. So, if you know someone who makes kombucha at home they are probably very eager to find new homes for their baby SCOBYs. Once you’ve got a SCOBY, the rest is very easy. You will need:

a gallon-size glass jar (you can stop in at Five Guys and ask if they have any empty pickle jars you can have, they usually do);
one gallon of brewed sweetened tea (one cup of regular sugar per gallon of black or green tea);
a SCOBY and ½ cup of liquid from a previous batch of kombucha (from the same place you got the SCOBY);
coffee filter or thin cloth; and
a rubber band.

Before you begin, anything that will touch the kombucha needs to be thoroughly washed and rinsed.

To start, brew a pot of tea. For one gallon of water, use one cup of sugar and six to eight tea bags. Once the tea has cooled, pour it into your gallon jar, then pour in the ½ cup of saved kombucha and the SCOBY, which should float at the top of the jar. Do not let any metal touch the SCOBY or kombucha once it’s in the jar.

Your kombucha needs to breathe, so don’t put a lid on it, just cover the opening with the coffee filter and secure it tightly with a rubber band. Store it in a warm place out of direct sunlight and allow it to ferment for at least 10 days. When your Kombucha is ready it will be tart and slightly sweet, the longer it ferments, the tarter it will get.

I enjoy a glass of our homebrewed Kombucha every morning. Between myself, my husband, and two kids, we drink so much that we’ve recently upgraded our one-gallon jar to a two-gallon jar with a spigot! I’ve also started making flavored Kombucha “soda” which is a big hit, especially with kids.

I’m a pediatric acupuncturist and I often recommend my patients drink four ounces (½ cup) per day, especially if they are having any immune or digestive issues. If you are curious about this fermented concoction, I encourage you to try some for yourself.

[Risi Idiokitas lives on Chiswell Lane.] ■

Part 1: Introduction Part 3: Sourdough Bread Part 4: Pickles and Kimchi