How to make the best probiotic Kombucha : Organic Tea is the answer, followed by this recipe

We have known for quite a while that many Fermentistas in Ireland love our loose leaf teas and over the next few weeks, we will post recipes and special concoctions of Kombucha, a probiotic beverage made by fermenting sugary tea with the help of a scoby, a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast.

We believe the best Kombucha is the one you brew yourself because in doing so you are in total control of the ingredients and the fermenting time and it’s a whole lot cheaper than buying it. 

The type of tea used in brewing kombucha is the single biggest influence on the taste and flavour of your drink. Traditionally, in Japan and throughout many parts of the world, Kombucha is made with Sencha green tea for a mild flavoured kombucha. Our Sencha Green Tea is the least processed of all the Green Teas due to its gentle steaming process and we suggest combining it with our White Tea, a top grade, first flush tea that is naturally low in caffeine and very high in antioxidant content and therefore very beneficial to health and well-being.  

Here is our basic recipe:

 Ingredients:

• 1 litre of water
• 1/3 cup or 55g of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea or 2-3  teabags, white tea or Sencha green tea
• Kombucha mother (scoby)
•  ½ cup of mature acidic kombucha, if you have, but this is not essential.

Method:

1.  Bring 1 litre of water to the boil
2. Add tea and sugar, cover and steep for about 20 minutes
3. Strain the tea into a wide glass container and allow the tea to cool to room temperature or slightly higher (25 C is ideal)
4. Add the mature acidic kombucha (if you have) - optional
5. Place the kombucha mother in the liquid with the firm opaque side up
6. Cover with a muslin and store in a warm spot (ideally 21 -29 Celsius)
7. Label (date, ingredients etc.)

Looking after:

• After 4– 7 days you will notice a skin forming on the surface of your kombucha scoby, this is your new “baby” culture/scoby.

• Taste the liquid with a straw, if it is still too sweet ferment for a little longer until it reaches the desired acidity or sourness.

• Take the mother and the new scoby out, by straining through a plastic sieve, bottle your kombucha in flip top bottles and store in the fridge.
  
  
  
  Wanna try Kombucha but prefer a sweeter option? Check it our our Herbal Kombucha recipe.