Kombucha is an amazing, probiotic drink which is pretty expensive when purchased at the store. But you can make this wonder drink for just pennies at home. If you can make tea, you can make kombucha!
To begin, you need:
-a big glass jar (I use a big pickle jar, left over from a concession stand, but you can even just use a quart jar, if you don't want to make much)
-Tea (not herb tea, black tea!)
-water
-sweetener (for true kombucha, use white sugar, for Jun, a relative, use honey)
-a kombucha "mother". These can usually be obtained by asking around (I have a few at the house right now) or can be ordered online.
Bring your water to a boil, with the tea bags in. For a gallon of water, I use 5 small tea bags. Once it's boiling, add your sweetener. For my gallon of water, I use about 1/2 cup of sugar, or 1/4 cup of honey for Jun. Make sure this gets evenly distributed. Let cool completely before adding your "mother". Cover your jar loosely, like in the photo above. I use a towel and rubber bands. Let sit on your counter or in a cupboard for several days, up to several weeks. When the weather is warmer, it doesn't take as long. Taste your kombucha periodically, and enjoy when it gets to your liking.
If the kombucha develops an odd smell, or a really gross look, throw it out! When you're ready to make another batch, repeat the process, and add your new "mother" and a little of your homemade kombucha to the new tea mixture.
For more about kombucha, visit http://www.kombuchahome.com/ Happy brewing!
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