Who drinks kombucha?  Have you even heard of it?  I will be the first to admit that I was not following this trend for quite some time.  I mean honestly, there is a new wonder food or miracle antioxidant that makes headlines nearly every month.  From apple cider vinegar to bone broth to chia seeds, I don’t know how to make sense of it all.

But you know what typically makes me give something a second glance?  A personal endorsement by someone I know who has similar views on health and wellness.  It was easy for me to ignore the $5 12-ounce bottles of kombucha at the grocery store because that pricing just seemed unsustainable.  And yes, I realize every cup of coffee bought costs somewhere in that range and that’s not my life either. I would much rather forgo a coffee at a coffee shop every day and make it at home myself (think of all the trash you’re saving from a landfill!) if that meant at the end of the year I had $1200 to put towards a vacation. 

When my friend Jenny said that since she had started drinking kombucha on a daily basis, she hadn’t gotten sick, my ears definitely perked up.  I used to think I had great immunity and never got sick, until I had two little ones. Nothing like toddlers who are constantly on the floor, putting things in their mouths, and touching each other to test your immunity.  They give you one hug or touch your face and Poof!  You’ll have a runny nose and cough the next day.  So I figured what’s the harm in giving kombucha a try?

What is kombucha?  Basically, tea that has had certain strains of bacteria added to it and is then allowed to ferment.

What are the benefits of drinking kombucha?  I’m not going to bore you with scientific studies, though I am a believer in science and evidence, you can read those references here.  For me, what makes sense is improving gut health with probiotics.  I am not claiming all of these benefits will come true for you. But they might (fingers crossed)!

So here is how I make kombucha (instructions courtesy of Jenny).  How often and how much you need to make truly depends on how much you consume.  And the only caveat to this recipe is you need someone to provide you with a yeast mat (scooby or jellyfish as I like to refer to it) to start.  

Kombucha brewing instructions:

1. Boil 1 gallon (16 cups) of water
2. Add 1 cup of sugar to water to dissolve**
3. Add 8 tea bags of green or black tea

**This ratio is important (16 cups of liquid to 1 cup of sugar) for the bacteria to grow properly.  If you make more or less, keep the ratio, i.e. 8 cups: 0.5 cups of sugar.

4. Let brew until cooled to room temperature
5. Remove tea bags and pour into brewing container
6. Place yeast mat into container with reserved 2 cups of liquid and stir
7. Cover with coffee filter and secure with rubber band
8. Let sit for 20-30 days in a warm environment between 70-75 degrees (also important for the bacteria and yeast growth).  

After 20-30 days:

1. Bottle all but 2 cups*.  I bought this pack of bottles but you can probably find a set of three or four at any local kitchen or home store.  Just think about how much total kombucha you want to brew and be sure the size of the bottles will hold all that liquid.

*The 2 cups and newly formed yeast mat will be the starter for the next batch.

2. Add ginger, fruit (straw, black, blueberries), mint, basil, etc. to the bottles per your taste preferences.
3. Store on counter for 2 days.  Burp the bottle once/day to let out gas.
4. Refrigerate and enjoy 🙂

PS: In case my title makes no sense, for whatever reason this song constantly comes to mind when I am brewing some ‘bucha.  Remember this fun little diddy by Everything?  I just replace the word ‘hooch’ with ‘booch’ and ta-da, genius in action 🙂