Make Kombucha with Dr Lucy!

Homemade Kombucha Recipe for Gut Health

Introduction: Kombucha is a delicious and gut-friendly fermented tea, packed with beneficial probiotics, and it all starts with a magical living culture called SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Creating your own batch of kombucha is easy peasy, and Dr Lucy will guide you through the process, whether you're making a half batch or a full batch.

Ingredients:

• A wide, angled glass jar, clean and dry
• Half a batch of kombucha:
  • 4 teabags brewed in 750mL boiling water for 10 minutes
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 3 cups of cold water
  • 1 SCOBY with its associated liquid
• Clean chux cloth or cheesecloth
• Rubber band

Instructions:

For a Half Batch of Kombucha:

1. Start with a clean and dry wide-angled jar.

2. Brew 4 teabags in 750mL of boiling water for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the hot tea and stir until dissolved.

3. Pour an additional 3 cups of cold water into the sweetened tea mixture, cooling it down. Allow the mixture to cool a little more. Hot liquid will kill the SCOBY.

4. Add the SCOBY along with its associated liquid into the jar.

5. Cover the jar with a clean chux cloth or cheesecloth, securing it with a rubber band to keep dust and debris out.

6. Place the jar in a darkish cupboard at room temperature.

7. Let it ferment for a period of one to two weeks. During colder weather, you might need to extend the fermentation time.

8. Taste the kombucha periodically. If it's still sweet, leave it to ferment longer. If it's tangy and slightly sour, it's ready to enjoy. If it tastes like vinegar, it's been left too long.

9. Once it reaches your desired level of tanginess, remove the SCOBY for future use, transfer the liquid to a thick-walled glass bottle. Store the kombucha tea in the fridge,  

For a Full Batch of Kombucha:

1. Start with a clean and dry wide-angled jar.

2. Brew 6 teabags in 3 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of sugar to the hot tea and stir until dissolved.

3. Pour an additional 9 cups of cold water into the sweetened tea mixture, cooling it down.

4. When properly cool add the SCOBY along with its associated liquid into the jar.

5. Follow the same steps for covering, placement, fermentation, and taste testing as the instructions for a half batch.

Additional Tips:

• Remember that you can always perform a second ferment by adding fruit to the liquid, which can make your kombucha fizzy and flavourful.

• Kombucha is best enjoyed in moderation, with a recommended daily serving of 100mL to support gut health.

With this homemade kombucha recipe, you can create your own gut-friendly, probiotic-rich beverage and even experiment with different flavours during the second fermentation. Enjoy the journey of brewing your own kombucha and sharing the health benefits with friends and family!