Kombucha SCOBY and instructions
Kombucha SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) with instructions to make your own probiotic kombucha tea. All you need is a 1 litre kilner jar, some tea and sugar.
You will either receive the kombucha scoby in a jar or a pouch depending on whether it is a local doorstep delivery, or a UK postal order.
Kombucha SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) with instructions to make your own probiotic kombucha tea. All you need is a 1 litre kilner jar, some tea and sugar.
You will either receive the kombucha scoby in a jar or a pouch depending on whether it is a local doorstep delivery, or a UK postal order.
Kombucha SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) with instructions to make your own probiotic kombucha tea. All you need is a 1 litre kilner jar, some tea and sugar.
You will either receive the kombucha scoby in a jar or a pouch depending on whether it is a local doorstep delivery, or a UK postal order.
RECIPE FOR 1 LITRE OF KOMBUCHA
Aways make sure your equipment is very clean.
There is no need to sterilise.
Ingredients:
-S.C.O.B.Y (30G) in starter liquid (60ML)
-3 teabags or 3tsp loose tea
-50gms sugar
Boil 400ml water and put in a measuring jug.
Add sugar and stir till disovled.
Add the tea and brew to your prefered strength.
Top up with cold water to 900mls and cool to body temperature.
Put your scoby and starter liquid in the 1Litre jar
When cooled add the sugary tea to your jar (hot liquid will kill your scoby).
Cover with the fabric topper and secure with an elastic band to keep out dust and flies. Kombucha is an aerobic ferment so do not use a lid.
Allow the kombucha to ferment (out of direct sunlight) for 7-21 days. The fementation time wil vary depending on the temperature and how sweet or sour you like your kombucha. It gets more sour the longer you leave it as the S.C.O.B.Y processes the sugar and caffeine.
With each batch a new S.C.O.B.Y will form as a disc at the top of the jar. The origional S.C.O.B.Y may sink or float.
You can taste as you go using a paper straw or a teaspoon
When you like the tatse pour the kombucha through a sieve. If there’s a lot of yeast you can use a munlin cloth to strain it of
Always save the S.C.O.B.Y and 60mls of the kombucha (aka starter liquid) You are ready to start another batch exactlly the same as above the recipe above.
You can now bottle your kombucha to drink it plain or do a secondary fermentation.
Secondary fermentation. When you have sieved off your scoby and saved your 60mls of kombucha as a starter for your new batch you can either drink your kombucha as it is or do a secondary fermentation. This really just means adding flavour.
Pop your kombucha in a kilner jar and add any combination of fruit and spices that you like.
10-30% fruit, but no more than 30%.
You can get quite creative with this. Leave for 2-5 days in a cool dark place then sieve again and bottle. (I use muslin in the sieve to stop the bits of fruit sediment getting in) Now it needs to be kept in in the fridge. If you use a glass bottle be very careful to burp it regularly as the pressure can build up and your bottle may explode. Using a plastic bottle might be a better idea then you can feel when it expands and gets hard. Some of my favourites are –
-Strawberry and lime leaves
-Star anise and ginger
-Redcurrant and thyme
-Cinnamon and apple
-Elderflower and lemon balm
-Cumin and mint
The combinations are delicious and endless, but I still love plain kombucha the best.
The more fruit you put in means more sugar so you will get a fizzier drink. Some people add a pinch of sugar to get a more fizz.
When you want scale up and make to make more booch use the ‘Kombucha Kalkulator’ for the correct ratios.
I make my kombucha in a 5 litre kilner jar with a tap. Keep in touch and let me know what combinations you come up with and if you find any health benefits.
Always make sure your equipment is sterilised. The most common problem is mould. If you find mould toss everything and start again with sterilised equipment. White, green, black and coloured moulds are bad, but don’t be alarmed if you find strings of brown yeast floating down from your SCOBY or white bubbles on the surface. You can always send me photos if you’re not sure.
With each ferment a new SCOBY will form as a disc at the top of the jar.
SCOBYs dislike travel, so it may take a couple of batches till you get a good flavour.
If you forget about you kombucha and brew it for too long, you can use it as a vinegar in
-Salad dressings and marinades
-As a hair rinse to condition your hair and make it shine
-As a facial toner
-As a cleaning product
If you end up with too many SCOBYs you can
-Share them with friends, family and neighbours.
-Experiment with different teas and sugars to get different flavours
-Add to a Smoothie. Add a piece of SCOBY to a smoothie or other blended food.
-Substitute for Raw Fish in Sushi. With a texture similar to squid, kombucha SCOBYs can be cut up and eaten along with the nori, rice, vegetables, etc.
-Use as a Face Mask. Kombucha SCOBYs can be used as a face mask, either whole or ground up.
-Use as a Bandage. SCOBYs can be used as a live bandage, or under a bandage. It will sting a little. The acidity is believed to help support healing.
-Feed to Pets. Kombucha SCOBYs can be fed to pets either fresh or using the same process for making kombucha jerky to make a dried pet treat.
-Add to Chicken Feed. Many chicken owners find their chickens really appreciate a fresh SCOBY as a treat.
-Compost. SCOBYs can be added whole to the compost pile or ground up and added directly to the soil of plants.
-Make Crafts. Kombucha SCOBYs can be dried until they are stiff but flexible. Use as a replacement for leather in toy drums, shoes, or other craft items…but do keep out of the rain!
-Make Jun Tea. Jun tea is another ancient fermented drink. You can make it at home by slowly converting a kombucha SCOBY to feed on green tea and honey. This experimentation works best with backup SCOBYs so trying out this delightful drink is another way to use up extra SCOBYs.
