Kombucha - my recipe

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Kombucha Tea

Bring 2 quarts (8 cups) water to a boil

Add 2 cups of white sugar - and keep at a slow boil for about 10 minutes

Remove from heat

Add 10 Tea Bags - (1/8 cup loose tea)

let steep for 10 minutes

Remove tea bags - or strain loose tea by pouring tea through cheesecloth

Pour tea mixture into 4 quarts (1 gallon) of cool water (we use a dishpan)

Add 2-4 cups of starter tea - mix well with non metal spoon

Pour tea into 1/2 or 1 gallon jars

Place a small piece of culture in jar

Cover with a coffee filter and rubber band

Place in a warm, darkened, quiet place to ferment for 7-10 days

NOTES:

We have a good water filter, so we use our own water. Some people buy reverse

osmosis water for making their tea.

I use a mixture of 1/2 black tea, 1/2 green tea (organic of course, loose tea).

Makes a wonderful flavored tea.

Do not at any time allow the starter tea or culture to come into contact with

metal. Use plastic dishpans for mixing the tea with the starter - they work

great - just make sure they're good and clean. Also, make sure to remove any

rings or jewelry from your hands.

Make sure to add enough starter tea - which will raise the pH of the tea enough

to prevent mold growth during fermentation. The culture itself doesn't need to

be very big, I've used a quarter size myself without a problem.

The trick for getting a beautiful " baby " culture growing is to make sure that

the tea is not disturbed during fermentation. As the baby grows it seals off

the top of the tea from the outer air. This sealing is what allows the tea to

ferment and form a nice effervescent tea. If the jar is moved in any way during

fermentation, the seal will be broken and you will not get the effervescence.

When your tea is done fermenting - transfer it to a smaller bottle. We put ours

in 1 quart bottles with a plastic lid. Easy to pour from. Cap the bottle and

let it sit at room temperature for a few days. This helps to make the tea more

effervescent also. Then, you can store the finished tea in the refrigerator.

We have some tea that's more than 2 years old. It gets stronger with age, but

is still quite good. We like to drink our tea at room temperature - it does not

hurt to leave the bottle you're drinking from out on the counter.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not put a metal cap directly on the bottle of tea. If the

tea touches the metal lid it could render it useless. If you don't have a

plastic lid, cover the top of the jar or bottle with a double layer of saran

wrap first, then screw the lid on. This will keep the tea from touching metal.

If you would like me to mail you a Kombucha culture with enough starter tea to

get you started, please write to me (off list).

Janet