Here’s a favorite homemade drink to share with you: kombucha! In the past few years there’s been a kombucha craze here in the US. But back when Alex and I started drinking it, it was totally niche! We’d been looking for healthy, satisfying drink recipes, and kombucha is exactly that. It has a bouncy acidity that replaces that craving for soda. Lucky for us, the appetite for this fizzy drink has swept the nation. While you can easily find it any grocery these days, it’s easy to make at home and super cheap. Here’s our time-tested homemade kombucha recipe!
What is kombucha?
So what is kombucha? Kombucha is a traditional Chinese and Russian drink made by fermenting (yes, fermenting!) sweetened tea. Its flavor is somewhere between sweet tea and hard cider. There are all sorts of claimed health benefits to kombucha, ranging from improved digestion to alleviating depression. We’ll leave health benefits to the professionals; here we’ll show you the actual process to make this tasty elixir! More fermented foods? Go to Top Fermented Foods to Try Now.
Overview: the basic steps to a kombucha recipe
Here’s the basic overview of what you’re getting yourself into with kombucha! The process takes about 15 minutes of hands on time the day of, and about 10 days to ferment. Just like with sourdough bread, your SCOBY replicates itself and you can continue to make batches of kombucha almost indefinitely. (What’s a SCOBY? Keep reading…)
What’s a SCOBY?
Wait, what’s a SCOBY. SCOBY is an acronym that stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It’s a culture that’s much like a sourdough starter, and it transforms sugary tea into a carbonated, healthy beverage. Admittedly, it’s a bit creepy looking. It’s slimy and pancake shaped, and seems a little like an alien creature. But before long it becomes a beloved pet (just like with our sourdough starter)!
Where to get a SCOBY?
The trickiest part about a kombucha recipe is acquiring a SCOBY. We received ours from a friend. The SCOBY will double in size nearly every batch, so you can split them and share them with friends (though our waiting list is getting extensive!). So, inquire around for kombucha-making friends or purchase a SCOBY online. More kitchen DIYs? Try our Best Sourdough Bread or How to Make Sauerkraut!
How to make kombucha (basic steps)
After you’ve acquired a SCOBY, it’s quite easy to make this kombucha recipe. Here’s what you need to know:
Day 1 Make the tea: On Day 1, you’ll make the sweetened tea. Then add the SCOBY and cover the jar with a paper towel and rubber band (so the SCOBY can breathe). Place it in a dark location, and wait. Wait for 9 days for the fermentation to take place. Day 9 Taste: After 9 days, taste the kombucha to see if it’s done. It should taste tangy and fruity. If it’s still too sweet, continue to ferment day by day to see when it’s ready. Day 10+ (Bottle & Ferment): On whatever day it’s ready, filter the kombucha and pour it into bottles. Then ferment it for 1 more day so that it carbonates. After this step, it’s ready to go! A crisp, tangy, lightly carbonated kombucha recipe.
Here’s hoping you run into someone who’s a closet home kombucha-brewer, and you can pick up a SCOBY from them. Cheers!
Reusing a SCOBY
Once you use your SCOBY in the first batch of kombucha, you can use it over and over for future batches. A SCOBY lasts about 6 to 9 months: but you can replace it with a baby SCOBY before then. What’s a baby SCOBY? You’ll notice the SCOBY grows another layer during the fermentation process. Over time after several layers have formed and the baby SCOBY is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ inch thick, peel off the baby SCOBY. You can give it to a friend, discard it, or start using the new “baby” SCOBY. Note: If your SCOBY ever turns black or develops mold, discard it and begin again with a new one.
This kombucha recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, plant based, and dairy free.
Looking for more drink recipes?
Outside of this kombucha recipe, we have lots of delicious drink recipes on A Couple Cooks! Here are our favorite drink recipes: No reviews
Easy Frozen SangriaBEST Classic Margarita Best Frozen Margarita RecipeHoliday Punch Pomegranate Iced Tea Cold Brew Coffee RecipeLemon Herb Cucumber Water RecipeSparkling Blood Orange Rosemary WaterNaturally Sweetened Whiskey SourSpiced & Spiked Apple CiderAll Natural Frose Recipe (Frozen Rose)How to Make Iced Coffee
Last updated: February 2020
