What makes this healthy drink more popular than ever? With more time spent at home these past years, people find new ways to keep occupied as well as boost their immune system to fight the pandemic. Making kombucha combines both these things. This beverage can be made at home, with only a few ingredients and patience.
What is kombucha? Simply put, kombucha is a beverage of fermented, carbonated tea that provides a lot of health benefits. Some of these health benefits include managing diabetes, reducing heart risk, containing antioxidants, and overall boosting your immune system. Kombucha has been around for centuries, dating back to ancient China. Although it isn’t something brand new, there has been a rise of this fermented drink these past years, whether we see it from social media or hear it from friends.
How does one make kombucha? When talking about kombucha, one of the most important elements that will come up is the SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, this is what makes kombucha the beverage that it is, providing it with the benefits that people seek. A SCOBY can be made, bought, or given (Pantry Magic makes our own kombucha and would be happy to share our SCOBY, feel free to contact us!). Once you have a SCOBY, you will start the first fermentation by adding the SCOBY into a jar of tea and sugar, leaving it in a dark, room temperature place, this process itself can take approximately 7-10 days. Although you can stop at the first fermentation step, this will not give your kombucha a carbonation, it will also be quite flavorless.
The second fermentation of kombucha adds fizz through carbonation, this is also the step where you’d want to flavor your kombucha with different spices, honey, fruits and/or juices. Add your kombucha to a tight flip-top bottle and add the flavors of your choice, leaving at least an inch of space, making sure to not fill it up to the brim. With the second fermentation, it will take a little less time, needing approximately 2-5 days, depending on how you’d like for it to taste. Another important thing to take note of is that because this beverage contains gas and adds pressure inside of the bottle, which may cause the bottle to shatter. To avoid this, you will need to release gas once a day by opening the bottle and sealing it back up until you have finished the second fermentation process and your kombucha is ready to be enjoyed!
Though making kombucha can be a lengthy process, it can be a fun and enjoyable one that may lead to a new hobby! Unlike a passing trend, kombucha has been around for ages and will continue to do so. Will you be making your own kombucha at home?
