Kombucha – pomegranate or blueberry
Kombucha – pomegranate or blueberry
Ingredients
First fermentation
8 cups purified water[i]
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
4 organic black tea bags (you can also use green or white tea)
Symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) and about 2 cups of liquid from previous batch
1-gallon jar
Second fermentation
1 tablespoon of sugar for each 1-quart bottle
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds or 30 blueberries
Two 1-quart (4 cup) bottles with pop tops to seal tightly
Steps
First fermentation
Boil 1-quart (4 cups) of water. In a glass bowl or large glass measuring cup combine boiling water, sugar and tea. Stir to dissolve sugar. Steep tea for 15 minutes.
Remove the tea bags, add the remaining 4 cups of room temperature water. When the mixture is completely cooled, add it to the jar with the SCOBY in its liquid.
Cover the top of the jar with a tight-weave cloth - use an elastic to secure it. Cheese cloth is not recommend because bugs can get into your brew. Store in a warm dark place to ferment for 4 – 6 days.
Second fermentation
Remove the SCOBY and put it in a glass bowl (never use anything metal, it causes a negative reaction) with about 2 cups of kombucha liquid (back slop). It can sit at room temperature while you make a new batch. You can share the baby SCOBY that forms at the top with a friend or compost it.
Clean two 1-quart bottles. Add 1 tablespoon of cane sugar to each bottle, plus pomegranate seeds or blueberries.
Pour the remaining kombucha liquid through a non-metal strainer into a vessel with a pouring spout. Use a funnel to pour the liquid into each bottle, leaving at least one inch at the top.
Ferment for another 4 - 6 days in a warm dark place. The longer you ferment, the less sugar and the more fizz the final drink will have.
Refrigerate to stop the fermentation process. I like it served chilled.
Good resource - Kombucha FAQ
[i] The chlorine in tap water negatively impacts the fermenting process.
How to - brew komboucha
