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  • 2 organic green teabags
    (or 2 tsp loose leaf)
  • 2 organic black teabags
    bags (or 2 tsp loose leaf)
  • 100-200g granulated sugar
    to taste
  • 1 medium scoby
    plus 100-200ml starter liquid

Nutrition: Per serving

  • kcal33
  • fat0g
    low
  • saturates0g
  • carbs8g
  • sugars8g
  • fibre0g
  • protein0.1g
  • salt0g
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Method

  • step 1

    For essential information on brewing safely, our top recipe tips and fun flavours to try, read our guide on how to make kombucha. Pour 1.8 litres boiled water into a saucepan, add the teabags and sugar (depending on how sweet you like it or the bitterness of your tea), stir to dissolve the sugar and leave for 6-10 mins to infuse.

  • step 2

    Remove and discard the teabags without squeezing them. Leave the tea to cool completely before pouring into a large 2.5- to 3-litre glass jar. Add the scoby and its starter liquid, leaving a minimum of 5cm space at the top of the jar.

  • step 3

    Cover the jar with a thin tea towel or muslin cloth so the scoby can 'breathe'. Secure with an elastic band and label the jar with the date and its contents.

  • step 4

    Leave to ferment for one to two weeks at room temperature and away from radiators, the oven or direct sunlight. Do not put the jar in a cupboard, as air circulation is important.

  • step 5

    After the first week, taste the kombucha daily – the longer you leave it, the more acidic the flavour will become. When ready, pour the kombucha into bottles, making sure to reserve the scoby and 100-200ml of starter fluid for the next batch.

  • step 6

    The kombucha is ready to drink immediately, or you can start a ‘secondary fermentation’ by adding flavours such as fruit, herbs and spices to the drawn-off liquid and leaving it bottled for a few more days before drinking. Will keep in the fridge for up to three months.
    Lemon & ginger kombucha
    Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1-2 tsp grated ginger to 750ml kombucha and mix well. Pour into a flip-top bottle and seal. Leave at room temperature for two to four days, tasting daily, until it has reached the desired level of carbonation and flavour. Strain and chill to serve.

    Berry kombucha
    Add a handful of chopped strawberries, blueberries or bashed raspberries to 750ml kombucha and mix well. Pour into a flip-top bottle and seal. Leave at room temperature for two to four days, tasting daily, until it has reached the desired level of carbonation and flavour. Strain and chill to serve.

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Comments, questions and tips (3)

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A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.11 ratings

sarphillipsKSDZ_9lg

There’s was a question about the starter. If you buy a SCOBY it should come floating in starter liquid. If you are given some, the same. Once you’ve done your first batch use part of it as the starter for your next batch.

fces4xg5cpO_01jyNx

Where is the guide to making kombucha.. the recipe is insufficient

Gillian MacDougall

If you look on an internet browser the link works, but not accessible on the iPhone App. Worth looking at

Wryruss

Step 4. Do not use kitchen paper. Kitchen paper is bleached, if enough fibres fall in it can ruin the taste as the bleach will affect the flavour. But also, if you slosh the jar by mistake the paper will have made contact with the tea or scoby and ruin it completely.

goodfoodteam avatar
goodfoodteam

Hi there, Thanks for flagging this. As you say, kitchen paper is not an ideal cover for kombucha so we have removed the reference in step 3 and suggested tea towels or muslin cloth. Many thanks, BBC Good Food Team

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