Your main ingredient is going to be a Kombucha culture that you can buy at health food stores. You will also need water, black or green teabags and some distilled vinegar of any type.



First you will need to prepare the base tea that will provide the home for your culture to feed. You do this by brewing your black or green tea (six teabags and about a quart of water), allowing it to come to a boil and then steeping for about five minutes. At that point, add in three cups of granulated sugar. Allow the sugar to completely dissolve, then add another two quarts of water to the mixture. Let the teabags to steep for another fifteen minutes before you remove them. When your tea has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a gallon-sized container with an open mouth, such as a gallon sized pickle jar. Next, add your Kombucha culture and finish off the mixture with four tablespoons of the vinegar. Use a piece of muslin and a rubber band to cover the mouth of the jar and set it in a location where it can get air, but is not in direct sunlight and will not have to be moved for five days.

After the fifth day has passed, you get to taste your creation. There should be a culture forming on the top of the liquid if the tea is progressing properly. Press down on the culture with the back of a spoon, so you can get a small sample of the liquid. Keep in mind you do not want a sweet taste, but one that is more acidic. If the taste seems more sweet than acidic, then the brew is not ready. Cover it with the muslin and try again in a day or two.

Once your Kombucha tea is ready, you can remove both cultures gently and then pour the liquid into clean bottles that you can seal. Place them into the refrigerator and let them set another couple of days. The cool temperature will allow the tea to develop its fizzy consistency and also enhance the taste.

Making your own Kombucha tea can be a lot of fun, as well as saving money. Make sure you take care of your cultures, as you will be able to use them again with your next batch.