How to make kombucha at home

Cravings for kombucha, atangy, gut-healthy brew, are rising with the verve of its natural fizz. Kombucha, with its myriad flavors, is not only lining retail shelves on its own, this tea concoction is on trend blended into coffee, cocktails, juices, and even cupcake frosting.

You can brew your own kombucha at home.

You’ll need a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), which may be homegrown or purchased, tea and sugar — that’s it!

INGREDIENTS:

• A sauce pan
• 2 cups water
• 5 tea bags, black or green
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 (1-gallon) glass jar
• 14 cups water
• 1 SCOBY
• Cheesecloth or other clean cloth
• 1 rubber band

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil 2 cups of water in the saucepan.

2. Remove saucepan from heat, add tea bags and steep for 10 minutes.

3. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar until it dissolves. Cool.

4. Pour mixture into the glass jar, then add 14 cups of water.

5. Add SCOBY, cover with cloth. Secure with rubber band.

6. Begin tasting between 7 and 21 days. Less time equals sweeter tea and less tartness. Remove SCOBY with 1 cup of tea and save for the next batch.

8. Keep sealed bottles at room temp up to three days, popping lids to release carbon dioxide daily. When it reaches desired fizziness, refrigerate.

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