Have you tried Kombucha? Plus Get Started Making Your Own

A kombucha craze is sweeping the nation. These bottles are popping up even in grocery stores like Kroger, and more and more people are jumping on the band wagon. I am not a fan, but my husband and kids both really like it. Have you tried it?

What is kombucha, anyway?   According to Wikipedia, kombucha’s recorded history began in the late 1800’s in Russia.  It aids in detoxification, increases energy levels, and has indications of being instrumental in curing cancer.  If you’d like to read more about the history of kombucha, take a look at the article on Food Renegade.

Kombucha is made from sweetened tea that is fermented with a mushroom culture, called a SCOBY.   SCOBY stands for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.

Store-bought kombucha can be rather pricey (upwards of $3.99 a bottle).  Thankfully, you can make your own without too much trouble.   To start, you’ll need a SCOBY.  You can get one from a friend, from Cultures for Health, or you can grow your own.

How to Grow your own SCOBY

To grow your own SCOBY, simply leave about 1/8 of a bottle that you bought from the store.  It’s preferable to use an unflavored version.  Cover it with a rag to keep any bugs out, and stick it in a cool, dark place for a while.  Like several weeks.  I used the top of my refrigerator.  (That way, I didn’t forget about it forever).

After several weeks, you should have a nice mass called a SCOBY.  The SCOBY will reproduce itself with every batch of kombucha that you make, so you will soon have plenty of SCOBYs.  Enough to share with your friends to save them the growing process.

So, start growing your SCOBY’s, and check back here in a month or so for instructions on what to do next!

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* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.