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Classes & Workshops Sustainable Living

Mothering Your Kombucha

Kombucha is a healthful traditional beverage made from fermenting black sweet tea. It is fermented by a colony of pro-biotic organisms called a mother.

In order to make kombucha you will need a starter that contains a mother or a dehydrated mother often ordered online and mailed to you. A live mother in culture is much better than a dehydrated one and will provide more predictable results far more quickly.  

You will need: 

  • One gallon container, preferably glass, non reactive material 
  • 8-10 tea bags depending on brand and type. 1/2, if not all, should be black tea 
  • 1 cup of white sugar (I recommend organic)
  • Kombucha starter with mother 
  • Cheesecloth and string or rubber band 

Directions:

  1. Heat water and fill the gallon container when hot enough to make tea.
  2. Add tea bags and sugar then stir.
  3. Let cool to room temperature.
  4. Add the starter with your new mother to the cooled sweet tea.
  5. Place the jar at room temperature with a cheesecloth covering the opening so it can breathe.
  6. Let sit for 1 1/2 to 3 weeks.
  7. When it reaches the desired strength then pull out the mother and a reserve of liquid. Place the kombucha in the fridge or use for a secondary fermentation. It is now ready to drink. 

Make a new batch of tea in your gallon container. When cooled, place the mother into the new sweet tea and put her back on the shelf to make a new batch of kombucha.

Enjoy your kombucha straight or with juice and flavorings.

Secondary fermentations come from adding fruits and placing it at a cool temperature. This allows the live culture in the finished kombucha to work on the fruit sugars which generates carbonation and unique flavors.