Fermented Faves

Move along coffee; kombucha makes spilling tea healthy for the mind and soul.

In 221 B.C., brewers in northern China and Korea created a fermented tea beverage that we know today as kombucha. The brewers named the drink the “tea of immortality” because of its extreme health benefits. Over the centuries, the tea moved along to other parts of the world, being noted to prevent hair loss and increase sex drive. The beverage is just as popular today, with the perks being just as endless.

While the process may take a while, the health benefits are worth the effort. Here is how to make kombucha right at home. DIY Scoby

ingredients:

• 8 cups of water • 1 cup of granulated sugar • 8 bags of black or green tea • 2 cups of prepared Kombucha (store- bought) instructions:

Step 1. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Step 2. Add sugar and stir until it completely dissolves. Step 3. Turn off heat and add tea bags. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Step 4. Pour kombucha into a 1 gallon-sized jar and add room-temperature tea mixture. Add cool water to fill to the top. Step 5. Cover the jar with two coffee filters and secure with a rubber band. Place the jar in a room-temperature place out of direct sunlight. Step 6. Leave the mixture for two to four weeks. Once the mixture covers the surface, is nontransparent and roughly ¼ inch thick, your scoby is ready.

BY HANNAH CAMPBELL PHOTO BY AMBRIELL SHANNON

DIY Kombucha

ingredients:

• 3 ½ quarts of water • 1 cup of sugar (regular granulated sugar works best) • 8 bags of black tea, green tea, or a mix (or 2 tablespoons loose tea) • 2 cups of store-bought kombucha (unpasteurized, neutral-flavored) • 1 scoby per fermentation jar, homemade or purchased online instructions:

Step 1. Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in sugar until it completely dissolves. Step 2. Drop in tea bags or tea leaves and allow them to steep until water has cooled down. Step 3. Once the tea has cooled, remove the tea bars to strain out the loose tea. Stir in the store-bought kombucha. Step 4. Pour the mixture into a one-gallon glass jar, and gently slide the socby into the jar with clean hands. Cover the mouth of the jar with coffee filters or paper towels and secure with a rubber band. Step 5. Allow the jar to ferment for seven to 10 days. Keep the jar in a room-temperature location that is out of direct sunlight. Step 6. Once the kombucha reaches your preferred sweetness, gently scoop the scoby out of the jar with clean hands. Step 7. If preferred, pour the fermented kombucha into a bottle using a small funnel and add any juice, herbs, or fruit for extra flavoring.