How to Prepare Hibiscus Kombucha.
1 GALLON PRODUCT
Kombucha made from hibiscus flowers isn’t what you’d expect. Whereas hibiscus tea may be overpowering and flowery, hibiscus kombucha is everything but. It’s almost the polar opposite. Hibiscus takes on some fascinating berry-like aromas when brewed with kombucha, and it loses its sugary quality. It’s worth brewing this kombucha simply to see how it transforms, regardless of your feelings towards hibiscus.
water (14 cups)
white granulated sugar, 1 cup (7 ounces) 2 tablespoons loose black tea, or 8 tea bags 2 cups kombucha starter tea scoby, one
2 tbsp hibiscus flowers (dry) or hibiscus tea
1 • Boil the water. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve it. Place the tea in the water and let it soak until it has cooled.
2 • Strain the loose tea or remove the tea bags. In a large mixing bowl, combine the starting tea and the boiling water.
Place the scoby gently on top of the mixture in a 1-gallon glass container. Using cheesecloth or paper towels, secure the lip of the jar with a rubber band.
3 • Store the jar at room temperature, away from direct sunshine, and out of the way of children. 7–10 days of fermentation Periodically inspect the kombucha and scoby.
4 • Taste the kombucha after 7 days. The kombucha is ready to bottle whenever it has reached a combination of sweetness and tartness that you like.
5 • Remove the scoby from the kombucha with clean hands and place it on a dish. Set aside 2 cups of the starting tea from this batch of kombucha for your next batch.
6 • In a clean 1-gallon container, combine the fermented kombucha and hibiscus blossoms, or split into smaller jars. Using cheesecloth or paper towels, secure the lip of the jar with a rubber band.
Keep the jar out of direct sunlight for 2 days at room temperature. Strain the kombucha and bottle the hibiscus blossoms. Make sure the bottles have at least 1 inch of headroom.
7 • Keep the bottled kombucha at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, until carbonated, which may take 1 to 3 days depending on the ambient temperature. Refrigerate for a month to halt the carbonation.
Blackberry-Sage ONE GALLON OF KOMBOKABUT
When you’ve been making kombucha for a while, you’ll start experimenting with other flavors, such as whatever is around when the brew is ready. A handful of freshly picked blackberries, a neglected bunch of sage, and a half-remembered tea from college inspired this specific concoction. What’s the harm? Necessity, as they say, is the mother of greatness.
water (14 cups)
white granulated sugar, 1 cup (7 ounces) 2 tablespoons loose black tea, or 8 tea bags 2 cups kombucha starter tea 14 sage leaves (fresh) 1 scoby
blackberries (2 cups)
1 • Boil the water. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve it. Place the tea in the water and let it soak until it has cooled.
2 • Strain the loose tea or remove the tea bags. In a large mixing bowl, combine the starting tea and the boiling water.
Place the scoby gently on top of the mixture in a 1-gallon glass container. Using cheesecloth or paper towels, secure the lip of the jar with a rubber band.
3 • Store the jar at room temperature, away from direct sunshine, and out of the way of children. 7–10 days of fermentation Periodically inspect the kombucha and scoby.
4 • Taste the kombucha after 7 days. The kombucha is ready to bottle whenever it has reached a combination of sweetness and tartness that you like.
5 • Remove the scoby from the kombucha with clean hands and place it on a dish. Set aside 2 cups of the starting tea from this batch of kombucha for your next batch.
6 • Tear the sage leaves into tiny pieces and put them with the blackberries in a clean 1-gallon jar, or split into smaller jars. To release the blackberry juices and bruise the leaves, use a large spoon to muddle them together.
Over top, pour the kombucha. Using cheesecloth or paper towels, secure the lip of the jar with a rubber band. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight for 2 days at room temperature. Bottle the kombucha after straining off the blackberries and sage leaves. Make sure the bottles have at least 1 inch of headroom.
7 • Keep the bottled kombucha at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, until carbonated, which may take 1 to 3 days depending on the ambient temperature. Refrigerate for a month to halt the carbonation.
MAKES 1 GALLON OF HONEY–GREEN TEA KOMBOCHA
Green tea kombucha is very refined and subtle.
You might serve this at a backyard garden party in tall-stemmed glasses with a drizzle of honey to bring out the floral tastes. Honey may be harsh on the scoby because of its antibacterial characteristics, which can eventually weaken the microorganisms in the scoby. It’s preferable to add the honey to the bottles after the kombucha has been brewed, rather than creating it with the honey already in it.
water (14 cups)
white granulated sugar, 1 cup (7 ounces) 2 tablespoons loose green tea (eight tea bags) 2 cups kombucha starter tea 3 cup / 9 ounces honey 1 scoby
1 • Boil the water. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve it. Place the tea in the water and let it soak until it has cooled.
2 • Strain the loose tea or remove the tea bags. In a large mixing bowl, combine the starting tea and the boiling water.
Place the scoby gently on top of the mixture in a 1-gallon glass container. Using cheesecloth or paper towels, secure the lip of the jar with a rubber band.
3 • Store the jar at room temperature, away from direct sunshine, and out of the way of children. 7–10 days of fermentation Periodically inspect the kombucha and scoby.
4 • Taste the kombucha after 7 days. The kombucha is ready to bottle whenever it has reached a combination of sweetness and tartness that you like.
5 • Remove the scoby from the kombucha with clean hands and place it on a dish. Set aside 2 cups of the starting tea from this batch of kombucha for your next batch.
6 • Divide the honey evenly among the kombucha-bottling containers and cover with the fermented kombucha. 1 inch of headroom is required. To dissolve the honey, screw the tops on and shake each container.
7 • Keep the bottled kombucha at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, until carbonated, which may take 1 to 3 days depending on the ambient temperature. Refrigerate for a month to halt the carbonation, then enjoy.
Kombucha made with white tea and pomegranate.
YIELDS 1 GALLON
White tea kombucha’s gentle and fruity taste provides a good background for when you truly want the flavor of a specific fruit to stand out. The softness of the tea tempers the aggressiveness of the fruits, such as pomegranate and cranberry, without affecting their basic essence.
14 quarts liquid
1 cup granulated white sugar (7 oz.) 2 teaspoons loose white tea or 8 tea bags 2 cups kombucha starting tea from the previous batch 312 cup pomegranate juice 1 scoby
1 • Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Place the tea in the water and let it steep until the water has cooled.
2 • Strain out the loose tea or remove the tea bags. Add the starting tea and mix well.
Fill a 1-gallon glass jar halfway with the contents and carefully set the scoby on top. Using a rubber band, wrap a couple layers of cheesecloth or paper towels over the jar’s mouth.
3 • Store the jar at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, and in a secure location. Allow 7 to 10 days for fermentation. Check the kombucha and scoby on a regular basis.
4 • Start tasting the kombucha after 7 days. The kombucha is ready to bottle when the sweetness and tartness have reached a pleasing balance for you.
5 • Remove the scoby from the kombucha with clean hands and place it on a clean plate. Set aside 2 cups of the starting tea from this batch of kombucha for your next batch.
6 • In a clean pitcher, combine the fermented kombucha and pomegranate juice. Fill bottles with the mixture, allowing at least 1 inch of headspace.
7 • Keep the bottled kombucha at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, for 1 to 3 days, depending on the temperature of the room. Refrigerate for a month to halt the carbonation and then enjoy.
MANY WAYS TO COMBINE BEER AND FOOD
The Extract-Only Brewing Method: An Overview
Diora La Belle Fête Rosé – Rosé Season!
Wines From Around The World For Summer Drinking And Grilling
ADDING FLAVOR TO YOUR KOMBUCHA IN OTHER WAYS
Always use the exact proportions of components as in the Master Kombucha Recipe. But after that, it’s time to have some fun.
The simplest sort of tea for the scoby to ferment is black tea. However, after your scoby has established itself, you may experiment with other types of tea.
Green tea, white tea, oolong tea, or a blend of these teas create excellent kombucha. Herbal teas are OK, but at least a few bags of caffeinated black tea should be included in the mix to ensure the scoby gets all of the nutrients it requires (finished kombucha does include caffeine).
Any teas containing oils, such as Earl Grey or flavored teas, should be avoided.
The simplest sugar for the yeasts and bacteria in the scoby to eat is plain old white granulated sugar (ideally organic). Brown sugar, turbinado sugar, and honey should be used with care since they are more difficult to digest and may disturb the scoby’s environment.
Keep a tight check on the scoby if you use it, and switch back to white sugar every few batches. Maintain the sugar-to-water ratio from the master recipe for the sake of the scoby’s health. Reduced-sugar kombuchas should be avoided.
However, the longer you ferment your kombucha, the more sugar is eaten and the less sugar remains in the final product.
How To Read A Spanish Wine Label In 3 Easy Steps
Try adding any of the following to a 1-gallon batch of kombucha after it has been brewed to flavor it: 2 cups diced fruit, 2 to 3 cups fruit juice, a tablespoon or two of chopped ginger, a tablespoon or two of another flavored tea, or fresh herbs and spices