- 1). Boil 3 qts. of water in a large pot. Add the tea bags and allow the tea to brew for 15 to 20 minutes, or until very dark. Any kind of caffeinated tea can be used to make kombucha.
- 2). Discard the tea bags and stir in the agave nectar. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature, a process that should take a couple hours. This is an important step, as heat can kill the kombucha culture.
- 3). Pour the cool tea into a clean, wide-mouthed jar. The jar needs to be large enough to hold the entire batch. Make sure the jar has been recently washed with hot water to rid it of any bacteria that could interfere with the fermentation process.
- 4). Add the kombucha culture to the jar. The culture will probably float on top of the liquid; this is fine. If the culture doesn't contain any liquid, add 1/2 cup of kombucha from your previous batch. If this is your first time making kombucha, add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar to the tea instead.
- 5). Cover the top of the jar with a thin dish towel and secure the towel with a rubber band. Store the jar in a cool, dark, dry place in the kitchen for about a week.
- 6). Remove the towel from the jar and peel the culture off the top of the kombucha. The culture may appear to have two layers; this is because the culture can reproduce with each batch. Peel the cultures apart and store one in a dish in the refrigerator with 1/2 cup of the kombucha liquid. Either throw away the other culture or give it to a friend who would like to start making kombucha.
- 7). Pour the kombucha into glass containers with lids, such as mason jars. Store in the refrigerator.
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