Kombucha









I really enjoy kombucha but have to be careful not to drink too much of it, otherwise it will aggravate my mild candida overgrowth. I tend to do better with kombucha made with bitter and aromatic roots high in inulin versus overly sweet and and fruity blends. I plan on using a recipe similar to my root beer for making kombucha the near future but in the meantime I went with more floral notes.

Oolong Kombucha:
1 Quart of filtered water, boiled and slightly cooled
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Se Chung Oolong Tea
1 SCOBY with reserved Kombucha Tea




Jasmine Pearl Kombucha:
1 Quart of filtered water, boiled and slightly cooled
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Rounded Tbsp Jasmine Pearl Green Tea
1 SCOBY with reserved Kombucha Tea




Tulsi Rose Kombucha:
1/2 Gallon of filtered water, boiled and slightly cooled
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Se Chung Oolong Tea
1/4 Cup fresh Tulsi Basil flowers and leaves
1 Tbsp dried Rose petals
2 SCOBY’s with reserved Kombucha Tea
Second Ferment Recipes are below with images….

Date Prepared: October 19, 2017
Date Bottled:  November 2, 2017
Length of Ferment: 2 weeks for first round but I have been taking subsequent batches longer Second Ferment: Anywhere from 3-4 days or up to 2 weeks for some

Notes:
My friend gave me a hotel of 5 SCOBY’s and there are at least 2 flavors I wanted to keep in rotation, Jasmine Pearl and Tulsi Basil. I like the idea of a little less caffeine using the green tea and adding the herbs to a smaller amount of black tea just to try and minimize my caffeine intake.  

Knowing the SCOBY’s thrive in black tea, I also made a batch using just Oolong. I used half of the KT from this batch to create my SCOBY hotel. The other half was bottled with my homemade Nourishing Elderberry Syrup and some Ginger slices for a second ferment.

Modifications/Troubleshooting:
 None.

What Would I Do/Try Differently Next Time:  
I will likely try different vessels for brewing kombucha but the mason jars are fine for now.  I want to try different herbal blends and flavors for the second fermentation.  I am looking forward to making a Liver nourishing and ginger flavored root blend to keep in my rotation.  

I will also make another traditional batch using the oolong tea and experiement with different flavors for the second fermentation:
 

  • For this season’s fruit, I want to try cranberries with ginger and oranges as well as pomegranate with a little apple and cinnamon.
  • As we get closer to the holidays and I bake pumpkins, I plan on adding some pumkin puree with delcious spices like cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg and clove for a pumpkin pie flavored kombucha.
  • I think a blend of ginger, turmeric and lemongrass would make a lovely anti-inflammatory and immune supporting ferment
  • Lavender and blueberrries would create a refreshing summer blend
  • Lemon balm would also make a refreshing, mood elevating and stress relieving kombucha

There are so many flavors and herbs…..I am so excited to explore the endless flavors and benefits of them in my recipes.

Tulsi Basil Rose Kombucha

Jasmine Green Tea Kombucha

Oolong Kombucha

Bottling & Second Ferments

Straining and bottling kombucha


Jasmine Pearl Tea and Tulsi Rose Oolong ready for a second ferment so it can carbonate some more. I did not add any additional flavors to this batch.

Nourishing Elderberry Kombucha  
1 x 16 oz bottle of Oolong Kombucha
3 Thin Ginger Slices
2 oz Nourishing Elderberry Syrup (Made with Elderberry, Rosehips, Nettle, Horsetail, Mullein, Ginger, Orange Slices, Lemon Juice and Honey)


Sacred Cranberry Rose Kombucha
 1/2 gallon Tulsi Basil Rose Oolong KT
1/4 cup Cranberries, coarsely chopped or pureed
4 Orange slices
1 thin lemon slice
4-6 cardamom seeds, decorticated

SCOBY Hotel