Easy recipe for ginger kombucha (2024)

Easy recipe for ginger kombucha (1)

2.3.12

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The Chalkboard Editorial Team

    Food and Nutrition, Healthy RecipesNutrition Tips from Wellness Pros

    Kombucha, anyone? This satisfying cultured drink from ancient times is getting quite a lot of good press! Boasted as being anti-aging, pH balancing, an excellent energiser, as well as being absolutely chock full of good bacteria (literally millions of organisms per serving) – no wonder it’s quite the rage amongst celebrities! It is truly a living food, bursting with enzymes!

    The Kombucha ‘SCOBY’ is actually a fungus (like a mushroom) which thrives in black tea and a room temperature environment. I have used organic Ceylon, green, white and even Chai teas with success, but the SCOBY is quite a creature of habit and generally tends to prefer the standard black tea. It also devours sugar, as it’s what the living SCOBY eats. When you see the amount of sugar in the recipe below, remember that most of the sugar will be eaten up by the time the Kombucha is ready to drink.

    Next time you’re at the organic/farmers’ markets, see if you can find stalls with bottles of fresh Kombucha for sale. You should be able to pick up a ‘SCOBY’ from the grower – you will need this living creature to make your very own fresh Kombucha at home. Here’s everything you need to know:

    Ingredients:

    Baby kombucha ‘SCOBY’ in 100ml mother culture
    2 litres sweetened organic black tea (read below)

    Directions:

    Put the baby kombucha ‘SCOBY’ & the ‘mother liquid’ into a 2 litre glass jar.

    Prepare 2 litres of black tea with 3 organic tea bags and 185g raw organic sugar and allow to cool.

    Combine kombucha mixture with cooled black tea.

    Cover with a paper towel and rubber band. Leave for 8-10 days, strain and store in the fridge until desired.Fresh ginger juice may be added before storing or serving over ice. You can also try the following flavour variations: lemon, lime, pomegranate, mint, cinnamon.

    Easy recipe for ginger kombucha (2)

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    Comments

    1. And if you don’t have a local kombucha-seller? Is there another way to obtain the culture? I have been longing to try this…

      gluttonforlife | 02.03.2012 | Reply

    2. Hi I’ve just had a quick look online. Good news! You can buy Kombucha fungus & have it shipped to you, which sounds pretty cool 😉 Depending on where you live you may want to have a look at different sites to compare quality/prices, but if you can get your hands on a bottle of pure, ‘raw’ Kombucha (good health food stores) you can simply ‘feed up’ the ‘mother culture’ within! It will grow & you’ll soon see a waxy scaby growing on top. T Abigail xx

      abigail | 02.05.2012 | Reply

    3. One quick thing – Kombucha’s not a fungus. It’s a culture of yeast and bacteria.

      Joe Mac | 07.29.2012 | Reply

    4. I’m new to the organic process; though i am longing to see if its for me. Can you write an article about the transition, persay?

      Sydney Aston | 12.15.2012 | Reply

    5. You said “Put the baby Kombucha ‘SCOBY’ & the ‘mother liquid’ into a 2 litre glass jar” what is the Mother liquid? The black tea?

      Rachael | 08.17.2013 | Reply

      • The scoby will likely come in a plastic bag and have liquid with it so it doesn’t dry out. This liquid is the mother liquid.

        tazan | 09.26.2013 | Reply

    6. This may be old news, but I wanted to share that you can grow your own SCOBY (or “mushroom”) in about 10 days with a bottle of GT’s or Synergy original or raw.

      Dump the entire bottle into a larger glass container, and cover with paper towels, seal with rubber bands. Happy brewing 🙂

      Jeanna | 03.06.2014 | Reply

    7. Lol now I see what my eyes must’ve skipped 😉

      Jeanna | 03.06.2014 | Reply

    8. Jeanna-I did exactly that! It took a few weeks to get it large enough, but it definitely worked. I made the tea/sugar brew, allowed it to cool and added a bottle of GT’s Kombucha. I changed the brew weekly until the scoby was large enough where I felt comfortable to use it to bottle my kombucha. It actually was more fulfilling knowing that I grew my own scoby!

      Lea | 07.28.2014 | Reply

    9. Gosh! Why do you write Ginger Kombucha and this is no ginger kombucha recipe:(

      maya | 02.13.2018 | Reply

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    Easy recipe for ginger kombucha (2024)

    FAQs

    What does ginger do to kombucha? ›

    Lactobacillis bacteria and wild yeasts live naturally on ginger. These feed off the sugars in the bottled kombucha and adds carbonation as a by-product. As we want a healthy culture, it is important to use organic ginger so that is hasn't been treated with pesticides or irradiated.

    How to make kombucha at home for beginners? ›

    How to Make Your First Batch of Kombucha
    1. Brew Tea. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a 4-quart pot. ...
    2. Sweeten It. Remove the tea bags and add 1 cup of organic cane sugar and a half-gallon (8 cups) of cold water. ...
    3. Transfer to a Jar. ...
    4. Add the SCOBY. ...
    5. Cover It. ...
    6. Wait & Watch. ...
    7. Try it! ...
    8. Transfer Your SCOBY.
    Apr 28, 2023

    Can you use ginger kombucha to make a SCOBY? ›

    First. -select a bottle of plain or ginger flavored kombucha. I usually go with Original GT Kombucha or Gingerade. It must be a RAW brand.

    Why can't you drink kombucha everyday? ›

    The Centers for Disease Control recommends that four ounces of kombucha can be safely consumed one to three times a day. Overconsumption can lead to headache, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, or ketoacidosis.

    What does kombucha do to your bowels? ›

    Kombucha may help with constipation by providing hydration and probiotics that promote gut health. Both may help a person pass stool more easily and regularly. A person may wish to consider talking with a doctor before adding kombucha to their diet, particularly if they want to try it for constipation relief.

    What is the best sugar for kombucha? ›

    Organic cane sugar is the best option for brewing kombucha. It is easily broken down by the yeast and bacteria with consistent results. When sugar is more complex, it is less available for microbial consumption, introducing extra variables that can affect brewing duration, flavor, and overall success.

    How often should you drink kombucha? ›

    He says4 oz a day would be a healthy amount to consume for most people. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also recommends that kombucha be consumed in moderation, and one to three 4-oz cups per day is safe to consume. That means you shouldn't generally consume more than 12 ounces of kombucha a day.

    How long does it take for kombucha to ferment for the first time? ›

    F1 typically takes around 7-12 days, though some people like to go longer. During that time, the sweet tea ferments and is transformed into kombucha by the starter tea and a kombucha culture (a SCOBY).

    What is the negative side of kombucha? ›

    The caffeine in kombucha, especially when taken in large amounts, can worsen diarrhea. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Kombucha contains caffeine. The caffeine in kombucha, especially when taken in large amounts, can worsen diarrhea and symptoms of IBS. Surgery: Kombucha seems to affect blood glucose levels.

    What happens if you leave kombucha to ferment too long? ›

    If you leave kombucha on the counter with the scoby too long, you get something that taste like vinegar and can be used to replace vinegar in recipes. But the addition of the juice in this case fed the active yeast and bacteria in the kombucha.

    What if I have a SCOBY but no starter liquid? ›

    If you do not have any liquid at all but what you think may be a viable SCOBY, you can make just 1 – 2 cups of sweet tea, pour over the culture in a small bowl, and add a cloth cover. Allow the culture to turn that small amount of liquid into well fermented Kombucha, which may take a 1-3 weeks.

    How much alcohol is in ginger kombucha? ›

    We do rigorous laboratory testing to ensure that the ABV of all our kombucha is below 0.5% (where it will stay as long as it is refrigerated correctly during storage). An ABV below 0.5% means that our kombucha is classified as a non-alcoholic beverage.

    Does ginger kombucha help with inflammation? ›

    Prevent inflammation and disease

    The studies included clinical trials and animal models during which ginger showed to have a key impact on disease cure due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic qualities. Feel a cold coming on? Make yourself a ginger tea or grab a ginger kombucha and see how you feel!

    How does ginger help in fermentation? ›

    The basic principle is that ginger skin has a large number of bacteria and yeast that are ready to be activated. Mixing the ingredients together allows the water to be oxygenated, activating the micro-organisms and encouraging their multiplication.

    What does ginger do for the gut? ›

    Gingerol, a natural component of ginger root, benefits gastrointestinal motility ― the rate at which food exits the stomach and continues along the digestive process. Eating ginger encourages efficient digestion, so food doesn't linger as long in the gut. Nausea relief.

    What does ginger do to bacteria? ›

    Ginger's antimicrobial properties could make it useful for fighting bacterial and fungal infections. Laboratory studies have found it may be effective against: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which is responsible for a range of diseases. Escherichia coli (E. coli), a cause of intestinal infections.

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