Author : Alix Alfke, Instagram.com/monkeybearcoop
My boyfriend and I have currently been in the process of converting and living in a van for a little under a year now. Living in a van has given us such freedom with being able to travel wherever we want and not having to worry about things like rent or bills. With such a small space though it may seem impossible to get anything done without making a gigantic mess, let alone an fermentation process where every step is crucial to the finished product. I’m here to tell you it is not the case! If you have access to heat water and pour it in a jar, you can make kombucha just about anywhere. Here’s a great beginner recipe you get you started on your kombucha journey in whatever size space you occupy.
Here’s is what you’ll need to make ~ 1/2 gallon batch:
- A 1/2 or 1 gallon container
- A scoby (you can find them online if you can’t grow one or have one gifted to you)
- 1 cup of starter liquid from a previous batch or store bought (raw, neutral flavored)
- 1 cup sugar (I prefer organic cane sugar)
- 2 tablespoons black tea or 4 tea bags
- A cloth to act as a lid (I used the packaging bag from my AllCottonAndLinen purchase!)
- A rubber band
Steps:
- Heat 6 of the 8 cups of water (try to use filtered water or at least non-chlorinated water)
- Steep the tea for a few minutes, add the remaining 2 cups of water, and allow the tea to cool off
- Add the sugar and let it dissolve in the tea
- Cool off the tea as much as possible and pour the tea into your jar (If you’re using loose leaf tea, use an infuser to save the hassle of straining out your tea)
- Add the starter liquid and the scoby
- Secure your lid with the cloth and a rubber band and place your kombucha in a dark area where the temperature is just right (around 70-80 degrees) and let do its thing for 7-15 days depending on the taste (the more your kombucha sits, the more vinegary and less sweet it will be)
- Pour the liquid from the top of the jar for drinking but make sure to leave enough liquid around the scoby for the starter liquid for the next batch
- Drink the finished kombucha alone or you can bottle it and add flavorings such as cut-up fruit, ginger, or essential oils!
- If you’re adding flavorings, leave the kombucha our for 2-3 days then enjoy and refrigerate it afterwards. We stick ours in our Yeti ice chest and it keeps quite well!\
