‘Leaves of the World’ tea company is our Producer Spotlight this month, that is why sharing a tea related recipe seemed fitting.

What is Kombucha?

A fermented drink containing beneficial microbes that can help support a healthy gut bacteria.

See the recent post on fermented foods for details of fermented foods sold at Get Loose.

The SCOBY is what makes it all happen

SCOBY is an acronym that stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.”

When certain bacteria and yeast are put together and cultivated in the right environment, you get SCOBY. It’s a living culture that grows and evolves, consuming sugar as its fuel.

Where do I get a Scoby from?

The easiest thing to do is to get one from someone who already has one. Once theirs is well developed they can cut a portion off with no ill effect to the original. Ask your friends, neighbours, Next Door website or Olio app if anyone has one. Be sure to be mindful of current social distancing guidelines.

You need to have all the other kit before getting your Scoby to make sure you can look after it properly.

What do I need?

Large jar at least 3 litres with a tap on the bottom
A piece of muslin / cotton
Rubber band
A few bottles with resealable tops, they need to be able to take the pressure of fermentation without exploding!

Basic recipe

Per litre of water brewed:

6-8g loose tea, such as our Engligh Breakfast Tea *
50g sugar — our unrefined cane sugar works very well *
White vinegar for cleaning utensils and bottles *

For the full process check out videos on YouTube to make sure you get it right! Such as this one from Kilner UK .

Workshops

If you want a bit more support there are also Kombucha workshops such as from Kompassion Kombucha, Hackney. There the whole process is explained in depth and you are given a SCOBY to take home.