More Amish families, especially those with children, are brewing kombucha as a healthy alternative to soda — it costs almost nothing and runs on a continuous cycle.
Ingredients
- 8 cups black or green tea (about 2 liters)
- 3/4 cup sugar (about 150g)
- 1 SCOBY, plus 1 cup starter liquid from a previous batch
Method
- Brew the tea, dissolve sugar in while hot, and let cool completely to room temperature.
- Pour into a gallon glass jar, add the SCOBY and starter liquid.
- Cover with cloth and ferment 7 to 14 days — longer means more tart, less sweet.
- For fizz, bottle with a little fruit juice or mashed fruit and do a second fermentation, sealed, for 2 to 3 days before refrigerating.
Costs pennies a glass versus four to five dollars at a health food store.
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