With the cooler weather with us this is our favourite winter pick-me-up
Equipment
2 x No.65 Fowlers Bottles
2 x Fermenting Lid Sets (available at our website item code 5505)
1 Scoby - can be purchased online but great to get it from a friend if possible
Muslin
2 x No.4 Fowlers Preserving Rings
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of organic tea - this can be green, oolong, white or black
3 dessert spoons raw, organic sugar
Flavouring for your booch
Handful of fresh mint
Zest of 2 limes and 2 lemons
Method
Sterilise your No.65 bottles by placing them in your Fowlers Preserving Kit at 92 degrees C for 10 minutes remove with Bottle Tongs and allow to air dry on a clean baking rack. One (1) No.65 bottle will be used to make Kombucha and the other to flavour the Kombucha once it has fermented.
Tie the tea leaves into a small piece of muslin & secure. Place in No.65 Bottle. Add sugar and 1 litre of boiling water that has been cooled (to approx. 50 degrees C) allow the tea to steep and the sugar to dissolve, approx 10 minutes.
Remove the muslin and fill the No.65 Bottle to the shoulder with cool, filtered water. Don't use tap water as the chlorine will prevent fermentation from taking place,
Once it is lukewarm add the scoby, stir gently with a Fowlers Packing Stick. Cover the No.65 bottle opening with a piece of muslin and secure with No.4 Preserving Ring. Place the No.65 bottle in a cool, clean place, out of direct sunlight.
The scoby will do its wotk, digesting the sugar and the tea. Allow to ferment for 7 days and then taste. If it tastes sweet, allow to ferment for another 2 days and then taste. It should be sour and fermented in flavour.
Now for the flavouring...
Finely chop or tear mint, place into the second sterilsed No.65 bottle with the zest of the limes and lemons. Pour over the kombucha from the other No.65 Bottle, leaving the scoby and enough liquid to cover it behind. Fit the Fermenting Lid and Airlock, secure with Clip. Place Bottle in a cool place away from direct sunlight. The second fermentation can now begin; this will draw the flavours and colours from the mint, lemon and lime. The fizziness should develop within approx. 1 week, if not; leave it for another few days. Once it is fizzy, it is ready to serve. Refrigerate and strain if required before serving.
The first (1st) No.65 Bottle can now be used to make another kombucha base following the recipe outlined in the second paragraph of this method.
Enjoy - homemade booch is one of life's simple pleasures... so delicious, good for you and so inexpensive.