Kombu Cha-Cha

Story by Emma CrowE | Design & Illustration by Katie Jo Stewart

When you think of tea, what do you see? A hot cup of Earl Grey on a cloudy day, or a glass jar of fermenting liquids?

Kombucha is a fermented tea whose exact origins have not been agreed upon; however, it is presumed that the tea comes from the continent of Asia. People around the world have been making and drinking Kombucha for years. So, naturally, there are plenty of recipes floating around the web. Making the base for Kombucha is fairly straightforward, but the flavor combinations are where people can spice up their drinks.

Sources: Recipe Inspired by 9Kitchen https://www.britannica.com/topic/kombucha.

Cranberry and Peach Kombucha:

Ingredients:

• SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast from previous batch of kombucha or store-bought) • 4 cups filtered water • 4 black tea bags or 1 tablespoon loose-leaf black tea • 3 tablespoons raw or white sugar • 3 tablespoons kombucha (homemade or store-bought)

• ⅔ cup cranberry juice

•

⅔ cup peach juice • Yield: about 1.5 liters

Directions:

1. Bring 2 cups of the filtered water to a simmer. Pour into a teapot, add the tea bags or tea leaves and leave to steep for 3–5 minutes. Strain the tea into a heatproof wide-mouth glass jar and discard the tea bags or tea leaves. Add the sugar to the jar and stir to dissolve. Pour in the remaining filtered water. When the liquid has cooled to room temperature, add the kombucha starter culture liquid and SCOBY. Cover the jar with a piece of cheesecloth and secure it with an elastic band. 2. Place the jar out of direct sunlight in a cool spot. Leave the liquid to ferment for around 4 days in hot

weather and 14–20 days in cooler weather. 3. Gently remove the SCOBY to re-use.

Retain 3 tablespoons of the kombucha liquid as the starter culture liquid for your next brew. Mix in any sediment that has settled at the bottom of the jar. Put a funnel in the opening of a glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid and put a strainer on top of the funnel. Pour the kombucha into the bottle through the strainer and discard any solids. 4. Add in cranberry and peach juice.

Mix well. 5. Tightly seal the bottle lid and leave the bottle to build carbonation. This

could take anywhere from 2–14 days, depending on the temperature. ‘Burp’ the kombucha daily to release some pressure by opening the lid slightly and then tightening it again. 6. When the kombucha is as fizzy and sour as you like, store it in the fridge to slow the fermentation process and enjoy at your leisure.