Okay, so I’ve been getting into making my own kombucha lately, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride. I decided to go with green tea for my first batch ’cause I heard it’s a good starting point. Plus, I like green tea anyway, so it seemed like a safe bet.

First off, I got my hands on a SCOBY. That’s the weird, rubbery thing that makes the magic happen. It’s a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, basically a little city of microbes that will turn your sweet tea into a fizzy, tangy drink. It looked kind of gross, but I tried not to think about it too much.

Next, I brewed a big batch of green tea. I just used regular green tea bags from the grocery store, nothing fancy. I made sure it was nice and strong, then I added a bunch of sugar. I know, it sounds like a lot, but the SCOBY needs that sugar to feed on. It’s like giving it a big, sugary meal so it can do its thing.

• Brew some green tea, make it strong.
• Stir in a good amount of sugar—don’t be shy, the SCOBY’s hungry.
• Let it cool down completely, we don’t want to shock our little microbe friends.

Once the tea was cooled down, I poured it into a big glass jar and added the SCOBY on top. Then I covered the jar with a cloth and secured it with a rubber band. This is to keep out any fruit flies or other bugs that might want to crash the party. Then it was just a waiting game.

I tucked the jar away in a dark corner of my kitchen and tried to forget about it. It took about a week, but finally, I started to see some bubbles forming. That’s when I knew it was working! I gave it a little taste, and it was still pretty sweet, so I let it ferment for a few more days.

After about 10 days total, it was finally ready. It was tangy, fizzy, and surprisingly delicious. I strained out the SCOBY and some of the yeasty bits, then bottled the kombucha and stuck it in the fridge to chill.

I was pretty proud of myself for making my own kombucha. It was way cheaper than buying it at the store, and I felt like a mad scientist or something. I’ve heard that some folks have stomach issues or allergic reactions to kombucha, but I didn’t have any problems. I’ve been drinking a glass every day, and I feel pretty good. Maybe it’s the antioxidants, or maybe it’s just the satisfaction of making something myself, but either way, I’m hooked.

My takeaway

Making green tea kombucha was a fun and rewarding experiment. It’s a bit of a process, but totally worth it in the end. Plus, it’s a good way to get some probiotics in your diet, and you can experiment with different flavors and teas once you get the hang of it. If you’re looking for a new kitchen project, give it a try!