Easy recipe for ginger kombucha (2024)

2.3.12

The Chalkboard Editorial Team

Food and Nutrition, Healthy RecipesNutrition Tips from Wellness Pros

Kombucha, anyone? This satisfying cultured drink from ancient times is getting quite a lot of good press! Boasted as being anti-aging, pH balancing, an excellent energiser, as well as being absolutely chock full of good bacteria (literally millions of organisms per serving) – no wonder it’s quite the rage amongst celebrities! It is truly a living food, bursting with enzymes!

The Kombucha ‘SCOBY’ is actually a fungus (like a mushroom) which thrives in black tea and a room temperature environment. I have used organic Ceylon, green, white and even Chai teas with success, but the SCOBY is quite a creature of habit and generally tends to prefer the standard black tea. It also devours sugar, as it’s what the living SCOBY eats. When you see the amount of sugar in the recipe below, remember that most of the sugar will be eaten up by the time the Kombucha is ready to drink.

Next time you’re at the organic/farmers’ markets, see if you can find stalls with bottles of fresh Kombucha for sale. You should be able to pick up a ‘SCOBY’ from the grower – you will need this living creature to make your very own fresh Kombucha at home. Here’s everything you need to know:

Home-Brewed Kombucha

Ingredients:

Baby kombucha ‘SCOBY’ in 100ml mother culture
2 litres sweetened organic black tea (read below)

Directions:

Put the baby kombucha ‘SCOBY’ & the ‘mother liquid’ into a 2 litre glass jar.

Prepare 2 litres of black tea with 3 organic tea bags and 185g raw organic sugar and allow to cool.

Combine kombucha mixture with cooled black tea.

Cover with a paper towel and rubber band. Leave for 8-10 days, strain and store in the fridge until desired.Fresh ginger juice may be added before storing or serving over ice. You can also try the following flavour variations: lemon, lime, pomegranate, mint, cinnamon.

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Comments

And if you don’t have a local kombucha-seller? Is there another way to obtain the culture? I have been longing to try this…
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gluttonforlife | 02.03.2012 | Reply
Hi I’ve just had a quick look online. Good news! You can buy Kombucha fungus & have it shipped to you, which sounds pretty cool 😉 Depending on where you live you may want to have a look at different sites to compare quality/prices, but if you can get your hands on a bottle of pure, ‘raw’ Kombucha (good health food stores) you can simply ‘feed up’ the ‘mother culture’ within! It will grow & you’ll soon see a waxy scaby growing on top. T Abigail xx
abigail | 02.05.2012 | Reply
One quick thing – Kombucha’s not a fungus. It’s a culture of yeast and bacteria.
Joe Mac | 07.29.2012 | Reply
I’m new to the organic process; though i am longing to see if its for me. Can you write an article about the transition, persay?
Sydney Aston | 12.15.2012 | Reply
You said “Put the baby Kombucha ‘SCOBY’ & the ‘mother liquid’ into a 2 litre glass jar” what is the Mother liquid? The black tea?
Rachael | 08.17.2013 | Reply
- The scoby will likely come in a plastic bag and have liquid with it so it doesn’t dry out. This liquid is the mother liquid.
  tazan | 09.26.2013 | Reply
This may be old news, but I wanted to share that you can grow your own SCOBY (or “mushroom”) in about 10 days with a bottle of GT’s or Synergy original or raw.
Dump the entire bottle into a larger glass container, and cover with paper towels, seal with rubber bands. Happy brewing 🙂
Jeanna | 03.06.2014 | Reply
Lol now I see what my eyes must’ve skipped 😉
Jeanna | 03.06.2014 | Reply
Jeanna-I did exactly that! It took a few weeks to get it large enough, but it definitely worked. I made the tea/sugar brew, allowed it to cool and added a bottle of GT’s Kombucha. I changed the brew weekly until the scoby was large enough where I felt comfortable to use it to bottle my kombucha. It actually was more fulfilling knowing that I grew my own scoby!
Lea | 07.28.2014 | Reply
Gosh! Why do you write Ginger Kombucha and this is no ginger kombucha recipe:(
maya | 02.13.2018 | Reply

FAQs

Is ginger kombucha good for you? ›

It has good bacteria called probiotics. These microorganisms have been shown to improve human health. The studies reveals that kombucha may have health benefits, including those related to gut health, mental health, infection risk, and liver health. Kombucha tea benefits can be doubled if we add ginger to it.

Get More Info Here ›

Can you put ginger powder in kombucha? ›

Homemade kombucha: You'll need freshly made kombucha that has not been refrigerated yet. Ginger: I used fresh grated organic ginger. You could also use ground ginger powder. I've also made Kombucha with Ginger if you want to try it without turmeric.

Why can't you drink kombucha everyday? ›

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that four ounces of kombucha can be safely consumed one to three times a day. Overconsumption can lead to headache, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, or ketoacidosis.

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Who should not drink kombucha? ›

People who are pregnant or breastfeeding or who have weakened immune systems should avoid kombucha tea. Others may drink the tea if they like the taste, but only if it comes from a trusted source. Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

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What does kombucha do to your body? ›

Kombucha is an ancient fermented tea that may have many health benefits, such as improving digestion, boosting the immune system, lowering cholesterol levels, and supporting cardiovascular health.

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Is fermented ginger good for gut health? ›

As garlic and ginger go through the fermentation process, the number of probiotic bacteria in them increases. Consuming probiotic bacteria has many benefits including improving your digestive system and immune system. In the winter, it is especially important to consume probiotics to help avoid colds and the flu.

Read The Full Story ›

Does kombucha detox your body? ›

The cultured kombucha contains glucuronic acid, an organic acid that binds with toxins in the body and safely eliminates them. Many health practitioners utilize the detox components of kombucha for conditions like arthritis, joint ailments, and gout.

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How much alcohol is in ginger kombucha? ›

Well, to be in compliance with current laws set forth by regulatory agencies, kombucha must test under the 0.5% ABV limit to be considered a “non-alcoholic beverage.” The trace amounts of alcohol found in a properly fermented kombucha are non-inebriating and serve as a natural preservative.