The kombucha craze is thoroughly upon us. Many people are educating themselves on the numerous benefits of probiotic-filled kombucha. But at anywhere from $4-$5 a bottle, I was amazed to find out how inexpensive and easy it is to make my own. Again, as with any home DIY project meant for ingestion, sterilization and quality ingredients are key! Here's a quick breakdown on how much the materials cost to make a gallon of kombucha:

Glass gallon-sized jar from Amazon: $10.98
Traditional Medicinals Organic Hibiscus Tea from Amazon, 16 bags (enough for two batches): $3.79
Black Tea Kombucha Scoby from Etsy: $7.33 (they're also available on Amazon)
Raw Sugar: price varies, I already had some and it doesn't take much for the recipe
Starter Kombucha

So as you can see, for not that much startup cost, you can make your own kombucha for way less than it costs to keep buying it. Now here's the recipe I used.

Ingredients

8 organic hibiscus tea bags
1-2 cups of starter kombucha
1 cup raw sugar
13-14 cups of water
1 mother SCOBY

Method

Boil water, then add tea bags and sugar. Turn off heat.
Allow to cool to room temperature with the tea bags in it, then add starter kombucha from previous batch.
Transfer liquid to sterilized gallon-sized jug, put SCOBY in it.
Cover with a clean towel or coffee filter. Secure the towel with a rubber band.
Let sit undisturbed for 7-30 days to ferment. Taste it periodically after the 7 day mark to determine the amount of fermentation flavor you like.

Notes:

Hibiscus is thought to be helpful for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart and nerve disease. It's also high in antioxidants
SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Colony (Culture or Combination) of Bacteria and Yeast, it's the alien-like thing that allows the beneficial fermentation process to do it's thing. And just like a weird, alien-like creature, it will multiply and make baby SCOBYs!
Do not use cheesecloth with large holes in it to ferment your kombucha, it attracts bugs and if they get in it, you will have to throw out your whole batch---heartbreak!
After your kombucha reaches your desired flavor, you can transfer it to the fridge to slow down the fermentation process, otherwise it will keep getting stronger and stronger. Which is not a bad thing, the flavor may just be a little strong for some-I love the strong fizziness though so mine is staying on the counter!
Save 1-2 cups of your kombucha to be your starter for the next batch
Some resources say not to use raw sugar because it's too difficult to be broken down in the process, but I did not have any issues with it
And again-sterilization of your materials cannot be stressed enough, if anything in your brew looks or smells off, better safe than sorry-throw it out and start again!

*This information is not meant to treat, cure or diagnose any medical conditions. This post is not meant to substitute the advice of a medical professional, always seek professional advice before beginning any program, regimen or recipe*