Here's a simple Jun Kombucha recipe that anyone can brew at home
Equipment:
- large stainless steel pot
- Stainless steel mesh strainer
- 2L glass wide-mouth jar
- Spoon for stirring
- Coffee filter or clean muslin cloth
- Stainless steel straw
- Small funnel
- Glass pressure rated bottles
Ingredients:
- 2L filtered water
- 4 teaspoons organic loose-leaf green tea or 4 green tea bags: Organic Sencha Green Tea
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup Jun starter liquid from a previous batch or store bought (raw, unflavoured, and unpasteurized)
Brewing and Fermenting:
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Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, let it cool to below 85C add the tea, and let steep for 10-15 minutes.
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Remove bags or strain out tea leaves, cool to below 38C, and add honey stirring to dissolve. higher temperatures will destroy the honey's enzymes.
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Let the sweet tea cool to below 27C.
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Pour the starter liquid into a clean glass jar, add the sweet tea, leaving room at the top, and stir vigorously.
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Cover with a fine mesh cotton cloth or coffee filter secured with a rubber band. Ferment for 5-12 days at warm room temperature, out of direct sunlight. The length of fermentation is highly dependent on ambient temperature.
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Begin tasting the brew with the straw siphon method on about day 5. It's ready when it tastes good to you. It should be neutral to slightly sour and not sweet.
Bottling and Flavoring:
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Pour using a funnel into clean glass bottles for the second fermentation.
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Reserve 1/2 cup for the starter for your next batch.
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If you want to boost carbonation, add a small amount of honey or fruit/ fruit juices to the bottle, approximately 1 tsp honey per 500ml bottle. Choose honey or fruit, not both to avoid overcarbonation and bottle explosions!
- Seal the bottles air-tight and let them sit at least 2 days in warm temp, and up to 4 days in cooler temperatures. You can test for carbonation after 36 hours and open one a little checking for a "hiss" or "Pop"
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Put in the fridge to chill when carbonated.
Crafting Jun Kombucha is an art that blends tradition and creativity and with proper care and experimentation, you can create a unique and refreshing Jun Kombucha every time.