Kombucha Recipe from Tom Aikens

Kombucha has grown in popularity, and during lockdown, Tom Aikens showed his Instagram followers how to make the popular drink. Using Nurtured in Norfolk herbs to infuse the flavours, Tom has kindly let us share the recipe with you guys too.

Follow his simple how-to below.

Ingredients 

• 3 Litres Water
• 300g Caster Sugar
• SCOBY
• 9g White Tea

Optional Kombucha Flavourings 

• 3 Oranges, 3 Sprigs of Lemon Verbena
• Bunched Basil
• Bunched Mint

Method

1. Bring 2 Litres of water to a simmer with the caster sugar. Leave the other litre of water aside in a large bowl.
2. Take the pan off the heat and add the white tea.
3. Leave to infuse for around 2 – 2.5 minutes.
4. Pass the liquid through a sift, into the other litre of water.
5. Pour the cold tea into a large Kilner jar and add the SCOBY. Cover with a muslin cloth and rubber band, and leave to ferment for 5-7 days. Leaving the tea to ferment for this time will add the acidic flavour.
6. After this time, the tea is then ready to be bottled.

It is also an option to add extra flavours to your kombucha after the first fermenting period. Tom recommends adding dried ingredients, although herbs such as bunched basil, coriander and mint would go nicely.

To add an Orange, Verbena and Elderflower flavour to your tea, you will need the following ingredients.

• 3 Oranges cut into quarters with flesh removed. Skin the oranges and dry them in the over for 2.5 hours at 90 degrees C.
• 3 Sprigs of Lemon Verbena

To follow Tom’s kombucha recipe in full, and see his other flavour recommendations, head to his Instagram page, @tomaikens