Artificial Food Coloring Free Plain Kombucha
Brewing your own kombucha at home is one of the most satisfying fermentation projects you can take on, and this plain version is the perfect place to start. Store-bought kombucha is notorious for sneaking in added colors, flavored syrups, and fruit juices that can make label-reading a real chore — here, every single ingredient is exactly what it says it is. Black tea, white sugar, filtered water, a SCOBY, and a splash of starter liquid are all you need to get a batch going. The fermentation process does the heavy lifting, slowly converting that sweetened tea into a tangy, lightly effervescent drink with nothing artificial in sight. Patience is the main skill required — you'll taste-test daily starting around day seven until the balance of tartness and mild fizz hits just right for your palate. The result is a clean, honest kombucha you can sip straight or use as a base for any second ferment you dream up, all without a single synthetic dye or additive in the mix.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 3.5 quarts filtered water, divided
- 4 bags plain black tea (or 1 tbsp loose-leaf black tea)
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast)
- ½ cup starter liquid (unflavored, unpasteurized kombucha from a previous batch or store-bought raw kombucha)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 1 quart of the filtered water to a boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, add the tea bags (or loose-leaf tea in a strainer), and steep for 5–7 minutes, until the tea is deep amber and strongly brewed. Remove and discard the tea bags or strainer.
- 2
Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir with a long-handled spoon until fully dissolved, about 1 minute.
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