Carrageenan Free Plain Kombucha
Brewing your own kombucha at home is one of the most satisfying kitchen projects you can take on, and this plain version is the perfect foundation. Many store-bought kombuchas sneak in additives like carrageenan as a stabilizer or thickener, which makes label-reading a frustrating chore for anyone avoiding it. This recipe keeps things beautifully simple — just filtered water, black tea, sugar, a SCOBY, and starter liquid — so you know exactly what's going in the jar and what's going in your glass. The fermentation process does all the heavy lifting, transforming sweet tea into a tangy, lightly effervescent drink over the course of one to two weeks. Tasting daily from day seven lets you dial in the exact level of tartness you prefer, whether you like it bright and mildly sour or deeply vinegary. The SCOBY and reserved starter liquid from each batch become the base for your next brew, meaning this is genuinely a self-sustaining habit once you get going. Clean equipment, patience, and a warm corner of your kitchen are really all you need to have a steady supply of pure, additive-free kombucha on hand.
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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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