It’s no secret that I LOVE my kombucha. It was the first thing I started making after I moved back to the States a couple of weeks ago. If you didn’t know already kombucha is amazing for you. As soon as you finish reading this you need to go to the store and buy a bottle or if you are blessed to have friends that might be a bit further in the natural living journey than you go to their house and ask BEG them to try it, they may even gift you a scoby to start making your own.* You are going to love it.
If you aren’t so sure about kombucha or want to learn to make it, you will find this post helpful. I have been a kombucha fan years now. When I was living in Mexico I would head up to San Diego, which was about 2 hours (without a border wait) away to get mail, groceries or to visit a friend every few months. Each time I went instead of getting a fancy coffee drink or what-not I would get a bottle of kombucha. One day I saw kombucha with chia, I was in love!
Here’s the thing, buying kombucha from the store (with or without chia) costs $3-4 for ONE 16oz bottle. I knew I could make so much less at home. It costs me less than $1.50 to make one gallon of kombucha, that’s 8 bottles of kombucha! I get my Chia seeds from Bulk Herb Store in a 1/2 pound bag. I figured that there are roughly 32 tablespoons in each 1/2 pound bag. I also get my organic black tea there.
The breakdown:
- Chia Seeds 1/2 lb- $8.25/32 (TBS)= $0.26
Black Tea 1/2 lb- $9.50/48(tsp) =$0.20 x 4= $0.80
Zulka White Sugar 1lb- $1.29/2 (cups) = $0.65 - 1 gallon of kombucha = $0.80 + $0.65= $1.45
- $1.45/ 8= $0.18 per bottle
- So one bottle of unflavored kombucha costs $0.18
- Add a few berries or a TBS of juice to favlor it add maybe $0.05= $0.23
- Add 2 TBS of chai at $0.26 each= $0.52
- 1 bottle of flavored kombucha with chia= $0.75
Not bad right? Making your own kombucha with chia can save you up to $3.25 per bottle!!!
Benefits of Kombucha
- Boosts the immune system
- Detoxifies the liver
- Increases Energy
- Beneficial for the Digestive System
- TASTES AMAZING!!!
Benefits of Chia Seeds
- Heighten Endurance
- Promote Intestinal Regularity
- Increase energy and strength
- Level Blood Sugar
- Can act as an anti-inflammatory agent
- They contain 6 time more iron than spinach
Combine those two together and you have a drink that is amazing for you! The health and taste benefits are undeniable. It’s delicious, good for you and inexpensive to make, so what are you waiting for, it’s time to learn how to make kombucha with chia!
How to Make Kombucha with Chai {for a Fraction of the Cost at the Store}
Ingredients
- 16 oz of flavored kombucha
- 2 TBS chia seeds
- 8 TBS warm water
- Small bowl
- 16 oz glass jar or bottle
Instructions
- Mix the chia seeds and warm water in a small bowl and allow to gel. This will take about 10 minutes (you can leave them overnight).
- Add the gel to 16 oz of flavored kombucha.
- Drink and enjoy!
*To get started making kombucha you can buy your starter (scoby) online or ask a friend to give you a scoby. They are sure to have some extras floating around in their scoby hotel (or nursery as I like to call it). I have a couple that are traveling with me to Missouri later this summer to gift to two of my cousins. Yes, it was such a geeky moment when I realized that we had a bond over our love for the fermented drink.
Hi I really want to start making kombucha & I can get hold of a Scooby. Can I make your kombucha drink with green tea & will it work with either zylitol, maple syrup or coconut sugar? Many thanks for your amazing post.
Hi Rebekah, yes, some people do use green tea. I know that xylitol won’t work since it is a sugar alcohol and not sugar. I was reading that you can use maple syrup sometimes. You would use about 3/4 cup of maple syrup to 1 cup of sugar. It is suggested to switch off every other batch to keep the scoby thriving.
You can use coconut sugar 1 for 1, for a period of time as well. Unfortunately, while the minerals in the maple syrup and coconut sugar are good for us, they are not doo for the health of the scoby.
If possible I would suggest brewing the first several batches with unrefined cane sugar before switching to coconut sugar or maple syrup and then giving switching back to unrefined sugar every other batch.
I hope that that helps!
Hi, I love the recipe! Where do you buy the bottles for the second fermentation?
Thank you Alejandra! I frequently reuse kombucha bottles from the store, like the one in the photo. I also use bottles similar to these: https://amzn.to/2UkqAE5
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been making my own kombucha for half a year but I still would buy GTs rasberry chia seed kombucha. I have chia seeds at home that I did not know how to use since I did not like them in smoothies or as chia puddings. It took your recipe to make it click that I could have made my own all along. I will half the chia recipe next time for 16oz as it came out much thicker than GTs and my liking. Thank you for the inspiration!
You’re welcome!! I’m glad that you figured out what fits your taste buds!
Thank you for the great information about adding chia seeds to kombucha! I’ve been making it at home for over 2 months now and LOVING trying new flavor combinations! Getting ready to start my second fermentation on 8 bottles today.. oh the endless flavoring opportunities!
Awesome! You’re welcome! Isn’t it fun to try me flavors?
I have been told that trying to drink Booch made with Chia is actually not very palatable because it gets kinda gluggy. How True or False is that claim? One even compared it to like trying to drink Frog Spawn? – Sounds gross but it seems there is a different opinion here?
It might be a bit slimy but it is still so good!
I’m just getting into this and going to see my sis this weekend to get some of her starter. I also recently started adding chia seeds to my morning oatmeal with fruit, so adding it to Kombucha definitely caught my interest! Looking forward to trying something that will – hopefully – help with my poor stomach problems. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome! I like chia in my oatmeal as well. 🙂 I hope the kombucha help! <3
I tried adding my own chia seeds to kombucha without soaking and it foamed up and out like a volcano lol def will be soaking beforehand.
I’ve had that happen before too!
Why do you hydrate the Chia seeds first. Why couldn’t you just add them to your bottles when you are bottling them up?
I have been making Kombucha now for bout a year, and have given many a scoby away. I love this stuff!
I prefer to let them go through their second ferment without the chai seeds in the bottles. I also seemed to have the seeds clump at the bottom of the bottles when I added the seeds directly.
Thanks. That makes sense. I hadn’t thought of them clumping together. I will have to try that. I end up with lot of stringy stuff in my kombucha and the chia seeds would help hide that. Right now I pour it through a strainer into my glass to catch those new scobys wanting to start.
That’s a good idea as well, I’ve nearly choked on a tiny scoby before…
Can you use red tea instead of black tea? I’m excited to try this!!!
No, it needs the caffeine from the black tea. Some people make it with green tea.
I’ve used jasmine tea lots of times and it’s delicious . It works just as well as black or green tea. Mix the two together. Jasmine and geeen it’s really good too
I’m sure jasmine would be quite tasty! Thanks for the tip! 🙂
Thanks for the idea Katie Mae Stanley. I have Kombucha and will try adding chia seeds. 🙂
I so want to try this but am a total chicken. LiKe I’d poison myself or something. 😛 But I might get up the courage, you never know!
DO IT!!! 🙂