Jun Kombucha is also known as Jun Tea. It’s made with green tea and honey; whereas, regular Kombucha is made from black tea and sugar. I have been searching for something where I could make my own kombucha but I didn’t want to use sugar. I’m so glad I finally found it. I think you’ll love it as much as I do!
What Is A Jun Scoby
First of all, let’s see how we pronounce this new found scoby. It rhymes with “sun”, so it’s Jun [jun]. Pretty simple name, I think.
I love the lighter, brighter flavor of jun and its beautiful golden color. Jun is a fermented health tonic similar to kombucha.
- Jun Kombucha is made by fermenting honey and green tea, and an amount of finished Jun with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast)
- The honey feeds the SCOBY allowing vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics and amino acids to develop during fermentation.
- These compounds and the good bacteria in Jun Tea are essential for good gut health which is linked to over-all well being?
Origin of Jun Tea
Jun’s origins have not been proven, but it is thought to have roots in Tibet and northern China. Jun has a lighter more delicate flavor profile, is more effervescent and less sour tasting than traditional kombucha.
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How To Make Jun Tea (Kombucha)
To make a 1 gallon batch:
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
- Add 10-12 green tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes.
- Allow the tea to cool to room temperature.
- Add the Jun Scoby starter and raw honey, stir.
- Grab a 1 gallon glass jar and pour all the contents into the container.
- Cover with a piece of fabric and a rubber band. Just make sure the jar stays covered and the fabric is loose fitting.
- Set in a cooler place, maybe your pantry for 1-4 weeks.
- Within the first week, you will notice a white film on the top of the liquid. That is completely normal so don’t be alarmed.
- You will start to see the scoby grow. All normal. It almost looks like a jelly fish as it’s forming.
- Try a taste to make sure you like it. It shouldn’t be too sweet nor should it be sour.
- Once you like the taste, you see a big scoby and bubbles, it’s ready to bottle up and start drinking it.
Starting Another Batch
This is super easy to do. You’ll need to remove 2 cups of liquid and the scoby to start a new batch. Brew a 1/2 gallon jar of tea this time using 4-5 green tea bags. Repeat all the steps above. You’ll eventually create like a “hotel” for the scoby. This is when you might see the scoby start to make babies or split off. Completely normal and you can give some away at this point.
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How To Obtain A Jun Tea Scoby
You’ll want to buy from a special kombucha brewer. You can start one of your own, but it will take a wile. The Jun scoby I bought is a fresh living heirloom one in a starter liquid. Make sure you get yours from a reputable company, if you are purchasing one. You can also obtain one from a friend. All they have to do is give you a section with some of the jun tea and then you can start your first batch.
Difference Between Jun Tea and Kombucha
Let’s dive into the differences between the two…..
Jun Tea
- The fermentation colonies feed off honey rather than sugar
- It is a distinctly different culture with its own unique flavor profile and benefits
- The scoby is lighter and paler in color, but also rubbery like that of Kombucha
- The tonic traditionally uses green or white tea as a base, not black tea
- Jun needs a shorter time window to ferment; normally a period of about 3-7 days, temperature dependent
- It prefers colder brewing temperatures
- The best Jun drinks are believed to originate from the original heirloom cultures in the East
- Usually, the cultures are more expensive and harder to come by due to their still relative rarity
- Known as the champagne of kombucha, due to a gentler fizz, slightly sweeter flavor profile and often floral notes depending on the tea used
- Jun SCOBYs reproduce at a slightly slower rate than their Kombucha cousins
- The alcohol produced by the yeast is also broken down and instead turns into a health-giving organic acid.
- Said to aid in digestion, energy levels and immune boosting (likely due to the honey)
- Can be used in a host of other recipes, in anything from pickling vegetables to a sourdough starter
Kombucha
- Kombucha is brewed or fermented over a period of 7-30 days but on average 5-14 days
- Likes warm, humid climates
- The culture is traditionally brewed with black tea
- Kombucha is sweetened with sugar
- A kombucha scoby culture essentially looks like a pinkish brown rubbery flapjack due to the tannins in black tea.
- After the fermentation period in which the scoby digests the sugar and caffeine, the tea is infused with vitamins, minerals and enzymes
- Somewhat revered as a healing tonic in bringing the body back in balance by detoxifying the liver and alkalizing the body among a host of other beneficial attributes
- Can be used in a host of other recipes, in anything from pickling vegetables to a sourdough starter
- Makes a fizzy drink similar in taste to sparkling apple cider
Tools You May Need
- 1 gallon glass jar
- Jun live active scoby
- Long handled spoon
- Raw honey
- Tea towel
- Glass kombucha storage bottle
Jun Tea (Kombucha)
Ingredients
- 1 Jun Scoby starter
- 10-12 Organic Green Tea bags
- 1 cup Raw Honey
Instructions
- Boil a gallon of water in a large pot.
- Add the tea bags and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Once cool, remove the tea bags and add the honey.
- Stir it together, add the scoby starter. Then, pour the tea into your brew container.
- Cover the batch with a light piece of fabric and secure with a rubber band.
- Now, set the jar on the counter and wait for it to ferment.
- Once it ferments, you can bottle it at this point and start another batch. See the package instructions for more information.
(source: www.junbucha.com)
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