I scored a kombucha scoby (otherwise known as a mother, starter, what have you) at the last Cville Swaps.   Edie has been interested in brewing it, which translates to I should be interested in brewing it for her, which is how I came to acquire this.  The first batch I brewed, the mother never floated to the top – I thought for sure I’d killed it or done something wrong.  A few worried emails were sent to my friend Stephanie, who talked me off the ledge and told me what to look for – if there was scum on the top or any tentacle like thing floating,  I was in good shape.  Sure enough, there appeared to be a small jellyfish floating and so spurred on by my success, I went for batch number two.

I’d read that one should use black tea until the mother is strong, which I did.  Today was Day 9 of the second batch sitting on the back of my kitchen counter, covered with a tea towel.  I opened it up and saw it looking like this:

Success!  Although the newer scoby isn’t as big as the original, it’s definitely grown.

Edie has requested I try out a strawberry version next.  I’m not entirely sure how to go about doing it, but she seems to have some ideas, so I think I’ll give it a go and see what happens.  I’m going to need a new pitcher or jug in which to store kombucha in the fridge, which means a thrifting mission is in order.  Funny how one project spurs on another, isn’t it?

In other news from my kitchen,  here’s the resulting chive blossom vinegar I started two weeks ago.   After steeping for two weeks, I strained it.   It’s a gorgeous color and has a lovely savory (chives & vinegar) flavor.  I can’t wait to combine it with some nice olive oil for dressing some fresh picked lettuce from the garden.