What is kombucha?
Kombucha is a tea fungus or culture that is also called a mother, mushroom, plant, scoby (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts). History of the tea can be traced from many places including China and Russian.
The culture is a symbiotic combination of vinegar-producing bacteria (Acetobacter sp.) with at least two yeasts. It tastes sour like cider. It is rich in B vitamins, lactic acid and glucuronic acid. B vitamins are invaluable to cell metabolism. Lactic acid helps to increase oxygen in blood. Glucuronic acid binds to environmental and metabolic toxins and aids detoxification through the kidneys. Glucuronic acid is also a building block of a group of important polysaccharides that are components of connective tissue, cartilage, and stomach lining.
Safety:
Cleanliness is very important. It is also important to use the right materials to ensure that your culture turns out as expected.
Ingredients:
* Organic black tea should be used as it will have less flouride
* Food grade glass containers for brewing the culture (cleaned with hot soapy water)
* PH Hydracid papers 1-6 (pH should be between 2.5-4.5, less than 2.5 is too acidic for human
consumption)
* Starter tea that is acidic enough to initially protect the culture
* Clean towels, warm environment (70-85 degrees F, 21 -29 degrees C)
Process:
1) bring water to a boil, remove from heat, and add tea bags.
2) Allow tea to cool and strain into the food grade container
3) Pour mushroom and starter culture into tea
4) Cover with a towel and secure with masking tape or a rubber band to keep out contaminants
5) A skin will form on the surface of the culture after about a week
6) Culture until it reaches the desired acidity between pH 2.5-4.5
Another culture will group on the mother culture. The mother should be discarded after it becomes black.
Another culture will group on the mother culture. The mother should be discarded after it becomes black.
Problems:
If the culture develops mold it should be discarded.
Additional information about kombucha:
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