The origin of the tea fungus Kombucha is Japan, but besides here, it has been used in Russia, Eastern Europe for centuries. Kombucha was initially consumed only by the Japanese kings, and it was a well-protected secret for many years. The Japanese emperor has given the tea to the Chinese emperor who was on a visit, but the Chinese emperor shared the tea fungus with all of his people no matter their social status. The Russian people call this drink “tea kvass”, and from here the tea was spread to Poland, Prussia, Denmark, and Germany, but during World War II it seemed that it disappeared. Dr. Rudolph Skelnar regained interest in this beverage in Germany after the war ended. So, he began using kombucha in his practice in the treatment of metabolic disorders, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Various complex reactions are happening when the fungus ferments. It feeds on the sugar in the tea, thus producing other beneficial substances which are constituents of the kombucha liquid, including lactic and glycolic acid, amino acids, vitamins, antibiotic ingredients, etc. You can now see why this fungus tea is considered a real small biochemical factory. Vitamin C in its content is more abundant than in lemons. Moreover, it contains vitamin B (1, 2, 3, 6, and 12), different types of enzymes, and not to forget the milk – L acid, which can reach up to 3ml in 1 liter of liquid. Kombucha has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of exhaustion, fatigue, anti-narrowing of blood vessels, anti-aging, rheumatism, constipation, and diabetes, while Russians use it for all kinds of illnesses and call it a “Russian home remedy”. Furthermore, kombucha effectively treats diseases of internal organs, inflamed tonsils, inflammation of the colon, small intestine, and stomach, narrowing of blood vessels, sclerosis, high blood pressure, etc. It has been proven that a lot of its components have detoxification and antibiotic properties which play an important part in the biochemical processes. It solves hemorrhoids, constipation, fixes the flora, solves problems with urinary canals, kidney stones, and bile, and improves digestion. Moreover, the metabolic products of Kombucha can regenerate cells and be an efficient remedy for arteriosclerosis. It stimulates the metabolism so it cleanses the blood from toxins. The tea fungus helps in joint pain, constant headaches, rheumatism, and age-related problems. Only after several days of its consumption, you can notice positive results. Dr. Dan Pon from Japan has proved that this tea fungus provides beneficial effects in the following conditions:

• Helps prevent cancer;
• Prevents wrinkles’ formation;
• Extends life span;
• Positively affects joint rheumatism, relieves arthrosis;
• Improves breathing;
• Treats liver disorder;
• Improves food taste;
• Eliminates nausea while driving;
• Lowers body weight;
• Soothes menopause symptoms;
• Helps with shingles and pox;
• Strengthens the muscles in the legs;
• Improves potency;
• Cleanses blood vessels, positively affects the cell membrane regeneration and the cardiac infarction;
• Strengthens the function of kidneys;
• Heal's conditions on the back, hands, and feet, insomnia, gray barbell;
• Softens, dissolves, and cleanses gallstones;
• Cures hemorrhoids;
• Treats diarrhea;
• Normalizes acid-base balance
• Reduces blood cholesterol;
• Enhances hair growth and quality;
• Boosts immunity;
• Enriches the useful intestine microflora.

Kombucha shouldn’t be consumed by those sensitive to acids, and kids younger than 1 year, as it contains enzymes and bacteria which might be too strong for their digestive system. The recipe for Kombucha in this post is only for 1 liter, but we recommend making 4 liters to have up till the next week. Add 1 teaspoon of green or black tea, and 100 grams of sugar in a liter of water. Boil the mixture and let it cool. You can get the “mushroom” from bio-stores. Wash it in warm water and add it to the prepared tea. The whole mixture should be placed in a big glass jar, covered with gauze. Store it in a bright place for 8 days. After this period, decant the tea and consume it. Then you can wash the “mushroom” and do the whole process all over again. If the mushrooms stay longer than this period, the tea will become vinegar perfect for pickling, and the “mushroom” will most likely recover. Dry the “mushroom” between 2 sheets of paper if you want to use it in the future. Kombucha is way more than a fungus. It’s a combination of various organisms, including yeast, ringworm, and some bacteria (acetobacterketogenum, gluconicum bacterium, bacterium xylinum, acetobacterketogenum), and pichiafermentantsa. It’s grayish, built in a multi-layer membrane form, and not eatable. Don’t forget that the drink should be sweet as it has glycolic acid in its content. This acid is produced by the liver under normal conditions, it goes directly into the blood and protects our body. An increased concentration of acid in the blood can result in excessive acidification, which in turn can significantly distort the organism’s balance, and in serious cases, it can even cause death.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups starter tea from store-bought kombucha (unpasteurized, neutral-flavored) or last batch of kombucha
• 5 quarts of water
• 8 bags of green tea, black tea, or a combination (or 2 tbsp of loose tea)
• A cup of sugar (the best one to use is the regular granulated sugar)
• Stockpot
• 2 to 3 cups fruit juice, 1 to 2 cups chopped fruit, 1 to 2 tbsp flavored tea (like hibiscus), 2 to 4 tbsp spices or fresh herbs, 1/4 cup of honey as optional flavoring choices
• 1 symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) per fermentation jar, purchased online or homemade
• Four-liter glass jar
• To cover the jar you need tightly woven cloth (such as tea towels or clean napkins), paper towels, or coffee filters
• Small funnel
• You will need 6 swing-top bottles, clean bottles from soda, or six 16-oz glass bottles with plastic lids

Note: avoid longer contacts between metal and kombucha during and after the brewing process since in this way the flavor can be affected and the SCOBY weakened. Boil the water, remove it from heat, and add the sugar. After the sugar dissolves, add the tea and let it soak until the water has cooled, which can take for a couple of hours. Put the pot in an ice bath if you want to hasten the cooling process. Once the liquid cools, strain the loose tea or remove the tea bags. Then, add the starter tea to make the liquid acidic (this is beneficial since it prevents the residence of bad bacteria in the first couple of days of the fermentation process). Transfer the liquid either in a 1-gallon glass jar, or in 2-quart jars (you will need two scobys in this case), and carefully slide the scoby in the container with clean hands. Then, take several layers of tightly-woven cloth, paper towels, or coffee filters to cover the mouth of the jar, and secure them with a rubber band. Store the jar in a place where it won’t get jostled, out of direct sunlight, and at room temperature. Let the kombucha ferment for seven to ten days, and regularly check the scoby and the kombucha. During the fermentation, it’s perfectly normal for the scoby to float at the sideways, top, or bottom of the jar. After several days, a new scoby layer with cream color will begin forming on the kombucha’s surface. It can either attach or separate from the already existing scoby. Other signs of a healthy fermentation are the formation of bubbles around the scoby, and brown stingy buts beneath it. After seven days, pour a little of the kombucha from the jar into a cup and in this way taste it on a daily basis. The following thing to do is to carefully remove the scoby with clean hands and to place it on a clean plate. If it is getting very thick, remove the bottom layer too. Make and cool another pot of strong tea for the next batch. For the next batch of kombucha, you will need to measure out a starter tea from this one and put it aside. Then, use the small funnel to pour the finished kombucha in the bottles, along with any fruit, herb, or juice you like as flavoring. Don’t forget to leave about ½ inch of headspace in the bottles. The last step is to keep the kombucha bottles out of direct sunlight and at room temperature and to allow it to carbonate in 1 to 3 days. Use plastic bottles until you get the feeling of how much time it needs to carbonates. Once the bottles become rock solid, your kombucha is carbonated. To prevent further fermentation and carbonation, refrigerate the kombucha and consume it within a month. To prepare a fresh batch, clean the jar where the kombucha has fermented, and pour a combination of the fresh batch of sweet tea and the starter tea from the last batch of kombucha. Carefully put the scoby on the top, cover, and let it ferment for seven to ten days. Keep the following ratio to increase or decrease the size of the batch: 2 cups of starter tea, 1 cup of sugar, and 8bags of tea per gallon batch. You can always make a new batch if you are going away for three weeks (or less). Although it could be a bit vinegary, it’s completely fine for consumption. If you’re away for more than 3 weeks, keep the scoby in a new batch of the tea base with starter tea in the refrigerator. Every 4 to 6 weeks, change the tea for a fresh batch. You can also use white tea, green tea, oolong tea, or a combination of these as an alternative for tea. Avoid flavored teas, earl gray, and other teas that contain oil. Don’t use metal containers, especially aluminum containers, for fermentation of the kombucha, since they will give a metallic taste and weaken scooby. If you feel a vinegar-like smell it’s fine, but if your kombucha starts to have an unpleasant smell like a rotten or cheesy smell, then something is wrong. If your scoby turns green or black mold it means it has become infected, and if it colors black its expiration date has passed. Via Fifth Season