In many sources we can read that the kombucha culture is a fungus, but this is not the case. It is a symbiosis of several types of yeast of the genus Saccharomyces (mainly the so-called Schizosaccharomyces) and vinegar bacteria (mainly Bacterium xylinum and Bacterium gluconicum). Each culture has a slightly different composition that changes with the conditions in which it is grown. As such, kombucha consists of cellulose created by vinegar bacteria. At first glance, the kombucha colony looks like a gray-brown jelly cake. Fresh has a light color, the older it gets, the darker it gets. The lifespan of the culture is a maximum of six months. During the production of the drink, the microorganisms contained in the culture multiply. The new culture is formed on the surface of the tea infusion and looks like a thin (about 3 mm after 8 days) coating. The taste of Kombucha is sweet and sour and depends on the length of fermentation, the type of tea chosen and the characteristics of the culture. Longer fermentation reduces the sugar content and increases the acid content. The process usually takes several days, most often a week. If you leave the kombucha in the drink too long, you will make homemade kombucha vinegar.
How does kombucha work?
The culture that feeds on tea infusion, sugar and oxygen creates a number of organic acids (including lactic and folic), vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E and K, proteins, but also alcohol (approx. 1% ) and carbon dioxide. The result is usually slightly effervescent and contains, of course, not only the mentioned substances, but also most of the substances from the original tea infusion, including caffeine. Dieters need not be afraid at all, on the contrary, kombucha consumes almost all the sugar and transforms it into the above-mentioned healthy acids and vitamins.
A miracle drink
From the tedious list of ingredients, it is clear that Kombucha is very beneficial to health. It is only necessary to briefly mention the beneficial effects on deeper sleep, strengthening the immune system, calming, improving brain activity, digestion or improving metabolism. It effectively fights sclerosis, prostate problems, allergies, rheumatism and, above all, skin diseases. Overall, it acts as a detoxifier and antibiotic. The health effects take on almost unbelievable proportions. For example, after the Chernobyl explosion, scientists investigated why the huge dose of radiation did not cause any serious problems for some people. Most of these lucky people had one thing in common, and that was the regular consumption of Kombucha.
However, even such a miraculous potion can have its negative effects. First of all, it is not recommended for children under three years of age, as it contains caffeine from tea and a small amount of alcohol approx. 0.5 - 1%. Recovered alcoholics should also avoid Kombucha for this reason. With frequent consumption or during the first encounters with the drink, problems such as nausea, intestinal problems or stomach irritation and heartburn may occur. This can be caused by an allergic reaction or vinegar, but it can also be a result of cleansing the body. Therefore, under the motto "everything in moderation", there is no need to be afraid to taste this drink of longevity and perhaps make it a regularly administered elixir of disease prevention. There is no written limit or restriction on how much of the drink can be drunk, but in general it is ideal to drink 2dcl in the morning and 2dcl in the evening.
Please note that the kombucha must not come into contact with a metal object!
For preparation, we will consider 2 L of drink. The procedure is similar to the preparation of tea.
Boil 2 L of boiling water, add 150 g of sugar, mix well and let 4 tea bags of tea or 8-10 g of loose tea infuse for about 10 minutes.
As we mentioned, it is ideal to use Ceylon black tea, which will give the drink sharpness and a distinct taste.
After 10 minutes, take out the infused tea and let the drink cool down to approximately room temperature.
When the tea has cooled completely, pour it into a glass container. The shape doesn't really matter, the kombucha will grow on the surface and follow the edges of the container. A large canning jar for cucumbers has worked best for us.
We place the kombucha culture with the lighter side up on the surface and cover the top of the glass with a cloth or napkin to prevent fermenting flies from getting into the drink. The fungus usually floats at the top, but it can happen that it sinks to the bottom for a few days and then floats away. We place the glass in a place where direct sunlight does not fall. The time when the drink will be ready depends on the temperature in the room. If we assume that the room temperature will be 20-22°C, then the drink should be ready in an ideal consistency in 5-7 days. The shorter the time, the more sugar will be in the drink. On the contrary, the longer it is, the more sparkling and vinegary the drink will be.The re-preparation is the same, however, it is important to leave at least 3 cm of the original drink at the bottom of the container, in order to preserve the yeast and the acidity of the solution (sludge at the bottom of the container) and in the new infusion, there is immediately a favorable environment for the formation of a new fungus.
While the tea cools, the original kombucha is carefully rinsed under running water and left with a little solution in a plastic or glass container.
If you want to reproduce the fungus, just carefully peel off one layer of the older kombucha and put it in a new solution, or pour part of the solution into a smaller container and wait for the culture to form on the surface.
The drink can be gradually poured and consumed during or it can be consumed on the 5th-7th day of maturity. day, pour the drink into glass bottles, cover and put in the fridge, where it will last for about 4-5 days. (it may happen that a fine coating forms on the surface of the bottles, this means that the formation of a new fungus has begun. Just drain it, however, there is no danger if ingested, the culture is completely harmless internally)
We recommend adding, for example, berries, pieces of fruit or even ginger to the poured drink in bottles. The drink will feed on fruit sugar and after opening will be pleasantly sparkling with the additional aroma of added fruits.
The finished drink is sold in most supermarkets, but it is also possible to prepare it at home. Unfortunately, the purchased drink is usually pasteurized, and for this reason, all beneficial living cultures will perish in it. Preparation at home really only costs you 2L of water, 150g of sugar and 8g of tea.