Kombucha scoby

Kombucha scoby

I wrote about making my own kombucha a few weeks ago and it is going very well. I’m getting 1 litre of lovely fizzy kombucha a week, which is just enough for me, as no one else in my household will touch it! I’ve been flavouring it with grapefruit juice taken off my tree up north and it is absolutely delicious.
Kombucha is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. Although it’s sometimes referred to as kombucha mushroom tea, kombucha is not a mushroom — it’s a colony of bacteria and yeast. Kombucha tea is made by adding the colony to sugar and tea, and allowing the mix to ferment. The resulting liquid contains vinegar, B vitamins and a number of other chemical compounds.
Some people say kombucha tea can stimulate the immune system, prevent cancer, and improve digestion and liver function. However, there’s no scientific evidence to support these health claims.
I drink it because I’m into fermented foods and I like introducing good bacteria to my body. But you do have to be careful and make sure everything is sterilised and clean as any sort of fermentation can go wrong and introduce the wrong bacteria.
I’ve been getting a lot of emails from people wanting to give it a go but unable to find a scoby – the mushroom-like yeast which you need to add to your tea.
I’ve found there are a lot on Trade Me so have a look here if you’re interested.