Growing Kombucha at Home (+19 Photos)

Slightly forgotten in the 20th century, the healthy drink kombucha is once again becoming popular. To get it, you don't have to search for the mushroom body among neighbors and friends or order it online. It's very easy to grow kombucha from scratch at home, though it does take some time.

Features and properties of the mushroom

This organism, which at first glance resembles a mushroom, is also known as the medusomyces, tea jellyfish, Japanese queen mushroom, fanga, Manchurian and Japanese mushroom, and kombucha. The thick, yellowish-brown film with a white and pinkish tint (zooglea) normally floats on the surface of sweet, concentrated tea leaves, which act as a nutrient medium for it. The medusomyces itself transforms this medium into a kvass-like beverage with a host of beneficial properties.

It is important to understand that this organism is actually a colony of many microorganisms, yeast fungi and acetic acid bacteria, which produce organic acids (gluconic, citric, oxalic, lactic, carbonic, malic and acetic), caffeine, vitamins and enzymes, sugar, wine alcohol and purine substances.

It normalizes metabolism, reduces blood sugar levels and, when used as compresses and lotions, can heal wounds and burns, performing an antiseptic function.

Growing a mushroom from a separated layer

There are several ways to properly grow kombucha at home. The most common is by dividing the mature zoogloea, which in adulthood consists of many layers. The surface of the layers is smooth, while the submerged layers are loose and fibrous.

Carefully and gently separating the mushroom into individual plates and placing each one in a nutrient-rich tea infusion promotes its further growth and reproduction. If the mushroom is young but has sunk to the bottom, simply peel off the translucent outer layer—it can develop into a new zoogloea in the nutrient medium.

The liquid, and especially the mushroom, should not be exposed to sunlight. A warm place is preferable for storing it. Cover the container with gauze or linen to prevent dust and flies from getting inside. Every 7-8 days, change the solution, and rinse the mushroom with warm, boiled water.

Zooglea has been observed to grow better in spring and summer than in winter and fall. It is recommended to filter the drink through cheesecloth folded in four layers before drinking.

Step-by-step recipes for growing kombucha from scratch at home

Making tea kvass at home is entirely possible, but you need to follow the step-by-step instructions and avoid any mistakes. Growing the mushroom itself will take at least five weeks. In summer, the drink will be ready in just three days, and in seven during the colder months.

This kvass can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours in hot weather, and no longer than five days in winter. Once aged for up to one month, the drink can be used externally for cosmetic purposes, as a rinse, or as a compress. An old mushroom that has reached a thickness of more than 4 cm must either be divided or thrown away, as the drink it produces will no longer be as beneficial.

Classic tea recipe

The first step in growing tea is creating a basic tea infusion. To do this, simply brew the tea as usual, using 2 teaspoons of dry tea leaves per liter of boiling water. Allow it to steep, strain, and add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar to the liquid.

The second step is to allow the fungus to germinate in the prepared infusion. The jar should be covered with cloth or gauze and kept in a warm, dark place for about five weeks. A film of the jellyfish fungus will then form on the surface. It would be a mistake to move the jar, stir the solution, or leave it open—it could attract gnats or cause mold.

The newly grown mushroom must be very carefully removed from the infusion, gently rinsed several times with boiled warm water and placed in a new environment.

With rose hips

There are two ways to grow kombucha from rose hips: the long way and the quick way. For the long way, pour 10-15 dried or fresh berries into a pre-disinfected thermos and pour half a liter of boiling water over them. Then, let the infusion steep for about two months, tightly sealed.

As a result, a thin film-like substance will appear on the surface of the liquid. This should be carefully rinsed in warm boiled water and transferred to the prepared, cooled tea solution, preferably a three-liter jar or pitcher. Prepare the infusion by mixing 2 teaspoons of dry tea per 1 liter of water and adding sugar to taste.

For the quick method, steep the rose hips in a thermos for only a week, strain the infusion, and add it to a tea solution (4 tablespoons of dry tea leaves and 20 tablespoons of sugar per liter of boiling water). The mushroom should form within a month and a half if stored in a dark, warm place. Further care for this jellyfish mushroom is the same as for regular jellyfish mushrooms.

With apple juice

It's also possible to produce tea jellyfish from ordinary, natural apple juice. To do this, leave the juice in an unsealed, air-ventilated container in a warm, dark place for several months.

A thick, dense film will form on the surface of the sap. This film should be thoroughly rinsed and transplanted into a warm, prepared tea infusion with sugar. Further care for the mushroom is similar to the standard cultivation method.

On beer

A special flavor is achieved by brewing tea kvass using a mushroom grown using unpasteurized (live) beer. For this purpose, 100 grams of beer, a teaspoon of sugar, and a few teaspoons of sour wine are sufficient.

Place the mixture in a warm, dark place, cover it only with a cloth, and let it sit without stirring until a film forms on the surface. Then wash it and carefully transfer it to a fresh tea infusion for further growth. Homemade kvass can also be used. As the mushroom grows, change the tea infusion periodically, every 7-10 days, and rinse the mushroom itself.

On herbs

To make tea kvass more nutritious and beneficial, aromatic and refreshing, you can add fresh and dried medicinal herbs without oils and berries to the tea.

Crushed plantain, birch, and nettle leaves, rose hips, blackberries, and strawberries are suitable for this purpose. Honey can be added in small quantities instead of sugar, but it must be added to a cold tea infusion.

With apple cider vinegar

Only natural apple cider vinegar, free of any preservatives or dyes, is suitable for germinating zoogloea. You can make it yourself from fresh apples. When opened vinegar is left in a warm, dark place for three months, a sediment will form at the bottom of the container. The next step is to strain the liquid and carefully pour the sediment into a tea-sugar infusion at room temperature. This nutrient medium will eventually grow into a full-fledged kombucha.

Another little-known, but quite simple, method for growing jellyfish is from mold in a teapot. Place the mold in a fresh, cool, strong teapot with sugar. Once it has grown to its full size, turn it over, transfer it to the new infusion, and turn it over again. When the mushroom has reached a sufficient size, soak it in apple cider vinegar for 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly with clean water, and then use as usual.

Answers to frequently asked questions

There are many questions regarding mushroom cultivation:

Kombucha makes a healthy, nutritious, and delicious drink that perfectly quenches thirst, normalizes gastrointestinal function, and helps relieve health problems. Growing it at home is not difficult, but it requires following a few essential guidelines.