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How to Grow Kombucha Mushrooms

First known in China in 221 B.C. as the "The Remedy for Immortality," kombucha tea became famous in Japan and continues to be sold in a variety of countries. Kombucha "mushrooms" may look like mushrooms, but consist of bacteria and yeast. Kombucha looks like a white pancake. Some of the purported benefits of drinking kombucha tea include cancer prevention, hair regrowth, anti-aging, increased sex drive, lowered blood pressure and a cure for numerous diseases. Since you grow kombucha mushrooms in sugar and tea, kombucha ferments, containing up to 1 percent alcohol when the tea has finished.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 8 oz. bottle raw, unflavored organic kombucha
  • 1 cup black tea
  • 1 tbsp. cane sugar
  • 2-quart glass jar
  • Paper towels
  • Rubber bands
  • Large pot
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • Wooden spoon
  • 5 tea bags of any type
  • Ginger (optional)
  • Lemon peel (optional)
  • Kombucha SCOBY
  • 4-quart glass jar or larger
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Instructions

  1. Grow Kombucha SCOBY

    • 1

      Wash your hands and utensils well before you begin growing kombucha mushrooms.

    • 2

      Pour an 8-oz bottle of kombucha into a 2-quart glass jar.

    • 3

      Add a cup of black tea to the kombucha, then stir in a tbsp. of sugar.

    • 4

      Cover the glass jar containing the kombucha and tea with a paper towel, then secure the towel with a rubber band.

    • 5

      Allow the mixture to sit in a warm place undisturbed for about three weeks, or until you see a 1/4-inch SCOBY. SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast, which some also refer to as the "mother." You can now use your SCOBY to make tea.

    Make Kombucha Mushroom Tea

    • 6

      Pour 2 quarts of water into a large pot and bring it to a boil.

    • 7

      Add 1/2 cup sugar to the boiling water. Use a wooden spoon to stir the sugar, or any long spoon for stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely.

    • 8

      Turn the heat off and add five tea bags to the sugar-water solution. You can add a few slices of ginger and-or lemon peel to taste, if desired.

    • 9

      Cool the tea mixture completely.

    • 10

      Put the kombucha SCOBY into a glass jar large enough to hold 4 quarts or more. Cover the jar opening with a paper towel, then hold the towel in place using a rubber band.

    • 11

      Set the jar in a warm area, such as a pantry where the contents will not be disturbed for a week. This allows time for the kombucha brew to ferment.

    • 12

      Stir the kombucha after a week has passed. Taste the kombucha after 10 to 12 days has passed, adding more sugar if needed--the yeast in the kombucha consumes the sugar. The yeast also becomes more fizzy after adding more sugar, since the yeast creates more carbon dioxide.

    • 13

      Drink your kombucha tea when the tea tastes just right to you. Your tea will taste similar to a sparkling cider. Drink about 4 oz. per day, according to Columbia University's Health Services.

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