Kombucha is a drink made by fermenting tea and sugar using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) - that white thing at the top of the gallon jar. It makes a tangy, nourishing drink.
 
It is thought to have originated in the Far East, where it has been consumed for at least two thousand years. The first recorded use of kombucha comes from China in 221 B.C. during the Tsin Dynasty.
 
In the early to mid-20th century, German researchers documented kombucha as an intestinal regulator that benefits digestive disturbances, constipation, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, gall bladder problems, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, angina, gout, eczema, arthritis, rheumatism, atherosclerosis, irritability, anxiety, headaches, dizziness and fatigue.

In the book, Kristina Amelong's Ten Days to Optimal Health, Kombucha is used as part of the Nutritious Liquids Fast. This fast is based on the principles of intaking nutritionally dense and cleansing foods and drinks to fast such as raw dairy products, raw eggs, soup broth and Kombucha.

This fizzy lacto-fermented beverage is a natural soft drink that is
most known for it's vitamin B, Folic Acid, and glucoronic acid
content. Glucoronic acid is a conjugate that moves toxins out of the body. Vitamins B6, and Folic Acid prevent a wide range of neurologic and cardiovascular conditions including, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, cognitive decline, and heart disease (Note: Fermented vegetables also contain an analog form of Vitamin B12 that needs to be converted by the body. Studies show that B6, B12 and Folic acid work alone or synergistically to normalize homocysteine levels).

To learn more about Kombucha, read Sally Fallon's article called "Kvass and Kombucha, Gifts from Russia"

How to Make Kombucha:
 
Equipment and Supplies Needed:

Tea kettle (stainless steel or porcelain enamel).

Steeping container (appropriate Pyrex container).

Glass brewing container (gallon-size cookie jar offers a wide
mouth for maximum air exposure and easy cleaning).

Cotton cover (piece of tightly woven cotton will be needed to
cover the brew with a strong rubber band. Kitchen towels and
cotton dinner napkins may be cut up for this purpose).

Wooden spoon, plastic spatula (nonmetal utensil will be needed
to remove the tea bags from your brew).

Glass or plastic measuring cup (medium or large-size measuring
cup will be needed to measure water and sugar).

Cheesecloth (provides a fine mesh to strain your kombucha).

Plastic funnel (optional: helpful for bottling your brew, and you
can also use the lip on your measuring cup to pour the liquid).

Glass straining container (a second gallon-size cookie jar or a
64 oz. Pyrex is a useful straining container).

If you visit the Optimal Health Center, we will also have scobies in the future.

Directions:

Boil one quart of water and place the water in a suitable steeping
container with the tea bags and sugar. The
sugar will dissolve immediately.

Steep your tea concentrate for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Remove the tea bags with a nonmetal utensil when the liquid is
sufficiently cooled.

Add two quarts of water to your brewing container.

Add the concentrate to the clear water in your brewing container.

Allow the liquid to completely cool to room temperature.

Remove your jewelry, rinse your hands with white vinegar, and
place your SCOBY in the brewing container with the "top"
side up (look for "top-side" on the bag it came in). Slowly
pour one cup of starter liquid (provided with your SCOBY) on
top. This acidic liquid (brew for 12 days) helps prevent mold
from forming. Some SCOBIES float and others sink. In either
case, a baby will grow on the top of the liquid.

Attach your cotton cover to the jar with a rubber band and
place your brew in a quiet, semidark area where it won't be
disturbed (Note: 73-80 degrees is best). The cotton cover will
protect your brew from fruit flies.

Days to brew Kombucha:

7-8 Sweet and fizzy
9 Slightly tart
12-23 Acidic (Starter liquid)
 
On the day you would like to strain your kombucha, remove
your jewelry, rinse your hands with white vinegar and carefully
remove your SCOBY (mother and newly formed baby) from
the brewing container and place the pair on a clean plate.

Cut a square of cheesecloth to cover a straining container.
Secure the cheesecloth with a rubber band.

Pour all of the brew through the cheese cloth. The loose weave
will allow healthy particles into your kombucha. The brown
sediment is yeast.

Pour most of the brew into bottles (reserve at least 2 cups to
store your SCOBIES-one cup for the mother and one cup for
the baby). Fill the bottles completely to the top to limit any air.
Leave the bottles out at room temperature for four to five days
(for a fizzier brew) or place them in the refrigerator immediately and drink as you wish.

Leave a minimum of 2 cups of liquid in the bottom of your
alternate brewing jar to store your scoby until day 12. The
extra days will make an acidic starter for you to use with
the mother and baby in your next brew. Place the SCOBIES
(mother and baby) back in the quiet place where the kombucha
has been brewing.

Repeat process as you wish.

To learn more about Kombucha, fermented foods and their health benefits, read Kristina Amelong's Ten Days to Optimal Health.