Becoming Cultured….and fermented (probiotics!) Part 2
As promised, this is a more in depth look at Kombucha and Jun. If you haven’t already, consider reading part 1 here
I meant to get this out earlier, but things have been super busy around here! The good news is I’m nearly done with my Herbal Medicine studies – if there are no more delays (I know, famous last words, right?… but that’s exactly why I didn’t tell anyone about it sooner!), I could be done by or before the end of this year. WOOHOO!
Kombucha and Jun are both
Symbiotic
Cultures
Of
Bacteria and
Yeast
aka SCOBY. They both are basically cultured and fermented sweet tea(s).
Kombucha is usually fermented black tea (although many use a blend, a certain percentage of the tea should be black – I believe it is 25-40%) with sugar (I use a good ‘real’ brown sugar as in not painted and sucanat). I’ve had great success using plain old organic black tea only. If one allows the brew to go long enough, about 7 to 10 days (depending on weather – in a very warm environment, the brewing time could be considerably less), all of the sugar is consumed by the culture.
If you are considering Kombucha, start off with a small amount and see how your body reacts – you’re looking for detox symptoms (headache, diarhea and the like), slow down if you get symptoms and drink a lot of water. There are those who estimate the probiotic count for kombucha to be in the Billion per ounce range, others who say the probiotic count is non-existent – it’s probably more like 1 to 3 Billion per 8 ounces of home brew. Kombucha has been around for about 2000 years or maybe more. In ancient times, it was called ‘Manchurian Tea’. Kombucha is also rich in antioxidants, healthful organic acids, vitamins (B and C), amino acids, enzymes and electrolytes.
Some of the Organic Acids formed by Kombucha include:
Lactic Acid – essential for digestion and assists blood circulation. Aids in balancing acids and alkalines in the body.
Glucuronic acid – detoxifier. When toxins enter the liver, this acid binds with them and carries the toxins out through the kidneys. A by-product of the glucuronic acid is glucosamine, which is associated with collagen, the cartilage in joints – it is this by-product that makes kombucha so effective in people with arthritis.
acetic acid – inhibits harmful bacteria
usnic acid – natural antibiotic
oxalic acid – natural preservative; encourages production of energy on a cellular level
malic acid – detoxifyer – especially for the liver.
Gluconic acid – breaks down caprylic acid and is of great benefit to candida and other yeast infection sufferers.
Butyric acid – also fights candida
Yes, the fermentation process does produce a slight amount of alcohol.
Jun is usually fermented green tea and honey. Jun has an air of ‘mystery’ around it that, of course, I had to dig into further. Who doesn’t love a good mystery? There is not a large body of information regarding Jun, so I read what I was able to find and sought a culture. When I finally obtained my culture, it was tiny and white, with less than a cup of starter around it. My concern was “I’m going to kill it!” but that was silly. The culture is hearty. It multiplies. I’m not to the point where I’m ready to call my cultures ‘tribbles’, but I can see how quickly that could happen.

This is jun. As you can see, the scoby has reproduced – they are always huge for me. Much like asparagus just grows for me, so does Jun… LOL