Where can you find free starter cultures for making kombucha?

Traditionally, free kombucha starter cultures are passed from friend to friend, according to The Kombucha Journal. Proponents of the slightly effervescent kombucha beverage refer to the culture as a baby mushroom. Akin to mother of vinegar, kombucha culture is fungal in nature, but not a true mushroom.

Every new batch of kombucha tea starts with flat, gelatinous mass called a SCOBY, or symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. When placed in sweetened brewed tea, the culture ferments, producing a beverage that kombucha proponents tout as beneficial to health.

If no friend offers free cultures, one may purchase kombucha starter kits at CulturesForHealth.com, Williams-Sonoma.com and Amazon.com.