a) obtaining a recombinant yeast capable of converting an ascorbic acid precursor into ascorbic acid, wherein the yeast is functionally transformed with a coding region encoding a first enzyme selected from D-arabinose dehydrogenase (ARA), D-arabinono-1,4-lactone oxidase (ALO), or L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase,
b) culturing the recombinant yeast in a medium comprising an ascorbic acid precursor, thereby forming ascorbic acid, and
c) isolating the ascorbic acid,
wherein the recombinant yeast further comprises at least one coding region encoding an enzyme associated with the conversion of a carbon source to L-galactose.