Can you eat kombucha scoby?

A SCOBY is the culture that plays a central role in kombucha fermentation. If you brew kombucha at home, additional SCOBY layers often form over time. These can not only be used for new batches but also processed culinarily.

What is a SCOBY?

SCOBY stands for "Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast". The visible, jelly-like structure consists predominantly of bacterial cellulose, in which microorganisms of the respective kombucha culture are embedded.

The exact bacteria and yeasts present can vary depending on the culture and fermentation conditions.

Can you eat a SCOBY?

A hygienically produced SCOBY can generally be used culinarily. Due to its firm, slightly rubbery consistency, it is, for example, pureed, dried, or processed in small pieces.

However, no general effects on the gut, blood sugar, cholesterol, acid-base balance, or satiety can be derived from consuming a SCOBY.

Therefore, the most important thing is whether you like the taste and consistency.

What can you use a SCOBY for?

Excess SCOBYs can be repurposed in various ways:

1. Culinary use

The unique consistency of SCOBY can be tried in sushi variations, smoothies, or other recipes.

2. Try SCOBY jerky

A SCOBY can be marinated and then dried. This changes its consistency, creating an unusual fermented snack.

3. Smoothies and Bowls

Small pieces of SCOBY can be pureed and thus incorporated into smoothies or bowls, for example.

4. For new fermentations

A SCOBY can be used for further kombucha batches along with enough suitable starter liquid.

5. Compost

If you no longer want to use a SCOBY and it contains no unsuitable additives, you can dispose of it with organic waste or compost.

6. DIY and material experiments

Bacterial cellulose is also being researched as a raw material for various material applications. However, this does not mean that a home-grown SCOBY is automatically an equivalent substitute for leather or plastic.

I would not generally recommend SCOBY as pet food. If in doubt, its suitability for a particular animal should be clarified by a veterinarian.

Exciting SCOBY Recipes

Berry SCOBY Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 30 g SCOBY
• 60 g frozen strawberries
• 100 ml rice milk or other milk alternative
• 100 ml Kombucha Original
• a little honey or maple syrup 

Preparation:

Blend everything until a smooth consistency is achieved – and your berry SCOBY smoothie is ready!

Apple sauce with SCOBY

Ingredients:

• 30 g SCOBY
• 4 to 6 apples (depending on size)
• 50 ml Kombucha Original

Preparation:

Cut the apples into pieces. Then add them to the kombucha with SCOBY and blend everything until the desired consistency is reached. If desired, cinnamon or a little coconut blossom sugar can also be added. Be sure to store the finished apple sauce in the refrigerator. 

Tip: Wash the apples thoroughly, remove stems and core, then cut into pieces. You can process the peel with it depending on the desired consistency.

SCOBY Energy Balls

These SCOBY Energy Balls combine oats, dried fruit, nut butter, and SCOBY to create a convenient snack for on the go.

Ingredients:

• 125 g oats
• 40 g dried cherries, dates, or figs
• 50 g nut butter
• 3 spoons of honey
• vanilla powder, cinnamon, or other spices as desired
• 30 g SCOBY

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients well and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Then use a spoon to separate the dough and form small balls. Afterwards, store the finished SCOBY Energy Balls in the refrigerator again.

Strawberry SCOBY Sorbet with Rose Petals

Ingredients (makes approx. 750 ml sorbet):

• 500 g prepared strawberries
• 100 g honey
• 150 ml Kombucha Original
• 2 cl rose essence
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 packet apple pectin
• 2 handfuls of rose petals

Preparation:

1. Wash the strawberries and put them in the blender
2. Then add honey, lemon juice, kombucha, and apple pectin. Puree the ingredients and season the sorbet mixture with lemon and rose essence. The strawberry-kombucha sorbet should now thicken slightly due to the pectin.
3. Pluck the rose petals and sprinkle them into the sorbet mixture.
4. The sorbet mixture is now frozen in the ice cream maker, or you can pour the mixture into ice cream molds and let it freeze in the freezer. The soft sorbet also tastes good unfrozen.

SCOBY Jerky

Ingredients:

• 5 to 6 thin kombucha SCOBYs    
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon diced garlic
• 120 ml soy sauce
• 7 tbsp honey

Preparation:

1. Cut the SCOBYs into strips.
2. Mix the remaining ingredients to form a marinade and soak the SCOBY for 24 hours.
3. Lay the kombucha SCOBY strips on the rack of your dehydrator.
4. Dehydrate the strips until most of the moisture has disappeared (approx. 8 hours at 40 °C).
5. Store your SCOBY jerky at room temperature in an airtight jar and consume within one month.

Notes

The easiest way to get thin SCOBYs for this recipe is to carefully peel off the top layer of the kombucha SCOBY. Alternatively, you can try to separate a thick SCOBY into layers.

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can prepare your SCOBY jerky in the oven. Simply set the oven to the lowest temperature and leave the door ajar with a wooden spoon.

SCOBY Fruit Leather

Tools:

• Blender
• Dehydrator
• Baking paper or dehydrator sheets
• Offset spatula
• Pizza cutter or scissors

Ingredients:

• 500 g SCOBY
• 125 g fruit puree (strawberry or mixed with raspberry puree)
• 25 g cup organic sugar

Preparation:

1. Puree the fruit, add the sugar to the fruit, and set the mixture aside.
2. Puree the SCOBY at medium speed in the blender.
3. Add the fruit puree and continue blending until everything is well mixed.
4. Cut the baking paper to fit the dehydrator tray.
5. Pour the SCOBY fruit mixture onto the paper on the rack.
6. Spread the mixture with an offset spatula to all edges (about 1/2 cm thick).
7. Follow steps 1 to 5 until all trays are filled.
8. Dehydrate the mixture at 30 °C for 24 to 36 hours or until the mixture is dry and no longer sticky.
9. Remove the dried mixture from the dehydrator and place it on a cutting board.
10. With a pizza cutter or scissors, cut 1/2 cm wide strips across the entire dried SCOBY fruit mass.
11. Leave the dried SCOBY fruit leather on the parchment paper and roll up the SCOBY fruit.
12. Store in an airtight container.
13. Remove the SCOBY fruit leather from the paper before eating.

ENJOY!