Can you eat the Kombucha tea mushroom?

I can answer that with a clear "yes" . What the mushroom does for the tea, it can also do for you: provide you with an abundance of nutrients. Why you should try the Scoby , delicious tea mushroom recipes and the latest Scoby trends await you in this blog article.

What the Scoby can do

The SCOBY (SYMBIOTIC CULTURE OF BACTERIA AND YEASTS) - botanically a lichen - has been known for centuries and is an amazing plant: it lives, thrives and gives us the health-promoting, delicious kombucha.

Anyone who brews Kombucha at home knows that the tea fungus gets bigger and bigger over time and at some point you have more Scobys in the house than you need. This raises the question of whether you can do more with the excess tea fungus.

What is a SCOBY made of?

• cellulose
• Bacterial cultures (e.g. lactic acid and vinegar bacteria)
• yeast cultures
• microorganisms
• Interaction in a kind of symbiosis

Why should you eat Kombucha tea fungus?

The Scoby…

• is the source of beneficial bacteria in kombucha
• contains insoluble dietary fiber that is extremely gut-friendly
• helps regulate blood sugar levels
• has a basic effect on our body
• has hardly any calories and still gives a pleasant feeling of satiety
• absorbs excess cholesterol in the bloodstream
• is full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and trace elements

These are convincing arguments to simply try the Scoby. Of course, the tea fungus can simply be cut into small pieces and eaten. However, there are no limits to creativity if the taste is still a bit unusual for the first try.

What can we use the kombucha mushroom for?

The tea mushroom to eat: A new trend, like jerky or fruit gums? The Scoby as a beauty mask, foot bath, pet food or as a leather substitute? I would like to give you an overview followed by a recipe section.

1. Alternative to fish in sushi

Kombucha tea fungus is a very attractive alternative to fish, especially for vegetarians. When you cook the Scoby, the consistency is reminiscent of calamari. Scoby is particularly popular as a substitute for fish in sushi. If you want to get all the nutrients from the scoby, it is best to use it raw.

2. Latest trend: Scoby jerky

Marinate the Scoby in your favorite sauce for 24 hours and then lay it flat on a piece of baking paper. Dry at 30-40°C until dry and jerky-like in consistency. Tip: All dishes that are processed up to 42 °C are still considered raw and most of the valuable ingredients are still intact.

3. Make yourself delicious kombucha smoothies

A few pieces of Scoby give smoothies a special nutritional boost. The tea mushroom goes well with green smoothies, sweet berry smoothies or in a breakfast bowl.

4. Scoby for your pet

Even with your pets, whether dog, cat, rabbit or horse, the Scoby can unfold its effects and do something good for their metabolism. Try a piece of mushroom tea to see if they like it.

5. Other uses for the tea fungus

• For your beauty: As a face mask , hair treatment or foot bath. Your skin and hair will thank you.
• For wounds or sunburn: Apply the pureed Scoby to minor wounds or skin infections. Mixed with some aloe vera gel, the tea fungus is a soothing lotion after sunbathing.
• Hummus for your flowers: just put the Scoby in the compost instead of in the trash.
• Scoby as a leather substitute: Scoby not only serves as a substitute for plastic packaging, but is also professionally manufactured as so-called "vegan leather".

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Exciting Scoby recipes

Berry Scoby Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 30g scoby
• 60 g frozen strawberries
• 100 ml rice milk or other milk substitute
• 100ml Original Kombucha
• some honey or maple syrup

Preparation:

Mix everything and the power smoothie is ready!

Applesauce with Scoby

Ingredients:

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

Preparation:

Cut the apples into chunks. Then add this to the Kombucha with Scoby and mix everything until the desired consistency is reached. Cinnamon or some coconut blossom sugar can also be added if required. Be sure to store the finished applesauce in the fridge.

Tip: With a blender, you can just remove the stalks from the apples and leave the core and core on. These are valuable dietary fibers that cleanse your intestines and the pectin in the seeds is good for your intestinal bacteria.

Scoby Energy Balls

These tasty energy balls will help you to recharge your batteries and get fit again quickly after a short period of tiredness.

Ingredients:

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

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients well and store in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Then use a spoon to separate the dough and form small balls. Then store the finished Scoby Energy Balls back in the fridge.

Strawberry Scoby Sorbet with Rose Petals

Ingredients (makes about 750 ml sorbet):

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

Preparation:

1. Wash the strawberries and place in the blender
2. Then add honey, lemon juice, kombucha and apple pectin. Puree the ingredients and season the sorbet mass with lemon and rose essence. The strawberry kombucha sorbet should now thicken slightly due to the pectin.
3. Pluck off the rose petals and sprinkle the petals into the sorbet mixture.
4. The sorbet mass is now frozen in the ice cream machine or you fill the mass into ice cream molds and let them freeze in the freezer. Of course, the soft sorbet also tastes 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 into a marinade and soak the Scoby for 24 hours.
3. Lay the kombucha scobys in strips on the slot of your dehydrator.
4. Dehydrate the strips until most of the moisture is gone (about 8 hours at 40°C).
5. Store your scoby jerky at room temperature in an airtight jar and use within a month.

Remarks

The easiest way to get thin scobys for this recipe is to carefully peel away the top layer of the kombucha tea fungus. Alternatively, you can try separating a thick scoby into layers.

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can prepare your scoby jerky in the oven. To do this, simply set the oven to the lowest temperature and let the door open with a wooden spoon.

Scoby fruit gum

Tools:

• mixer
• dehydrator
• Baking paper or drying foil
• Angled spatula
• Pizza cutter or scissors

Ingredients:

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

Preparation:

1. Puree the fruit, add the sugar to the fruit and set aside.
2. Blend the scoby in the blender on medium speed.
3. Add the fruit puree and continue blending until well combined.
4. Cut the parchment paper to fit the slot in the dehydrator.
5. Pour the scoby fruit mixture onto the paper on the stand.
6. Using an angled spatula, spread the mixture to all edges (about 1/2 inch thick).
7. Carry out steps 1 to 5 until all trays are filled.
8. Dehydrate the mass at 30°C for 24 to 36 hours or until the mixture is dry and no longer sticky.
9. Take the dried mass out of the dehydrator and place it on a cutting board.
10. Using a pizza cutter or scissors, cut 1/2-inch strips across the entire dried scoby pulp.
11. Leave the dried scoby gum on the parchment paper and roll up the scoby fruit.
12. Store in an airtight container.
13. Remove the Scoby Gummy from the paper before consuming.

ENJOY YOUR MEAL!

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