How to Grow Your Own SCOBY

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Would you like to start making your own kombucha but want to bypass an online purchase? Growing your own SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast.) is simple if you have access to store-bought kombucha. For this experiment I purchased raw kombucha, as pictured above. I used the Original flavor to avoid complicating the process with fruit or herbal flavorings.

I poured the kombucha into a jar. (A glass bowl would also suffice.) I covered with a cloth and rubber band and set on my pantry shelf.

My SCOBY took 4 weeks to form (pictured above). It might take less time depending on the season and the environment. After 6 weeks my homegrown SCOBY looked like this:


To transform your SCOBY into homemade kombucha, combine 8 black or green teabags (or 2 tablespoons tea leaves) with 14 cups boiling water. Allow to steep. Strain leaves or remove bags. Add 1 cup sugar and stir. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Transfer to clean jar and add SCOBY and 1-2 cups starter kombucha. This can be the kombucha that remains in your SCOBY container or you can purchase another bottle of kombucha.

Cover with cloth and secure with rubber band. Leave on counter for 5-7 days. Strain and start again. Continuous brew kombucha is also an option; see this previous post to learn more.

This post featured on Healing with Food Friday.

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