A SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is the starter for Kombucha. It is often referred to as a mushroom because of its circular shape and brown/tan color, but it has nothing to do with mushrooms. The yeast in a SCOBY belongs to the same kingdom as mushrooms, but there is a huge difference between them. Mushrooms grow on plants, while SCOBYs are fungi.

A starter SCOBY, also called a “does kombucha have to be refrigerated before opening,” is combined with sugar and tea to make a fermented drink. As the symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast feed on the sugars, they break them down and produce alcohol, carbon dioxide and acids that create kombucha. The resulting drink has a sweet vinegary flavor and contains a lot of probiotics. Baby SCOBYs, which are the result of the fermentation process, can then be used to make more batches of kombucha or other fermented drinks and foods like kefir, ginger beer, sauerkraut, etc. Flavors should be kept to a minimum, as some can throw off or degrade the SCOBY.

Unrefrigerated and Unopened: The Shelf Life and Safety of Kombucha”

Kombucha can be very healthy and even healing, especially if you are dealing with inflammatory issues in your gut microbiome. Drinking kombucha can help prevent many health problems by promoting good bacteria and helping to reduce bad ones.

While drinking kombucha is the best way to get your probiotics, you can also eat the SCOBY. Most people choose to make a SCOBY jerky, which can be eaten fresh or dried and is similar to meat jerky in texture. The other popular option is to use your oven to dehydrate a SCOBY.