Healthy Recipes Drinks Homemade SCOBY 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews SCOBY is an acronym that stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It's the "mother" that you use for every batch of kombucha you make, and it looks like a round, flat, opaque-beige piece of agar agar (like what was in those petri dishes in chemistry class). You can order a SCOBY, or you can make your own. But you have to have one in order to brew kombucha. Whenever you brew a new batch, a new layer grows onto the SCOBY; it's easy to peel off, so you can use it to start another batch for yourself, or you can give away "baby" SCOBYs to friends who want to get started. By Ann Taylor Pittman Ann Taylor Pittman Ann Taylor Pittman is a longtime food writer, food editor and recipe developer who has won two James Beard Foundation Awards: one for the feature article “Mississippi Chinese Lady Goes Home to Korea” and one, with Scott Mowbray, for writing The New Way to Cook Light cookbook. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 18, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Tested by Learn more about our food philosophy and nutrition parameters." tabindex="0" data-inline-tooltip="true"> EatingWell Test Kitchen Tested by EatingWell Test Kitchen The EatingWell Test Kitchen is comprised of a group of culinary professionals who develop and test our recipes. Our recipes go through a rigorous process, which includes testing by trained recipe testers, using different equipment (e.g., gas and electric stoves) and a variety of tools and techniques to make sure that it will really work when you make it at home. Testers shop major supermarkets to research availability of ingredients. Finally, a Registered Dietitian reviews each recipe to ensure that we deliver food that's not only delicious, but adheres to our nutrition guidelines as well. Learn more about our food philosophy and nutrition parameters. Meet the EatingWell Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Kelsey Hansen Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 14 days Yield: 1 SCOBY Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free Dairy-Free Vegan Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 8 cups water 1 cup granulated sugar 8 bags black tea or green tea 2 cups starter tea (prepared kombucha, original flavor) Directions Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add sugar; stir until it completely dissolves. Turn off heat. Add tea bags; allow the mixture to come to room temperature (add ice to speed this process if you're in a hurry). Pour kombucha into a 1-gallon jar. Add the room-temperature tea (do not add hot tea, as it will kill the good bacteria). Add cool water to fill jar to the top, just where the mouth starts to narrow. Cover the jar with 2 paper coffee filters or a double layer of paper towels; secure with a rubber band. Place the jar in a place, at room temperature, where it won't get jostled and it's out of direct sunlight (it does not need to go in a dark place, just out of direct sun). It will probably take 2 to 4 weeks for your SCOBY to form. You can lift the covering to see what's happening—just try not to slosh the liquid at all. At first, nothing will happen; then, after a few days, you'll see some bubbles forming on the surface. Then you'll see more and more bubbles, and maybe a thin, clear jellyfish-looking blob on the surface. Once the blob covers the surface, is opaque and is roughly ¼-inch thick, you have a viable SCOBY. Equipment 1-gallon jar Originally appeared: Cooking Light Rate It Print