Kombucha Recipe: Berry SCOBY Gummies!

You read that right! My latest favourite Kombucha recipe is SCOBY GUMMIES! Fruit puree, mixed with a bit of Kombucha and one SCOBY, with a bit of gelatin and honey. Makes for a delicious, and probiotic filled, snack. As well as a fantastic way to get fermented foods into my kids, who are not all that keen on sauerkraut (yet!) and are still working on developing a love for drinking Kombucha.

This post contains Kombucha recipes to make both berry gummies using the SCOBY and without. It also includes instructions for Thermomix and stovetop.

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And, these gummies are amazing! Absolutely AMAZING!

I wanted to state that first up, as this is currently my favourite Kombucha recipe. The SCOBY looks super gross, and in all honesty it took a bit of a leap of faith for me to give this one a try.

For anyone new to the Kombucha journey, or considering starting out; this situation you might find yourself in. After a few months, you notice the extra SCOBYs. And the culture that is fermenting your sugar tea is starting to take over the jar.

First up, a bit of back story. What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is an ancient beverage that is believed to be first consumed in China 2,200 years ago. It was popular for it’s detoxifying and energizing properties. It was later that Kombucha became popular in Russia and then eastern European.

Kombucha was not known in Europe until the mid 20th century. Then in the 1960, scientists in Switzerland found Kombucha had health benefits for the gut.

What sort of benefits does Kombucha have?

The fermentation process of Kombucha gives it:

-B vitamins
-enzymes
-probiotics
-antioxidants
-beneficial acids, like acetic acid and glucaronic acid

So, what is a SCOBY?

Kombucha is made from either a green or black tea base (although I did find a coffee Kombucha recipe I am absolutely going to test!). Next raw cane sugar is added. It is then fermented with a type of tea fungus called a symbiotic culture of acetic acid (which is vinegar) bacteria and yeast, or SCOBY. The fermentation process can vary significantly in duration. Most Kombucha recipes I found insist a minimum of one to two weeks. Yet in warmer climates like Australia, local experts suggest as short as three days.

Why is there ‘extra’ SCOBY?

With each batch of Kombuch brewed, a new layer of SCOBY forms on the top. Over time, the SCOBY layers build up and a large pillow like mass forms. As the SCOBY grows into many layers, the strength of the Kombucha it produces grows as well. It also begins to take up more space in the jar. More SCOBY, less Kombucha.

To fix this, SCOBY layers can easily be removed. However the issue becomes what to do with the excess SCOPY layers. If you don’t want to use them right away, store them in a ‘SCOBY hotel’. The hotel is a separate jar to store and grow SCOBY’s.

Why eat them?

They look terrible, boarding on horrifying! So why would you eat the extra SCOBY’s? Because they are made up of cellulose, bacteria, yeast, and sugar (I know, still not selling it!). SCOBY does not contain calories (well there you go!). They can be pureed, and the consistency is described as similar to applesauce.

SCOBY can be added to most raw foods, and adds strong probiotic benefits. Kombucha recipes that include the SCOBY have a added nutrient density.

What else can I do with them?

After a quick search online, I found there are a lot of different ways you can use a SCOBY! Including many Kombucha recipes that involve using the SCOBY. They can be gifted to someone who would like to make Kombucha themselves (that’s how I got mine!). They can be dehydrated into candies. Used for a different type of brew, fertilizer for the garden, or pureed and used in food. The strong probiotic nature of SCOBY’s make them worth eating, over tossing in the compost.

Why SCOBY gummies?

When I read that they lost their rubbery texture when pureed, I wanted to see for myself. Both of my kids had colds after their first week back as school. So the promise of a stronger probiotic was appealing! As I was new to working with SCOBY, I also hoped the gelatin would hide any strange texture.

And as mentioned above, the Berry Kombucha SCOBY Gummies recipe was a success. The kids loved them like they do the standard Kombucha gummies. And I couldn’t tell the difference!

Ingredients you needs for Kombucha gummies

Fresh or frozen fruit – I like to either use fresh seasonal fruit, or frozen berries. Any fruits will work that can be pureed in a blender.

Kombucha and extra Scoby – I store my extra SCOBY in some starter liquid. This works perfectly. I use about 1 cup of starter per Scoby, but a bit more or a bit less will work as well.

Gelatin – I like to use a high quality grass fed gelatin. I don’t use a lot in this recipe, so I don’t think any expensive gelatin is necessary.

Honey. Maple Syrup, or sweetener of choice. I prefer natural sugar sources such as honey or maple syrup. Or refined sources like coconut sugar or raw cane sugar. However, I would not use an artificial sweetener in this recipe. My recommendation is to choose your sweetener based on what works for you.

If you use sweet fruits, it you might be able to skip adding sugar entirely in this Kombucha recipe. When using frozen berries I recommend some added sugar, as it balances the tartness.

Optional extra- fruit and vegetable powder. I like to give my gummies a bit of an extra health kick, especially since I know my kids love them. This is the power I use and recommend as it contains a diverse range or fruit, vegetable, and sea greens.

Using SCOBY

When SCOBY is blended, it loses its gel like texture. Like Kombucha, it’s important not to over heat the SCOBY as it will loose it’s probiotic properties. So that’s why in this recipe I stew and puree the fruit and honey first, and then add the gelatin to the heated mixture. After is has started to cool but not solidified, I blend in the SCOBY and Kombucha.

Variations

If you are not using SCOBY, 1 extra cup of regular Kombusha can be substituted in this recipe. First or second fermentation Kombucha, are both appropriate.

I only use 1 ½ tbsp of gelatin in this Kombucha recipe. Because I only want enough to hold it together, I don’t want a super gummy consistency. If you would like it to be more like a jelly, you can add an extra 1 or 2 tbsp of gelatin.

I do not strain the seeds of pulp out of the fruit puree. Because I don’t see a point, and I like to keep the whole food in whole food. To get a smoother more jelly like consistency, strain the puree before adding gelatin.

How to store the SCOBY gummies?

Always store gummies in an airtight container. If you don’t they will start to dry up. Because of this,  I keep mine sealed in the fridge. They would be fine on the counter (in a sealed container) for a day or two if you are in a cool climate. Here in Australia in the summertime, they live in the fridge at our house!

Berry Kombuch SCOBY Gummies Recipe Ingredients

• Frozen berries 1 cup (or 1 ½ cups if you are not using Scoby)
• 1 Scoby with approx 1 cup of starter liquid OR 2 cups Kombucha (1st or 2nd fermentation)
• Gelatin 1 ½ tbsp
• Honey or maple syrup 1 tbsp
• Fruit & vegetable powder 1 tbsp (I recommend this one)

Instructions for thermomix/thermo blender:

1. Blend fruit at highest setting to create a puree. You might need to scrape down the sides and blend two or three times.
2. Add honey/maple syrup/sweetener of choice.
3. Set to 70 degrees for 7 minutes, speed 1/low.
4. Add gelatin to thermo blender while blades are moving on speed 1/low.
5. Once combined, allow to cool (to keep the gelatin from setting keep the blades moving at their slowest speed).
6. When the mixture is no longer hot (37 degrees on a thermomix) add SCOBY and Kombucha starter.
7. Add fruit and vegetable powder if using (I use this one). Blend to combine for 10 seconds.
8. Pour immediately into moulds.
9. Place in fridge for minimum 1 hour until set.

Instructions for blender and stovetop:

1. Blend fruit on highest setting to create a puree.
2. Add pureed fruit to a saucepan. Add sugar and heat on stove top until hot all the way through but not boiling.
3. Whisk in Gelatin until it has dissolved completely in saucepan.
4. Remove from heat and continue stirring occasionally until no longer hot.
5. While fruit mixture is cooling, place SCOBY and Kombucha starter in the blender and blend on high for 10 seconds.
6. Add fruit and vegetable powder if using (I use this one).
7. Add cooled fruit mixture, and blend to combine.
8. Pour immediately into moulds.
9. Place in fridge for minimum 1 hour until set.

Did you like this recipe? I would love to hear how it went!

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