Uses for Leftover Kombucha Mushrooms

Kombucha is a popular fermented tea drink that natural food enthusiasts say boosts stamina, mental acuity, immune systems and longevity. It can be purchased in stores, but for those who make it at home, they start with a Kombucha "mushroom," (which is not a fungus), or alternately called a mother or starter. These mushrooms grow and multiply with every batch of Kombucha. For the Kombucha home-brewer, what should they do with the leftover mushrooms?

Making New Mothers

• Gifting Kombucha mushrooms to friends gives them a continuous supply of Kombucha.

  The best and most popular thing to do with extra Kombucha mushrooms is to pop them into a jar of cold tea and sugar, and give them as a gift to someone who might be interested in making their own Kombucha. This is a gift that keeps on giving, and will provide a friend with unlimited amounts of Kombucha as long as they continue to make it regularly.

Making Different Kinds of Kombucha

• You can make experimental batches of Kombucha with different types of tea.

  With leftover Kombucha mushrooms, you can also experiment and make different kinds of Kombucha. Since the mushrooms are leftover, and you don't necessarily need the Kombucha batch to turn out, feel free to try odd kinds of tea, add fruit juices, and try to make it with different kinds of sweeteners.

Artificial Leather Coasters

• Dried out Kombucha mushrooms make interesting coasters.

  Kombucha mushrooms, when dried, look and feel like leather and there are many do-it-yourself projects that you can make out of it. One easy thing to do with it is use it as a coaster on which to place hot items. Since the mushroom is already round in shape, all that needs to be done is to dry out the mushroom for a couple of days on a drying rack.

Art Projects

• Another use for leftover mushrooms is to dry them and use them in art projects. Some ideas are to carve designs into them before they are dried, and see how those designs change with the drying. Or use multiple ones to create natural and organic sculptures.