First, to learn how to brew your own Kombucha, check out my post HERE.
How to Flavor Your Kombucha
1) Use flavored tea when making Kombucha
The flavored teas that I use are from The Republic of Tea because I have found these teas to produce the strongest fruit flavors:
To make your Kombucha flavored during a SECOND FERMENT, follow these tips:
2) Use fruit juice concentrate from the freezer section of your local co-op (organic of course)
- The best flavors are the berry combinations
- Let the can of juice come to room temperature
- Use 1 Tbsp per bottle of Kombucha (16 0z bottles, I reuse THESE, but you can also use THESE)
- Alternately, you can puree berries and use that, but I find it gets pretty murky in the bottle
- Also, use fresh and bottled juices for a lower sugar option, using 1 Tbsp per bottle (this is the method I typically use because my kids don’t need extra sugar)
- If it’s carbonation that you are looking for, I have found that pineapple and strawberry juice produce the most bubbly second ferment!
Do you brew kombucha? What flavorings do you use? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!
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44 Replies to “How to Flavor Your Kombucha To Make it Really Tasty!”
When you say 1 TBS per bottle what size bottle are you talking about? 16oz?
Yes, I’ll go add that into the post.
How long do you do a second ferment once you add the fruit juice?
I usually do one week, but it depends on your climate. If it’s hot where you live it will ferment faster. I suggest testing for effervescence, unscrew the cap and if its bubbly, it’s ready. Put it in the fridge and you’re good to go. If it’s flat, let it go a little longer.
Are you using the flavored tea in the first fermentation? And would that be used in replacement or in addition to the 2 black and 2 green teas?
Yes and yes. I used ginger peach this week and it smells like fresh peaches. So delish!
So, to clarify, instead of 2 black and 2 green tea packets, you just use 4 packets of flavored tea in the first fermentation? Sorry to have to ask this again but I want to make sure! 🙂
I had kombucha (store bought) for the first time yesterday, and almost instantly got a much-needed burst of energy. However, I seem to have a yeast issue and soon after drinking I noticed a flare up. What, if any, options or alternatives do I have? Thanks!
Actually, kombucha does not flare up yeast. Listen to this posdcast and she explains it all very well: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/undergroundwellness/2014/02/19/kombucha-kamp-with-hannah-crum-1
I never use flavored teas because they only "smell" like apple or whatever not really tasting like apples. I used fresh peach and 2 cracked cardamom pods per 16 oz bottle. Also some with fresh lime squeezed in with fresh mint leaves. And the other one I will share was my fresh blueberries with sage (since I strain before I drink, I just used the stems- just as flavorful as the leaves which I used in something else). They were all incredible and just so you know I didn't measure anything. BUT I do clean the fresh ingredients really well. I let mine becomer very fizzy and it is divine.
Those all sound wonderful! Thanks for sharing your recipes here. I am definitely going to try mint and lime, that sounds amazing!
You might want to add a smidgen of organic sugar to your second ferment with the lime-mint. I like it without, but some of my friends like it better when I add just a touch of sugar. It ferments better with a pinch of sugar too so watch out when you open your bottle. I open it over the sink incrementally.
Thanks! I am so excited to try this lime mint flavor!
Could you add sassafras to make it root beer flavored?
Ooh thats a great idea Patricia! I will have to try that. Let me know if you do and how it turns out 🙂
I tried a new flavor I have never done before; Pina-colada. I used coconut water (pure) and fresh pineapple, then added some of the fresh coconut meat, blended it up in my ninja and added it to the second fermentation process. So yummy. It’s one of the most popular flavors now that I sell. I also added blackberries to it for another flavor….to the pina-colada, and that is really good too. The flavors are endless! I don’t use juice. All of my customers like that I use all fresh local and Organic fruits and spices as well as organic green and black teas. When you use premium ingredients you get the very best product! If you don’t like the floaties in the bottle, you can strain them out. But I found that using fresh fruits and spices gives me the bubbly Kombucha every time! Where the juices most of the time I just didn’t get that bubbly mellow batch that my customers like. Also root beer and sarsaparilla DO make great flavors. You can use the roots to flavor. Pintrest has some great recipes for them.
Patricia…I love the idea of root beer Kombucha! But is it sassafras or sarsaparilla? Don’t know…just asking. How about this: Goji berry and mint kombucha? Or Goji berry and Blood orange? Thought about the first one this AM…going to try in on my Pu’Erh ferment.
Here is an admittedly crazy question. I have a box of cheap white wine that neither my husband nor I will drink. What if I used some in my second ferment? Any idea what wine will do?
I think the wine will throw the bacteria/yeast balance off
See now I’ve been told you’re never supposed to use herbal teas for brewing…you find that it works okay?
I pretty much use black tea and a ginger peach tea to brew mine now. I recently bought a really good book where she goes over using all sorts of different things to brew kombucha, an advanced guide. Here is the book, I highly recommend it! https://amzn.to/2bc6Zzz
Can you flavor homemade kimbucha with store bought kimbucha
I’m not sure that would work to well
For those using fresh fruit to second ferment…any ideas on how to strain out the fruit bits/mini scoby that forms WITHOUT losing the fizz? Every time I strain it goes flat.
I actually just leave the fruit bits in there now 🙂
Elderberry & lavender – 16oz bottle – 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/2-1 teaspoon dried elderberries, 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
Rose & Cardamom – 16oz bottle – 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoon dried rose petals, 3 cardamom pods, split
Seriously fizzy strawberry (take care!) – 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1 large strawberry, chopped
Christmas in a cup – 2 to 3 apple slices, chopped, 1/4 teaspoon chai spice (cinnamon, clove, allspice)
Some flavors I’m loving lately, I always just use fresh fruit cut and placed into the bottle for second ferment:
-Lime ginger lemongrass cilantro
-Pink lady apple and beet
-watermelon lime
-peach raspberry Basil
-blueberry lychee
I tried blueberry/pomegranate with chia seeds in it. The chia seeds caused it to explode when I opened it. I had chia seeds several feet in every direction.
Oh no Laura! So sorry that happened. I have definitely had kombucha fly everywhere when it was ready, but fortunately that was never a batch with chia seeds in it.
Hibiscus tastes yummy. I get it from my health food store, organic, loose leaf
My husband and I are brew beer, mead, and cider and recently started making Kombucha as well. There is a much easier way to do the secondary fermentation than trying to shove fruit into the small neck of a bottle then get it back out again or attempt to strain it as Heather has found challenging. Do it as home brewers do it – do a secondary fermentation right in the same bottle you used to brew the kombucha during primary fermentation, after removing the SCOBY and next starter liquid of course. (Alternatively (and this is my preferred method) place the fruit into a 2nd jar, remove the SCOBY/Starter from the first jar and simply dump the remainder into the fruit jar, then wash out the first jar before starting your next batch.) Then you simply use a strainer and funnel to fill your bottles (we use high quality flip top bottles – less likely to explode, plus you can “burp” them if needed) after the completion of the fruit infusion. You then leave your bottles on the counter for a day or so to carbonate, and refrigerate until ready to use. Using this method, my kombucha is fully carbonated. I’m drinking a peach one at the moment that is super fizzy. Of course, with any type of brewing, it’s important to make sure that your equipment is super clean to avoid contamination. Cheers!
Great tips Shelly, thank you! The peach flavored one you are drinking sounds divine!!!
Quite welcome, Kate! Initially, the peach was a bit lackluster because I used frozen fruit from the grocery store but it has gotten so awesome as it has continued to develop. It’s more dry, less fruity. Next year, I’ll have fresh peaches and can also freeze some of the homegrown fruit. I didn’t have any of the homegrown peaches because I used them up in a mead recipe. 😀
I am currently in secondary on a mojito (lime and mint, both homegrown) but found very few online sources for recipes, mostly ones that were using kombucha to create alcoholic versions mixed in the glass. We shall see how this experiment goes.
The best recipe I’ve made so far, hand’s down, is mango passion fruit. In secondary, I simply cubed fresh mango and dumped in the pulp from about 8 small passion fruit (I grow those, too) and infused for 28 hours. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, has loved that one. That’s the next recipe on deck for the new brew I started today.
I’d love to hear other flavors loved by you all. This is too much fun!
My favorite hands down is my own ‘Fresca’ recipe – like the grapefruit flavored soda pop. I use green tea for the kombucha brew and then home – fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice for the second ferment. I don’t measure, just put enough grapefruit juice to fill about an 1/8 of the bottle I’m using. Leave all that awesome pulp in there. It is light, super fruity and fizzy! YUM!
My absolute favorite is current kombucha. I take 1 lb of currents a little sugar and 2 cups water and simmer. Put it through a strainer and add 1/3 cup per bottle. It is super fizzy and a little like sweet tarts.
I blend frozen mango and fresh ginger and add to my kombucha. Add a little sugar or stevia if you’d like it sweeter.
that sounds amazing! I will have to try that!
My current favorite is raspberry vanilla mint. I also like strawberry and lemon juice. I tried the juices but went back to the fresh fruit. I like the idea of secondary fermenting in a gallon jug and then straining before bottling. Will try that one next time. Thanks again for all the new ideas