Looking back through my posts in the last few years, I see it’s been a while since my last post about brewing kombucha. Hard to believe! Well I have about a year’s worth of new flavor combinations to share with you. But first, take a look back at our past discussions about brewing kombucha at home. If you haven’t started yet, believe me it’s easy and takes very little effort! The cost savings of home brewing and health benefits of consuming regularly are abundant!
Weird science project or tasty drink?: How to Brew Kombucha
Kombucha Tea Flavorings Round 1
I hope you like some of these new kombucha flavors. These ingredients are added during the second fermentation period. We love to try new combinations. Exotic blends are at the bottom. Always use organic ingredients, because chemicals and pesticides can harm the SCOBY and kill the natural yeast production. Be sure to check out the original kombucha tea flavorings post from 2010 first to see if you want to try any if the classic flavors, too!
Kombucha Tea Flavorings Round 2
To 3 quarts of kombucha tea for the second fermentation period, add:
Watermelon-Lime: 1/3 cup fresh squeezed watermelon juice + 1/4 cup lime peel cut into strips
Pineapple: 1/4 cup fresh pineapple
Pineapple Pomegranate: 1/4 cup fresh pineapple + 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
Apple Berry: 1/3 cup unsweetened organic apple juice + 1/3 cup fresh mixed berries (or thawed frozen berries, or 1/4 cup unsweetened jam)
Cherry Vanilla: 1/4 cup dried cherries OR 1/3 cup pitted fresh cherries + 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pear-Almond: 1/4 cup fresh pear + 2 tsp pure almond extract
Orange-Grapefruit: 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice + 1/3 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice OR 1/4 cup orange peel + 1/4 cup grapefruit peel
Lemon-Blueberry: 1/4 cup lemon peel cut into strips + 1/3 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen thawed blueberries, or 1/4 cup dried blueberries)
Peach: 1/3 cup fresh peaches (or thawed frozen peaches)
Strawberry-Mango: 1/4 cup fresh mango (or frozen thawed mango) + 1/3 cup fresh strawberries (or frozen thawed strawberries)
Kiwi: 1/3 cup fresh kiwi
Calm Blend: 1 tsp dried lavender flower + 1 tsp dried chamomile flower
Chai Blend: 2 tsp of my favorite whole chai spice blend
Apple Pie Chai: 1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice + 1 tsp chai spice blend + 1 cinnamon stick
Apple Pie: 1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice + 1 cinnamon stick
Pumpkin Pie: 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (optional) + 4 whole cloves + 2 cinnamon sticks + 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg + 3/4 tsp ground ginger + 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Malt: 1 heaping Tablespoon raw cacao powder + 1 heaping Tablespoon maca powder
Continue with the second ferment for at least 2 days. Sometimes we forget and let our bottles go about 7 days for the second ferment. They still taste good, but start to get a bit vinegary tasting again. I think 3-4 days is the sweet spot. Then pop in the fridge overnight, strain and enjoy!
Don’t be afraid to experiment! And don’t be afraid to pour a batch down the drain if it didn’t come out how you wanted. I’ve done that a few times myself. You can always make more! The fun is in the experimenting, creating, and enjoying.
If you have a favorite flavor, please share it in the comments section! I’d love to hear from you!
I recently decided to go sugar free and eat more nutracious. I struggle with the sugar free part. I crave those sweets and chocolate to a point where I just about go nuts. How do you manage? I thought kombucha was a healthy drink but I have questions cause of the sugar that goes in it. Could we use honey instead?
Hi Susanne, For kombucha, you do not want to use honey to make it because the honey has antibacterial properties and will kill the kombucha SCOBY over time. Use organic cane sugar or organic turbinado sugar. The kombucha culture eats up the sugar as its food, leaving behind healthy probiotics which give it that fizz. For the sugar cravings, those will fade as you continue to heal your gut. Keep on the plan! If you need help, we offer nutrition coaching. Visit our clinic website: http://www.TriadHealthCenter.com/
Hello,
I just got my first SCOBY and am so pumped about making my own kombucha, since paying over $3.00 a bottle several times a week is not an option, now that I have my husband drinking it. I love this list of flavoring ideas! I grow my own herbs and, in my search for kombucha recipes, have not run across any that add herbs. I am thinking of making a lavender and a peppermint kombucha. If I like the peppermint, I am going to buy some other kinds of mint plants to have a bit more variety. Any tips?
Thank you :-)