Flavoring kombucha with fresh fruit and doing a second fermentation makes the most refreshing brew of all. Why? Because homemade flavored and naturally carbonated kombucha is full of sweet, effervescent bubbles.
While plain kombucha is full of beneficial probiotics and tasty in its own right, flavoring kombucha with fresh fruit and sealing it in bottles for 2-4 days is magic by comparison.
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Top tip
Ferment a portion of your first batch in a plastic soda bottle. It will grow taut as carbonation builds. Then you have a visual clue of how long second fermentation takes in your climate.
You’ll be amazed when you pop open your first swing-top bottle, and all that sparkling goodness rushes to the top.
Why it works
- Real fruit flavors from whole fruit
- Spice and herb combinations
- Not harsh or vinegary
- All-natural carbonation
Fresh organic raw fruit made into a puree is all you need for flavoring kombucha. The quality of the produce you choose will make all the difference. Thus, make sure to use premium ripe fruit for the best-tasting fizzy soda.
It’s marvelous creating different whole-food combinations. You can even incorporate herbs and spices for nuance when flavoring kombucha.
In fact, one of my absolute favorite recipe flavors is Strawberry Purple Basil. You can find it listed below with the other blends designed to help you make your own winning recipes.
Ingredients
It's amazing to think you only need two ingredients and a couple of days' time to brew the best tasting, refreshing, probiotic beverage.
- Fruit - Fresh or frozen will both work, but choose the sweetest and highest quality.
- Kombucha - Plain unpasteurized or homemade kombucha with live bacteria. Since you need a gallon and store-bought is costly, I highly recommend homemade Kombucha Brew For Pennies.
Equipment
Here’s a little checklist of items you are likely to have on hand:
- Small bowl - to reserve your SCOBY and starter liquid.
- Large mixing bowl
- Blender - to puree the fruit.
- Funnel
- Strainer - Fine-mesh, standard kitchen strainer is fine.
You will also need the following equipment for the second fermentation:
- Half-gallon glass growlers with fermenting caps. You'll need two.
- Replacement caps - Handy to have in case one gets lost or broken.
- Swing-top bottles - are ideal for storing your finished beverage. They look handsome, lock in freshness and carbonation, and are fun to open and close.
- Bottlebrush - Optional, but go ahead and treat yourself to this savvy clean-up tool.
Steps
Flavoring kombucha with fruit
Making fruit puree and whisking it with plain kombucha only takes a few minutes.
- If using homemade kombucha, set aside SCOBY and starter to brew a new batch.
- Wash, peel, and slice fruit.
- Puree fruit in a blender.
- Mix puree with kombucha in a large bowl.
Carbonating kombucha
If you have made homemade unflavored kombucha, you are used to waiting for one to three weeks for your first batch right? Well, I told you this was going to be easy. Guess what?
A second fermentation happens as quickly as 2 days in a warm climate. There’s just one important caveat to consider when opening your bubbly half-gallon growlers. Make sure you chill them for 12 hours in a refrigerator before you uncap them.
Otherwise, most of your prize health drink will end up spewing onto the counter before you can strain it into your lovely swing-top bottles.
- Pour fruited kombucha into growlers and cap tightly.
- Allow it to ferment for 2-6 days and chill for 12 hours.
- Strain to remove fruit pulp.
- Transfer strained mixture to swing-top bottles for storage.
Natural carbonation
Did you know that most kombucha on the market has artificial carbonation added to it by a machine during bottling? It's understandable when you consider the practical concerns of mass manufacturing.
After all, kombucha is a living thing and variances are bound to occur. This makes uniformity a challenge in large-scale productions.
Isn’t it cool you can take extra pride knowing there isn’t anything artificial about your home-brewed bubbles?
Feeding homemade kombucha with fruit and doing a second fermentation in airtight bottles creates robust carbonation that's completely natural. The bubbles are plentiful and round without the sharp edge of brews forced with CO2.
Safety
Sturdy glass vessels and lids intended for fermenting will minimize the possibility of explosions. If that sounds scary, know that it's a rare occurrence.
I actually enjoy remembering the two times it happened to me. They were over the course of doing second fermentations continuously for eight years. Nevertheless, we got a thrill and a good laugh!
Don’t worry though, I've learned. Explosions are entirely preventable, and I've passed on safety tips in the recipe below if you don’t want the extra fun and mess.
Expert tips
- Use high-quality fruit with great taste for flavoring kombucha.
- Stick with one to three fruits and/or spices when flavoring kombucha.
- Make sure the kombucha you choose for second fermentation has live bacteria.
- Use bottles and caps designed for second fermentation brews.
- Store flavored kombucha in a dark cupboard while it's fermenting.
- Always chill your second fermentation before uncapping.
- Store flavored and carbonated kombucha in swing-top bottles in the refrigerator.
FAQ
Yes, fresh-squeezed fruit juice without any additives can be used with, or in place of fruit puree. You may need to experiment with the amounts, but I recommend starting with half the measure of the sliced whole fruit.
Just like the first fermentation of kombucha, second-fermentation kombucha likes a warm environment. Temperatures between 75 degrees and 85 degrees are optimal.
Flavored kombucha recipes
Here are 7 of our favorite tried and true recipes I have used over the years for flavoring kombucha.
Strawberry Mango
- 1 cup mango
- ½ cup strawberries
Pineapple Turmeric
- 1 ½ cups pineapple chunks
- 1 cup chopped sliced fresh turmeric root
Spiced Asian Pear
- 1 ½ cups fresh pear
- 6 star anise pods
- 12 green cardamon pods, crushed
- 2 TB Szechuan peppercorns
- 2 TB chopped fresh ginger root
Pog (Passionfruit Orange Guava)
- 1 cup diced ripe guava
- ½ cup passion fruit scooped from shells
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 14 cups plain kombucha
Sweet Roselle
- 1 cup fresh roselle hibiscus petals (Jamaica)
- 1 cup water
- 2 TB agave syrup
Lavender Triple Berry
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup strawberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- 1 TB culinary lavender
Strawberry Purple Basil
- 1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
- ½ cup sliced purple basil leaves
So there you have it. The simple basics of flavoring and carbonating kombucha are well within grasp. Once you dive in, you can make your kombucha flavoring experience as unique as you like.
More refreshing beverages
Let us know if you try this recipe! Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below, and don’t forget to tag a photo #poppyswildkitchenrecipes on Instagram @poppyswildkitchen Aloha!
📖 Recipe
Flavoring Kombucha - Second Fermentation
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
- 1 gallon homemade plain raw kombucha or unpasteurized store-bought
- 1-2 cups raw organic fresh fruit
- Optional fresh herbs and spices
Flavor variations
Strawberry Mango
- 1 cup diced mango
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
Pineapple Turmeric
- 1 ½ cups pineapple chunks
- 1 cup fresh tumeric root, chopped small
Spiced Asian Pear
- 1 ½ cups sliced fresh pear
- 6 whole star anise pods
- 12 whole green cardamom pods, smashed
- 2 TB Szechuan peppercorns
- 2 TB chopped fresh ginger root
Pog (Passionfruit Orange Guava)
- 1 cup diced ripe guava
- ½ cup passion fruit scooped from shells cup
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Sweet Roselle
- 1 cup fresh roselle hibiscus petals (Jamaica)
- 1 cup water
- 2 TB agave or vegan honey
Lavender Triple Berry
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup strawberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- 1 TB culinary lavender
Strawberry Purple Basil
- 1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
- ½ cup sliced purple basil leaves
Instructions
Prepare fruit
- Wash and cut organic fruit in chunks or scoop pulp from shells. You can include the seeds of fruit like passion fruit or guava. Citrus fruits should be juiced. Discard the seeds and peels. Measure according to recipe flavor.
Prepare optional herbs and spices
- Wash and slice fresh herbs. You can leave the skins on turmeric or ginger. They help in fermentation. Measure herbs and spices and divide them into two small bowls. This way you can add half the total amount to each half-gallon jug for fermenting.
Blend fruit to puree
- Puree fruit chunks in a blender or food processor to a liquid texture. Pour into a very large bowl.
Reserve starter liquid and SCOBY
- If using homemade kombucha, measure out and reserve 1 ½ cups from your gallon jar brew. Place it in a bowl with the SCOBY. Set aside to brew a new batch of plain kombucha.
Mix kombucha with fruit
- Pour the remaining raw kombucha into a large bowl with pureed fruit. You should have approximately 14 cups. You can use a little to rinse your blender to include all the puree. Whisk kombucha and fruit puree to blend.
Second ferment in glass growlers
- Place a funnel over the top of one half-gallon jug. Pour half the fruited raw kombucha into the growler. Repeat with the second half-gallon jug. Divide the reserved herbs and spices between your two half-gallon growlers. Seal firmly with fermenting caps. A good hand twist is sufficient. I find using a damp wash cloth over the top of the cap helps to tighten.
Store 2-6 days
- Place half-gallon jugs in a dark cupboard for the second fermentation. Experience will help you to judge how long to leave the jugs to build up carbonation. The next step is very important. Don't try to open warm jugs of carbonated kombucha!
Chill and strain
- Chill carbonated kombucha 12 hours before opening. Once kombucha is very cold, take jugs from the refrigerator and strain out fruit pulp, herbs, and spices. You can place a good-sized fine-mesh strainer over a bowl to strain a large batch at once.
Transfer to swing-top bottles
- Use a funnel and pour strained kombucha into swing top bottles. Seal caps.
Store
- Kombucha stores well and stays carbonated this way easily for a week. After that, kombucha will gradually turn more and more tart while losing sweetness.
Notes
- Use high-quality fruit with great taste for flavoring kombucha.
- Stick with one to three fruits and/or spices when flavoring kombucha.
- Make sure the kombucha you choose for second fermentation has live bacteria.
- Use bottles and caps designed for second fermentation brews.
- Store flavored kombucha in a dark cupboard while it's fermenting.
- Always chill your second fermentation before uncapping.
- Store finished flavored and carbonated kombucha in airtight bottles in the refrigerator.
Jessica
It's "taut," not "taught."
Poppy Hudson
Thank you, Jessica, for your keen observation!
Wendy
This is by far the best article for Kombucha! You are the first person that Ive seen address chill before popping! I've spewed several. Thank you so much for this fantastic article!
Poppy Hudson
Wendy, I am so happy it was helpful for you! Aloha, Poppy