What can I add to kombucha for flavor?

Using HERBS with your kombucha brewing kit Think basil, sage, rosemary, mint, lavender, lemongrass, turmeric & more! Dried herbs are much more potent than fresh herbs. Use dried herbs sparingly, as they can overpower the other flavors in your bottles.

What herbs and spices are in kombucha?

Herbs and spices can add a unique and complex flavor to your kombucha. You can experiment with different combinations, such as ginger and lemongrass or mint and basil . Simply add the herbs and spices to your kombucha during the second fermentation process, and strain them out before drinking.

What is the best flavor of kombucha for beginners?

To get started, we recommend selecting a flavor profile you typically enjoy. If you're a fan of tropical fruits, try SYNERGY Mystic Mango or SYNERGY Guava Goddess . For those who prefer more tart beverages, try SYNERGY Gingerade or SYNERGY Trilogy.

What can you not mix kombucha with?

Kombucha contains alcohol. The body breaks down alcohol to get rid of it. Disulfiram decreases the break-down of alcohol. Taking kombucha along with disulfiram can cause a pounding headache, vomiting, flushing, and other unpleasant reactions.

How to make homemade kombucha taste better?

These days, many kombucha drinks are flavored with fruit, herbs, spices, and even flowers. They're pretty tasty on their own, so sometimes all you need to add is ice. Take it to the next level by adding fruit or herbs to your ice blocks when you freeze them . It'll add color and taste to the drink.

What herbal teas are good for kombucha?

Herbal teas are a great way to add extra nutrients or change up the flavor of your kombucha. Some people choose to brew with only herbal teas and experience great success. I will often play with rooibos, chamomile, lavender, yerba mate, cinnamon, guarana, and hibiscus to change things up now and then.

Is jasmine tea ok for kombucha?

Tea (And if You Even Need it) Empirically, I found this to be true: Kombucha brewed from green, black, or jasmine tea was reliably sour and bubbly , and it was easy to brew successive batches from such tea cultures.

Can I put turmeric in my kombucha?

Ingredients in Pineapple Turmeric Kombucha We use fresh pineapple and dried, ground turmeric for this recipe. However, you can definitely change this up! Fresh turmeric or cut and dried turmeric works . Anything from dried pineapple to canned pineapple can work as well.

What happens when you first start drinking kombucha?

Some people may experience digestive upset when drinking kombucha, or from drinking too much. Symptoms such as gas, nausea, and vomiting may occur. These side effects may be more likely in people who drink too much kombucha.

How often should you drink kombucha?

It is important to start with drinking small quantities to see how your body reacts to the beverage. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that four ounces of kombucha can be safely consumed one to three times a day . Overconsumption can lead to headache, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, or ketoacidosis.

Can you add anything to kombucha?

Many home brewers use a few fresh or frozen fruit slices or chunks in their kombucha . This is a great option if you want more subtle fruit flavor in your kombucha and you want the flavor of the tea itself to shine.

What does kombucha pair well with?

Whether you brew it in a jar at home, buy it ready-made, or sip it on draft, kombucha pairs beautifully with cheese for many of the reasons other pairings like wine, beer, or cider do.

How to Flavor Kombucha & 3 Herbal Recipes (2024)

If you’ve ever endeavored to brew your own kombucha, you know that the SCOBY-covered result of your initial ferment has a rather plain flavor when compared with your favorite professionally made varieties—but it doesn’t have to stay that way! The combinations of herbs, spices, fruits, and juices that can add flavor to your homemade kombucha are almost endless, allowing you to transform your original tangy tea canvas into countless quaffable masterpieces.

How to Flavor Kombucha: The Basics

Make a batch of plain, fermented kombucha tea.
Transfer SCOBY and 1 to 2 cups plain kombucha into a clean glass container with lid and store this in fridge for future ferments.
Add flavoring ingredients of choice to remaining plain kombucha.
Secure lid and let ingredients infuse at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
Taste infused kombucha for flavor. If needed, add more ingredients to adjust flavor balance or let steep another 2 days to increase flavor intensity.
When desired flavor is reached, strain out flavoring ingredients and transfer kombucha into glass bottles with secure stoppers.
To build carbonation, let sealed bottles sit on counter top at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Store finished kombucha in refrigerator and consume within about 2 weeks.

Kombucha Flavoring FAQs

When do I add flavoring to my kombucha?

I’m often asked at what point in the kombucha making process should flavors be added. While thoughts on this subject vary somewhat by personal method and the ingredients used, in general, I like to allow my kombucha to fully ferment before adding my favorite flavor combinations (as noted in our earlier post on kombucha making, plain kombucha usually takes one to two weeks to develop).

The reason for adding flavoring after fermentation is that some botanicals can interfere with the fermentation process, and even if they don’t, they can add distinctive flavors to your starter tea that will come through in future batches, which can somewhat limit your flavoring options.

Do I leave the SCOBY in my kombucha when flavoring?

Since some flavoring ingredients will affect the health and/or flavor of your SCOBY, you’ll likely want to remove most of it before adding herbs, spices, or other ingredients.

After your brew has reached your desired level of tanginess, remove the SCOBY and one to two cups of liquid to reserve as “starter tea” for your next batch. At this point, you can store the SCOBY in the starter tea in an airtight glass jar in the fridge and store for up to several months until you are ready to start your next batch of ‘bucha.

After I add my flavors, how long do I have to wait before my kombucha is ready?

I let my ingredients steep in the kombucha in a large, clean glass jar with a lid at room temperature for one to two days, to start. This is usually plenty of time for your flavors to infuse, and you can taste the liquid after this time frame to see if a longer steep or more ingredients are needed.

When you’re happy with your kombucha’s flavor, I recommend straining out your added ingredients before drinking. Use a funnel with filter and/or some cheesecloth. Otherwise, you'll likely end up with bits of plant material stuck in your teeth!

Can fresh ingredients be used to flavor kombucha in place of dry? If so, do they need to be specially prepared?

My years of working at Mountain Rose Herbs have built up my spice cabinet to near bursting, so I tend to gravitate towards dried ingredients for my kombucha flavorings. However, fresh ingredients can definitely be used and are a fun way to infuse seasonal flavors into your ‘buch rotation.

In general, no special preparation is required for adding fresh herbs and other plant material to your kombucha. Keep in mind that, just like with making a tincture or tea, ingredients infuse more quickly and completely when you expose more surface area, so you may wish to roughly chop roots or lightly mash berries to help unlock their flavors. I avoid using powders, as they tend not to strain out well and leave an undesirable grittiness behind in the final beverage.

DO make sure you are using clean plant material grown without toxic pesticides/herbicides (this is particularly important to keep in mind when wildharvesting ingredients).

Will flavoring affect the shelf life of my kombucha?

If properly stored in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator, most flavored kombuchas will last about as long as plain kombuchas. However, if you are using very perishable ingredients like fresh fruit, you may find that your kombucha will spoil more quickly, so you’ll want to be sure to keep these batches refrigerated and consume within a week.

How do I make my kombucha fizzy after flavoring?

In order to increase carbonation, I transfer my kombucha into individual glass bottles with secure lids, then leave the bottles on a counter top for 2 to 3 days to ferment/carbonate before popping them into the fridge. Some folks find that adding a bit more sweetener or sweet, fresh fruit before this counter top ferment can encourage more natural fermentation, but I have not personally had much success with this method.

Homemade Kombucha Flavor Ideas

Here are some of my favorite blends, but feel free to be creative and experiment with your own favorite flavors! Each blend is intended to flavor one gallon of plain, pre-fermented kombucha.

Elderberry, Cinnamon & Rosehip Kombucha

A standby, this is the blend that I make most often. Sometimes, I’ll add hibiscus flowers or use ginger root instead of cinnamon. Feel free to experiment and make this recipe your own!

1 gallon plain kombucha
1/3 cuporganic dried elderberries
1/4 cuporganic dried rosehips
1 tsporganic cinnamon chips

Sparkling Ginger Pear Kombucha

This recipe is simple, yet delicious. It is light, refreshing, and reminiscent of champagne. Use whichever fruit is in season: raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, apricots, and peaches are all tasty substitutes for pears.

1 gallon plain kombucha
1 Asian or regular pear
1 Tbsp. driedorganic ginger root

Refreshing Floral Spice & Tulsi Kombucha

A perfect blend for the summertime! This medley is cooling, refreshing, and the addition of Yerba Mate offers a little energy boost.

1 gallon plain kombucha
1/2 cuporganic dried hibiscus flowers
2 Tbsp.dried organic holy basil (Tulsi)
2 Tbsp.dried organic peppermint
1 Tbsp. dried organic ginger root
1 Tbsp.dried organic Yerba Mate