Kombucha Tea Flavorings

It's been a few months now, and many batches of Kombucha later, I have compiled a list of our favorites.  Word of advice: we add these ingredients during the 2nd fermentation stage (after the SCOBY is removed and the tea is re-bottled and sealed for its second week of sitting out at room temperature).  [TIP:  For added kombucha fiz/carbonation, add a pinch of sugar or 1/4 tsp raw honey to the jar(s) for the 2nd fermentation stage.  This will further feed the yeast in the tea creating a more bubbly end product.  It's really a matter of personal preference.  A word of caution on the fizz factor…when storing your bottled kombucha at room temperature, please store your bottles in a cabinet or box or some other safe place in the event a bottle cracks or explodes.  I have heard horror stories about explosive bottles shooting glass shards and the sticky mess all over the room..]

We prefer to drink our Kombucha cold, with the exception of the last flavor on this list, so try refrigerating the finished product before taking your first taste and making an impression.  If you try any of these recipes, please let me know how you liked them!  And if you have any other interesting flavorings of your own, please pass along!  We are always excited to try a new experiment! :)


TO 3QUARTS OF KOMBUCHA TEA ADD:

Cranberry Ginger:  1/4c unsweetened dried cranberries and 2 tsp fresh ginger chunks

Strawberry:  1/4 c strawberry jam, 7 fresh/frozen strawberries, OR 5 dried strawberries

Blueberry:  1/4 c blueberry jam, 1/3 c fresh/frozen blueberries, OR 1/4 c dried blueberries

Strawberry-Banana:  1/4 c strawberry jam + 1/2 of a fresh banana

Lemon-Ginger:  the zest of half a lemon (in strips) + 2 tsp fresh ginger chunks

Triple Berry (black berries, strawberries, thimbleberries):  1/3 c total of mixed berries

Raspberry:  1/4 c raspberry jam OR 1/3 c fresh/frozen raspberries

Grape (from a friend's back yard):  3/4 c organic concord grapes

Lemon-Lime:  [use a traditional zester to create threadlike strips of peel]  1/4 c lemon peel + 1/3 c lime peel

Apricot:  1/2 c organic unsweetened apricot juice OR 1/3 c dried apricots

Peppermint:  2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves (slightly crushed)

Cherry:  1/4 c dried cherries OR 1/3 c pitted fresh cherries

Coffee: coffee has similar flavinoids and tannins to tea;  use a dark organic roast: 3-5 Tbsp of coffee per gallon (4 quarts) of water you use plus your usual sugar; I recommend tying off the ground coffee in a coffee filter with cooking twine and adding to the boiling water on the stove, like a homemade tea bag -- makes for easier clean up and less straining.  Pour your cooled coffee/sugar mix into your bowl with the starter.  Add the SCOBY and let ferment.  Coffee Kombucha will take about twice as long to ferment, so be prepared (2 weeks instead of 1).  We make it along side a normal batch of tea Kombucha so we don't run out.  It is well worth the wait!  And don't worry if the Mother has dark spots on it  --  it took us a while to realize that they're just coffee stains.  Give it its second fermentation stage like normal, adding a pinch of sugar for that week to help it along.  It packs a different energy jolt than traditional tea Kombucha!  I think you will enjoy!  :)