How to Make Different Kombucha Flavors

If you haven’t ever tried Kombucha, you really should. It has so many benefits to it, from being a probiotic drink that can aid in stomach upset and increasing good gut flora, to just being a delicious beverage that is easy to make, bottle and consume.

It’s sometimes referred to as mushroom tea, which, frankly, sounds quite unpleasant! However, kombucha is really just a fermented tea that’s been consumed for thousands of years. Recently, however, it has grown in popularity.

Not only is kombucha rich in beneficial probiotics, but it also has a ton of antioxidants that can help kill bacteria and fight disease.

This beverage has origins in Japan or China and is made by adding certain strains of yeast, sugar, and bacteria to either green or black tea. Then it needs to ferment for a week or even more.

While this fermenting is occurring, bacteria and yeast are coming together to form a film like a mushroom on the surface of the liquid.

This is where the “mushroom” part of “mushroom” tea comes in ! Fermentation produces acetic acid and a number of other compounds as it does so.

If you’re new to probiotics, just know that they have a ton of benefits. Not only do probiotics provide you with healthy bacteria that can aid in your overall digestive functioning, but they can also help you lose weight, fight inflammation, and ward off diseases, too.

You can buy kombucha in just about any grocery or health food store, but I don’t necessarily recommend doing this. It can be filled with lots of sugar and additives that aren’t necessarily great for you.

If you make your own kombucha, you will want to keep in mind that it can contain small amounts of alcohol, so don’t overdo it with the fermentation!

Otherwise, it’s quite easy to make at home.

Kombucha Is Just Like Granola in Many Ways

Everyone seems to have a recipe that is their own, and no two are ever going to be the same. And, each recipe is delicious in it’s own right.

When I first started drinking kombucha, I would buy a couple bottles at our local health food co-op. At the price of $4 a bottle, that was NOT something I did for very long.

I was able to find a mushroom, or scoby, online, and get started brewing my own

Unless you can find a live scoby from a local friend, you will need to rehydrate your scoby to get it going. Cultures for Health has an awesome how to video for that here:

How to Activate a Dehydrated Kombucha Scoby

Of course, I have played with different teas and fruit juice add ins for my home brewed kombucha.

Here are some of my favorite recipes to brew, and all of them are for one gallon at a time.

kombucha post

Basic Recipe for Kombucha

4 cups boiling water
4 cups cool water
1 cup sugar (organic is best)
tea (either loose leaf or bags)
1 gallon sized glass jar

Add the tea bags to the boiling water to steep for 10 minutes. Add sugar and stir to dissole. Remove tea bags, add cool water and allow to come to room temperature. Add scoby and brew for approximately 7-10 days. This may vary, depending on the temperature of your room.

Basic Recipe for Kombucha

The Homesteading Hippy

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 4 cups cool water
  • 1 cup sugar organic is best if you can
  • tea either loose leaf or bags
  • 1 gallon sized glass jar

Instructions
 

  • Add the tea bags to the boiling water to steep for 10 minutes.
  • Add sugar and stir to dissole.
  • Remove tea bags, add cool water and allow to come to room temperature.
  • Add scoby and brew for approximately 7-10 days.
  • This may vary, depending on the temperature of your room.

I start tasting mine around 3-4 days in the summer. I am looking for an almost “vinegary bite” without it being sour. Once you start making your own, you will develop your tastes as to what you like.

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Pour off the tea and add the scoby to a fresh batch. Bottle and refrigerate. I usually put mine in a grolsch style bottle for the “extra fizz”, but you can just bottle it in mason jars.

Kombucha Variations

Raspberry Oolong Kombucha

3 bags oolong tea
3 bags raspberry tea

Peppermint

6 bags peppermint tea

Raspberry Mint

6 bags raspberry tea
To brew, use mint sugar instead of regular sugar.

Lime Cordial

6 bags black tea

After brewing and before bottling, add in the juice of 6 limes. I have had to add a bit more sugar at times, depending on the season and tartness of the limes.

Hibiscus Kombucha

  • 1/2 cup hibiscus flowers
  • 1/2 cup black tea

Ginger Peach

  • 6 bags black tea

After brewing and before bottling, add 1 cup of peach syrup and 6 slices of fresh ginger.

Pomegranate

  • 6 bags black tea

After brewing and before bottling, add in 1 cup of pomegranate juice. If desired, you can add the fruit of 2-3 pomegranates as well, as that makes for a pretty drink for guests.

What are some of your favorite kombucha flavors? be sure to pin this on your favorite Pinterest board!

6 thoughts on “How to Make Different Kombucha Flavors”

  1. I am new to Kombucha so I enjoyed your flavoring ideas. I thought that you had to use a “real” tea not an herbal tea though. Is this right? Maybe I misunderstood….

    1. You “should” use a black tea at least every other batch to keep it healthier. However, I currently have about 30 “babies” so if one doesn’t make it, I am not that sad. 🙂 Try with black tea and flavoring a couple batches, and use a baby to make a separate batch of herbal and see how it works for you.

  2. I have a scoby and I really need to gt it started before it goes bad. Thanks for giving me the motivation. These recipes are grand!

    1. the kombucha scoby “eats” the sugar, so there is very little left in the beverage. You can try coconut sugar, but your results will vary.

  3. Leatrice Gulbransen

    Short and sweet. Thanks for making something easy. So many things in this world are just way too complicated ! Now I can grab that free scoby off Craig’s list and get it going ! Many thanks !

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