Kombucha Flavors

Two years have gone by since I did my original blog post on making kombucha. I'm doing things a little differently now in terms of flavoring the kombucha, so I thought it was time to do an update.

I still brew the kombucha the same way. I start with boiling water, adding that to one cup of sugar in a gallon glass container with eight tea bags. I use decaffeinated tea. Usually green tea, sometimes black tea. But always decaf as caffeine bothers me. I do not use flavored teas anymore. Just plain green or black tea. 

fresh tea

After about two weeks (depends on the time of year - see my original post), my kombucha is femented enough and I start to process my batch. 

ready to add flavor - just remove that SCOBY!

I brew another batch of fresh sweet tea. When it cools, I take out the tea bags. And I transfer the SCOBY from a fermented batch to this new tea and set this in my dark spot to ferment.

(If you do not have another large jar to brew a new batch - just put your SCOBY with a little bit of the kombucha into a glass container and put it in your fridge. Then once you clean out the original jar you can brew another batch in it and add the SCOBY that's been hanging out waiting for you - SCOBYs are fine in the fridge as long as you have them in glass - no metal).

Now I add another step to the fermented batch that is ready. This new step adds very fresh flavors to the tea and allows me to be creative!

This post will focus on my favorite flavor - Strawberry Basil. (I'll list other possible flavor combinations later on).

I get a container of strawberries from the store (about a pint) 

and pick a bunch of fresh basil from my garden.

Unfortunately, my basil is ready in August while local strawberries are ready in June. So I do have to use store bought strawberries. Next June I will try using store bought fresh basil and local farm fresh strawberries. I think that will make this even more delicious!

I clean and hull the strawberries (removing the green leafy tops). I clean the basil and pick out the nice leaves. 

I use a high speed blender to puree my flavoring.  I would think a regular blender would work out fine also. You want the puree to be as fine as possible so the flavors can permeate the fermented kombucha. 

I puree the strawberries and basil together with a small amount of water (enough so the puree is liquid enough to pour).

I pour the puree into the fermented kombucha  (the SCOBY has been removed). I recommend you pour the puree slowly. Sometimes it fizzes up as it mixes with the fermented kombucha, so much so that it might overflow. 

Then I cover that puree and kombucha mixture with the paper towel again.

flavoring ferments!

I let it continue to ferment for a couple of days. Even though the SCOBY has been removed, it will still ferment more. Just more slowly. If you let it sit for long enough it will start to create a kind of SCOBY on top. I've never let it ferment for more than four days and usually do about two.

The next step is strain and bottle this new flavored kombucha.

If there is a bit of a solid layer on top I scoop that out. Otherwise I strain it with a fine mesh strainer.

And I pour it into my prepared bottles (see earlier post for the need to have very clean conditions when you are bottling).

I then label and refrigerate this batch of lovely flavored kombucha.

This method of flavoring gives you very fresh and delicious flavored kombucha. I like the herb and fruit combination. I use fresh herbs from my garden. I have made the following combinations:

Peach and Mint

Lavender and Cantaloupe

Watermelon and Mint
Lavender and Peach

All delicious! I also have fresh thyme and rosemary. I'm wondering what fruit flavors might work with those....

Any fruit would work nicely. I think I did raspberries last summer but haven't done it this year. You could use frozen fruit that you thaw too (I'm thinking a nice mixed berry). You don't have to add herbs either. Just fruit is delicious as well! The herbs add a nice subtle difference to fruit flavors and I like to experiment. 

Another flavor I do is fresh cider. I buy apple cider from a local farm market. After removing the scoby, I add a few inches of cider and cover it again. I let that ferment some more on my kitchen counter (this flavor I usually do four days). This does not have to be strained but if a new SCOBY has begun to form you should remove that (mostly to eliminate the ick factor). I usually add some ginger flavoring to this cider kombucha - usually food grade essential oil. But I know there are nice ginger syrups on the market and if you use one of those - add the ginger when you add the cider. Syrups have added sugar so you want that to ferment a bit after you add it.

Experiment! I get idea for flavors by looking at kombucha flavors at the local food stores. If you come up with a new and delicious flavor combination - please share! Let me know what you used.

Enjoy!

MAKING KOMBUCHA

I have been making my own Kombucha at home for about two years now. I can personalize my Kombucha to my tastes and needs and save a lot of money too! This post walks through what I do in my method. I've tried to make it easy and not very time consuming.

*IMPORTANT Note on cleaning prep – everything should be very clean. I put a small amount of bleach in each bottle, the large gallon bottle, the large measuring cup and the bowl for the mother, swish it around and then rinse well with hot water. You don’t want to introduce other germs.

Preparing a New Batch

Using the larger (gallon size) bottle: Fill ¾ of the way with hot/boiling water. Add one cup of white sugar. Stir well until sugar is completely dissolved. Add 8 tea bags (see note below for kinds of tea). Stir again. Cover with a paper towel. Let sit for about 24 hours.

Once the tea has cooled and brewed, take out the tea bags. Add a SCOBY (also called a “mother”) and some previously brewed Kombucha (as a starter). I used about a half cup of previously brewed Kombucha.

Cover with a double thickness of paper towel using a rubber band to secure it on the bottle. Set your new batch to ferment in a spot out of direct sunlight.

Now What Happens?

The old “mother” will interact with the sugar in your new batch and the “Kombucha critters” will start to eat the sugar resulting in the fermented by-product. I find my old “mother” will sometimes sink to the bottom, float up to the top or even float sideways in my bottle. Any of those are fine. What you’ll notice after about a week is the production of a new mother on the top. It will appear as little white bits floating on top. They will increase and create a new white layer.

By the time this happens I find that my old “mother” has usually risen to the top and fuses with the new mother. As you notice that the new white layer has formed and maybe is 1/8 to ¼ inch thick you can test it to see if it is ready.   

When is the Kombucha Ready?

The longer it ferments, the more sugar the little Kombucha critters eat and the more tart/vinegary/fizzy the Kombucha will become. You can take a straw and poke it into the Kombucha (push the mother aside a bit to get under it) and take a sip to see if it suits your taste yet. if you like your Kombucha on the sweet side you'll let it ferment a shorter amount of time. I like my Kombucha a bit vinegary. But I have made some batches that were just too fermented for me! I find in the hot weather that it is ready in two weeks or less. (the heat really speeds up the fermentation).  In the cool weather (we keep our house cool in winter, about 65^o) it can take three to four weeks.

Processing Your New Batch

I gather up my individual bottles, a bowl and a large measuring cup (I have a large 8 cup plastic one) and wash them well. *See cleaning prep note above. Then I remove the “mother” from my large bottle and place it in the bowl to use later for my next batch. I add about a half cup of the fermented Kombucha with the mother to use in my next batch also. I pour  the rest of the Kombucha from the large bottle into the measuring cup and then use that to pour into individual bottles. 

(You don’t need the measuring cup per se, I just find it easier to pour. Really any pitcher type thing will work well. It’s difficult to pour from the large gallon bottle into individual bottles. Some companies will sell you a pump to transfer the Kombucha, but that is really unnecessary). I leave a little room at the top of each individual bottle. You don’t want the new Kombucha to come into contact with the lid, especially if the lid is metal (don’t ask me why, I read it somewhere, so just try to be careful about that). I leave a little extra room if I am going to add some flavoring.

I let these bottles sit out for about 24 hours, mostly so the outsides dry out and also so they ferment just a tiny bit more. Then I label each individual bottle with the flavor and date. Then refrigerate the bottles so they don't ferment any more. Your new bottles of Kombucha are good for 3 months in the fridge.

Starting All Over Again

While the mother is resting in the bowl, I wash out the large gallon bottle and boil water for my new batch. I prepare a new batch following the directions above.

What About Flavoring and What Kind of Tea Should I Use?

The Kombucha critters need either black tea or green tea. I have trouble with caffeine so I use all decaf. You can do that or do half decaf half not. You need 8 tea bags in all. Any brand will do. I order it bulk from Amazon for the best prices.

I have found two ways to do flavor. My preference is to brew the flavor in as part of the process. I do this by using 4 herbal tea bags and 4 green or black tea bags. I think there are certain herbs that Kombucha critters don’t like. But don’t recall what they are. I have had good luck with any fruity tea – different berry ones. The herbal teas do strain your “mother” so every other batch I do full 8 bags of green or black.

Another flavor method I use is to add the flavor into the individual bottles. Do this on Kombucha that is made with all green or all black tea. I love lemon & ginger. I use a full lemon and squeeze all the juice out. I split that between 5 or 6 bottles. Then I add 2-3 drops of ginger essential oil to each bottle. Be sure to use an essential oil that is food grade quality. I use DoTerra brand.

I’ve tried flavoring with other juices. Sometimes I do a citrus combo – juice of a clementine and a lime together. You can look up juice flavoring ideas on line. I find that a tablespoon or 2 works well. Some recipes on line tell you more. Experiment!

I am currently experimenting with adding some fruit puree and letting it ferment in the Kombucha for a few days and then straining it. I'll report back about how that works. I'm trying out mango first.

Questions…

What is a SCOBY? It is an acronym for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. It is an important ingredient in the fermentation of tea into kombucha. It's typically round, rubbery and opaque. It has a mild vinegar odor. It is made up of mostly cellulose (an insoluble fiber).  But it hosts a variety of yeast and bacteria species that are essential for the fermentation process. Look out for mold or a strong cheese-like odor, which may indicate that the SCOBY is decaying and needs to be discarded. Every time I make a new batch of kombucha, a new scoby layer forms on top of the tea. After a while I'll have 4 or 5 SCOBYs in one brewing batch. Once I have that many I often discard the older tired looking ones. I also give some of them to friends who want to start brewing.  Other fermented foods, such as sourdough bread and kefir, use a similar symbiotic culture. 

What kind of individual bottles should I use? Any glass 12-16 oz bottle works well. I use old store bought Kombucha bottles (the labels can be tough to get off). Snapple bottles work well. Some people use canning jars. Just don’t let the Kombucha touch the metal parts as you store it.

Why do you use paper towels? On-line I've read to use cheesecloth. I like paper towels because I have them readily available and I can write on them to indicate the start date and tea-type of the batch that is brewing. You just need to use something to cover your Kombucha brew that lets in air but filters out harmful bacteria and stuff.

How long does a “mother” last? As a new “mother” layer grows you’ll find your “mother” get thicker and thicker. At some point you’ll find the bottom of it separates creating two “mothers”. You can then use that new mother to get a new batch going. In the winter-time I usually have 4 batches going at once (staggered so I’m processing one batch a week) and in the summer I go down to 2 batches at once (there is only so much Kombucha I can drink!). Kombucha ferments much more quickly in hot weather!

If the bottom layer gets kind of tan/brownish overall it may be tired and time to retire. I then just compost that old layer.

My “mother” keeps separating, what do I do with all these “mothers”? Well, if the separated mothers are still good I put them in a “mother hotel” in the fridge. I use a large glass pyrex container with a plastic lid and put in the mother with a little kombucha. It will keep just fine in there for 3 months or so. My container is large enough that I can keep three or four “mothers” in it. I use them if I have to replace one of my working “mothers” or use them to give friends “mothers”.

What are those brown bits floating in the kombucha? Those bits are just dead yeast from the fermenting process. They are perfectly fine to ingest, although may be a bit gross. Larger ones I scoop out and throw away. Little bits I don’t worry about.

What if my mother starts to grow different colors on top (like grey fuzz)? This has never happened to me but I do have a friend who had this problem. This is not a good thing. The mother has been infected and should be thrown away (along with the kombucha it was in). If you clean everything well (see cleaning prep) you should not have this problem. If in doubt about something on your mother – send me a picture and I’ll let you know what I think.

Hope you enjoy your Kombucha brewing!