Kombucha Part Two: Ideas for Flavouring the Second Fermentation

So, you too have caught the kombucha madness...and are wondering how to sass your brew up a little. I mean, plain kombucha is a magical elixir, yes, but flavoured kombucha, when flavoured correctly, is truly The Nectar of The Gods, for real. Behold, some of my best ideas for a second fermentation (a.k.a. that part where you bottle the tea, cap it tightly and leave it on the counter for a few days to get fizzy before you throw it in the fridge)

These 'recipes' are all for roughly 4 to 5 cups of tea...once you experiment a little, measuring won't be necessary. The main thing I can tell you is that less is more - things can get surprisingly intense during the two-day process. The tea keeps for about a month in the fridge, and stays fizzy for a surprisingly long time. You're suppose to work your way up to drinking 1 cup a day or so, to encourage your digestive system to do its very best. It's the most delicious medicine I know!

For any of the following, clean a glass bottle with a tight cap or a large mason jar. Pour in about 4 to 5 cups of finished kombucha tea. Add your flavouring and cap tightly, making sure to leave at least 1/2 inch of headroom to account for the carbonation that will happen as you let the bottle sit at room temperature for two days. Then I recommend uncapping and testing the tea for flavouring and fizz, and adjusting and leaving for one more day if you aren't satisfied. I am normally always satisfied, and so I remove the flavourings (otherwise over time they grow a slimy coating that while perfectly edible is kinda weird r.e. mouthfeel...though berries are nice to leave in sometimes), and put the bottles in the fridge. Green tea gives a lighter overall flavour so I like it best for the more delicate blends, like lavender.

I label my kombucha when it's finished so I know which ones to drink first. I have three batches going right now and they are all going to be ready at slightly different times, ensuring I never run out. Once you start making it, you'll understand how important that is!



Cranberry Kombucha - add 1 tbsp pure concentrated cranberry juice (that really sour stuff you add water to)

Black Cherry Kombucha - same idea, with concentrated black cherry juice

Cinnamon Ginger Tea - Add one herbal Cinnamon Ginger Tea bag to 4 cups green tea kombucha (one of the tastiest I have made. Tea from Britannia Teas)

Wild Orange Tea - Add one TAZO Wild Orange Tea bag to 4 cups kombucha. OMG this might be my very favourite.

Grapefruit/orange/lemon/lime - add about 1/2 to 1 tsp organic peel to your brew. Whenever you happen to buy organic citrus, try and remember to wash it and zest it before you eat it! You can keep zest in the freezer for a million years and use it frozen. Perfect! Please don't use conventional citrus, there's so many pesticides on there! This makes a less sweet brew than some of the others.

Fresh ginger - add about 1 tsp shredded fresh ginger to the brew. Use a sieve to remove it before putting in the fridge.

Cinnamon - add 1 large stick cinnamon to the tea. Remove before refrigerating.

Lavender - my thought here was that it might be soothing for when I have a headache (I often make a tea with dried lavender, chammomile, hibiscus, rose petals and mint when I have a migraine). While this isn't the tastiest tea, it is calming to the brain! Just add about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp dried lavender (dry your own by hanging it upside down or buy some organic lavender from Britannia Teas!) to some green kombucha and strain it out before it goes in the fridge.

Raspberry/Blueberry/Partridgeberry Tea - Add about 1 tbsp frozen berries to your tea. You can leave them in when you refrigerate for a juicy treat.


There's lots more you could do...add earl grey or other black tea during the second fermentation if you are down with the caffeine, or add just about any other kind of green or white tea, too. I have tried all kinds of herbal teas and flavoured rooibos, and as long as you don't add too much flavouring, I think it's pretty hard to go wrong. I am going to try adding a few cardamom seeds to a batch next time. Would a tiny piece of vanilla pod yield delicious results? I wonder...

I would love to hear from fellow Kombuchites as to your favorite combinations...

PS - if you live in the St. John's, NL area and are interested in brewing your own kombucha, I can set you up with a SCOBY. I have a few batches going all the time and usually have a culture or two to give away every few weeks...message me!