Flavoring Kombucha

As promised in my initial kombucha posts, the time has now come to write about flavoring this amazing beverage! Flavoring kombucha is easy – you just add the flavor at the same time as bottling and leave the bottles out of the fridge for about a week before refrigerating. I have tried a few different flavors and techniques to flavoring so here they are…

1. Ginger
   Ginger flavored kombucha is hands down my favorite flavor. I am seriously obsessed with this flavor and always have at least one bottle from every batch flavored with fresh ginger. I would recommend slicing fresh ginger into thicker slices and popping them in the bottle – I have tried grating as well but I think slicing is better because you don’t end up with bits of ginger in your mouth every time you take a sip. The amount you put in is up to you – I use quite a bit because I LOVE the ginger flavor, but you could do a little less if you prefer.
   
2. Orange and Cinnamon
   This was another winner! It had quite a subtle flavor and was super refreshing. The only negative was I used powdered cinnamon which clumped together in the kombucha – not so aesthetically appealing – but the taste was amazing none the less. Go with the juice of one orange and a teaspoon of cinnamon.
   
3. Mint and lime
   So delish! This combo is like the closest thing you will get to a 100% healthy mojito. Winning! I used the juice of one lime and a hand full of fresh mint. A tiny downfall is that mint leaves go a bit yucky after a while so I recommend flavoring with the lime first then refrigerate the kombucha, then add the mint leaves as you serve. You can scrunch them up a little bit to let more of the flavor release, otherwise just pop them in whole.
   
4. Pomegranate
   Another tropical winner! You can either use pomegranate juice or the actual fruit – whichever you can get your hands on. I have only used the actual fruit but I have read good things about the juice so don’t stress if you can’t get fresh pomegranate.
   

I am currently mastering the art of carbonation which, let me tell you, has not been as simple as the rest of the kombucha journey has been. The fermenting times and flavors have been perfected but getting the bubbles is proving more of a task…. I think maybe because it’s been so cold in Melbourne lately and being an impatient person makes me not want to wait any longer than I should to get into my booch. But that’s another blog for another time!
 
If you’re still in the early stages of making kombucha or still wondering if you should get in to making, have a look at my easy to follow kombucha recipe here. The story behind this recipe comes from Making Kombucha – Part One and Making Kombucha – Part Two if you want to have a read.
 
Happy kombucha brewing!
 
Georgia x