In December of last year, I learned how to make kombucha, and discovered it was easier than I thought! I have been brewing batches every 2-3 weeks since. And as much as I LOVE kombucha as is, I wanted to learn how to flavor kombucha at home.
Learn about the Health Benefits of Kombucha.
For my first batch of flavoring kombucha at home, I bottled half of my kombucha with strawberries, and the other half with mangoes. I was surprised at how easy it was to make flavored kombucha and wanted to share my step-by-step tutorial with you!
Table of Contents
How to Flavor Kombucha
Step 1: Make a Batch of Kombucha
You’ll need a batch of homemade fermented kombucha to flavor it. If you haven’t made kombucha before, no worries – I have a step-by-step guide so you can learn how to make kombucha. Check it out, and when your kombucha is ready in 7 – 21 days, come back here!
If you have your kombucha fermented and ready to bottle, move on to step 2!
Step 2: Pick your Flavor
There are endless options on how to flavor kombucha! You can make it simple by adding cut up strawberries or mangoes (great for beginners), or you can make a more complex flavor, such as blueberry ginger kombucha. Here are some flavor ideas/combos to try:
Kombucha Flavor Ideas
- Raspberries and ginger
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Green apple and cardamom
- Mixed Berries
- Pineapple and Basil
- Lemon zest and Rosemary
- Blueberry and Ginger
- Strawberry and Basil
- Strawberry and Thyme
- Blueberries and Cinnamon
- Apple Juice and Cinnamon
- Lemon Juice with Fresh Ginger
- Ginger Kombucha Recipe
Here are some general guidelines to follow:
- For fresh, dried, or frozen fruit, dice or puree and add to the bottom of the bottle, using a 10 – 30% fruit and 70 – 90% kombucha ratio.
- For juice, use a 20 – 10% juice and 80 -90% kombucha ratio.
Once you know what recipe you’re using to flavor your kombucha, simply add your flavors to the bottom of a sterile glass container with a lid (I use grolsch bottles, but you can also use these). Fill to the top with your fermented kombucha, making sure to leave a few inches of head space in your bottle. and seal.
Read more on how to bottle kombucha and how to make a scoby hotel.
Step 3: Second Fermentation
Once you have added your flavors to your kombucha, you can either transfer your bottles straight to the refrigerator, or you can do a second fermentation. The second fermentation gives your kombucha a more pronounced fruit flavor and additional carbonation.
To do your second fermentation, place your airtightbottles in a dark place that is room temperature. Allow to sit 2- 4 days.
Step 4: Strain out Solids
After 2 – 4 days, strain out the solids from the bottle, then pour back into the bottles and store in the refrigerator for 1 – 3 months (not that it will last that long!).
A Printable Recipe – How to Make Flavored Kombucha
How to Flavor Kombucha
Ingredients
- Finished Kombucha
- Flavors
- Airtight Bottles
Instructions
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Add flavors to airtight bottles. Fill with finished kombucha, leaving a couple inches of head space.
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Seal and place in a dark, room-temperature space for 2 - 4 days.
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After 2 - 4 days, strain out solids, and re-bottle. Transfer to fridge and consume in 1 - 3 months.
Pin it –>
If you’re not ready to make flavored kombucha yet, but want to later, pin this to your fermentation board by clicking on the image below.
If you have any questions on how to flavor kombucha, leave a comment below!
Quick question…does the homemade flavored Kombucha contain alcohol?
Awesome tips – looking for info on how to flavor!
After adding the fruit for second fermentation, how do you get the solids out of the bottle?
Hi Dan –
I strain the kombucha through a plastic sieve into a clean container, then discard the fruit.
what happens if you bottle it with the solids?
Hi Benjamin, I have never tried leaving the fruit in the kombucha, but I did find this article that can help answer your question: https://brewbuch.com/fruit-in-kombucha-go-bad/
Thanks so much for this guide on how to flavor kombucha! So helpful. Definitely excited to flavor my own the next time I make another batch!
This is so cool! I’ve only recently tried this drink and I totally dig it!!!! I think it’s so awesome that you’ve learned to make this …. are you going to keep it up?
I have to confess Andrea, I’ve never heard of Kombucha before – what the heck is it? It looks and sounds delicious, especially the blueberry and ginger flavour x
You pretty much nailed it girl. I would not mind to try your Kombucha!
I feel so sheltered! Not only have I never had Kombucha, but I had never even heard of it until this post! It sounds really good, especially with the infusion of all those different flavors. I have to take a look at your post on how to make Kombucha!
I have never heard of kombucha before but it looks so tastey I love that it’s a fruity drink you can make at home. It seems like a perfect summer refresher, I’ll definitely be trying this out soon. Thanks for sharing!
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I have no idea what kombucha is. I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never tried it.
What a great idea! I love Kombucha and I recently went somewhere where they had flavored it. It was so good and I was thinking of trying something liek this.
This looks like so yumm and healthy one. I would love to try this for my daughter.
i need to make this like right now, it looks amazing
This is a great tutorial and very thorough. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Another great post! This is why I love blogs, reading them, following them. A month ago I had no idea what kombucha was or even that it existed. Now I know what it is, why it is used, I know where to find the recipe to not only to make the kombucha homemade but to make it flavored as well!