I may earn money or products from the links to products or services in my blog posts - this is at no extra cost to you. I only share products that I already use, love or wish for myself!
Happy New Year *! *! *! It’s 2019 and time to try something New for You!
Have you tried kombucha? Heard of it? Maybe you read about it or saw it in the store and wondered to yourself ” Why on earth would I drink something fermented?” I get that. This is a GREAT article from a favorite online website and cultured food shop. Learn the benefits of cultured foods and not only the benefits but also of preparing your own – because in 2019 you have to try a few new things.
One of my new tries is flavoring kombucha from my own homebrewed batch. In a previous post I shared my recipe for brewing your own along with things like what a SCOBY is and why it’s needed in the kombucha brewing process *plus where to obtain a scoby.
My original scoby has now grown a bigger one so this last time I peeled off the old original scoby and threw it in my compost – once the chickens arrive I can feed it to them as a probiotic rich snack.
Newly formed scoby 
Discarded scoby
There are recipes out there for scoby candy from the same fave website ! And you know I’m gonna try it……I’m telling you there is a whole other world out there beyond Cheezits and Mt. Dew….HA!
Now that I’ve got a good kombucha brewing system down, it was time for flavoring my homebrewed kombucha. I was pretty pumped this brewing time because we were SO busy over the Christmas weeks that I kinda forgot about my brew.
Thus, it brewed for about 10 to 12 days instead of my usual 7 – 8. It all kinda depends on your climate and brewing location. Here in Africa, it’s pretty warm so it doesn’t take long but let me tell you – this was the most bubbly and effervescently kombucha I’ve made yet – woohoo! I love it. When I open my finished bottles they fizz and bubble. just like the store bought kind. Kinda made me proud…
SO now for the kombucha flavoring – GINGER is my number 1 ingredient – my hubby and I really prefer it in every bottle – original is just a bit BOOORRRING! Basically, I looked what I had at home at the time and scrounged up the following:
mangoes – totally in season in Africa right now and growing on a tree right in my yard !
fresh ginger – every time I slice off some of the rind ( bark?) and breathe in that snappy aroma – LOVE IT!
fresh lime – another aromatic sensation – sends me right to daydreaming of beachside drinks with little umbrella’s
fresh lemon OR lemon essential oil
grapefruit essential oil
doTERRA OnGuard essential oil – packs an immune boosting punch >>>>> shop essential oils or learn more from my essential oil page on my website to learn more and SHOP today. ** Each bottle states the essential oil usage listed either as T – topical/ A-Aromatic or I – internal
WHEN to flavor the kombucha ? I believe my how to homebrew post tells you in the recipe, however, you don’t add flavoring until the brew is thoroughly fermented and ready to bottle. I then add a variety of flavorings into each different bottle and label them. Actually sometimes I don’t label and then it’s just a surprise which is kind of exciting.
So I prepared my flavorings by cutting up some pieces of ginger and lime and I don’t have a mango pic but I look for a ripe mango and just mash some up into a teaspoon or so of pulp.
THEN – I pour my brewed kombucha into a glass measuring cup ( you really want to stay away from metal utensils and especially metal bottles as they can give the kombucha a metallic flavor and weaken the the scoby.)
I was having such fun pouring my kombucha because of how fizzy it was this time – love it when things go right ! Check out the fizz……
Then from the measuring cup I could more easily pour into my bottles and plop in my fruit or drops of oils.
After that I put the bottle lids on right and set them back in their dark corner of the cupboard next to the NEW batch of brew and let the bottles sit for at least a day or two – this is called the “2nd ferment” which creates more lovely fizz and infuses the kombucha flavors. THEN – I put them all in the fridge and marvel that I have now made a gallon of flavored kombucha at a fraction of the cost of even 1 bottle at the store. Tea bags, sugar, scoby, fruit pieces and a few drops of essential oils = for pennies!
Fave flavor combos which I am currently enjoying:
Grapefruit/Ginger Mango/Ginger Lemon/Lime
doTERRA OnGuard/ Ginger
And THAT is a great New Year’s resolution on many levels – FAR healthier soda switch, increased vitamins and minerals, improved digestion AND you’ve decreased spending ALL IN ONE! And Happy New Year – NEW YOU! Leave a comment below and let me know your favorite kombucha flavor!! God Bless 2019 !
For Kombucha making tools and other homestead favorites ~ check out our Must Have Market !
Very interesting post! I so want to make home brewed kombucha and wondered about flavoring it.
It’s pretty fun – there could be so many different flavors to try! Thankful to be able to grab a bottle out of the fridge every day and know it’s homemade and cost so little.
that’s great – thanks. Can you use just Essential oils to flavour or does it need some sugar from the fruit to make it fizz?
Hi Emily, great question. The fizz comes from the fermentation that happens with the scoby. The fizz will be there even without flavour. The fizz will be stronger the longer you let it ferment. Essential oils are just one of my favorite ways to add flavour.