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Blueberry Hibiscus Kombucha

Blueberry Hibiscus Kombucha

This recipe makes an eye-catching kombucha with a refreshing burst of fruity tartness.

There’s a saying among chefs, “We eat with our eyes first,” implying that presentation affects the taste of our food. This idea applies to both food and beverages. Making kombucha “pretty” allows you to enjoy your kombucha before you even taste it. This recipe teaches you an easy way to use hibiscus to achieve a stunning magenta kombucha. One of my favorite ways to enjoy kombucha, which tips a hat to this idea, is to create a little “mocktail.” It’s a healthy way to treat yourself while you’re preparing dinner or as you wind down your night with a book. This can be as simple as choosing your favorite glass, adding ice, and pouring kombucha over it. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll garnish with some citrus, fresh herbs, or a salted rim.

When using dried hibiscus, the best way to extract the flavor is by making a concentrated tea. The high concentration allows the kombucha to dilute the tea instead of water to get a richer flavor. Aim to use half the amount of water as a regular cup of tea. Typically, you would use 1 tsp of hibiscus per 8 fl oz of water, so cut that down to 4 fl oz, or half of a cup. Heat the water gently up to a boil and then remove from heat because with only 4 fl oz, you don’t want to lose any more liquid than the flowers will absorb. Allow the hibiscus to steep for a minimum of ten minutes, then strain.

I love keeping blueberries in the freezer, so I always have something on hand to flavor kombucha. I’ll grab a handful (if you like to measure ¼ cup) of blueberries and throw them in the blender with enough kombucha from my jar to create a puree. This step to puree isn’t essential. If you prefer to, you can add the blueberries whole, right into the bottle. I enjoy pureeing to get the extra fiber, and then I don’t have to worry about straining it when I go to drink it.

A Beginner's Guide on How to Make Blueberry Hibiscus Kombucha

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Primary vs Secondary Fermentation

It’s important to note that brewing homemade kombucha is almost always a two-step fermentation process. Brewing kombucha is only a one-step process for those who prefer an unflavored flat kombucha. Otherwise, the steps consist of a primary fermentation and secondary fermentation.

  1. Primary Fermentation: The primary fermentation is the first step of the kombucha brewing process. This is where your SCOBY transforms regular sweet tea into the tart and slightly sweet kombucha we love. At the end of this stage, you will have finished kombucha, but it will be flat and unflavored. Have you skipped this step? Then check out our guide on making kombucha at home or our guide on making jun kombucha at home. Traditional kombucha is going to yield a bolder brew, while jun kombucha is milder and a bit more tart.
  2. Secondary Fermentation: The secondary fermentation is the step where you bottle, carbonate, and flavor your kombucha by the addition of sugar and flavors. This step is essentially adding a bit of sugar/flavor to each airtight bottle and letting it ferment a little longer, allowing the yeast to carbonate the beverage in an airtight environment naturally. How exactly does this happen? See our post on kombucha secondary fermentation here.

Since this recipe is for the secondary fermentation, to make this recipe, you’ll need to have kombucha that has finished the primary fermentation and ready to bottle.

Ingredients

  • Kombucha: You need kombucha that has completed primary fermentation and is ready to bottle and flavor.
  • Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. You’ll want about 1/4 cup per 16 fl oz bottle of kombucha.
  • Dried Hibiscus Flowers: Hibiscus imparts a magenta color and packs a tart punch. A great addition to your primary or secondary fermentation for natural fruit-punch flavor.

Secondary Fermentation Preparation

This recipe makes one 16-fluid-ounce bottle. A 1-gallon batch of kombucha will make seven 16-ounce bottles, so for one gallon, you will need to multiply the ingredients by 7. Before beginning this recipe, you will need to:

  1. Reserve 12 – 16 fluid ounces of kombucha and a pellicle from a batch of kombucha that has finished primary fermentation. It’s best to pour from the top of the brew jar as the bottom will have a much higher yeast concentration. Use this as the starter for your next gallon batch of kombucha. If you need to make kombucha to get caught up to this step, you will need to see our post on how to make kombucha
  2. With your kombucha starter tea and SCOBY placed aside, enough kombucha will be left over in the jar to make seven 16 oz bottles when pulled from a gallon batch. Flip-top or swing bottles are the gold standard and are considered the best bottles for kombucha secondary fermentation. However, any bottle with a lid designed to hold pressure will work. It’s important to note the difference between airtight and pressure-rated lids. Airtight lids alone are not good enough for secondary fermentation; in addition to being airtight, the lids must also be capable of holding pressure. Airtight lids are designed to keep ambient air from entering and exiting; however, they are not designed to hold pressure. Inadequate lids will allow carbonation to leak during secondary fermentation, thus preventing your kombucha from ever carbonating. 

Blueberry Hibiscus Kombucha Recipe

Course: Kombucha, Kombucha Recipes, Blueberry, Hibiscus TeaCuisine: KombuchaDifficulty: EasyCuisine: KombuchaDifficulty: Easy
16 FL Oz Bottles
Prep time

20

minutes
Second Fermentation

2-10 Days

This blueberry hibiscus kombucha recipe is for one 16 fluid ounce bottle. For a gallon batch, make seven bottles. To scale this recipe to a gallon batch, multiply the ingredients by seven or toggle the serving size up to seven above. Before bottling your kombucha, remove the SCOBY pellicle along with 12-16 ounces of kombucha starter tea from your brew, and reserve for your next batch.

Ingredients & Supplies

Directions

  • Brew a concentrated hibiscus tea: Bring 4 fl oz of water just to a boil* (see notes). Remove from heat, add hibiscus flowers and let steep until completely cool.

  • Place blueberries in a blender with 1/2 cup of kombucha, puree until smooth.

  • Using a funnel, pour the blueberry puree and hibiscus tea into an empty bottle.

  • Fill each bottle with kombucha, leaving about 1 to 2 inches of head-space. Tightly place the caps on each bottle.

  • Keep bottles at room temperature for 2-10 days; it will carbonate faster at higher temperatures and slower when cold.

  • Burp the bottles as necessary to release excess pressure. This is done by removing the cap to allow built-up pressure to escape then placing the cap back on.

  • Chill in the refrigerator once you’re happy with the carbonation levels. Based on preference, you can serve as is or strain before drinking.

Tips

  • First-time brewers may find it helpful to substitute a glass bottle for a plastic bottle of equal size. Fill the plastic bottle as directed above, leaving 1-2 inches of empty headspace at the top. This plastic bottle will now be used as a pressure gauge. Once this bottle becomes rock solid, you will know the remaining are ready. This method can help prevent bottle bombs.
  • * You’ll need a small pot to boil 4 oz of water. If you don’t have a small enough pot, you can heat water in a the microwave or feel free to double or triple this recipe (great in sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon).
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