Kombucha for Beginners: 12 Kombucha Recipes We Love (2024)

Kombucha is one of the most popular healthy drinks of today’s age, but along with all the hype, you may have noticed its high price tag. Sure, a $4 bottle of kombucha is fine every once in a while, but if you want to make this fermented tea drink part of your regular daily routine, making your own kombucha is the way to go. Kombucha has plenty of benefits from fostering your gut health to boosting your immune system. Ready to try making it yourself? We’ve rounded up 12 kombucha recipes and our best tips for making kombucha!

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented drink known for its detoxifying and energizing properties. Due to its great taste, it has become super popular with health conscious people who are looking for an alternative to processed fizzy drinks. Kombucha is made from either a green or black tea base, white sugar, cold filtered water, and SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). SCOBY is what helps transform sweet tea into the tangy, fizzy kombucha we all know and love. Kombucha is known to be amazing for gut health and has plenty of other health benefits too.

You can buy many different types and brands of kombucha from cafes or shops, but it will have the most benefits if you make it yourself. Many store-bought kombucha drinks are filled with extra sugar and other additives, so you’re not actually getting the good-for-you benefits. When making it yourself, make sure to be cautious and prepare it properly. Contaminated or over-fermented kombucha can lead to serious health problems, but as long as you follow the steps and recipes properly, making your own kombucha is a great way to reap all the health benefits the tasty drink has to offer!

What Are the Benefits of Kombucha?

1. It Can Help Your Gut Health
Just like any other food or drink that’s fermented, kombucha is packed with probiotics, aka, good gut bacteria. A healthy gut is important for so many reasons. It contributes to a strong immune system, heart health, brain health, improved mood, healthy sleep and effective digestion. It wards off issues like diarrhea and IBS and helps our body function properly overall.

2. It Contains Antioxidants
Kombucha contains a good dose of antioxidants, which are beneficial to your health in numerous ways. They fight free radicals, which are reactive molecules that can damage your cells and lead to diseases like cancer. Since kombucha is made with tea, many of the benefits come from the tea itself, and this includes polyphenols.

Polyphenols act as strong antioxidants that decrease inflammation, which is the root source of many diseases and conditions. The fermentation process of kombucha increases the amount of polyphenols in the drink. When kombucha is made with green tea, the antioxidants are especially high, and they have positive effects on your liver.

3. It Kills Bacteria
During the fermentation of kombucha, acetic acid is produced, which is able to kill many harmful microorganisms. With such strong antibacterial properties, kombucha can fight against infection-causing bacteria and Candida yeasts. The organic acids found in kombucha, including acetic acid, glucuronic and D-Saccharic acids also promote detoxification by helping the liver get rid of undesired compounds that it has to process.

4. It Can Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease
Tea (especially of the green variety) protects “bad” LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation, which is thought to cause heart disease. Green tea drinkers have over 30% lower risk of developing heart disease, so if you make your kombucha with green tea, it will likely have the same effects.

5. It Helps You Cut Back on Sugary Drinks
Many people crave fizzy drinks like pop and sugary drinks such as juice, sports drinks and sweetened tea and coffee. When made properly, kombucha doesn’t contain too much sugar and is a great substitute to these sugar-filled drinks. Beverages are the number one source of added sugar and sugar is continuously proven to be worse and worse for your health, so the more you can cut it out, the better, and kombucha is a great alternative!

How to Make Kombucha [4 Tips]

1. Use the Right Type of Tea
As we mentioned above, kombucha is most commonly made with black and green tea. You may think you can substitute these teas with, say, white or yerba maté tea, but there’s a reason black and green tea are used. Black tea is especially ideal for making kombucha, since the SCOBY likes the tannins in the tea. Green tea also works, but there are not as many tannins, so a mix of black (85%) and green (15%) tea could be your best bet! Lower caffeine teas won’t activate the SCOBY on their own, and make sure not to use flavoured teas for the same reason- you can add flavour later!

2. Granulated White Sugar Works Best
Let us preface this by saying that there’s no need to worry about consuming tons of refined sugar when you drink your homemade kombucha. Although white, refined sugar works best for kombucha (it feeds the SCOBY and bumps up the fermentation process), by the time it’s ready to drink, most of the sugar has been eaten up by the SCOBY. Granulated white sugar is most easily digested by yeast and bacteria, so even though it sounds tempting, don’t substitute it with healthier alternatives like honey or maple syrup.

3. Let Your Kombucha Breathe
After you’ve combined the SCOBY, sugar and steeped tea (make sure your tea has cooled to room temperature so it doesn’t shock the SCOBY), place it in a wide mouth glass jar, like a mason jar, and cover it with a cheesecloth. This will keep dirt and bugs out, yet still allow your kombucha to breathe. Without ventilation, your kombucha won’t ferment, and you won’t get all the good-for-you benefits fermentation brings with it.

4. Master the Fermentation Time
You don’t want your kombucha to ferment for too long or too short. Taste your kombucha daily to monitor its progress. If it ferments for too long, you’ll end up with a funky, vinegar-tasting drink, but stop it too soon and you’ve pretty much made a sweet tea. The fermentation process will take anywhere from 7 days to a month, and the perfect tea will be a combination of tart, sweet and a faint taste of tea. Once you’ve got it just right, transfer it to a bottle with a tightly fitting lid for the second fermentation process, which takes 1-2 weeks. This allows for more carbonation to build up, and this is where you can add your flavourings like fresh fruit or herbs like mint.

12 Kombucha Recipes We Love

1. Kombucha Tea | Kitchn
2. Honey Lavender Kombucha | Bon Aippetit
3. Raspberry Lemon Ginger Kombucha | Kimbrough Daniels
4. Blueberry Vanilla Kombucha | The Wild Gut
5. Peach Kombucha | Thank Your Body
6. Strawberry Kombucha | Whole Natural Life
7. Lavender Kombucha | The Roasted Root
8. Hibiscus Kombucha | Wholeheart Nutrition
9. Peach Mint Kombucha | Fit Happy Free
10. Apple Cider Kombucha | The Roasted Root
11. Sunshine Kombucha with Turmeric, Ginger and Honey | The Bold Brewer
12. Pineapple Kombucha | Cooking Light

Ready to get started making your own kombucha at home? Try out these recipes for a healthy, delicious tea drink!

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Kombucha for Beginners: 12 Kombucha Recipes We Love (2024)

FAQs

What is the best flavor of kombucha for beginners? ›

To get started, we recommend selecting a flavor profile you typically enjoy. If you're a fan of tropical fruits, try SYNERGY Mystic Mango or SYNERGY Guava Goddess. For those who prefer more tart beverages, try SYNERGY Gingerade or SYNERGY Trilogy.

How to make kombucha for beginners? ›

The Methodology:
  1. Brew strong, unflavored black tea.
  2. Sweeten with unbleached cane sugar.
  3. Add SCOBY culture and starter liquid.
  4. Securely cover the top with cheesecloth or a dish towel.
  5. Leave to brew at room temperature for approximately one week.
  6. Strain out SCOBY, and store with 1 cup starter liquid for future batches.
Aug 28, 2023

How much kombucha should a beginner drink? ›

It is important to start with drinking small quantities to see how your body reacts to the beverage. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that four ounces of kombucha can be safely consumed one to three times a day. Overconsumption can lead to headache, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, or ketoacidosis.

How long does it take for kombucha to ferment for the first time? ›

To brew kombucha, you have to go through two phases: 1st fermentation and 2nd fermentation. F1 typically takes around 7-12 days, though some people like to go longer. During that time, the sweet tea ferments and is transformed into kombucha by the starter tea and a kombucha culture (a SCOBY).

What happens when you first start drinking kombucha? ›

Some people may experience digestive upset when drinking kombucha, or from drinking too much. Symptoms such as gas, nausea, and vomiting may occur. These side effects may be more likely in people who drink too much kombucha.

Is it OK to use flavored kombucha as a starter? ›

Dead SCOBY = weak kombucha and risk for mold. This is why I don't recommend using flavored teas or letting flavorings come into contact with your SCOBY.

Can I use apple cider vinegar as a kombucha starter? ›

Yes, you absolutely can. But it's a lot of work. You need to rework the vinegar culture. The vinegar culture will ferment “kombucha”, but it won't taste very good for some generations until the bacteria change.

What not to do when making kombucha? ›

Kombucha Brewing Supplies Mistakes
  1. Poor Quality Kombucha SCOBYs. ...
  2. Growing a SCOBY from Commercial. ...
  3. Using Vinegar Instead of Starter Liquid.
  4. Using Weak Starter Liquid.
  5. Using Too Little Starter Liquid. ...
  6. Using Water with Chlorine or other Chemicals. ...
  7. Using Flavored Teas or Tisanes to brew the base tea.

How to make a SCOBY from scratch? ›

Directions
  1. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add sugar; stir until it completely dissolves. ...
  2. Pour kombucha into a 1-gallon jar. Add the room-temperature tea (do not add hot tea, as it will kill the good bacteria). ...
  3. It will probably take 2 to 4 weeks for your SCOBY to form.
Sep 18, 2023

Who should not drink kombucha? ›

People who are pregnant or breastfeeding or who have weakened immune systems should avoid kombucha tea. Others may drink the tea if they like the taste, but only if it comes from a trusted source. Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

What is the best time to drink kombucha? ›

To give your digestive system a kickstart, some health professionals advise drinking kombucha on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. Consuming on an empty stomach means that the living cultures can reach the large intestine more efficiently and better aid with digestion throughout the day.

Does kombucha actually help your gut? ›

The fermentation process, which has been around for thousands of years, helps preserve foods and make them last longer. Kombucha and other fermented foods are full of antioxidants and probiotics, or live bacteria, that boost the health of intestinal cells, improve immune function and aid in food digestion.

How to tell if kombucha is bad? ›

If you see any discoloration or spores, or notice an odd smell (not normal kombucha vinegar-like smell), these are all signs that your kombucha has gone bad and is no longer safe to drink.

What happens if you leave kombucha to ferment too long? ›

When kombucha ferments for longer, it becomes more acidic. This is because the yeast in the SCOBY eat the sugars and tannins in your kombucha, transforming them into ethanol. The bacteria feed on this ethanol, turning it into acidity and giving kombucha its distinctively tart taste.

How long can you keep a SCOBY without feeding it? ›

A SCOBY that has not been fed for a while will use up all available sugar over about eight weeks and then go dormant for a while. Eventually though, the bacteria and yeast will need to eat so the culture will begin to die off and eventually the SCOBY will turn black and rot.

Which Flavour is best in kombucha? ›

In this article, we'll be looking at the top eight kombucha flavours that are easy to make at home: ginger, lemon, pineapple, strawberry, peach, apple, orange and carrot. By trying out these recipes, you'll have the chance to discover exciting new flavours and health benefits.

How do you drink kombucha for the first time? ›

We recommend that, if you have never taken it, you start little by little, with about 100 milliliters a day. Depending on tolerance, increase the dose until you take it a couple or three times a day. It is difficult for drinking kombucha to cause side effects.

What should my kombucha taste like? ›

Kombucha's Taste

Kombucha is fizzy, tart, and just shy of sweet. Depending on the added flavors, it can have more floral, herbal, or fruity notes. Reminiscent of sparkling apple cider, this sparkling, fermented tea has a complex flavor profile that's tangy and wickedly refreshing.

How do you pick the best kombucha? ›

Take a good look at the ingredients list and be sure there are only natural ingredients. Like any beverage out on the market, some brands will add artificial ingredients to enhance the color or flavors in kombucha. Look for kombuchas flavored with natural herbs, spices, and juices.

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