The second fermentation is when you flavor your kombucha. This is where you can get creative and try new things, especially if you RV full-time. We’ve loved going to farmers markets to pick up local fruits to use in the kombucha like Huckleberries.

Simple Guide to Flavoring Your Kombucha

Once you’ve finished the first fermentation and removed your scoby from the tea mixture, which is now your kombucha, you’re going to add your flavors. This can be fruit juices, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, fresh or dried spices, lavender, and so on. The more sugary the flavoring, the more carbonation you’ll get.

Step 1: Choose your bottling method. You can flavor you kombucha two different ways:

1. Add your flavors right into the gallon jar (my preferred method) OR
2. Bottle you kombucha and add the flavors to the individual bottles.

Step 2: Add your flavors.
Step 3: Put an air tight lid on the jar and store in a warm, dark place for 1-3 days. Carbonation can/will build up in the jar, which can cause it to explode – especially when changing climates. Keep an eye on it, and “burp” the lid, if needed.
Step 4: After 1-3 days, strain the fruit/spices, if preferred
Step 5: If you flavored your kombucha in the gallon jar, transfer the kombucha into individual bottles.
Step 6: Move your delicious kombucha to the refrigerator. Once cool, it’s ready to be enjoyed.
Final step: Drink up those delicious probiotics and get started on your next batch.

Montana Huckleberries

We are spending this month traveling through Montana in the RV. This is a gorgeous state! One thing we noticed quickly is this state is obsessed with their huckleberries. And for good reason, they’re delicious.

A few weeks ago, we finally tried fresh Montana huckleberries. The best way to describe the taste is to take the best things about a blueberry and the best things about a pomegranate and combine them into a perfect little berry. Juicy with a little sweetness and a little tartness.

After eating our fair share of fresh huckleberries, I decided to save the rest for my next batch of kombucha.

Huckleberry Kombucha Recipe

Ingredients 

1 cup of fresh Huckleberries
1 batch of “first fermentation” kombucha

Step 1: Take you cup of fresh huckleberries and toss the in the blender. You want to give it a few pulses, scrapping the sides occasionally, until you have a mix of juice and berries.
Step 2: Put the blended huckleberries into your kombucha and give it a quick stir with your wooden spoon.
Step 3: Follow the directions above for the second fermentation.

What does Huckleberry Kombucha taste like?

Huckleberry kombucha tastes like little sips of Montana summer. But really, it’s great – it has a little tartness, which we like, and still retains that huckleberry flavor. The fruit doesn’t have a lot of sugar, so it isn’t very carbonated. You can always add a tablespoon of sugar to the second fermentation if you’d like more carbonation.

I have another batch going through the first fermentation right now, so I have a few days to come up with a Flathead Cherry kombucha recipe. Stay tuned!

What’s your favorite kombucha flavor?