This post may contain affiliate links. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase. Thank you for supporting Fit Happy Free!
This flavored Blueberry Ginger Kombucha recipe is a tasty way to flavor your own homemade kombucha, a health drink full of nutrients and probiotics!
I have my mom to thank for this recipe. This is a really tasty way she taught me to flavor kombucha. I had a difficult time finding a flavor profile that I enjoyed until my mom shared her recipe with me. Thanks mom! The blueberries and ginger pair well together to make for a yummy fizzy drink that is full of health benefits!
I remember the first time I saw kombucha in the store. It was a bottle of GT’s, and I had no idea what kombucha was, but the words on the label caught my attention. “Reawaken, Rethink, Rebirth, Repurpose,” along with “enzymes+probiotics” just sounded so healthy! I picked up a bottle of Multi-Green and tried it.
I liked it right away, so I did a little more research on what kombucha was.
So what is kombucha?
Kombucha is basically sweet tea that has been fermented with a SCOBY, or a “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.”
I know, it looks kind of weird, but it will eat up most of the sugar and transform the sweet tea into a drink that’s full of nutrients and probiotics, which can boost your immunity and contribute to a healthy gut.
Once I discovered kombucha, I started to drink it more often, and I noticed that whenever I drank a bottle, my digestive system improved. But buying new bottles everyday got expensive. My mom was making her own and she taught me how to make it. I wasn’t too interested in making my own when she first taught me, because I thought it sounded complicated. But it’s actually very simple! The process is similar to making your own milk kefir, it just takes longer to ferment. You simply make a gallon of sweet tea, add the SCOBY and a cup of already made kombucha, cover, and let ferment for 7-12 days (depending on the temperature of your room). That’s it!
Disclosure: This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase. Thank you for supporting Fit Happy Free!
How to Make your own Kombucha
What you need:
1 gallon glass jar
4 family-sized black Tea bags, or 8 regular
1 SCOBY (where to buy, or grow your own – which is what I did)
1 cup of sugar (I use organic cane sugar)
1 cup of already made plain kombucha
Breathable fabric (such as a cheesecloth or coffee filter) and a rubberband
Directions:
1. Bring 2 cups of filtered water to boil and remove from heat.
2. Add a cup of sugar to the pot and stir until dissolved.
3. Add in the tea bags. Let it steep for 15 minutes.
4. Let the tea cool completely to room temperature and transfer to your jar along with 3 quarts of filtered water. I like to speed this process up by adding cold water into the jar. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
5. Add in the cup of kombucha and with clean hands place the SCOBY on top.
6. Cover with your cloth and secure with a rubberband.
7. Place somewhere at room temperature out of direct sunlight (such as a cabinet) and let ferment for 7-12 days. Taste-test after 7 days. Once it is to your desired combination of sweetness and tartness, is is done.
8. Remove the SCOBY and 1 cup of liquid for your next batch.
9. Bottle the kombucha and cover tightly and store in the refrigerator, or let sit for an additional 1-2 days until carbonated,
or follow recipe below for flavoring Blueberry Ginger kombucha.
10. Repeat the process!
It’s not too complicated to make your own nutrient rich, probiotic, immunity boosting beverage!
If you’d like to flavor your kombucha, here is the recipe for my mom’s tasty blueberry ginger kombucha.
How to make Blueberry Ginger Kombucha
- In a saucepan, add 1 cup of blueberries, 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, and 2 tablespoons of sugar and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat a little, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for about 15 minutes, smashing the blueberries, until it has become a thin syrup. - Let it cool completely to room temperature before proceeding to the next step.
- Remove the SCOBY and 1 cup of liquid from your gallon jar of kombucha. Pour the blueberry-ginger syrup into the gallon. Do this slowly as it may foam up a little.
- Stir slowly with a wooden spoon.
- Strain and bottle – this is how my mom recommends to do this with little mess:
Place a strainer over a 4-cup pyrex measuring cup and pour the flavored kombucha into it. You will probably need to do this 4-5 times until you have emptied the gallon. Use a funnel to pour into bottles. I use bottles from store-bought kombucha I used to drink, my mom uses these flip-top bottles. - Leave about 1/2-1 inch of air at the top of the bottles and cover tightly with lid. If you’d like extra fizz, let the bottles sit at room temperature for 1-3 days before storing in the refrigerator. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t explode. This has never happened to me, but it has happened to my mom.
- When ready to drink, remove from the fridge and enjoy! You might want to strain it again prior to drinking to strain out some of the pulp and the newly formed SCOBY.
How to make flavored Blueberry Ginger Kombucha
- 1 gallon kombucha see instructions above
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
-
In a saucepan, add the blueberries, grated ginger, sugar water and bring to a boil.
-
Lower the heat a little, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for about 15 minutes, smashing the blueberries, until it has become a thin syrup.
-
Let it cool completely to room temperature before proceeding to the next step.
-
Remove the SCOBY and 1 cup of liquid from your gallon jar of kombucha. Pour the blueberry-ginger syrup into the gallon. Do this slowly as it may foam up a little. Stir slowly with a wooden spoon.
-
Strain and bottle.
See step 5 above for easiest way to do this. -
Leave about 1/2-1 inch of air at the top of the bottles and cover tightly with lid. If you'd like extra fizz, let the bottles sit at room temperature for 1-3 days before storing in the refrigerator. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't explode.
-
When ready to drink, remove form the fridge, strain out the newly formed SCOBY and enjoy!
I drink a bottle a day and feel so much better when I do. Making my own kombucha has definitely saved me some money! I hope you enjoy!
Like this recipe? You might also like my Peach Mint Kombucha!
Hi Jordan!
Nice to meet you!
Love this blueberry Kombucha recipe!
Praying that God blesses you in a special way today. I feel like He wants you to know that you are loved. Be strong and of good courage my friend!
Thank you for sharing this with my family…we love to try new Kombucha recipes! Thinking we could take some jam we made and convert it to a similar syrup to second ferment with!
Stopping to pray for you now
Kimmie
Mama to 8
One homemade and 7 adopted
Hi Kimmie! Thank you so much for your kind words! I think the jam should work fine, that’s a good idea, as long as it’s sweetened with sugar and not honey. 🙂 God bless you too and I hope you enjoy!
Just made this and it turned out delicious! Thank you!
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe Jordan. Can’t wait to try this at home. I love making Kombucha but I’ve never tried these flavors before. Thanks again for sharing!
I’m making a batch of Kombucha now and when it’s ready I’m using your blueberry recipe to flavor it. Thanks fellow Texan for the recipe 🙂
What do you mean by already made kombucha? Like store bought?:o I wouldn’t be able to make kombucha the first time ever without it being made before?
Hi Christy! An acidic liquid is critical for the health of a SCOBY and for a safe batch. The best liquid to use is from a prior batch of kombucha, or store-bought raw, unflavored kombucha tea (the GT’s original is good), but you can also use white distilled vinegar if you do not have a prior batch made or do not wish to buy a bottle.Hope this helps 🙂
Just made my second batch! Good stuff! Quesion…do you have an idea of how many carbs this Kombucha has after the 2nd fermentation?
Thanks Mike! It’s hard to say and I think it depends mostly on how long you second-ferment, the sugar decreases the longer you ferment. I usually second-ferment for 2-3 days, and when I was logging my calories I would log it as GT’s Strawberry Serenity kombucha, which is 8 carbs for 8 ounces, I thought it’d be fairly similar in nutrition content.
how long do you let fruit in on second ferment
Hi Barbara! I usually let mine second ferment with the blueberries for 2-3 days before transferring to the fridge.
do you use a lid or cloth on jar for second ferment
For the second ferment you use a lid, which helps to give it that extra fizz. I didn’t say that in the instructions, I’ll edit that 🙂
Going to try this, why do you need the sugar? I’ll try without and let you know how it turns out. Thanks again.
Hi Rachel, are you talking about the sugar in the second ferment with the blueberries? The sugar in the blueberries is not necessary, my mom and I like to add it in because it will help give it that extra fizz and a little sweeter flavor since blueberries can be a little tart, and the kombucha is already a bit tart. A lot of it is fermented out during the second ferment (depending on how long you second ferment for) but it does help to add a little sweetness to it, she can get my dad and brother to drink it when she adds it into the blueberry syrup. 🙂
What do you do with the Scoby if you don’t feel like making more right away?
Hi Kim! When I don’t feel like making more right away I will store the SCOBY in a tightly sealed jar along with 1-2 cups of starter liquid (enough to start my next brew) and store in it the fridge. A SCOBY can remain unchanged in the fridge for up to 3 months. My mom freezes hers but I’m not sure how she does it.
Is it necessary to have sugar in the first fermentation? My family doesn’t consume sugar except for natural fruits. GT’s labels show no sugar on some flavors so I’m wondering if its even possible to make it without it or if they just ferment theirs until all the sugar has been dissolved??
Hi Tricia! Yes, it is very necessary to have the sugar in the first fermentation. Without the sugar there would be no fermentation, the sugar is there for the culture to consume. GT’s and some other brands don’t list sugar in their ingredients because most of the sugar has been fermented, and they will only include sugar in the label if it has been added for the second fermentation.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I’ve made a couple of plain batches, but not flavored yet. My question is do you have to strain it?
Thanks,
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy! You certainly don’t have to strain it, sometimes I don’t strain it before I bottle it for the second ferment. This was how my mom taught me, but it’s mostly a preference. I do always strain it before drinking, because if I didn’t strain it before the second ferment there is a lot of pulp, and there is usually a new little SCOBY in the bottle.
Thanks so much for this recipe and post. I wondered why mine weren’t fizzy. Now I understand I need to add sugar to the second ferment. I have some setting in the second ferment without sugar. Can I add the sugar tomorrow when I get home? I set them out with ginger and lemon yesterday.
Sorry for the late reply, Val. I think you can add the sugar the next day and let it second ferment for a couple days to get a little extra fizz. Mine aren’t always super fizzy, but different bottles seem to affect the fizziness, and how much space you leave at the top of the bottles. I try to leave about a half an inch from the top and I get better results.
Fairly new to making Kombucha, this is my 4th batch and trying this Blueberry/ginger flavour! I used frozen, unsprayed blueberries from a local farm, tastes great! Can’t wait to see what it will taste like once carbonated. Thanks
Thanks for your comment, Gisele! I hope you enjoy 🙂
Do I have to use a plastic or silicone strainer or can I use a metal sieve?
The concern with using metal is that kombucha breaks down metals and they could potentially leech toxins into the kombucha and be detrimental to the brew. If it is 100% stainless steel you should be okay, stainless steel will not corrode. I always use plastic because I feel safer using it.
Why do you remove 1 cup of liquid from your gallon jar of kombucha along with the scoby before adding the syrup?
Hi Fred! At this point, we’re flavoring the kombucha and the scoby is no longer needed in the current batch. To make kombucha you need to have a scoby and at least one cup of already-made kombucha, and you want to remove it before adding in the syrup because flavorings should only be added after the first ferment. I remove the scoby and 1 cup of liquid so I can start on my next batch of kombucha.
Thank you and your Mom for sharing your wonderful recipe! Blueberry ginger kombucha is so delicious that I hesitate to try any other flavors. I like to make the blueberry-ginger the day before I plan to bottle and store it in a mason jar in the fridge, so easy! Thanks again.
Love the kombucha!! My first batch that actually turned out! Thank you for the recipe and suggestions! ❤
Great recipe! I’m trying out a few different flavors for my first time on a second ferment. I have also wanted to reuse my gts bottles, but the labels are a beast to remove!! Any tips on how you did that?
Thank you! The GT bottles the labels are pretty hard to get off. The bottles I used for these photos were actually from a brand called Buddha’s Brew, and their labels were a little easier to get off. I just left the labels on my GT bottles because I’d rather have the label on there than the ripped remains that I get when I try to get the label off. My mom used to slump bottles and I think when she needed to get the label off she would let it soak in hot water to make for an easier removal, but I’m not sure.
Turn your hair dryer on the whole label for a bit, the label will come off much easier, then just use a little bit of vegetable oil and then soap to get the rest off.
I use a mash reuseable coffee filter to strain my Kombucha. I also use this for my water kefir.
This looks so good! What are some other good flavor combinations?
Thank you! I have done a peach mint that can be found here. Also, recently I have been making a strawberry mint flavor that I am really liking! After the kombucha is ready to be flavored I put a cup of strawberries in a blender along with half a cup of kombucha and a tablespoon of fresh mint leaves and blend it, then add it to the jar (starting from step 3) to be flavored. Then I let it ferment in the bottles for 4-5 days at room temperature. The blueberry is still me favorite but I have enjoyed this one too!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa! Refrigerated kombucha can last for a very long time as long as it has not been contaminated by any bacteria (so if you have not drank from the bottle with your mouth). It will continue fermenting, but at a much slower rate, so over a long amount of time the taste may start to get more vinegary. The taste can last up to a few months. It won’t go bad if stored properly, but the taste degrades over time. 🙂
In my second fermentation the day after I bottled it a big blob formed at the top of the Kombucha….is it the scobie eating the sugar?
Yep! I usually get a mini scoby formed when I do a second ferment (along with some of the fruit pulp). I will strain it before I drink it.
When doing the counter ferment, do you have to cover with a lid? I don’t have the individual bottles and just wanted to make a big batch. Would it be okay to put it in a gallon jar with a cheesecloth over it on the counter for a couple of days?
I think that should be fine, it may take less time to ferment. When you cover it with an airtight lid you will get more of the fizziness
i brew a 1 gallon plain kombucha, and i would like to try this flavor in 500ml bottle, what is the portion of the sauce ingredients you suggest i should use?
This recipe is for 1 gallon of kombucha. I usually add the flavor into the gallon and stir it and then pour into the individual bottles for second ferment.
do you have to burp the bottle everyday?
Hi Doug, I never burp the bottles.
This is absolutely timely, thank you! I’ve brewed kombucha easily enough but flavoring it has eluded me. I have books with recipes (and, of course, Dr. Google) but there is a lot of assumed knowledge that I don’t possess. For instance, I thought you added the flavor to each bottle. Probably because my only success had been putting a bit of candied ginger in each before bottling. You remove the scoby and put the flavoring in the tea BEFORE bottling? Total aha! moment. Thank you, and your mother for her sage advice!
Thanks for the recipe! I received a free bag of frozen blueberries and wasn’t sure what to do with them, until I realized I could use them to flavor my next batch of ‘booch! I doubled the ginger because I love the stuff but otherwise followed as-is. So excited to see this deep color develop. Cheers!
This is a great resource. Been making Kombucha for years and I still learnt something here.
Recently I’ve been using Ormus in my batches and it adds an incredible layer of energy and zest into the drink. That’s probably the only thing I could add to this guide!
thanks, Jordan!
This was the best directions I have read so far on how to flavour and bottle for the second fermentation. Thank you!!!