How to Make the Best Ginger Kombucha plus 5 More Ginger Kombucha Recipes (and 5 Bonus Recipes!) (2024)

How to Make the Best Ginger Kombucha plus 5 More Ginger Kombucha Recipes (and 5 Bonus Recipes!) (1)Ginger Kombucha is the #1 best selling Kombucha flavor worldwide. And it’s no wonder, as they pair perfectly. The warm, spicy taste lends Ginger Kombucha a tangy bite, like “ginger ale” with a kick.

Done right, the best Ginger Kombucha recipes beat any store bought sugary soda, which is why nearly every brand on the shelf sells their own version of Ginger Kombucha.

Ginger Kombucha Benefits

There’s a reason humans have been growing and consuming Ginger for over 5000 years! Ginger has been shown to improve digestion (great for an upset stomach), reduce inflammation and contains antioxidants; all that good stuff also stimulates the yeast in Kombucha and bumps up the bubbles.

Ginger has also demonstrated anti-cancer properties and may help with cardiovascular health, so it’s a powerhouse!

FUN FACT: The most popular beverage in the US before Prohibition was Ginger Beer.

What Type of Ginger To Use for Kombucha Flavoring

Ginger comes in so many different formats: fresh, dried, candied, syrup, and powder to name a few. So which will be the best for flavoring Kombucha? Cut and dried is our favorite type of Ginger as it’s the most versatile and storage friendly, but you might choose another depending on what you have handy or how much “fire” you want in your flavor.

The smaller the pieces, the faster and more deeply the flavor will infuse, which is why ginger juice (THRIVE, AMZ)is the most potent. While sometimes strong ginger flavor is a good thing, it can overwhelm other components and become bitter or harsh on the throat. Start with a small amount and scale up.

Candied ginger (THRIVE, AMZ)and ginger syrup will add more sugar to the final product. That can be good as it will create more carbonation, due to the sugar reactivating the yeast, but too much could lead to bottle bombs. Start with only a little candied ginger or syrup. If you are concerned about too much carbonation, open bottles in the sink with a ziplock bag over the top to prevent Jackson Pollack-ing your ceiling with ginger pieces!

Powdered ginger ends up clumping in the liquid and has to be remixed into the beverage, and it leaves quite a bit of sediment that may need to be strained out, making for a goopy mess. For this reason, we generally avoid powder.

Dried Ginger for the Win!

How to Make the Best Ginger Kombucha plus 5 More Ginger Kombucha Recipes (and 5 Bonus Recipes!) (2)As stated above, our favorite is dried ginger because it’s always ready to use and provides the most consistent flavor of any option. It’s also the easiest to measure and handle, making less mess, and will store for literally years if cared for, whereas fresh ginger gets tough and old quickly. Plus the dehydrated pieces soak up Kombucha which infuses the flavor more quickly than fresh pieces.

The Best Ginger Kombucha Recipes

The basic Ginger Kombucha recipe below can be blended with any other flavors that inspire you. We’ve provided our 5 favorite variations.

For these recipes we have provided both 16oz bottle (½ liter) and 1 Gallon (4 liter) measurements for each flavoring agent. The amounts of each flavor do not scale exactly as you will not need 8x as much flavor to create the same taste in a gallon of Kombucha.

Keep in mind that these are jumping off points. Increase or decrease the amounts to reach your preferred flavor.

Leave a comment with your #faveflav combination below!

General Flavoring Instructions For Each Recipe:

  • Add flavor(s) to the bottle.
  • Top with Kombucha.
  • Seal with tight fitting cap.
  • Store at room temperature (68-76F) for 2-3 days.
  • Enjoy!

CLICK HERE to learn How To Flavor Kombucha

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Ginger Kombucha Recipe

Organic Ginger Pieces Available in Single Flavoring OR Bulk Sizes to Save $$!!

16oz bottle

  • ½ tsp fresh ordried ginger, grated or chopped

1 Gallon

  • 1 Tbsp fresh ordried ginger, grated or chopped

Now that we have our basic ginger recipe down, let’s play with adding some different elements.

Need Organic Ginger for Flavoring? CLICK HERE

Ginger Turmeric Kombucha

Ginger and turmeric are both rhizomes. We like using powdered turmeric as it provides more of a citrus note. Fresh turmeric has more of an earthy flavor. Either will work.

BONUS OPTION:Lemon adds a deeper citrus note that pushes the Turmeric towards an orange flavor.

16oz bottle

  • ½ tsp fresh or dried ginger, grated or chopped
  • ¼ tspturmeric powderor ½ tsp fresh turmeric root
  • Optional: ½ tsp lemon juice(THRIVE,AMZ)

1 Gallon

  • 1 Tbsp fresh or dried ginger, grated or chopped
  • ½ Tbspturmeric powderor 1 Tbsp fresh turmeric root
  • Optional: 1 Tbsp lemon juice

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Apple Ginger Kombucha

Apples are delicious in Kombucha as they enhance the naturally apple-y taste of a black tea Kombucha. Using apple pieces produces a subtle flavor, so go for the juice if you really want to taste it. When paired with ginger, it’s like enjoying a healthy apple ginger pie in a glass!

BONUS OPTION:Cinnamon is a natural fit with apple and lends trademark warmth to this flavor.

16oz bottle

  • ½ tsp fresh or dried ginger, chopped
  • ¼ cup diced fresh apple or 2 Tbsp apple juice(THRIVE,AMZ)
  • Optional: ½ tspcinnamon chipsor ¼ tsp cinnamon powder(THRIVE,AMZ)

1 Gallon

  • 1 Tbsp fresh or dried ginger, chopped
  • 1½ cups diced fresh apple or ¾ cup apple juice
  • Optional: 1 Tbspcinnamon chipsor ½ Tbsp cinnamon powder

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Carrot Ginger Kombucha Recipe

Carrots come in a variety of colors, flavors and are packed with beta carotene (get it, carrot-een!) With carrot, the juice is the best way to infuse the flavor, but chopped pieces will also work if no juice is available. Just be patient as it may take some extra time to infuse fully.

Some carrots are sweeter than others, we like a combination of yellow and orange for the best flavor, though purple carrots give the brew a pretty hue.

BONUS OPTION:Tart lime juice gives the sweetness of the carrot a little grounding.

16oz bottle

  • ½ tsp fresh or dried ginger, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp carrot juice or ¼ cup diced fresh carrot(AMZ)
  • Optional: 1 tsp lime juice

1 Gallon

  • 1 Tbsp fresh or dried ginger, chopped
  • ½ cup carrot juice(AMZ)or 2 cups diced fresh carrot
  • Optional: 2 Tbsp lime juice(AMZ)

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Lemon Ginger Kombucha

How to Make the Best Ginger Kombucha plus 5 More Ginger Kombucha Recipes (and 5 Bonus Recipes!) (4)

At first thought, adding sour lemon juice to already sour-ish Kombucha would just make it a sour train wreck. Oddly the opposite is true! Lemon juice enhances the tasty tang of the booch and adds a sparkly crispness to ginger Kombucha. We love Meyer lemons, which are a cross between a lemon and an orange, for the best sweet & juicy flavor.

BONUS OPTION:A touch of zest captures more lemon and floral notes.

16oz bottle

  • ½ tsp fresh or dried ginger, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • Optional: ¼ tsp lemon zest

1 Gallon

  • 1 Tbsp fresh or dried ginger, chopped
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • Optional: 1 tsp lemon zest

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Blueberry Ginger Kombucha

Blueberries are one of the only blue foods found in nature. The dark color indicates that it is rich inanthocyanins, a vital polyphenol that can help reduce inflammation. Blueberries make up the base flavor of GingerBerry by GT’s Kombucha; make acopycat version of GT’sat home with this recipe. Smash or slice the blueberries to release the flavor or create a puree for a taste blast!

16oz bottle

  • ½ tsp fresh or dried ginger, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp sliced or mashed blueberries(AMZ)or 1 Tbsp blueberry puree
  • Optional: ½ tsphibiscus

1 Gallon

  • 1 Tbsp fresh or dried ginger, chopped
  • ¾ cup sliced or mashed blueberries or ½ cup blueberry puree
  • Optional: 1 Tbsphibiscus

Video: Flavoring Kombucha In The Bottle

In this video, I demonstrate and explain:

  • how to flavor your Kombucha
  • ideas to spark your flavor imagination
  • a secret for increased carbonation
  • safety tips to prevent bottle explosions
  • blending other beverages with your Continuous Brewed Kombucha
  • mixing kombucha into drinks for hangover prevention

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How to Make the Best Ginger Kombucha plus 5 More Ginger Kombucha Recipes (and 5 Bonus Recipes!) (2024)

FAQs

What does ginger do to kombucha? ›

Lactobacillis bacteria and wild yeasts live naturally on ginger. These feed off the sugars in the bottled kombucha and adds carbonation as a by-product. As we want a healthy culture, it is important to use organic ginger so that is hasn't been treated with pesticides or irradiated.

How to make kombucha step by step? ›

How to Make Your First Batch of Kombucha
  1. Brew Tea. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a 4-quart pot. ...
  2. Sweeten It. Remove the tea bags and add 1 cup of organic cane sugar and a half-gallon (8 cups) of cold water. ...
  3. Transfer to a Jar. ...
  4. Add the SCOBY. ...
  5. Cover It. ...
  6. Wait & Watch. ...
  7. Try it! ...
  8. Transfer Your SCOBY.
Apr 28, 2023

What is the ratio of flavoring to kombucha? ›

If flavoring with fresh, frozen, or dried fruit, start with 10-30% fruit and 70-90% Kombucha. If flavoring with juice, start with 10-20% juice and 80-90% Kombucha. Suppose flavoring with herbs, the variety and strength of herbs vary greatly.

How do you make kombucha taste better? ›

Although you shouldn't overheat kombucha (or you'll risk harming the probiotics in the drink), a little gentle warming won't hurt – and it's worth it for the tasty drink you get. Add kombucha to a saucepan with apple or orange slices, whole star anise, a cinnamon stick, and a few whole cloves.

What diseases does kombucha fight? ›

It's also said to boost your immune system, help you lose weight, ward off high blood pressure and heart disease, and prevent cancer. But there's not a lot of evidence to support these claims. Fermented products in general are good for the microbiome and gut health.

Why can't you drink kombucha everyday? ›

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.

What is the best sugar for kombucha? ›

Organic cane sugar is the best option for brewing kombucha. It is easily broken down by the yeast and bacteria with consistent results. When sugar is more complex, it is less available for microbial consumption, introducing extra variables that can affect brewing duration, flavor, and overall success.

What happens if you add more sugar to kombucha? ›

The standard Kombucha recipe is 1 cup of sugar per gallon.

Too much and the yeasts will either a) “flush” and overrun the bacteria, or b) fall completely asleep and do nothing. It may be possible to use as little as ¾ cup or as much as 1.5 cups per gallon and have successful brews.

How much sugar to put in kombucha? ›

What is the recommended ratio of tea, sugar, water, and starter tea for making kombucha? For a 1-gallon batch of kombucha, you'll need 1 cup of sugar, 6-8 bags of tea, and 12 fl oz of starter tea. The rest should be filled up with clean, filtered water.

How long should you ferment kombucha? ›

Kombucha tea fermentation normally ranges from 7 to 60 days and the biological activities may increase during this process; however, the best results have been obtained in an average of 15 days (Chu & Chen, 2006).

Can you let kombucha ferment too long? ›

Now You May Be Asking Yourself Why Over Fermented Kombucha In This Case Tastes Like Nasty Yeasty Beer Instead Of, Say, Vinegar. If you leave kombucha on the counter with the scoby too long, you get something that taste like vinegar and can be used to replace vinegar in recipes.

Why does my homemade kombucha taste like vinegar? ›

Since kombucha is a fermented product, it naturally has a unique, slightly vinegary taste and smell. The tartness only means your kombucha is mature. The stronger the vinegar smell and taste, the longer the kombucha has likely fermented.

Is homemade kombucha stronger than store bought? ›

While we think it's safe to assume that kombucha brewed at home with organic ingredients, love and care will create a more powerful tonic than a commercially produced brew, we have a deep appreciation for some commercially brewed kombucha when we are traveling or on the go.

How does ginger help in fermentation? ›

The basic principle is that ginger skin has a large number of bacteria and yeast that are ready to be activated. Mixing the ingredients together allows the water to be oxygenated, activating the micro-organisms and encouraging their multiplication.

What does ginger do for the gut? ›

Gingerol, a natural component of ginger root, benefits gastrointestinal motility ― the rate at which food exits the stomach and continues along the digestive process. Eating ginger encourages efficient digestion, so food doesn't linger as long in the gut. Nausea relief.

What does ginger do to bacteria? ›

Ginger's antimicrobial properties could make it useful for fighting bacterial and fungal infections. Laboratory studies have found it may be effective against: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which is responsible for a range of diseases. Escherichia coli (E. coli), a cause of intestinal infections.

Does ginger kombucha help with inflammation? ›

Prevent inflammation and disease

The studies included clinical trials and animal models during which ginger showed to have a key impact on disease cure due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic qualities. Feel a cold coming on? Make yourself a ginger tea or grab a ginger kombucha and see how you feel!

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