Blackberry lavender Kombucha

Now that we've covered the ugly truth of what a SCOBY really looks like and have gone over the basic recipe to ferment your first batch of Kombucha, we can get to the fun part - flavoring and the second ferment!

This first recipe that I'm going to share is the one that most people that are not used to the slightly sour taste of the Kombucha are drawn to. 

Being photographed in studio for a local publication.

My "day job" is as an artist. I have work in many galleries, and a studio, but I also do several outdoor art shows. I continue to do them mainly because of the amazing group of artists that I have grown to know over many years. They are like an extended family of nomadic gypsies. Every show at set up, you can hear squeals, "Miss you's" and "love you's" and lots and lots of hugs.  They are simply some of the best people I've ever met and I consider us so lucky that our children get to experience this environment.

Many of us bring food and/or drinks to share with our fellow artists. I think that many of them have gotten used to my bringing strange flavor combinations or something unexpected. They know that I'm always experimenting in the kitchen the same as I experiment in my studio. Most of them are always up for my balsamic strawberry or mango sriracha ice cream, green smoothies, and local donuts.

But this past year, when I brought Kombucha, many of them were hesitant.
They were hesitant because:
a. They are old hippies and had made kombucha when they were younger and did not do the second fermentation and simply got completely burned out on the sour taste of the, once fermented, straight up tea.
b. They had only tried the store-bought version.
 - or -
c. They knew just enough about it to hear or see what's behind the curtain and could not get past that.  So this was the first time I had to actually convince people to try what I brought. Every one of them loved this flavor combination.  More than 30 people tried Kombucha for the first time last March at an art show and every one of them liked this flavor combination!  Even the ones that had previously had bad experiences with homemade kombucha were completely surprised at how the second ferment made the flavor and the mouth feel so totally different.
So if you've tried Kombucha before and were not impressed, this may be for you! If you already like Kombucha, then this might still be for you - to add variety into your daily drink.

Now let's talk recipes...

Blackberry Lavender Kombucha

 Blackberry Lavender Kombucha

What you will need per quart of Kombucha that has gone through the first ferment:

1 Tbsp organic lavender

At least 1/2 cup blackberries (frozen or fresh)

That's it!

1 tablespoon of lavender buds and approximately 1/2 cup of frozen blackberries to 1 quart of the fermented tea. This is ready to go into the tea that has gone through the first fermentation. (I usually ferment for about a week, but it is to taste. The longer the first ferment, the more nutritious it becomes, but it doesn't do any good if it's so sour that you won't drink it.)

1.  Pour the first fermented tea into a quart mason jar. 

Slightly mash the blackberries and add them. 

2.  Add the lavender. 

A quart of Kombucha once the blackberries and lavender are added. 

Behind it, you can see a new batch starting it's first ferment. 

3.  Put a mason jar lid on tight and give it a good shake to incorporate the lavender. 

4.  Walk away. 

5.  Comeback in two days and strain the tea through a plastic strainer into whatever you are using to bottle. 

6.  Store in the fridge. It is now ready to drink

Now you can see the tea after the second ferment. It has been strained, labeled, and bottled to go a the fridge. I always date my drinks with the date of the end of the second ferment. 

Notice how the lavender is in a perfect circle; that is from the lavender floating back to the top and a new SCOBY started to form during the 2 day second ferment.  

The blackberries look more like raspberries after so much of their juice/flavor/blackberriness (I'm known for making up names.) and the lavender buds are now light brown. The tea has pulled all the good stuff out of the flavoring ingredients and now you can drink the yumminess that is the Blackberry Lavender Kombucha. I recommend this as a sipping drink because you get to enjoy more of the hint of lavender at the end.