Plum Wine-ish Kombucha

Today, I am sharing two recipes using plums in the second fermentation of kombucha.

The first is the most basic with only adding plums to the second fermentation bottles.

The second is a little more complex and layered in flavor. It is a plum, lime, and ginger kombucha 

If you would want to know everything to start brewing kombucha, visit my Kombucha page by clicking the tab at the top.

If you would like to read about how to do the first fermentation, please click here.

And now to the plum kombucha recipes!

Teeny-tiny Bit of Alcohol Plum Wine-ish Kombucha

   - or for those not so particular about it - 

Plum Wine Kombucha

All kombucha naturally contains a small amount of alcohol as a by-product of the yeast consuming the sugar.  It is usually less than 1%.  The longer the ferment, the more sugar converted, so it will have a slightly higher alcohol content, but probably still less than 1%.  

For this Plum Wine Kombucha, we want to ferment one day less than whatever your sweet spot is for the first ferment.  My sweet spot is 5 - 8 days.  5 right now, in the heat of the summer.  So for this batch, I will only ferment for 4 days.  This leaves us with a sweeter tea to start the second ferment with actually less alcohol than normal (which is minimal).

It does not end up tasting just like plum wine, but it does have the most wine-like feel in the beginning.  It is fuller and sweeter with the plum taste.  However, it does finish with that destinctive kombucha sourness at the end.  It is similar to, but more sophisticated than, the Grape Ape Kombucha.  This might be considered the grown-up version of the Grape Ape.  The kids and my husband prefer the Grape Ape.  While I like both, I really enjoyed this Plum version.  It pairs very well aged chedder cheese, nuts, and dried cherries and cranberries.

What'cha need:

Kombucha tea that has gone through the first ferment, decreased by one day

8 very ripe plums per 1/2 gallon of tea

How to do it:

• Rinse your plums thoroughly in hot water, then vinegar.
• Cut once, all the way around the plum, then twist the two sides to separate it.  Remove the pit.  Slice into six or eight pieces.
• Place all the cut plum pieces into an empty half gallon mason jar and muddle them (take a wooden spoon or a muddler, if your fancy like that, and smash the heck out of them).
• Fill jar with kombucha tea and screw on mason jar lid.
• Let sit for two days out of direct sunlight.
• Strain and bottle.
• Store in the fridge until ready to drink.

It's that easy!

Plums after two days of the second fermentation.

Plum, Ginger, and Lime Kombucha

This one is starts with the lime, then the fullness of the plum flavor and mouth feel, and finishes with the ginger spice.  The plum flavor is delicate and easy to overpower, so be careful of how much lime and ginger you add, else you will lose the plum.

What'cha Need:

Kombucha tea that has gone through the first ferment

8 very ripe plums per 1/2 gallon of tea

2 inches of ginger

1/3 of a lime, juiced

How to do it:

• Rinse your plums thoroughly in hot water, then vinegar.
• Cut once, all the way around the plum, then twist the two sides to separate it.  Remove the pit.  Slice into six or eight pieces.
• Place all the cut plum pieces into an empty half gallon mason jar and muddle them (take a wooden spoon or a muddler, if your fancy like that, and smash the heck out of them).
• Rough chop or grate the 2 inches of ginger and add it to the jar.
• Add the juice of 1/3 lime to jar.
• Fill jar with kombucha tea and screw on mason jar lid.
• Let sit for two days out of direct sunlight.
• Strain and bottle.
• Store in the fridge until ready to drink.

Let me know which one you like better!
Did you discover any more wonderful pairings?