How to Make Kombucha Taste Better
So, you decided to try kombucha because you’re intrigued by the health benefits. You grab a bottle of GT’s Gingerade or, my favorite, GT’s Guava Goddess, and you decide it’s not half bad. It’s a little pricey, though, right?
You think to yourself, “I can make this at home for WAY cheaper!” and you’re right. Just check out my homemade kombucha tutorial.
Two weeks later it’s time to sample your homemade brew. You take a big swig and . . . YUCK! It tastes like dirty socks!
Ugh! Now what? You’ve spent all this time and effort to make your own kombucha and save money. You don’t want to waste it, but you can’t drink something that tastes like . . . that.
Your predicament is common. Those lovely store-bought flavored kombuchas don’t prepare us for the taste of straight, homemade kombucha. It’s an acquired taste, for sure.
I have a simple solution to ease your way into drinking your beautiful, inexpensive homemade kombucha that doesn’t include doing a second ferment with fresh fruit.
You can do that advanced technique eventually, but for kombucha making beginners I’ve got a quick and easy solution for making homemade kombucha taste better right away.
Kombucha and Juice For the Win!
You’ve heard of gin and juice? My drink of choice is kombucha and juice. Less alcohol, more wellness benefits.
When I first started making homemade kombucha I wasn’t a fan of the flavor. Eventually I acquired a taste for plain kombucha, but until I did I added organic juices to each serving.
While my kids now have no problem downing plain kombucha, at first they found it to be shockingly sour. Drinking kombucha mixed with juice helped us to ease into the plain stuff slowly.
There are different ways to flavor kombucha: adding whole fruit, fruit purees, herbs, spices, etc. But, the fastest way is to mix plain kombucha and fruit juice.
My favorite flavored kombucha to make at home is Mango-Apricot. Specifically this Mango Apricot juice. There is something about the sweetness of Mango juice that really cuts the sour flavor of the kombucha. If you’re a beginning kombucha drinker, I recommend starting with mango or mango-apricot juice over other juice flavors.
The amount of juice and kombucha you use will depend on your tastes. If you are a new kombucha drinker and the sour taste still makes you shudder, add more juice. If you enjoy the tangy flavor of plain kombucha, but are looking for something different, add a splash of juice.
Cheers!