Lavender is best known for its color and fragrance, but did you know that lavender is also an exceptionally healthy ingredient for food? Lavender is a versatile flower that can be used for culinary purposes and flavoring beverages like Kombucha. In this lavender Kombucha recipe, we make a Kombucha drink that offers a unique blend of tart and floral flavor with aromatic and calming quality in every sip.
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Health Benefits
Lavender
Lavender is a well-known flower that is packed with health benefits. It is known to have calming properties and has proven positive effects in helping people with insomnia or other sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression. Consuming lavender as a tea may also help in hair loss and treat alopecia areata, which is a disease that causes hair loss. Lavender may also help soothe away a headache or migraine. Furthermore, it has bacteria-killing abilities that have been associated with several skin benefits like acne treatment and healing burns and wounds. It can help ease symptoms of various skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and more as well.
How To Make Lavender Kombucha
Lavender Kombucha is not just delicious but also easy to make. The ingredients are also very simple and easy to find. In this lavender Kombucha recipe, we make use of food-grade dried lavender flowers and Kombucha which has finished its first fermentation. Kombucha is a healthy fermented beverage that mainly undergoes two fermentation processes namely first fermentation (F1) and second fermentation (F2). During the first fermentation, the sweet tea is converted to Kombucha by the Kombucha culture or SCOBY. After completing the first fermentation, Kombucha undergoes second fermentation for flavoring and carbonation. If it’s your first time doing a second fermentation at home, you may check our complete guide here for reference.
Lavender Kombucha Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Homebrewing kit This is for 1st fermentation
- 1 Heating mat This is for 1st fermentation
- 1 Boochsleeve This is for 1st fermentation
- 1 Bottlebrush kit To clean your bottles
- 6 Bottles (16 oz.) or 2 Growlers (½ gallon)
- 1 Funnel For the 2nd fermentation process
- 1 Mesh strain colander For the 2nd fermentation process
- 1 PBW cleaner To clean your bottles
Ingredients
- 1 gal Kombucha
- 6 tbsp Culinary or food-grade dried lavender flowers ($3 per oz.)
Instructions
- Clean your bottlesDilute the PBW cleaner as instructed on the product label. Scrubyour bottles with your bottlebrush kit and diluted cleaner. Make sure to rinseand dry your bottles thoroughly before adding any ingredients.
- Add the dried lavender flowers to the bottlesAdd one portion or 1 tbsp. of the dried lavender flowers to eachbottle.Make sure to only use food-grade lavender. Though most lavenders are technically safe to eat, not all of them are made for cooking. Always use lavender that is cultivated for culinary purposes. Using lavender that is not food-grade may affect the taste of the Kombucha.
- Fill the bottles with Kombucha liquid Place the sieve on the mouth of the fermentation bottle and pour the Kombucha liquid slowly into it. You may strain the Kombucha liquid before bottling using a mesh strain colander or a smaller sieve to remove excess yeast. When bottling, remember to leave about ½ to 1 inch of headspace in your bottles to achieve good carbonation. Give your Kombucha bottle a slight shake to mix the lavender flowers and Kombucha liquid. Set aside the remaining kombucha liquid and use it as a starter tea on your next ferments.
- Ferment Cap your bottles tightly, ensuring no carbon dioxide can escape the bottle. This ensures that the Kombucha will have good carbonation. After sealing, keep your bottled Kombuchas in a fermentation station that has room temperature between 60℉ to 85℉ and allow them to ferment for 3 to 14 days depending on the carbonation and your preferred taste. If you are brewing at a relatively cold place, you may use a heating mat to keep the area warm enough for fermentation.
- Store your finished Kombucha in the refrigerator Taste your bottled Kombuchas after three days of fermentation. If your bottled Kombuchas already taste good for you, move and keep them in the refrigerator. The cold temperature in the refrigerator inhibits the fermentation process of the Kombucha and helps preserve your desired Kombuchaflavor. If you want a stronger Kombucha savor, you can ferment your bottled kombucha longer.
- Serve and enjoy Bottled lavender Kombucha has floating residue from yeast and dried flowers. These residues are safe to eat however if they make you uncomfortable, feel free to strain them before serving.
How to level up the taste
Lavender Kombucha offers a uniquely refreshing taste already, but if you want it to have more complex hints of flavor, here are some things you can do to elevate its taste.
The first thing you can do is add sweet mashed berries to balance the tart and floral taste of lavender Kombucha. You can mash berries like blueberry and strawberry and add them to your lavender Kombucha before the second fermentation. Simply add 2 to 3 tbsp. of your mashed berry after adding the dried lavender flowers to the bottle. Next, pour in the Kombucha liquid and give the bottle a slight shake to mix the ingredients. Finally, cap your bottles and allow fermentation for 3 to 14 days.
You may also add sugar to your lavender Kombucha to boost yeast activity and give Kombucha a stronger taste. Simply add ¼ to 1 tsp. of sugar per bottle before undergoing second fermentation. If you like sweeter Kombucha, you may serve this drink with honey or maple syrup too. Adding sweeteners can make lavender Kombucha taste more appealing, especially for beginners.
Featured Product
Organic Brew Dr. Kombucha LOVE features lavender, chamomile, and jasmine green tea. It has a refreshingly bright flavor that is perfect to jumpstart your day. It is guaranteed USDA Organic and gluten-free and contains live and active cultures that are good for the gut.
Health-Ade Plus Chill gives you a delectable blend of lavender, vanilla, and passionflower. It is tangy, with fruity and subtle floral notes perfect for relaxing after a long day. It has living probiotics, detoxifying acids, and natural antioxidants that can benefit the body in various ways.
GT’s Synergy Raw Kombucha Lavender Love features a blend of lavender and elderberry flavors. It also made use of organic kiwi juice to feed the yeast. It has no sugar added and is filled with live probiotics naturally developed through fermentation. It is 100% raw and 100% real kombucha.
