Lemon Green Tea Kombucha

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Move over lemonade, this bubbly Lemon Green Tea Kombucha is the perfect drink to quench your thirst. It is light and refreshing.

Lemon Green Tea Kombucha in mason jar with a bottle of kombucha and lemons in the background.

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This Lemon Green Tea Kombucha is one of my go-to drinks for cooling off. It's perfect for after a workout or a day at the beach.

Lemon goes well with green tea kombucha because of its mild flavor. Maple syrup balances out the tart flavors of the lemon.

Making your own kombucha is a no-brainer. You can control how sweet it is and it is much cheaper than store-bought.

You may want to try it alongside Lemon Kombucha made with black tea to see which you like better. Another recipe with lemon juice is my Lemon Cheesecake Overnight Oats recipe.

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❤️ Why You'll Love It
Two Types of Fermentation
What Makes Kombucha Fizzy?
🧾 Ingredients
🥣 Supplies
🔪 Instructions
Should I Burp My Second Ferment Kombucha?
How Long Does It Take To Get Fizzy Kombucha?
💭 Tips
👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs
Other Kombucha Recipes
📋 Recipe
💬 Comments

❤️ Why You'll Love It

It is light and refreshing.
It's cheaper than store-bought kombucha and you can customize it to your liking.
Made with green tea in the first fermentation, it is milder than kombucha made with black tea.

Two Types of Fermentation

To make homemade kombucha, you start with the first fermentation.

The first fermentation of kombucha is when you combine sweetened tea, a kombucha scoby, and some starter tea. You let it ferment for 7-21 days and the result is uncarbonated unflavored kombucha.

The second fermentation involves taking that kombucha you made in the first fermentation and adding flavor. You let it ferment for another 3-5 days in sealed bottles. The result is a fizzy-flavored drink.

You can ferment even longer, if needed, letting the kombucha ferment up to 14 days. It all depends on the amount of sugar content in the flavor you're adding, and the temperature of the room.

Warmer temperatures will cause faster fermentation, and higher sugar content will also speed up fermentation.

What Makes Kombucha Fizzy?

The second fermentation is when kombucha gets fizzy. By putting it into a sealed container at room temperature and adding a sugar source (fruit and/or sweetener), carbon dioxide builds.

🧾 Ingredients

Homemade green tea kombucha: You'll need freshly made kombucha that has not been refrigerated yet. You could also try it with homemade yerba mate kombucha.
Lemon juice: I used freshly squeezed lemon juice. I do not recommend store-bought lemon juice because it has additives.
Maple syrup: Adds sweetness. You could also use agave syrup or simple syrup.

To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

🥣 Supplies

Funnel
4 (25 ounce) bottles with flip top lids
Measuring cup

🔪 Instructions

Lemon juice being poured into a funnel into a bottle.

Step 1: Pour ¼ cup lemon juice into each bottle.

Maple syrup being poured into a funnel over a bottle.

Step 2: Pour ¼ cup maple syrup into each bottle.

Green tea kombucha being poured into a funnel into a bottle.

Step 3: Pour your green tea kombucha into the bottles, leaving 1-2" head space. Let sit 3-5 days.

Step 4: Pop open the lids at least once a day. Pressure builds, and this allows it to escape. Taste each day to test its flavor and fizziness.

For this Lemon Green Tea Kombucha recipe I let it ferment 5 days.

Should I Burp My Second Ferment Kombucha?

Yes! If you don't you could have a mess. By adding sugar to the homemade kombucha and fermenting it a second time in bottles with swing-top lids, you're creating an environment for carbonation. If you don't allow it to escape, you'll have kombucha all over your kitchen.

How Long Does It Take To Get Fizzy Kombucha?

It can take anywhere from 1-14 days. It depends on a few things.

It depends on how much sugar you have in the kombucha. (Sugar in the form of fruit and/or sweetener.) The more sugar, the faster you'll get carbonation.
It also depends on the weather. Warmer temperature = faster carbonation. I've had bubbly kombucha after a day in summer months and bubbly kombucha after a week in colder months.

💭 Tips

Use bottles with swing-top lids! Mason jars and store-bought kombucha bottles that have the seal broken won't hold carbonation.
You can substitute the maple syrup with agave syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, or another sweetener.
Refrigerate after the kombucha is done fermenting.