Lemon Lime Kombucha

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Made with lemon and lime juices and sweetened with maple syrup, this Lemon Lime Kombucha is a great alternative to soda.

Lemon Lime Kombucha in a glass. with a lemon and a lime in the background.

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This fizzy Lemon Lime Kombucha is sweet and tart. Made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, lime juice, and maple syrup, it is light and refreshing.

Making your own kombucha is a no-brainer if love kombucha and drink it regularly. It's so much cheaper than making your own kombucha vs. buying it.

Another lime recipe to try is my Strawberry Limeade recipe. It is easy to make and doesn't have any refined sugar.

Other kombucha recipes to try are my Blueberry Ginger Kombucha recipe, Dragon Fruit Kombucha recipe, Pineapple Kombucha recipe, and Lemon Cayenne Pepper Kombucha 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's light, refreshing, and fizzy.
You get to control the ingredients.
It's cheaper than store-bought.

Two Types of 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.

For the second fermentation, you remove the scoby and take that kombucha you made in the first fermentation, and add flavor. You let it ferment for another 3-5 days in sealed bottles. The result is a fizzy-flavored drink.

You can ferment the flavored kombucha for 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 kombucha: You'll need freshly made homemade kombucha that has not been refrigerated yet. You could also use green tea kombucha like I did with my Lemon Lime Green Tea Kombucha.
Lemon juice: Adds a tart flavor. I recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice. Store-bought lemon juice has additives.
Lime juice: Also adds a tart flavor. I recommend freshly squeezed lime juice. Store-bought lime juice 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 2 tablespoons lemon juice into each 25 ounce bottle.

Lime juice being poured into a funnel into a bottle.

Step 2: Pour 2 tablespoons lime juice into each 25 ounce bottle.

Maple syrup being poured into a funnel over a bottle.

Step 3: Pour ¼ cup maple syrup into each bottle.

Kombucha being poured into a funnel over a bottle.

Step 4: Pour your freshly fermented homemade kombucha into the bottles, leaving 1-2" head space. Let sit 3-5 days.

Step 5: Pop open the lids at least once a day. Pressure builds, and this allows it to escape.

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

Shake the bottle before pouring a glassful.
You can substitute the maple syrup, agave syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, or another sweetener.
Refrigerate after the kombucha is done fermenting.