Watermelon Kombucha

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This fruity Watermelon Kombucha is sweet and sour. Made with puréed watermelon and homemade kombucha, it is a refreshing drink for summer.

Watermelon Kombucha in glass with straw.

This Watermelon Kombucha has a sweet fruity flavor. It tastes like a watermelon jolly rancher.

It is one of the easiest kombucha recipes I've made because it's made with puréed watermelon.

If your watermelon isn't as sweet as you'd like, you can add maple syrup to add some extra sweetness. It's the perfect kombucha flavor for summer.

Some other kombucha recipes for summer are Kombucha with Blueberries, Lemon Lime Kombucha, and Plum Kombucha.

Serve it with a Vegan BBQ Sandwich and some Vegan Coleslaw.

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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
👩🏻‍🍳 FAQs
Other Kombucha Recipes
🧂 You May Need
📋 Recipe
💬 Comments

Two Types of Fermentation

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

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

The secondary fermentation involves taking the batch of 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 brew it 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

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

Homemade kombucha: You'll need freshly made green tea kombucha that has not been refrigerated yet.
Watermelon: I used fresh watermelon that I puréed in a high speed blender.
Maple syrup (optional): Adds sweetness. If your watermelon isn't very sweet, adding some sweetener is a good option. You could also use agave syrup or simple syrup.

🥣 Supplies

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

🔪 Instructions

First you'll need some freshly made homemade kombucha, some bottles with flip top lids, and a funnel.

Purée watermelon in a high speed blender. Pour ½ cup watermelon juice, 2 tablespoons maple syrup (if using) into each bottle.

Pour your homemade kombucha into the bottles, leaving 1-2 inches of headspace. Let sit 3-5 days.

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 Watermelon Kombucha recipe I let it ferment 3 days because I made it during the warmer months of the year.

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 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 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! They are the best bottles for holding carbonation. 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.

👩🏻‍🍳 FAQs

What is in watermelon kombucha?

This watermelon kombucha recipe has puréed watermelon, freshly made homemade kombucha, and optional maple syrup if your watermelon isn't as sweet as you'd like.

What fruit is good in kombucha?

Many different kinds of fruit work well in kombucha. Banana, kiwi, lemon, raspberry, and pineapple are some of the most popular.