Kombucha brewers often ask me: “What’s your favorite booch flavor?” Raspberry Ginger Kombucha is a special, slightly sweet, and always reliable recipe. And oh my- the results are faithfully fizzy, and refreshing.
Just perfect. Tastes like a million bucks, and costs pennies.
This simple recipe can be made in a pinch if you regularly keep frozen raspberries and fresh ginger on hand. Fresh ginger has many health benefits and can help increase immunity and aid digestion. Fresh ginger root can be found in most grocery stores, and substituted with powdered ginger or even candied and crystallized ginger!
Raspberry – fresh or frozen and thawed (1 ½ tbsp)
Ginger – fresh, powdered, or crystallized (small chunk, about ½ tbsp.)
Add a squirt of lemon juice, lime juice, honey if you want to explore :)
Gemini Season is May 21-June 21. This playful air sign is all about communication, perfect for a juicy, fuzzy sweet peach. Gemini is a constellation in the northern sky, one of the zodiac constellations. It is located between Taurus and Cancer. The constellation is dominated by Castor andPollux, twins conceived by different fathers to originate two bright stars that appear relatively close together, forming an o shape.
✨If you have the space and funds, take advantage of bulk deals and dehydrate extra peaches for a peachy winter escape. They also provide a rich-tasting finish to this gourmet kombucha recipe.
Maple syrup is a decadent addition to homemade kombucha. Wisconsin is known for its dairy, cheese, and beer, but quality maple syrup is another delicious product that the state is known for. Made from the sap of sugar maple trees, Wisconsinites have plenty of local options. Many producers ship, if you don’t live around local maple syrup ????
Peach – fresh, frozen and thawed, or dehydrated (1+ tbsp)
Maple Syrup (1 squirt)
Chamomile – dried flower petals (2 tsp)
???? More about chamomile Chamomile is a popular garden flower known for its daisy-like appearance and calming properties. It is a self-seeding annual, meaning it will reseed itself year after year, so you may find chamomile popping up in your garden every year.
Around this time of year, volunteer chamomiles start popping up in my garden and overwintered pots.
Dried chamomile flowers are a favorite for my homegrown nighttime tea blends. They also provide a rich-tasting finish to this gourmet kombucha recipe. If chamomile grows in your garden, you can harvest the flowers when they are fully open.
To dry the flowers, spread them out in an airy basket, on a screen, or a piece of paper in a well-ventilated area. The flowers should be dry within a few days. Once the flowers are dry, you can store them in an airtight container for up to a year. With a bit of care, you can enjoy chamomile flowers in your garden year after year.
There’s nothing like a succulent, fresh pear. Pears have a sweet, gritty taste and when fully ripe, this juicy fruit makes a tasty homemade kombucha.
Pears, like apples, contain pectin, a fiber that nourishes gut bacteria. So using pears in flavors make for super-gut-healthy-booch too! As a kid, I loved juicy pear jellybeans. To best recreate this flavor for kombucha, I chose a healthier route, as illustrated below. Enjoy my Juicy Pear Kombucha!
Clove – one dried clove stem, or ⅛ tsp dried clove
Lemon juice – ¼ tsp
Ginger – fresh, powdered, or crystallized (small chunk, about ½ tbsp.)
Best Pear Practices for Kombucha Eating pears can help us feel full longer. One pear contains about 6 grams of fiber; just over 20% of our daily value.
Make sure any fresh pears you use to flavor kombucha are VERY ripe. Like, I’m talking dripping with juices… when you cut it, it nearly falls apart juicy. Dry, unripe pears just don’t work well; they don’t have enough oomph to give kombucha the magical touch ????
We know April showers bring May flowers – let’s utilize springtime edible flowers like pansies and violets to make a truly special kombucha! When grown and harvested without fertilizers, these flowers are edible and fun to implement in kombucha.
Add these homegrown petals to this special recipe; they lend a deep, sweet flavor. A small chunk of crystallized ginger is the hidden star of this very special kombucha. Utilize frozen fruits like strawberries and cherries in this homemade kombucha to round out the flavor as you make room for the incoming harvest ahead ????
Violets and/or pansies – dried (1 flower)
Crystallized ginger – 1 chunk, about the size of the tip of your pinky finger
Strawberry – fresh, or frozen and thawed (1 tbsp)
Cherry – fresh, or frozen and thawed (1 tbsp)
Dried, culinary rose petals (1 tbsp – optional)
More on Violets and Pansies
Pansies and violets are said to be natural protectors of a garden. I like to plant some pots around my garden’s perimeter to keep negative spirits away. I habitually place pots of violets and pansies in cool patches. The pots help me ensure they aren’t affected by fertilizers, and flowers pop up annually in a vast array of blues and purples.
When the blossoms are full, pop off the heads at the base with your thumb.
Place flowers in a colander and rinse off thoroughly.
Arrange flowers in a single layer on a dry paper towel and place them in an undisturbed area, allowing the petals to dry fully.
As a note, violet and pansy roots are not edible!
Violets and pansies leaves can be used raw – add them to salads and charcuterie boards! I prefer to add dried leaves to kombucha and hot tea ????
Taurus Season is April 20-May 20, and this Earth sign loves Mother Nature. My own sun sign, of course, I’m going to share the grounded and earthy flavor of The Star Bull Kombucha. Enjoy the unique flavor of this recipe from my heart on behalf of the most reliable and loyal signs. Uncorking and sipping outdoors, barefoot, is preferred????
It might be a little different than other kombuchas ❤
Raspberry is a star of The Star Bull Kombucha, with complements of other essential Earth flavors like wheatgrass, juniper berries, fresh ginger, and lemongrass. Matcha tea powder gives an energy and down-to-earth caffeine kick! I usually purchase these ingredients at Wisconsin co-ops like Basics in Janesville and the Viroqua Food co-op. With each sip, your tastebuds will be taken on the journey of Zeus’ creation of the Taurus constellation ????
Wheatgrass – fresh stalks, juice, or powdered (½ tbsp.)
Juniper berry – dried and crushed to release the magic (one or two berries)
Matcha tea – dried powder (1 tsp.)
Ginger – fresh, powdered, or crystallized (small chunk, about ½ tbsp.)
Raspberry – 1 tbsp., frozen and thawed
Lemongrass – optional – dried or fresh
More on Taurus
According to Greek mythology, Zeus disguised himself as a beautiful white bull to seduce Europa. While she was petting him, he whisked her off to the island of Crete and romantically and sexually ravished her (*), producing three sons, one being Minos. Minos became a King and Zeus was happy enough with the results. Therefore, he produced the Taurus constellation in the night sky! ????????
*In rose-colored glasses, this was consensual for Europa.
Would you like to look for the Taurus constellation in the night sky? I use Orion’s Belt as a guide and then seek out the bright red star Aldebaran, which represents the Bull’s fiery eye.
This recipe calls for fresh wheatgrass, which can be purchased at any natural food store, as mentioned above. Just give the grass a fresh rinse, and cut it with clean scissors.
Wheatgrass is also a rewarding and easy grass to grow indoors any time of year. Sprinkle seeds in a well-draining shallow pot with potting soil, and you will have wheatgrass for two+ cuttings (mine usually go through three before I start over). Seeing fresh grass growing indoors is a treat any time of year.
Make your own protein-packed smoothies at home by blending the fresh wheatgrass cuttings, yogurt, spinach or kale, and your favorite frozen fruit. So healthier, quicker, and wayyyy cheaper to make at home ????
Are you ready to try something fun and maybe a little experimental? Are you ready to catch some relaxing vibes from your kombucha in a unique fashion?
Enjoy the juiciness of blackberries as they take over a flavor, with earthy and experimental additions of juniper and palo santo in this unique kombucha.
Visit your favorite metaphysical store and purchase Palo Santo wood, which can traditionally be found by incense. Before you burn the wood, take a carrot peeler to gather a few tiny slivers into a jar. Trust me -you’ll notice the woody taste, which leaves a nice mellow if you are open to it ????
Juniper berries will give kombucha a gin-like taste, so just two will do. Top off this flavor with a slice of Palo Santo Wood, and you’ll be off in a flavor wonderland.
Blackberry – Thawed, frozen (1-2 tbsp)
Juniper Berry – Two dried berries, crushed to release magic (2 berries)
Palo Santo Wood – One sliver (optional – can substitute fresh or dried mint)
More about Palo Santo Wood
People have burned Palo Santo for ages to rid a space of negative energy. When purchasing this special wood, respect the people, traditions, and the Earth by ensuring it is ethically sourced and sustainable. You can also make tea with Palo Santo wood. Again, this lends a strong calming effect. ☽ enjoy when you have no responsibilities ☾
An Arnold Palmer is a personal favorite, a reliably refreshing mixture of lemonade and iced tea. The drink is coined after legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, who was the first person to earn $1 million playing golf.
Arnold Booch Palmer Kombucha tees up an equally refreshing kombucha. Bring a bottle on the greens and uncork anytime – who’s going to stop you?
Remember, a little bit of lemon juice goes a long way in kombucha. Too much, and the brew gets sour. The natural strawberry syrup created from thawed frozen fruit gives the magic touch to add a more robust, sweet flavor to your kombucha.
Lemon – juice (1 tsp)
Fresh ginger – a dime to penny-sized slice (1 tbsp)
Honey – local honey, squirt (1 tsp)
Strawberry – juice of frozen, thawed strawberries (1 tsp)
Black Tea – one bag
Place the entire tea bag into the bottle during the flavoring process.
Remove the tea bag when ready to drink, post-fridge.
Aries Season is March 21-April 19. A sign ruled by Fire, we recall in Greek mythology, Aries was the winged ram with golden wool who rescued two children from death. Aries’ wool becomes the sacrificial “Golden Fleece.”
Aries Golden Fleece Kombucha is a tasty combination led by pineapple, and brewers can use pineapple juice, fresh pineapple, frozen and thawed pineapple, or even dehydrated pineapple.
The Golden Fleece is a symbol of strength, courage, and victory. It is also a symbol of the power of love. With this recipe, I give a wink to my soulmate Eric, the brave Aries in my life ????❤
Pineapple – Fresh, frozen, dehydrated, or juice (2 tbsp)
Sage – 3 leaves dried or fresh, crushed between your fingers
Lemon juice – One squirt (about ½ tsp)
Use up Leftovers AND REDUCE WASTE
Freeze unused fruit parts for frugal and fast flavoring!
For example, in this recipe, the pineapple core you’d normally throw out or compost can be cut up into matchsticks and frozen in a freezer-safe container.
Check out my illustration below:
Running short on time when your brewing cycle is up? Just pop some of these frozen, thawed pineapple core matchsticks in your booch bottle instead of fresh pineapple. They provide the same added flavor to your kombucha flavor process and save you time and money!
Jupiter’s Kiss is my kombucha flavor blend of orange, rosemary, and rosehip Much like oranges, rosehips are rich in Vitamin C And, rosehip’s belly-like fruits are said to belong to Jupiter. Did you know Jupiter has between 80 and 95 moons?
For Jupiter’s Kiss, and any kombucha flavor involving rosehips, I crush the dried bellies with a spoon to expose the sweet, floral fruit to the kombucha flavor.
Oranges are readily available any time of year. When combined with the earthly taste of rosemary, a dash of local maple syrup, and a squirt of local maple syrup, a robust kombucha results!
Fresh ginger – a dime to penny-sized slice (1 tbsp)
Maple Syrup – (1 squirt)
???? Rosehips can also be used as a charm to attract health and ward against nightmares. Keep this in mind during the flavoring process of your special kombucha.
Make an immunity-boosting kombucha, and your future self will thank you! I am a big proponent of the regular consumption of elderberry syrup to improve immunity. Elderberries are full of vitamin C and are a good source of antioxidants. You can even make one kombucha bottle of this during your regular flavor process.
Simply throw a few dried berries into your kombucha bottle during the flavoring process. Be sure to add a little sweet support from ginger and honey to aid in the fermentation process. Personalize this with a clove, candied ginger (as shown in the photo), anise, lemon juice …let your imagination run wild!
Elderberry – dried berries (6)
Fresh ginger – a dime to penny-sized slice (1 tbsp)
Local honey (1 squirt)
You may want to skim this one before drinking – the elderberries aren’t the tastiest to eat ????
Interested in learning more about elderberries? Make sure you’ve looked at my DIY elderberry syrup recipe.
Just like kombucha: When you make elderberry syrup at home, you can really customize it to your tastes. For example, sometimes, I omit the cinnamon and add rosehips, lavender, dried lemon balm, or lemon verbena from my garden ????
Much like oranges, rosehips are rich in Vitamin C 
And, rosehip’s belly-like fruits are said to belong to Jupiter. Did you know Jupiter has 