Short answer
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely grated fresh ginger to each 500 ml bottle of plain kombucha. Seal the bottle and leave it at room temperature, out of direct sun, for two to three days. Burp it daily, then chill it well before opening. Ginger adds flavour and a little fizz. For stronger carbonation, add a little fruit or a small pinch of sugar.
What you need (per 500 ml bottle)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely grated fresh ginger, or 3 or 4 thin coins
- About 500 ml of plain first-ferment kombucha
- A pressure-rated swing-top (flip-top) bottle
- Optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice
- Optional: a small pinch of sugar, for more fizz
How to make ginger kombucha
- Peel the ginger and grate it finely. Thin coins work too, but grated ginger gives more flavour.
- Put the ginger into a clean bottle. Add the lemon or lime juice if you are using it.
- Pour in the kombucha through a funnel, leaving about 2.5 cm (1 inch) of headspace.
- Seal the bottle and leave it at room temperature for two to three days. Warm weather is faster, so check after 24 hours.
- Burp the bottle once a day. Open it slowly over a sink, then close it again.
- When it is as fizzy as you like, chill it for at least 12 hours before opening. Strain through a fine sieve if you prefer no bits.
Fresh ginger or ground?
Fresh grated ginger has more bite and a brighter flavour, and it suits the second ferment well. Ground ginger is milder and tastes flatter. If you only have ground, start with about half a teaspoon per bottle and taste.
Ginger with other flavours
- Lemon or lime: brightens the ginger and makes the drink more refreshing.
- Apple or pear: adds sweetness, and the Pink Lady apple and basil kombucha uses a similar idea.
- Pineapple: the tropical sweetness suits ginger well. See the pineapple kombucha recipe.
- Turmeric: an earthy partner. See the turmeric kombucha recipe.
Troubleshooting
- Too spicy: use less ginger next time. For a batch that is already too hot, strain it and top up with a little plain kombucha.
- Too fizzy: chill the bottle sooner, burp more often and leave out the sugar.
- Flat: check the seal, warm the room a little and add a splash of fruit juice. For a full checklist, see why your kombucha is not fizzy.
- Stringy or gritty: grated ginger leaves fibres. Strain through a fine sieve before serving.
Ginger is often promoted for health. For what the evidence does and does not show, see the health benefits of ginger kombucha. For the full second-ferment method, see how to flavour kombucha.