Lavender Kombucha Recipe

Short answer

Add about 1/4 teaspoon of dried culinary lavender and 2 or 3 mashed blackberries to each 500 ml bottle of plain kombucha. Seal the bottle, leave it at room temperature for three to ten days, and burp it daily. Lavender is strong, so start small. A soapy taste is the most common mistake.

What lavender adds (and the soapy-taste trap)

Lavender gives a floral, slightly sweet aroma. It is potent, so a little goes a long way. Too much tastes like soap. That is the main thing to avoid, so measure carefully and taste after a day or two.

Choose food-grade culinary lavender

Use lavender sold for cooking or tea. Check the label for no added perfume or chemicals. Do not use lavender from a craft shop or garden, unless you are certain it has not been sprayed.

Recipe (per 500 ml bottle)

About 1/4 teaspoon of dried culinary lavender buds
2 or 3 blackberries, mashed, or about 1 teaspoon of honey or sugar
Plain first-ferment kombucha, about 500 ml
A pressure-rated swing-top bottle and a funnel

The mashed berries add sugar, so they give the fizz. Blueberries work too.

How to make it

Mash the blackberries into a rough paste in the bottom of a clean bottle.
Add the lavender buds.
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, out of direct sun, for three to ten days. Warm rooms are faster.
Burp the bottle once a day over a sink. Taste a small amount after two days.
Chill it when the fizz and the lavender both suit you. Strain out the buds and berry pieces before serving.

Getting fizz

The berries supply most of the sugar. If the drink is still flat after a few days, add a teaspoon of honey or sugar in the next batch, or use a few more berries. For a full checklist, see why your kombucha is not fizzy.

Troubleshooting

Soapy or bitter: you used too much lavender. Strain it out, and use less next time.
Pale: add more berries, or a splash of berry puree.
Cloudy: the berry pulp is the cause. Chill the bottle well and pour slowly.

Pairings

Lemon: a squeeze of lemon brightens the floral flavour. See the lemon lime bitters kombucha recipe.
Berries: blueberry is a good partner. See the blueberry kombucha recipe.
Elderflower: a second floral option, with a fresh lemon note. See the elderflower kombucha recipe.

For the full second-ferment method, see how to flavour kombucha.

More on flavoring

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