Mint kombucha is a tasty combination of sweet, bright, and tangy flavors. It makes you feel rejuvenated while nourishing your body. If you make kombucha at home, add this recipe to your rotation.
Mint kombucha couldn’t be easier. Add fresh mint leaves to your second fermentation bottles and pour your homemade kombucha over the top. This is the perfect new recipe for your next batch of kombucha.
Since mint isn’t one of my favorite flavors, I only used ten leaves and left them whole. The end result was a slight mint flavor that complimented the tart kombucha well. If you want a stronger mint flavor, use double the amount of leaves and chop them finely.
Mint Kombucha
Total Time: 3 days
Yield: 16 Servings 1x
Description
This second fermentation recipe comes together quickly and easily and still packs a punch of flavor. If you don’t have mint, try this recipe with your favorite herb- rosemary, basil, marjoram, etc.
Instructions
- Pour your kombucha through a strainer before filling your bottles to remove any yeast strands or SCOBY debris (optional).
- Chop the mint to release more flavor (optional).
- Evenly divide the mint among your flip-top bottles.
- Pour the kombucha into each bottle, leaving a 1-inch headspace to encourage carbonation. Cap each bottle.
- Leave the bottles at room temperature for 3-5 days.
- Taste one bottle. If you like the taste, refrigerate your mint kombucha to stop the fermentation. If you’d like it to be a bit stronger, let it sit for one more day before moving it to the refrigerator.
- When you’re ready to drink it, strain the leaves out, pour it into a serving glass, and garnish it with optional mint leaves and lemon slices.
Notes
Instead of black tea, use oolong, white, or green tea kombucha.
Optional: add a drizzle of honey or a 1/2 tsp of cane sugar to each bottle before adding the kombucha. This helps mellow the brightness of the mint and produces a sweeter final product.
To store extra mint, snip off the bottom of the stems and place it in a jar of water. Cover the mint sprigs with a plastic bag and put them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Fermenting Time: 72 hours
Table of Contents
What Does Mint Kombucha Taste Like?
Mint kombucha is slightly sweet, delicate, and refreshing. Fresh mint brings a sharp, soothing taste to your sweet kombucha tea. Fizzy mint kombucha makes a great addition to mocktails or smoothies. It’s the perfect cool treat on a hot day.
Health Benefits of Mint Kombucha
Kombucha is an excellent source of probiotics and contains acids that aid digestion. The diverse bacteria in kombucha help strengthen your gut microbiome. A more varied microbiome helps boost your immune system and overall health. Fermented foods like kombucha are an excellent way to introduce healthy bacteria into your gut.
The mint family includes both peppermint and spearmint. Mint is known for hiding bad breath and relieving stomach aches. Mint is also:
- A good source of Vitamin A, which helps support eye health.
- A good source of antioxidants, which help protect your cells from damage.
- A natural way to ease the symptoms of IBS.
Mint also aids digestion, improves brain function, and can help relieve cold symptoms.
How Many Calories Are in Mint Kombucha?
The number of calories in mint kombucha depends on how it’s made. Generally, you can expect approximately 30 calories per 8 ounces of homemade black tea mint kombucha. Store-bought mint kombucha ranges from 30-90 calories per 8 oz.
If you homebrew your mint kombucha, the number of calories is determined by the following:
- When you stop your first fermentation, stopping it earlier means more sugar (and calories) remain.
- The amount of sugar you add for the first fermentation.
- If you add sugar for the second fermentation.
How Much Caffeine Is in Mint Kombucha?
The average 8 oz serving of mint kombucha has 10-15 mg of caffeine. The exact caffeine content of your homemade kombucha depends on the following:
- The type of tea you make your kombucha with—green tea has slightly less caffeine than black tea.
- How strong your brew is—steeping your base tea longer makes your kombucha higher in caffeine.
- How hot your water is—hot water releases more caffeine from the tea leaves.
Can You Brew Kombucha With Mint Tea?
No, you can’t brew kombucha with mint tea. Mint tea doesn’t provide enough nutrients to your kombucha SCOBY. Herbal teas, like mint, may also contain natural oils which stop the SCOBY from absorbing the oxygen it needs to ferment your kombucha. Mint tea may also inhibit the growth of good bacteria, which can ruin your SCOBY.
Green and black tea are the best types of tea to brew kombucha. You can also make kombucha with white tea or oolong tea. These teas provide enough caffeine, theanine, and nitrogen to feed the SCOBY and ferment properly. Look for organic tea that doesn’t contain any pesticides.
Should You Make This Recipe with Young, Sweet Kombucha or Older, Sour Kombucha?
Make this recipe with young, sweet kombucha. Stop the first fermentation while your kombucha tea is still sweet, so it has plenty of sugar for the second fermentation. Mint is spicy and tart and needs sugar to yield a pleasant taste after infusing it into your kombucha.
Older, sour kombucha ferments better with sweet fruit that contains lots of natural sugar. You can also use older kombucha as a starter liquid for your next batch of homebrewed kombucha.