Orange-fennel kombucha combines sweet, citrusy orange with spicy ginger and fennel seeds. This combination contains ingredients that soothe your gut and help boost your immune system. Try this recipe as your next second fermentation.
Orange-fennel kombucha is easy to make using either fresh or dried ingredients. If there’s a specific ingredient you aren’t fond of or don’t have on hand, there are many variations— try one or more of the ideas listed below.
Table of Contents
Orange-Fennel Kombucha
Total Time: 3 days
Yield: 16 Servings 1x
Description
Combine these unassuming flavors during the second fermentation. The sweet citrus of the orange and the spiciness of the ginger and fennel work harmoniously to create a delicious and effervescent drink.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 gallon of unflavored black tea kombucha
- 4 tablespoons fennel seed
- 3 tablespoons candied ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried orange peel
Instructions
- Pour the kombucha into a sterile glass jar.
- Add fennel seed, ginger, and orange peel.
- Cover the jar with a lid and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Strain the kombucha.
- Pour the kombucha into glass bottles, leaving 1-inch headspace.
- Cap the bottles and let them sit at room temperature for 48 hours.
- Taste the kombucha. If you enjoy the flavor, refrigerate all the bottles to stop fermentation. If you’d like it to ferment more, let the bottles sit for another day or two until they taste to your liking.
- Strain the finished kombucha before serving to remove yeast strands and small particles (optional).
Notes
Substitute 3 tbsp orange zest or 1/2 cup orange juice for the dried orange peel. Alternatively, puree an orange and use it instead of the orange peel.
Instead of candied ginger, use a diced 1-inch piece of fresh ginger and 2 tbsp of sugar.
Try blood oranges instead of regular oranges for a unique color and taste. Use the same amount of blood orange juice or zest as listed above.
Substitute ginger kombucha for the unflavored kombucha above for a more intense ginger flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Fermenting Time: 72 hours
What Does Orange-Fennel Kombucha Taste Like?
Orange-fennel kombucha tastes like spiced orange soda.
The orange brings a citrusy kick to the slight licorice flavor of the fennel. The ginger adds warmth and spiciness. It’s fizzy and refreshing, and the combo of ingredients creates deep, layered flavors.
The earthiness of black tea kombucha rounds out this fermented tea.
What Is Fennel?
Fennel is a Mediterranean vegetable used in culinary dishes for centuries.
It’s bulbous and layered like an onion. You can eat all parts of fresh fennel—the bulb, the stalks, and the fronds. It has a mild licorice or anise flavor and can be enjoyed cooked or raw.
Fennel seeds come from fennel that has stayed in the ground and been allowed to flower. When the flowers die, they are harvested and dried for seeds.
Health Benefits of Orange-Fennel Kombucha
Kombucha tea has natural probiotics, antioxidants, and enzymes that support healthy digestion.
Kombucha also has B Vitamins, which help improve your mood. Combining homemade kombucha with fennel, ginger, and orange is a great way to nourish your body.
Fennel seeds stimulate digestive juices and help reduce inflammation in the body. They also help ease bad breath!
Fennel can also:
- decrease gas and bloating.
- help relieve constipation.
- help improve brain function.
Oranges are a great source of Vitamin C—each variety has 100% of the recommended daily value. Vitamin C helps lower stress hormones and blood pressure.
Oranges also:
- boost your immune system.
- help slow vision loss like macular degeneration.
- help you absorb iron, reducing the risk of anemia.
Ginger is another spice with many health benefits.
Ginger:
- helps fight germs.
- helps with oral hygiene by reducing bacteria in your mouth.
- helps lower cholesterol levels.
- is anti-inflammatory and can help relieve arthritis pain.
- soothes nausea.
Should You Make This Recipe With Young, Sweet Kombucha or Older, Sour Kombucha?
Choose young, sweet kombucha for this recipe. Let your sweet tea ferment for 8-10 days, then taste it.
When it’s to your liking, use it to create this orange fennel kombucha. Old, sour kombucha can be used for a tart flavor, but it is also great for starting new kombucha tea or helping preserve SCOBYs in a SCOBY hotel.
6 Variations of This Recipe to Try
This kombucha recipe lends itself to many variations.
Try one of the following:
- Caraway or anise seed instead of fennel seed. Caraway has a slightly nutty flavor. Anise seeds have a bold licorice flavor.
- Cardamom pods instead of fennel seed. Cardamom has a spicy, citrusy taste that works well with oranges.
- Apple instead of orange. For a more mellow flavor, substitute diced apple for the orange.
- Cranberries with orange. Add a handful of fresh cranberries to bring tartness.
- Fennel, Orange, and lavender kombucha. Bring soothing, calming flavors to your homemade kombucha.
- Hibiscus and fennel seeds. Hibiscus brings a cranberry-like tartness that compliments fennel seeds.
The beauty of brewing homemade kombucha is that endless flavor combinations exist. You can create recipes tailored to your taste buds with some experimenting.