Spiced elderberry kombucha is a fizzy, immune-boosting concoction. It’s a great source of Vitamin C and probiotics. Use this recipe to create a healing tonic at home with your next second fermentation.
Elderberries and ginger complement slightly sweet kombucha to create a Vitamin C powerhouse that is bold and bubbly. Order rose hips and elderberries online if you can’t find them in your local supermarket.
Table of Contents
Spiced Elderberry Kombucha
Total Time: 2 days
Yield: 16 Servings 1x
Description
Perhaps one of our healthiest recipes yet, this kombucha is brimming with antioxidants, vitamins, and flavor. While this drink is especially good to have on hand during cold and flu season, you’ll likely crave it year-round.
Ingredients
Scale
- 15 cups of unflavored black tea kombucha
- 1-inch piece of ginger
- 1/3 cup dried elderberries
- 1/4 cup dried rose hips
Instructions
- Slice or chop the ginger into small pieces.
- Divide the ginger, elderberries, and rose hips evenly among your glass bottles.
- Fill the bottles with black tea kombucha, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Cap the bottles tightly.
- Let the bottles ferment at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Strain the tea (optional).
- Refrigerate to stop the fermentation. Enjoy as desired.
Notes
Add 1 cinnamon chip or 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon to each bottle for a more intense, spiced kombucha.
Add a pinch of organic cane sugar to each bottle to gently sweeten your finished kombucha.
The bold flavors of elderberries and ginger go best with black tea kombucha. However, you can substitute oolong or green tea kombucha if needed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Fermenting Time: 48 hours
What Does Spiced Elderberry Kombucha Taste Like?
Spiced elderberry kombucha tastes fruity and floral from the elderberries. They compliment the spicy flavor of ginger, creating a robust flavor profile you won’t forget. The rose hips add a hint of sweetness and tartness that helps enhance the taste of the black tea kombucha. This fermented tea will warm you and help you on your way to health.
What is Elderberry?
Elderberries are dark purple berries that grow after the flowers of the black elder tree complete their life cycle. This tree grows in Europe, North America, and Northern Africa. As the berries mature, they turn deep purple or black. Elderberries are about 1/8 inch in diameter and grow in 10-inch clusters.
Do not eat raw or unripe elderberries—they contain a harmful toxin and can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Thoroughly cooked or dried berries are safe to consume. It’s easy to confuse elderberries with other wild berries while they are on the vine. They look similar to other varieties of poisonous wild berries.
Both elderberries and elderflowers have been used as medicine in Europe, Egypt, and by the Native Americans. These societies used elderberry to treat colds, the flu, burns, acne, and wrinkles.
Today, elderberries are used to create lozenges, gummies, tea, jam, and jelly. Elderberry syrup is widely available and used to aid recovery from a cold or the flu. Find dried organic elderberries online at Amazon or your local health food store.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consult their doctor before adding elderberry to their diet. Elderberries are a diuretic. If you already take diuretics, check with your doctor before consuming elderberry.
Health Benefits of Spiced Elderberry Kombucha
Kombucha is great for digestion. It’s full of probiotics that help support a healthy gut. Kombucha has Vitamin B, which helps improve your mental health and focus. Homemade kombucha is gluten-free, dairy-free, and doesn’t contain added sweeteners.
Elderberries are full of nutrients. They can help reduce cholesterol and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Elderberries are a good source of:
- Antioxidants that help lower inflammation in your body.
- Fiber, which helps keep you satiated and supports heart health.
- Potassium to support muscle function and healthy blood pressure.
- Vitamin A, which is important for eye health.
- Vitamin C, which helps create a strong immune system and increases iron absorption.
Fresh ginger:
- Can relieve nausea and stomach pains.
- Aids in digestion.
- Boosts your immune system.
Rose hips are another great source of Vitamin C. They help protect your skin by supporting the production of collagen. They can also help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Unlike elderberry, rose hips can be eaten raw, but you must take caution to not eat the hair or seeds inside.
How Much Caffeine Is in Spiced Elderberry Kombucha?
Spiced elderberry kombucha has 10-15 mg of caffeine per 8 oz serving. Since the caffeine levels are so low, most people sensitive to caffeine can still enjoy kombucha.
Caffeine is a necessary ingredient in kombucha. It provides the kombucha SCOBY with nitrogen so that the tea ferments properly.
Should You Make This Recipe with Young, Sweet Kombucha or Older, Sour Kombucha?
Make this recipe with young, sweet kombucha. Stop your first fermentation while your kombucha tea still has a good amount of sweetness. Ginger and elderberry are strong flavors and will pair better with sweeter kombucha. Use your older, sour kombucha to jump-start your next batch of fermented tea or to start a SCOBY hotel.