If you are looking for a sweet treat with a little kick, watermelon jalapeno kombucha is what you need. The refreshing sweetness of watermelon packed with a punch from the jalapenos is the best combination to beat the heat this summer.
This spicy watermelon kombucha recipe is delicious and offers many health benefits. You reap the benefits of drinking kombucha and the added benefits of watermelon and capsaicin (the active ingredient in jalapenos that give them their spice). This sweet and spicy fizzy tea is one of the most nutritious carbonated drinks you’ll ever try.
Table of Contents
Watermelon Jalapeno Kombucha
Total Time: 4 days
Yield: 16 Servings 1x
Description
The sweet, hydrating juice from watermelon pairs perfectly with the slight spice of a deseeded jalapeno. This recipe will make your taste buds dance while nourishing your body.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 jalapeno peppers (stemmed and halved lengthwise)
- 4 cups diced watermelon
- 14 cups green tea kombucha
Instructions
- Remove the jalapeno seeds (unless you like it spicy).
- Puree the watermelon in a blender or food processor.
- Place a mesh cloth or strainer over a gallon-sized fermentation vessel and pour the puree through until all of the juice has drained (use a spoon to squeeze out any excess liquid from the watermelon puree).
- Discard the puree and add the jalapeno pieces to the watermelon juice.
- Add the kombucha to the jar and secure a clean mesh cloth with a rubber band to the top of the jar.
- Leave the jar in a warm place for the second fermentation (for 2 days).
- Strain the mixture to remove the jalapeno pieces.
- Use a funnel to pour the mixture into individual bottles and seal them tightly with caps.
- Leave the bottles to ferment at room temperature for another 2 days.
- Refrigerate for 6 hours before consuming.
Notes
Place one of the bottles in the fridge for about 6 hours to test your spicy watermelon kombucha’s fizziness and flavor. Then open the bottle and taste your kombucha. If it is carbonated to your liking, refrigerate all of the bottles and serve when chilled. If it is not where you want it to be, leave the bottles to ferment for another day and try again.
If you want an even spicier drink, add more jalapenos or leave some of the seeds in. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the jalapeno, as the spiciness can burn your eyes or skin.
Green tea kombucha is my choice for this recipe, but white tea or oolong kombucha would also work well.
If you want to reduce the work, use watermelon juice concentrate rather than pureed fresh watermelon. If you aren’t a fan of watermelon but want something just as refreshing, try this recipe with grapefruit juice instead.
To make a kombucha margarita, add a shot of tequila to the drink (my favorite is Casamigos tequila). You can also add a few drops of lime juice and agave to make an authentic margarita and garnish it with a piece of lime.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Fermenting Time: 96 hours
What Does Watermelon Jalapeno Kombucha Taste Like?
Kombucha offers a tart taste that is offset by the sweetness of the watermelon, and adding jalapeno gives it a spicy kick. It is an excellent combination of sweet and spicy, refreshing and fiery.
If you leave the seeds in or add more jalapenos, it will add more of a kick and probably be more spicy than sweet. Alternatively, you can reduce the number of jalapenos you add to your booch to decrease the heat.
Health Benefits of Watermelon Jalapeno Kombucha
Kombucha has numerous health benefits, including an abundance of probiotics that promote gut health, antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body, and its ability to help balance good and bad bacteria in the gut, amongst many others. Adding watermelon and jalapeno to this drink also means added benefits.
Watermelon:
- Keeps you hydrated
- May improve heart health
- May help ward off cancer
- Can reduce inflammation
- May relieve muscle soreness
- Can possibly aid in skin health
- May aid in digestion
- May benefit your eyesight
- Are rich in vitamins A, C, and potassium
- Contain antioxidants
- Contain capsaicin, which is anti-inflammatory, can increase heart health, and has anti-cancer properties
- Contain vitamin K and numerous B vitamins
- Contain folate
How Many Calories Does Watermelon Jalapeno Kombucha Have?
There are around 70 calories in each 8 oz serving of watermelon jalapeno kombucha. The calories come from the watermelon (~40), and the rest come from the kombucha (~30). Green tea and jalapeno add no extra calories.
How Much Caffeine Does Watermelon Jalapeno Kombucha Have?
You will only get about 10 mg of caffeine per serving of watermelon jalapeno kombucha. The caffeine comes from the green tea kombucha. A typical cup of green tea has around 35 mg of caffeine, but as the tea ferments, the SCOBY uses the caffeine’s nitrogen to ferment, lowering the final amount of caffeine in the tea. Because of this process, you can not brew kombucha with decaf tea.
Should You Make This Recipe with Young, Sweet Kombucha or Older, Sour Kombucha?
It comes down to personal preference. If you prefer sweet drinks, young kombucha would be best. However, an older kombucha adds a bit of delicious acidity and extra fizz to this margarita-type drink.
If you’re feeling lazy or don’t want to wait multiple days for your creation to be ready, buy watermelon-flavored GT’s kombucha, and add jalapeno.