Kombucha is a drink that’s becoming more and more popular. Two years ago I had never heard of it and now I have some brewing on my kitchen counter! One of the main reasons people love this newly discovered (but very old) drink is that it’s so extremely healthy. It’s also rich in probiotics and antioxidants, especially if you make yours with green tea.
Here are 9 ways to use kombucha!
You can add flavor to it such as lemon, ginger or cinnamon, and drink it like an iced tea each day.
You can also add fresh or dried fruit, or fruit juice, and ferment it a second time, so it becomes fizzier and can be used as a refreshing, naturally carbonated beverage.
Some people love their kombucha bitter and tangy. Others prefer it sweet and fizzy, closer to soda.
Still others prefer to use it in various recipes.
Kombucha Jell-O
Use fermented and strained kombucha as the liquid for your Jell-O.
Dissolve the gelatin powder in a small amount of hot water. Then add kombucha to the desired amount for the recipe.
Using the instructions for the flavor of gelatin you have chosen, you can also add fresh or canned fruit.
Let the Jell-O set in a cold fridge and enjoy it as a healthy dessert.
Kombucha Smoothies
Use kombucha instead of water or milk as your smoothie base. You can also use any fruit-flavored kombucha you might have made.
Kombucha Popsicles
Place in molds, add berries and fruit juice as desired, and freeze.
Salad Dressing
Use kombucha as the base for an oil and vinegar type of dressing. You can also use fruit-flavored kombucha that you have made yourself.
Kombucha can be flavored with common herbs such as basil, rosemary and fennel, for a savory addition to any salad. Use high-quality olive oil and some distilled white vinegar. You can also add honey or lemon juice.
Cold Soups
Once the kombucha has been fermented, you don’t want to heat to too high a temperature it because you want to benefit from the live probiotic cultures that it contains.
This being the case, you can incorporate it into soups and bone broth provided that you don’t consume them at too high a temperature.
Cold soups include gazpacho, vichyssoise, watercress, and cold fruit soups, all perfect to eat in the summer.
Bone Broth
Bone broth has become another hugely popular health drink and added ingredient in various recipes because of its high vitamin, mineral, amino acid, and collagen content.
Kombucha is also good for stimulating collagen health in the body.
If you suffer from arthritis or joint pain, drinking a mixture of kombucha and bone broth could reduce pain and strengthen your joints.
Cold Green Tea Noodles
Buckwheat noodles are a popular Asian dish often served with a green tea sauce. Sometimes they are made with green tea right in them.
Make your kombucha with green tea and you can mix it with some soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger and a small amount of minced garlic.
Add chopped green onions and mushrooms that have been stir-fried lightly, for a heartier dish.
Vegan Sushi
The mushroom-like SCOBY from your kombucha should have the texture and consistency of fish. Save some bloom for your next batch of kombucha, but eat the rest as sushi.
Oh – did I mention that the SCOBY is most definitely edible? I know, you might have to be super adventurous to try this one, but it is perfectly safe to eat.
Cocktails
Kombucha that has gone through a second fermentation with fruit will be fizzy, and is an interesting addition to any cocktails (alcoholic or not) that call for fruit juice or soda.
This is just a start. Kombucha is so easy to make and so very good for you – have fun with it.