Name: Passionfruit Kombucha Recipe
Ingredients: 1 gallon (16 cups or ~3.8 liters) of Filtered Water: It is crucial to use chlorine-free water. Chlorine can harm the delicate microorganisms in your SCOBY. Filtered, spring, or distilled water are all excellent choices.; 1 cup (200g) of Organic Cane Sugar: Plain white sugar or organic cane sugar works best. The sugar is not for you; it’s food for the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast). During fermentation, the culture will consume most of this sugar, transforming it into beneficial acids and carbon dioxide. Avoid using honey (which can contain botulism spores harmful to the SCOBY) or sugar alternatives like stevia or xylitol, as they don’t provide the necessary fuel for fermentation.; 8 Tea Bags or 4 Tablespoons of Loose-Leaf Tea: A combination of black tea and green tea (e.g., 4 bags of black, 4 bags of green) yields a wonderfully complex and balanced flavor. You can use all black tea for a more robust, traditional flavor, or all green tea for a lighter, more delicate taste. Ensure your tea is plain and free of oils or flavorings (like Earl Grey, which contains bergamot oil) that can damage the SCOBY over time.; 1 Healthy SCOBY: This is the heart of your kombucha brew. You can get one from a friend who brews, purchase a high-quality one online, or even grow your own from a bottle of unpasteurized, store-bought kombucha.; 2 cups (480ml) of Strong Starter Tea: Starter tea is simply unflavored kombucha from a previous batch or the liquid your new SCOBY comes packed in. This acidic liquid is vital for lowering the initial pH of your sweet tea, which protects it from mold and other unwanted airborne microbes while your new batch gets established.; 1 to 1.5 cups of Passionfruit Pulp: This equates to about 6-8 fresh, ripe passionfruits. The best passionfruit for this are those that are slightly wrinkled on the outside, which indicates they are ripe and the pulp inside is sweet and aromatic. You can also use high-quality, unsweetened frozen passionfruit pulp, thawed before use.; 1-2 teaspoons of Optional Sweetener (e.g., Cane Sugar, Ginger Syrup): While not strictly necessary, adding a small amount of extra sugar during the second fermentation provides more food for the yeast, which in turn creates more carbonation. If your passionfruit is particularly tart, a little sugar can help balance the flavor.

Ingredients

1 gallon (16 cups or ~3.8 liters) of Filtered Water: It is crucial to use chlorine-free water. Chlorine can harm the delicate microorganisms in your SCOBY. Filtered, spring, or distilled water are all excellent choices.
1 cup (200g) of Organic Cane Sugar: Plain white sugar or organic cane sugar works best. The sugar is not for you; it’s food for the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast). During fermentation, the culture will consume most of this sugar, transforming it into beneficial acids and carbon dioxide. Avoid using honey (which can contain botulism spores harmful to the SCOBY) or sugar alternatives like stevia or xylitol, as they don’t provide the necessary fuel for fermentation.
8 Tea Bags or 4 Tablespoons of Loose-Leaf Tea: A combination of black tea and green tea (e.g., 4 bags of black, 4 bags of green) yields a wonderfully complex and balanced flavor. You can use all black tea for a more robust, traditional flavor, or all green tea for a lighter, more delicate taste. Ensure your tea is plain and free of oils or flavorings (like Earl Grey, which contains bergamot oil) that can damage the SCOBY over time.
1 Healthy SCOBY: This is the heart of your kombucha brew. You can get one from a friend who brews, purchase a high-quality one online, or even grow your own from a bottle of unpasteurized, store-bought kombucha.
2 cups (480ml) of Strong Starter Tea: Starter tea is simply unflavored kombucha from a previous batch or the liquid your new SCOBY comes packed in. This acidic liquid is vital for lowering the initial pH of your sweet tea, which protects it from mold and other unwanted airborne microbes while your new batch gets established.

For the Second Fermentation (F2) – The Passionfruit Infusion

This is where the magic happens and you add flavor and fizz!

1 to 1.5 cups of Passionfruit Pulp: This equates to about 6-8 fresh, ripe passionfruits. The best passionfruit for this are those that are slightly wrinkled on the outside, which indicates they are ripe and the pulp inside is sweet and aromatic. You can also use high-quality, unsweetened frozen passionfruit pulp, thawed before use.
1-2 teaspoons of Optional Sweetener (e.g., Cane Sugar, Ginger Syrup): While not strictly necessary, adding a small amount of extra sugar during the second fermentation provides more food for the yeast, which in turn creates more carbonation. If your passionfruit is particularly tart, a little sugar can help balance the flavor.

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Instructions

Part 1: The First Fermentation (F1) – Making the Base Kombucha

Step 1: Brew the Sweet Tea. In your large stockpot, bring 4 cups of your filtered water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, remove it from the heat. Dissolve the 1 cup of organic cane sugar completely, stirring with your wooden spoon until no granules are left.
Step 2: Steep the Tea. Add your 8 tea bags or 4 tablespoons of loose-leaf tea to the hot sugar water. Let it steep for 10-15 minutes. A longer steep time extracts more tannins and nutrients from the tea, which is beneficial for the SCOBY. After steeping, remove the tea bags or strain out the loose-leaf tea.
Step 3: Cool the Tea Concentrate. This is arguably the most critical step. You must allow the sweet tea to cool down to room temperature (between 68-78°F or 20-25°C). Adding your SCOBY and starter tea to hot liquid will kill the sensitive bacteria and yeast. To speed up the cooling process, you can add the remaining 12 cups of cool, filtered water to your 1-gallon glass jar and then pour the warm tea concentrate into it. Check the final temperature before proceeding.
Step 4: Combine and Ferment. Once the sweet tea is at room temperature, gently pour in your 2 cups of strong starter tea and give it a gentle stir. With clean hands, carefully place your SCOBY into the jar. It might float, sink, or hover in the middle—all are perfectly normal.
Step 5: Cover and Wait. Cover the mouth of the jar with your tightly woven cloth and secure it with a rubber band. This keeps out dust, pests (especially fruit flies), and other contaminants while still allowing the brew to breathe. Place the jar in a warm, dark, and well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight. A pantry or a cupboard away from the oven is ideal.
Step 6: The Fermentation Period. Let your kombucha ferment for 7 to 21 days. The ideal brewing time depends heavily on the temperature of your room. Warmer temperatures will speed up fermentation, while cooler temperatures will slow it down. Start tasting your kombucha around day 7 by gently pushing the SCOBY aside and drawing a small sample with a straw. It should taste pleasantly tart and slightly sweet. If it’s too sweet, let it ferment longer. If it’s starting to taste like vinegar, you’ve gone a bit too long (but don’t worry, this super-strong kombucha makes excellent starter tea for your next batch!).

Part 2: The Second Fermentation (F2) – Infusing the Passionfruit Magic

Step 1: Prepare Your Bottles and Fruit. Before you begin, ensure your swing-top bottles are impeccably clean and dry. Scoop the pulp and seeds from your 6-8 passionfruits into a small bowl.
Step 2: Bottle the Kombucha. Gently remove the SCOBY from your F1 jar along with 2 cups of the kombucha. Place them in a separate, clean glass bowl or jar to be used as the starter tea for your very next batch. Using your funnel, distribute the passionfruit pulp evenly among your clean glass bottles. A good starting point is about 2-3 tablespoons of pulp per 16-ounce bottle.
Step 3: Fill the Bottles. Pour the finished F1 kombucha into the bottles over the passionfruit pulp, leaving about 1 to 1.5 inches of headspace at the top. This empty space is crucial as it allows room for carbonation to build up.
Step 4: Seal and Ferment Again. Securely seal the swing-top lids. Place the filled bottles back in that same warm, dark place for another 2 to 7 days. This secondary fermentation process is anaerobic (without oxygen), which forces the yeast to produce carbon dioxide, creating the signature fizziness. The duration depends on your desired level of carbonation and the ambient temperature.
Step 5: “Burp” Your Bottles (Optional but Recommended). To prevent excess pressure build-up (which can lead to mini-explosions), it’s a good idea to carefully open each bottle once a day to release some pressure. This is known as “burping.” Do this over a sink, just in case. Once you hear a distinct psst sound and see bubbles, you know carbonation is building nicely. When it reaches your desired level of fizz, it’s time for the final step.
Step 6: Refrigerate. Transfer all your bottles to the refrigerator. The cold temperature will halt the fermentation process and stop carbonation from building further. Chilling also allows the CO2 to be better absorbed into the liquid, resulting in a more stable and pleasant fizz when you open it. Let the bottles chill for at least 24 hours before enjoying.

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 35-50 kcal