You’ve flavored your second fermentation with deliciously sweet fruit but now you’re wondering…can this fruit go bad?
So you took weeks (maybe even months) to make your SCOBY. Then you went through the whole process of the first fermentation. And then you flavored your kombucha with fruit or fruit juice and it’s perfectly tasty. But now you’re wondering…does the fruit in kombucha go bad? Will this fruit rot and ruin all of my hard work?
This is a questions I’ve been getting often, so I thought I’d hop in and answer it once and for all! The answer: if all is done correctly, the fruit doesn’t go bad.
Why the fruit in kombucha doesn’t go bad
When you add fresh, non-moldy fruit into your kombucha, you’re plopping it into an environment that should be free from bad molds or bacteria. Not only that, but it’s an environment that’s pretty acidic, which prevents rot from occurring. So by adding fruit, you’re effectively preserving or pickling your fruit, and it will not go bad.
After the second fermentation is complete and the kombucha has a good level fizz, transfer the bottles (fruit and all) into the refrigerator to stop the fermentation. They will stay good in the fridge for many months.
(Pro-tip: If mold is going to happen, it’s almost always in the first fermentation, not the second fermentation. More on kombucha mold here.)
Can you eat the fruit pieces in kombucha?
You can even eat the fruit that was used to flavor your kombucha! The taste and texture will have changed, becoming soft and taking on the acidic flavors of the kombucha.
If that’s not your thing, simply strain the fruit out before serving. You can strain it then pour back into fermentation bottles, or pour the kombucha through a small mesh sieve directly into your serving glass.
I waited maybe too long to check my tea before starting the second fermentation and add flavors could this ruin the kombucha? It took a long time to get fizz. I used peach nectar and the smell seems off. Should I start again? What if my starter is less than 1 cup? Can I still use it?
If your F1 sat too long, it likely turned too vinegary for good F2 fizz, and peach nectar can sometimes ferment weird—if it smells off (like rotten fruit), it’s safest to toss it. If you have less than 1 cup of starter, just make a smaller batch to keep things safe and rebuild from there. You’ve got this!
I used pineapple for 2f- delish!
Can I use that pineapple in a new batch’s 2f?
So glad you loved the pineapple—such a good one! 🍍 For safety and flavor, I wouldn’t reuse fruit from a previous F2. Most of the sugars that feed carbonation have already been used up, and the fruit has been sitting in a low-acid, oxygen-free environment—not ideal for reuse. For best fizz and flavor, start fresh with new pineapple.
Thanks!! I’ll put that “used” fruit in a smoothie and start fresh 🙂
BTW frozen pineapple is the bomb!
So, if I understand correctly, after the second fermentation, I transfer the airtight bottles with the fruit pieces or puree to the fridge, and I can leave them there for months without them going bad. Or do I need to rebottle the flavored kombucha before storing it in the fridge?
Yep that’s correct! 🙂
I guess I am confused. If I use flavored tea with my 2nd fermentation I to my bottles, how do you drink it with the loose tea particles or do you strain and rebottle?
We don’t use flavored tea necessarily, but we flavor the tea with fruit! Then you can strain it out before serving 🙂
This really makes me so confident! My kids will not eat the fruit 🙂 but I love to eat the fruit! It gives your body such a good feeling! Thanks for the info! I have only been brewing about 1.5 years and only started using pressure bottles and actually doing my F2 only a month ago! I am addicted :D!
Happy Brewing!!
I added fresh fruits into my kombucha, it taste fine but it does not smell too good. The fruits were floating above the surface. Is that normal?
It’s normal for the fruit to float, but always use best judgement with smell and sight before drinking it.
i put 2 cups of dragon fruit puree not 1 cup in my 1 gallon brew mixed with some brew to make it puree better. i tasted it and it was good so i bottled it yesterday. well today i noticed the caps were bulging up so i put into fridge. my question is did i ruin it by putting to much puree in the brew that i bottled, like will it mold or anything?
It should be fine! It’s just fermenting more quickly because there’s more sugar in it.