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How to make a delightfully floral rose kombucha! With just dried rosebuds and a few cherries (or sugar), your kombucha is transformed into a delicate rose flavor that you’re going to love!
After a bunch of reader requests for floral kombucha (and after happening upon a gorgeous bag of dried rosebuds at my favorite kitchen store), I’m excited to say that Rose Kombucha is here!
And the thing is…I didn’t expect it to be this good. As in, this might just be in my top 3 kombucha flavors…ever.
I know, I know. I’m not supposed to have a favorite child. But this Rose Kombucha is so delicately floral with a mild sweetness and gorgeous color. I just can’t get enough of it. Let’s brew!
There are two main fermentation phases when making kombucha:
- First Fermentation: This is when you transform sweet tea into kombucha (see our guide to homemade kombucha here).
- Second Fermentation: This is when you carbonate the kombucha by adding flavor and sugars then bottling it. We’ll add rose buds for flavor, and a few mashed cherries for sugar to fuel the carbonation.
In order to make this Rose Kombucha, you will need to have completed the first fermentation and have some kombucha that’s ready to be carbonated!
Ingredients for rose kombucha
- Kombucha: You’ve brewed your kombucha in the first fermentation and are ready to flavor it. I used a green tea kombucha for this recipe, but black tea or hibiscus tea would work well (learn more about best tea for kombucha).
- Dried Rose Buds: As a precaution, ensure these rose buds are food grade (i.e. don’t have added perfumes or chemicals). You’ll usually find these where you would find tea in the grocery (or online here).
- Cherries: We’ll use a few fresh or frozen (and thawed) cherries to provide the kombucha with enough sugar to carbonate (while also giving the ‘buch that gorgeous red color). Just mash them up to expose the sugary insides, then drop them into your bottles! You can also use red berries, honey, or sugar.
How to make kombucha with roses
Making your own rose flavored kombucha is super easy. The process goes something like this:
- Bottle: Evenly distribute rose buds and mashed cherries (or your chosen sweetener) into fermentation bottles. Pour in kombucha, leaving 1 to 2 inches free at the top
- Ferment: For 3 to 10 days, until it reaches the carbonation level you like.
- Enjoy: Chill in the fridge before serving, optionally straining out the rose buds.
P.S. If you love floral flavors, you’ll also like our Bleeding Heart Kombucha, Lavender Kombucha, or Elderflower Kombucha. Or step it up a notch by using hibiscus or butterfly pea flowers in your first fermentation!
Rose Kombucha
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon kombucha* from a first fermentation this is not store bought kombucha, 1.9 L
- 8 to 10 cherries** fresh or frozen and thawed
- 4 Tbsp dried food-grade rose buds about 7 g
Instructions
- Bottle: Mash cherries into a rough paste. Evenly distribute rose buds and mashed cherries into fermentation bottles. Pour in kombucha, leaving 1 to 2 inches free at the top.
- Ferment: Place in a dark, room temperature area for 3 to 10 days, until it reaches the carbonation level you like. This process will go faster in warmer climates, and slower in cooler climates.
- Enjoy: Chill in the fridge before serving, optionally straining out the flowers and fibers. Can be stored in the fridge, tightly sealed, for several weeks.
Notes
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Can I use rose petals instead of buds ?
Worth a shot! You may just need more of them.
I made this with strawberries instead of cherries. Used the strawberry kombucha recipe on this site combined with this one. It was my favorite flavor yet! We’ve made maybe 5-6 flavors so far and this was just so tasty. We opened the bottles on day 4 of second fermentation and they had plenty of carbonation.