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Ginger is also reported to have many health benefits. 11 Proven Health Benefits of Ginger. Also remember that kombucha makes ingredients more bioavailable to the body, so any health benefits will be increased.
Fresh ginger root should look fleshy and juicy. It should not look dried out. Also avoid roots that show grayish or blueish mold on the cut ends.
Finally, buying ginger root online is also an option.
Amazon.com sells fresh ginger root and includes free shipping. Buyers give it 4 stars.
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If this is unclear, please read The Basic Kombucha Brewing Recipe
If using it unpeeled, make sure to scrub the root first with clean water to remove any dirt or pesticides. The choice of whether to peel it or not is yours.
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The thicker the width of the ginger root is, the larger the slices will be, but of course you can also slice them crosswise to make them into half moons.
Sliced ginger works well in ginger kombucha recipes. The thinner the slices, the more ginger is exposed to the fermenting kombucha and the more ginger flavor. It can be difficult to add ginger slices to your kombucha bottles depending on the size of the opening. If so, any of the next ginger options will work better.
Sliced ginger is easiest to remove from the flavored kombucha before drinking. The slices of ginger, preserved by the kombucha, are tasty to eat or add to Asian recipes.
Chopping ginger exposes more ginger surface to the kombucha brew, so will add more ginger flavor to the finished beverage.
The finer the chop, the more flavor is extracted from the ginger root.
Grated ginger provides heaps of ginger flavor to your kombucha recipe. It also adds lots of fizziness. It almost vanishes in the bottle as it is mostly dissolved by the kombucha.
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If you want the most ginger flavor from your fresh ginger root, ginger juice is the way to go! It also doesn’t leave any residue at all in the bottle and leaves your booch clear. You do need one additional kitchen gadget to make ginger juice—a nut milk bag.
A nut milk bag is a fine mesh bag woven of nylon. It is good for lots of things in the kitchen and particularly helpful in kombucha brewing. You can read more about them: How a Nut Milk Bag Makes the Best Kombucha Tea.
To make ginger juice, you first pulverize the ginger root. You can do that in a food processor or using your ginger grater Put the grated ginger into the nut milk bag and squeeze out the ginger juice. You will be amazed how much juice comes out this way!
You can use ginger root powder to flavor your kombucha. It is readily available at your local grocery store or online. You want to be sure to buy an organic product from a reliable source.
We prefer to use fresh ginger root whenever possible. But powdered ginger root will add a nice ginger taste to your kombucha. You may have to experiment to see how much to use as ginger in powdered form varies in strength.
Step One: add your brewed kombucha to a 16-ounce bottle.
Step Two: add ginger to each bottle.
How much ginger you add to each bottle depends on which form of ginger you decide to use. The following chart will provide you with a starting point.
| Ginger Form | Amount per 16-ounce bottle |
|---|---|
| Whole Ginger Slices | 1-2 ea x 1 inch section (1/2″ thick) |
| Chopped or Diced Ginger | 2 -3 teaspoons |
| Grated Ginger | 1-2 teaspoons |
| Ginger Juice | 1-2 teaspoons |
| Powdered Ginger | 1-4 teaspoons |
Remember that however you use ginger in your recipe, more ginger will increase the spicy heat. Use too much and you may find it too strong for your taste. Too little ginger may make an anemic tasting brew.
If you are familiar with Reed’s Ginger Beer (really soda), you may know that it comes in Original Ginger Brew, Extra Ginger Brew, And Stronger Ginger Brew. Obviously, many folks really like a strong ginger flavor!
Like all recipes, it pays to experiment. We always take the time to write down the amount of each ingredient in our recipes so that we can tailor the flavor to our own taste the next time.
That is exactly why we created The Complete Kombucha Brewing Journal. It makes it so easy to keep track of all your brewing and flavoring ingredients.
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Hi Cindy. Thanks for your question, which I am sorry that I don’t know the answer to. Certainly, a ton of kombucha is made with fresh and powdered ginger and it is delicious and safe to drink.
Ginger and turmeric are both rhizomes. We like using powdered turmeric as it provides more of a citrus note. Fresh turmeric has more of an earthy flavor. Either will work. Apples are delicious in Kombucha as they enhance the naturally apple-y taste of a black tea Kombucha. Using apple pieces produces a subtle flavor, so go for the juice if you really want to taste it. When paired with ginger, it s like enjoying a healthy apple ginger pie in a glass!
Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for your comment. We agree–both ginger and turmeric work very well as kombucha flavorings and they work together well too. Apples are also a nice flavor. Although we do use apple juice, we find that chopped fresh apple gives a fresher flavor. Plus, that way you can choose from the many choices of apple varieties to tailor the taste. Both tart apples and sweet apples make interesting flavor combinations with ginger. Of course, we always buy organic apples!
When using only fresh ginger juice is necessary to add sugar.
The last time I used 3 tsp chopped ginger and 1 tbs. honey. That came out well with a slight fizz.
Hi Reed and thanks for your comment. We never add sugar to our fermentation two. Fresh ginger juice makes a lovely tangy ginger flavor and usually, we find that any form of ginger works well to make a bubbly brew. We do use a tiny amount of honey (usually, just 1 teaspoon in 16 ounces) to add some nice round flavor notes, but you shouldn’t need it to create fizz. Make sure that your bottles are tightly sealed and that you let them sit in a warm room for 3-4 days before refrigerating. See if that makes the amount of fizz you like.
I want to use ginger and lemon juice to flavor the kombucha in the second ferment, how much sugar should I add for a 24 ounce bottle
Hi Jackie and thanks for your question. We never add sugar in the second fermentation. The ginger will give it a nice spiciness and lemon adds a nice flavor to kombucha. Lemon, however is a sour fruit, so perhaps you are worried that the finished kombucha will be too sour. Adding sugar will make it sweeter, but remember that even in the second fermentation, the raw kombucha will continue to convert the sugar. This will likely add too much carbonation. We like to use a little honey instead. This adds a hint of sweetness and also rounds out the flavor. I would recommend 1/2 teaspoon of honey per 24 ounce bottle. You do need to refrigerate it after just a day or two, because honey also will continue to ferment and add carbonation.
how much ginger and lemon juice along with 1/2 teaspoon of honey per 24 ounce bottle?
to continue from my last question can I do a longer second ferment by burping the bottles every 3 days , I have swing top 24 ounce bottles?
Hi Jackie. Thank you for your question. Yes, you can continue to ferment kombucha in the bottle for as long as you want, as long as you watch it carefully to prevent the bottle from exploding. Burping every three days is probably about right, unless the room is quite warm, in which case, I might check it every two days. As time goes on, the brew will continue to become more sour and more fizzy. If it goes too long, it may become so sour that it is closer to vinegar than kombucha. In which case, you can make salad dressing from it!
Just saying…ginger grows everywhere in Hawaii and Mexico also. Our grocer here in Santa Fe, NM brings it up from Mexico every week. And, I used to dig up my own when I lived on the Islands.