High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Ginger Lemon Kombucha
Bright, tangy, and alive with natural fizz, this ginger lemon kombucha is the kind of homemade drink that makes you wonder why you ever bought the bottled stuff. The sweetener here is raw honey rather than the refined syrups that show up in so many commercial fermented beverages, so you get gentle sweetness without any of the processed additives that can be hard to avoid at the store. Green tea forms the base, and after a patient first ferment with a SCOBY, fresh ginger slices and a squeeze of real lemon juice go straight into the bottles for a second ferment that builds serious carbonation and bold flavor. The two-stage process sounds involved, but most of the time is completely hands-off — you're really just waiting for nature to do its thing. Daily burping keeps the pressure in check and gives you a chance to track how fizzy things are getting before you move the bottles to the fridge. The result is a crisp, lightly effervescent drink with a warming ginger kick and a clean citrus finish that tastes genuinely homemade in the best possible way. Once you have your SCOBY going, each new batch gets easier and cheaper, making this a seriously satisfying kitchen project.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the sweet tea base
- 3.5 quarts filtered water
- 4 bags green tea
- ½ cup raw honey
For the first ferment
- 1 scoby with ½ cup starter liquid
For the second ferment
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 3.5 quarts of filtered water to a boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, add the green tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes, then remove and discard the bags.
- 2
Stir the honey into the hot tea until fully dissolved. Allow the sweet tea to cool to room temperature — it must read below 85°F (29°C) on a kitchen thermometer before proceeding, as higher temperatures will harm the SCOBY.
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