RECIPE: Rhubarb Kombucha

There are two ways you can make rhubarb kombucha and we're going to test both of them and give our humble opinion for which one we'd use in the future!

You can either add chopped fresh rhubarb or rhubarb cordial to your primary fermentation or add this to add the secondary fermentation step which is where we carbonate kombucha. During rhubarb season I love to make rhubarb cordial by stewing rhubarb in sugary water then sieving out the rhubarb leaving a slightly sweet, rhubarb-infused cordial which can be used for lots of different purposes. The extra benefit is that you then also have the actual rhubarb which we use in yoghurt and porridge. It's the little things, but this makes me feel like I'm winning at life! We've written previously about an incredible living rhubarb soda we've made with this cordial which we'd highly recommend giving a try!

For this experiment I made two different batches of kombucha, both using the rhubarb cordial described above, but have added the cordial either at primary or secondary fermentation. See our blog 'How to make kombucha' for more detail on the steps of booch brewing. If you're making kombucha from scratch then you'll make the cordial and add this to your primary fermentation. But if you're an established brewer who just wants to infuse your ready-made kombucha then skip to the end and look for the secondary fermentation step, once you've made your rhubarb cordial! And if you don't have a kombucha starter (or SCOBY) then check out our Kombucha Starter Kit which will help you get started with kombucha brewing at home.

In the end we liked the clean taste that infusing rhubarb cordial at the secondary fermentation step gave more than adding during primary fermentation. But we'd recommend giving both methods a try and seeing what you think for yourself!

Ingredients

Rhubarb cordial

Rhubarb x 450g

White sugar x 100g

Water x 750ml

Primary fermentation (makes 1 litre rhubarb booch)

Water x 700ml

White sugar x 55g

Green tea teabags x 2

Kombucha starter liquid x 100ml

Rhubarb cordial x 100ml

Secondary fermentation (makes 1 litre rhubarb booch)

Brewed kombucha x 750ml

Rhubarb cordial x 150ml

Method

Make the rhubarb cordial

1. Put the rhubarb and sugar in a medium saucepan, add the water and stir to combine.

2. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 8 minutes. The rhubarb will have given up its colour and be very soft.

3. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Push gently to get as much of the juice out as you can. This is your rhubarb cordial. We recommend using the solid part in yoghurt, baking or in a rhubarb fool.

4. Refrigerate the rhubarb cordial until you're ready to make your kombucha.

   

   
   

Make a fresh batch of kombucha (primary fermentation)

1. Boil the kettle and pour 350ml hot water onto the green tea bags in a jug. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.

2. After 10 minutes remove the green tea bags and add 350ml cold water to the jug. The water should be no hotter than body temperature but if the jug feels hot to the touch then leave to cool longer.

3. Once the tea is cool place a sieve over the jug and pour in 100ml kombucha starter, followed by 100ml of the rhubarb cordial. Give a quick stir to combine.

4. Pour into your fermentation jar and cover the top with a muslin and elastic band. Keep this mixture in a warm place. You’ll need to mix/swirl it every now and then, and after 5-10 days you can taste it to see if you’d like to keep it brewing.

5. Once it tastes as you'd like it (we like a balance between sweet and sour) then pour through a sieve into a bottle using a funnel, leaving a few inches of space at the top to allow for gases to be released. Make sure you've left enough of the kombucha to be used as a starter for your next batch if you want to continuously ferment with this brew.

6. This can then be left at room temperature to carbonate (1 day to 5 days) or popped in the fridge and drank immediately. If using glass bottles please keep an eye on pressure build up in your bottle and open regularly to release gas!

Infuse an already brewed batch of kombucha (secondary fermentation)

1. Pour your ready brewed kombucha into a clean bottle followed by the rhubarb cordial, leaving a good inch at the top free for carbonation.

2. Replace the lid and invert gently to combine.

3. This can then be left at room temperature to carbonate (1 day to 5 days) or popped in the fridge and drank immediately. If using glass bottles please keep an eye on pressure build up in your bottle and open regularly to release gas!

   
   

If you wanna learn more about brewing kombucha head to our workshop page to find our next in-person class or check out our Kombucha Starter Kit to get brewing at home right away!

Had a go? We wanna know! Get in touch @craftypickleco on Instagram and Facebook