So you’ve made Kombucha or Water Kefir. Now what? Of course, you can drink it as is, but you can make it even more delicious with a second fermentation!

Be sure to remove your grains or SCOBY and start them in a fresh batch of sugared water or tea. The finished product is what you’re going to flavor. You can use fresh fruit or juice. Be sure to wash your fruit well, and organic is always preferable. You don’t want pesticides adding their nastiness to the mix.

Basically what you’re doing is adding the sugar from fruit or juice, causing fermentation to start up again.

• Cut your fruit into chunks or slices. More surface area will help the flavor infuse faster. If using blueberries, crush them a bit first to crack the outer skin.
• Use 1 to 2 cups of fruit, depending on the flavor level you’d like. 
• If using juice, add a cup or more of juice. The more juice you add, the less you will taste the Kombucha or Kefir. This can be to your taste, depending on how tart you want your finished product.
• Add the fruit or juice, then seal tight with a canning lid or other airtight lid. This will allow the carbon dioxide gases to build up as the fermentation begins again, creating more bubbles. Be sure to allow a couple of inches head space, this will reduce the chances of a volcanic eruption.
• Place the jar on your counter for another 2 days, at about 70° – 80° F. Keep an eye on it – if you see the lid start to bulge, unscrew it to release some of the pressure, then reseal. On the rare occasion, if left too long or the temperature is high, carbonation can build up too much & become mildly explosive. You can drape a kitchen towel over the top of the jar for extra insurance.

After a couple of days, your delicious elixir will be ready. Be careful when you open the finished product, it can become very fizzy, even more so than soda pop. Store in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process.

Enjoy as is, or add to alcohol for a not-so-guilty cocktail!