Bosc Pear + Rose Water + Lavender
We've tried a few different types of pear in our second ferments, and we must say that Bosc has delighted us the most. It just has this really nice, even, sweet flavor that incorporate really well with other flavors. In this case, we added a splash of rose water, and a splash of cinnamon from another flavor we created. Scroll below to learn how we achieved it.
Tea Base (for 1 gallon): Yerba Maté, 5 tbsp; we used Guayaki Brand.
Second ferment ingredients (per 16 oz bottle): Organic, fresh Bosc pear (1.5 oz) Lavender syrup (1/2 tbsp) or dried lavender buds {for our lavender syrup recipe, please click here); Organic Rose Water (1/2 oz).
Process:
Brew your kombucha to your usual tart/sweet preference. Due to slightly colder temps at the time of brewing this batch, we waited about 8 days for it to reach optimal taste (we like it right between sweet and tart).
Once you're ready to bottle, get your juice/fruit ready. For this recipe, we used fresh Bosc pear chunks (peeled and minced), but you can also add juiced pear. If you do juice, we highly suggest the Omega Juicer. Add in your diced (or juiced) pear, making sure it's about 15% of the volume of your bottle. The more juice/fruit pieces you add, the fizzier your brew will be. Add your your lavender syrup (full recipe is available here), and your rose water. Seal tightly, and set in your kitchen cabinet for about 4 days.
To add further dimension to this flavor, we actually blended it—once it reached peak fermentation—with another flavor, which has the exact same base and all the same ingredients, except we also added 1 bag (for a 16 oz bottle) of an herbal tea called Cinnamon Apple from Tazo. We second fermented it for the exact same amount of time and opened it at the same time as the other flavor. And then we simply blended about 1/3 of each in a separate bottle, resulting in a gorgeous cinnamony rosey pear-y flavor with that toasted Yerba Maté base.
Refrigerate, and enjoy!
If you're just starting your home-brewing journey, be sure to check out our selection of home-brewing essentials, including kits and scobys!