Many of us know of raw kombucha benefits. As we have been making homemade kombucha in order to get those benefits without the high cost of buying kombucha at the store. But in the process of learning how to make kombucha fizzy, sometimes we end up with some non fizzy kombucha. Sometimes we might have a lot of flat kombucha that we don't want to throw out. Is there something we can do with that flat non fizzy kombucha or is it totally ruined?
No worries my tea and herb-loving friends, I have good news! There is hope for your non fizzy kombucha and your DIY Kombucha making at home is NOT a failure!
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If you are new to kombucha and you are looking for a homemade kombucha recipe or a DIY kombucha brewing kit you might want to pin this post to save for after you have made your first batch or two of homemade kombucha. For those of you who have been trying to brew kombucha at home and save money on kombucha but have more than your share of flat kombucha, you have come to the right spot.
Kombucha can be a tricky thing to make. There are many variables that come into play when brewing your own fizzy kombucha at home. Things like heat, time of year, schedule when your brew will be done, sugar content, and more. Many people ask us questions like:
- How to make kombucha fizzy
- How long is kombucha good for after opening
- About Different Kombucha Flavor Ideas
- Raw Kombucha Benefits and
- How is Kombucha Good For you
- Does Kombucha go flat
The answer to does kombucha go flat? The answer is yes. Which I think is what brought you to our little place here on the web. But let's cover those other questions before we dive into the solutions for your flat non fizzy kombucha stash.
Raw Kombucha Benefits & How is kombucha good for you?
Kombucha not only tastes great and has that fizzy flavor that reminds us of soda/pop, but it also comes packed with powerful probiotics. While these probiotics from kombucha are transient (passing through the gut) and not staying permanently in the body, there have been many benefits shown when consumed consistently.
Kombucha contains the probiotic yeast S. Boullardi. A 2014 study shows that kombucha has probiotics and that probiotics can be helpful to digestive health and irritable bowel syndrome. Probiotics have also been shown to be beneficial to mental health. Given that our gut health and brain health are connected, that isn't too surprising.
Another study done in 2000 shows that the microbes in kombucha may prevent infections by killing off the harmful bacteria in the gut. 11 years later, in 2011, another study shows that the antioxidants in kombucha could aid in liver health and detoxification. Kombucha is very well known for its detoxifying effects on the liver. Good liver health is key to overall good health.
There are also studies showing that kombucha would aid in the management of type 2 diabetes, not just by cutting down or replacing sugar but also by improving health.
Green tea has been shown to aid in weight loss, so making your kombucha with a green tea instead of black tea could also help aid in weight management. Because of all of these things, along with the trademark fizziness, soda pop drinkers have switched to kombucha and found that they still get the same enjoyment from the fizziness while cutting out the processed sugars. Many have seen results in weight loss.
How long is kombucha good for after opening?
Whether you are buying your kombucha at the store ready-made or you're making your own homemade kombucha, it's important to know how long kombucha is good for after opening. I mean we have some fabulous recipe ideas for that flat non fizzy kombucha, but really the goal is to have a good fizzy kombucha to enjoy.
For commercially made kombucha that has been unopened, it will last about 2-3 months in the fridge give or take. If it has already been opened it will last a week but you will lose the fizzy aspect of your store-bought kombucha rather quickly just as if you left the cap off your soda pop bottle.
When making your kombucha from scratch at home it will last about 1 to 3 months depending on how you are storing it and how it is bottled. Again the amount of fizz is really going to depend on if your container is sealed or not as well as on how much sugar or sweet stuff the kombucha has to feed on during that time.
How to make kombucha fizzy?
Keeping your kombucha fizzy or making it fizzy really depends on one important thing. Sugar.
That could be white sugar, maple sugar, honey, fruit sugar, whatever kind of sweetener you choose to use in your original first fermentation as well as if you use any in your second fermentation. You see the sugar (whatever kind it may be) is the food for the kombucha. This is what it eats and in the process of eating it creates the fizz we all know and love in kombucha. The trick in taming the fizz is that we want the right amount in the right period of time.
Time is another factor. Kombucha that we store for 3 months in the fridge is likely to have eaten all of that food that. It needs and start to go flat or turn into kombucha vinegar.
Heat is the deciding factor in how fast kombucha goes through its food. If kombucha is hot it gets hungry. If it is cold it isn't so hungry so you can help the amount of fizz based on how hot or cold your kombucha brew is.
Ginger can be the secret weapon for making your kombucha fizzy. If all of the above seems to be on par for fizzy booch but your still not getting the fizz, ginger might be your answer. Ginger has naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeasts on it which feed the bugs in your kombucha, you can even just make a ginger bug with sugar water, known as a ginger bug.
Sometimes though we try all of those things and still end up with a lot of flat non fizzy kombucha. This is why you are here my friend, so let's take a look at some ways to use that tart kombucha vinegar, shall we?
Photo credit @kaylajoycreative
When your kombucha is too vinegary, it's time to turn it into something tasty and the best way to do this is to work with the flavor we already have on hand - vinegar flavor. Different kinds of vinegar are used all over the world for various different things and we can use our kombucha vinegar in the same way.
Aside from vinegar though we have also used our spent flat kombucha in other more tart recipes like this Peach Kombucha-rita Drink. A wonderful peach margarita mocktail with a little bit of a probiotic punch.
Kombucha vinegar could also be used in these Herbal Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies, as well as this Awesome Berry Syrup Recipe and in some of these D.I.Y. Electrolyte Drinks or this Kombucha Lemonade Recipe.
Now it's time to turn this sour kombucha into a kombucha vinegarette that just might make this your favorite kombucha salad dressing recipe!
Lemon Dill Probiotic Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup flat plain kombucha (non fizzy kombucha)
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- ½ tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp ground Farmhouse Teas Lamplighter Tea
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the stale kombucha, lemon juice, and shallot into a small bowl. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Add the dill, mustard, ground tea, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper.
- Whisk until combined. Serve on top of your favorite salad.
Photo credit @kaylajoycreative
This kombucha vinegarette recipe could certainly be adjusted with different tea and kombucha flavors. Just don't forget to change up the spices to match! A Coastal Cranberry Spice tea or Harvest Berry Tea would make a great kombucha vinegarette for a winter salad featuring apples and dried cranberries. This vinegarette could even be turned into marinades for chicken and summertime grilling. The possibilities are endless and left up to your imagination.
What has been your favorite way to use up your spent, flat, non fizzy kombucha? I'd love to know how you waste not want not with this tart kombucha ferment. Leave me a comment below to share!
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