Truthfully, it hadn’t occurred to me.

Honestly, I’m not really into traditional Dr Pepper. I’ve always been a coca cola girl. 

Heck, growing up some of the stories I remember my Dad retelling the most were about the days when he was a coca-cola delivery driver around the steep streets of Cumberland, Maryland.

But this homemade version of Dr Pepper? Oh. My. Word. Honestly, even my coke-devoted Dad would have loved this.

I’ve tried a lot of “healthy” sodas. I’ve made a ton of sodas. I’ve made soda-flavored kombuchas.

This Homemade Dr Pepper recipe takes the cake on all of them. It’s the best homemade/healthy soda I’ve ever had. Period.

In face, even my picky son-in-law (who will try all of my crazy concoctions but doesn’t usually like them) came back for a second cup of this homemade Dr Pepper. Incredible.

Homemade soda: Dr Pepper edition

There are lots of stories about the origin of Dr Pepper. The most circulated one is that an old-school pharmacist (you know, back when pharmacies used to also be soda fountains) simply mixed Coke and root beer and came up with Dr Pepper.

I don’t know if that story is true or not, but I tend to think maybe not. Dr Pepper seems to have it’s own, distinctive flavor. One of those distinctive flavors being cherry. My homemade Dr Pepper includes either dried or fresh/frozen cherries (your choice), which I personally think is what really takes it over the top, making it amazingly flavorful.

I love homemade coke and root beer, but I truly think this homemade Dr Pepper might be my new favorite homemade soda. It’s that good.

What’s in homemade Dr Pepper?

The ingredient list for homemade Dr Pepper looks rather long. But don’t let that intimidate you. They’re actually pretty simple ingredients that you can interchange if needed. And lots of the herbs/spices used can be found pretty easily. My favorite tea, herb, and adaptogen company sells most of the things you’ll need. We’ll talk about substitutions later on.

Homemade Dr pepper is made with herbs, spices, sweetener, and juice. This combo is really the jackpot of flavor combinations.

The ingredients are:

Cinnamon (for that little “kick”–I link the best option at the bottom of this article)

Nutmeg 

Cloves (for that rich warm-ness)

Cardamom

Anise

Ginger root (either fresh or dried works–I link the best dried option at the bottom of this article)

Pepper (for that dash of spiciness)

Cherries (fresh or dried, for that classic cherry flavor)

Coconut sugar (I link the best option at the bottom of this article, but you can use brown sugar too)

Vanilla & almond extract

Orange juice and lemon juice

See? it’s a long list but not a complicated list. And the homemade Dr Pepper is worth gathering up a few ingredients.

What’s wrong with regular Dr Pepper?

Although I think we all know by now that conventional soda isn’t a health food, let’s talk about a few of the reasons why avoiding “regular” Dr Pepper might be a good idea.

1. Super high sugar content. A 12 oz can has almost 40 grams of sugar. That’s almost twice what an adult female should consume per day! Not only is there tons of sugar in Dr Pepper, but it’s not real sugar, either. It’s high fructose corn syrup (best case), or artificial sweeteners in diet Dr Pepper. Safe to say that homemade Dr Pepper made with coconut sugar is much better for your body. Read more about the best sugars to use (and which ones to avoid) here.
2. Most conventional sodas also contain something called Phosphoric Acid. This is used as a acidic compound in sodas, but it also doubles as–get this–a rust remover/metal cleaner. It’s also used as chemical fertilizer. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather avoid drinking chemicals that double as rust removers, please. Phosphoric Acid is known to lower bone density and also erode tooth enamel. Go figure.
3. Caramel colorings. Almost all cola/soda contains caramel coloring, which doesn’t even impact the flavor, it’s simply for looks. It has been found to cause cancer in some animal studies. I’ll pass, thanks.
4. Artificial flavors–of all kinds. Unlike homemade Dr Pepper, the conventional kind isn’t made with real herbs and spices. It’s made with a nice chunk of artificial (and “natural”) flavors. Their blends of “natural” and artificial flavors don’t even have to be disclosed to us (the consumer), so we’re not even sure exactly what blend of chemicals we’re consuming when we crack open a “regular” Dr Pepper.

It’s safe to say that homemade Dr Pepper soda (made with real ingredients!) is much better for our bodies than “regular” Dr Pepper, which is loaded with corn syrup, artificial flavors, and caramel coloring.

How to make a homemade Dr Pepper syrup for soda

Making homemade Dr Pepper soda syrup is super easy.

Simply gather your ingredients (I source a lot of them from my favorite botanicals company), simmer the herbs and spices together in a saucepan with water, strain, sweeten, and you’re on your way to a delicious homemade Dr Pepper!

If you’re using dried ginger and cherries, it is possible to mix all of the herbs and spices together into a dry “Dr Pepper mix” and use as needed. You’d still want to add the extracts, sweetener, and lemon/orange juice when you actually make your syrup, but if you really love this soda and want to make it faster, try mixing up a big batch of the dry ingredients for later.

Tips for making Dr Pepper syrup

• You do want to make sure that you keep the lid on your pot while you’re simmering your syrup, or else too much moisture will evaporate, and you’ll have very little syrup left by the end. Keep your syrup simmering on med-low with the lid on, and you’ll wind up with perfect homemade Dr Pepper syrup every time.
• If you prefer to leave out the lemon juice at the end of the simmering, try adding lemon slices/rind to your syrup while it’s simmering instead.
• Store your finished syrup in the fridge. I like to throw it into a pint mason jar with a lid. If you’re not able to use all of the syrup up and you’re worried it might go bad, try freezing the syrup in portioned ice cube trays for later usage. Just add seltzer water!
• Play around with the ratios of spices you personally like best. If you like things “spicier” try upping the peppercorns and/or anise. Like things sweeter? Try adding more cherries, or even try adding other fruits like raspberries or strawberries. Make your Dr Pepper syrup your own!

How to make Dr Pepper from scratch

Making Dr Pepper from scratch is as simple as making sure you have all the ingredients. In fact, it’s even possible to grow some of your own ingredients for homemade sodas! I’m growing DIY coke ingredients in my medicinal drink garden this summer. How cool is that? Homemade, homegrown soda.

But I digress. You definitely don’t need to grow your own ingredients in order to enjoy a Dr Pepper made from scratch.

To make Dr Pepper from scratch:

1. Make your syrup
2. Add the syrup to a cup with ice
3. Pour in your sparkling water (either make your own with this handy soda machine or buy plain seltzer in cans)
4. Enjoy your Dr Pepper made from scratch

Is homemade soda healthier?

Making your own soda allows you complete control of what you’re drinking. Not only do you get the plus side of avoiding certain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and caramel coloring, but you also get to add good stuff like coconut sugar (which has antioxidants) and real ginger root (anti-inflammatory).

Homemade sodas also allows you to avoid the microplastics inevitably in soda cans and bottles. Straight from the ingredients, to the syrup, to the glass. No microplastics needed. (Homemade sodas are also better for the environment, avoiding wasteful single-use containers!)

Store bought sodas also tend to have added caffeine which just feels… unnecessary. Homemade sodas are naturally caffeine-free, which means you don’t need to worry about jitters, caffeine crashes, or mood swings.

Not is homemade soda healthier, but some homemade sodas wind up being cheaper to make than they would be to buy in the store. Which is crazy, especially considering homemade sodas are medicinal, and store bought ones… aren’t. Especially if you’re using a soda water machine instead of buying cans of soda water all the time, you might actually save money making your own sodas.

Dr Pepper syrup recipe

This homemade Dr Pepper recipe is made by mixing up a batch of herbal ingredients, simmering those ingredients together with some water, and adding sweetener. Then you’ve had a homemade Dr Pepper syrup, which you can use several ways (see below).

Dr. Pepper syrup is made with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, anise, ginger root, black pepper, cherries, coconut sugar, vanilla & almond extract, orange juice and lemon juice.

I’ve gotten complaints that this recipe has too many ingredients in it, but the truth is that most of these things you probably have on hand. And anything you need to purchase will last a long time. Although there’s a long list of herbs and flavors in homemade Dr pepper syrup, there’s not a large amount of any of them.

How to use Dr Pepper syrup

You can use Dr pepper syrup in more ways than you think;

• add seltzer water to make Dr pepper soda
• add the Dr pepper syrup to a latte or iced coffee (just add a splash of the syrup to your coffee in place of sweetener)
• make Dr pepper floats with ice cream
• make homemade Dr Pepper ice cream (use my maple ice cream recipe, but substitute 1/2 cup Dr pepper syrup in place of the maple syrup. Yum!)
• turn your regular homemade Dr pepper into a “dirty” soda by adding a splash of cream and an extra splash of lemon juice, if desired
• make a Dr Pepper chocolate cake, adding the syrup either to the cake batter and/or the icing
• use the syrup to make a Dr Pepper milkshake–ice cream + syrup + milk
• as a sweet glaze on a ham roast

Homemade Dr Pepper Kombucha

Another benefit to homemade sodas is that you can actually RE-USE the ingredients! How cool is that. You don’t only get one batch of soda, but you can save the (strained) herbs and spices used to make your soda syrup, place them in a container in the fridge, and flavor kombucha second ferments all week long.

I use a few tablespoons of the Dr Pepper leftover ingredients per half gallon jar of kombucha, and it’s always super flavorful. Dr Pepper kombucha, anyone? Yes, please.

If you don’t want to make your own version of Dr Pepper kombucha (or even if you don’t feel like mixing or gathering up all the Dr Pepper soda syrup ingredients, you can use this pre-mixed Dr Pepper flavored tea instead.)

Homemade Dr Pepper kombucha is essentially a naturally fermented Dr Pepper soda. It’s one of my favorite kombucha flavors.

If you’d like to make naturally fermented teas and sodas but are intimidated by the process, I’ve written Kombucha Academy for folks just like you. Use the code “soulyrested” to start making kombucha at home, at a discount.

How to make Dr Pepper kombucha

1. Add 1-2 tablespoons of simmered soda syrup herbs and spices to a jar with 1st ferment kombucha
2. Allow to sit overnight or 12-24 hours for maximum flavor
3. Enjoy your naturally-fermented Dr Pepper kombucha!

Does homemade Dr pepper taste good?

Apparently folks have a LOT of opinions about homemade sodas.

Since this post went viral, I’ve found the self-righteous people (“why on earth would you drink SODA anyways?? I personally haven’t bought soda since 1975…”), the people who adore the Dr pepper recipe and say their family loves it (same!), the folks who try it and say “THAT doesn’t taste EXACTLY like Dr pepper!!,” and even the “why would I spend money on ingredients to make something that costs $3 at the store” peeps.

So, I’ve heard it all by now. And honestly? 

Homemade Dr pepper doesn’t taste exactly like the real thing. (Gasp!)

And the funny thing is, I never claimed it was an exact match.

All I said is that my family loves this recipe as a nutritious alternative to an otherwise overly-processed drink.

The truth is, homemade shouldn’t taste exactly like the “real” thing. (By the way, which one is actually more “real” anyways?) If my homemade, medicinal, nutritious Dr Pepper tasted exactly like the one out of the can? I’d be disappointed. So, no, this doesn’t taste EXACTLY like store bought Dr. Pepper. But I like it my way better.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

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Dr Pepper Recipe (homemade soda)

Ingredients

To simmer:

• 1½ cups water
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon chips (linked below)
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 whole star anise pod
• 1 tablespoon dried ginger root
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 1/3 cup dried cherries OR 1 cup fresh/frozen cherries

After simmering:

• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Simmer the spices and water in a covered saucepan for about 20 minutes on med-low.
• Strain the chunks out of the syrup, making sure to get all the syrup out of the cherries. Add the sugar while the syrup is still warm.
• Stir in the extracts and juices.
• Store syrup in a jar in the fridge for 2+ weeks.

To make a Dr Pepper soda:

• Add ¼ cup syrup to roughly 8 oz (or about 1 cup) seltzer water.*

Notes

*You can either use soda machine to make carbonated water for your Dr pepper, or you can purchase cans/bottles of plain seltzer to use instead.

Notes about this Dr. Pepper recipe

I started growing my own anise to use in this recipe and it works great. I dry the plant and use both the leaves and the tiny flowers. Both taste like licorice. Read more about what else I grow in my Medicinal Drink Garden.

Feel free to use fresh ginger root in place of the dried ginger, if you have it on hand. You’ll need about 3 TB of fresh.

You can choose an unflavored or (my preference) cherry seltzer water to make your glass of soda or I use this soda machine.

Some ingredients I use to make Dr. Pepper at home

* Use code SOULYRESTED for 15% off your entire first order of $100 or more with Azure Standard, delivered to a drop near you.

More like Dr Pepper Recipe–Homemade Soda:

• DIY Coke: yes, you can make your own delicious soda
• One Drink we Need to Ditch (podcast episode)
• Homemade Root Beer (with REAL ingredients)
• How to make tea blends
• Homemade chai latte: 3 easy ways

The post Dr Pepper recipe: Homemade soda first appeared on Souly Rested.

Can I make elderberry syrup to use in kombucha?

While you can definitely buy amazing elderberry syrup, you can also make your own. Here’s my recipe for how to make your own elderberry syrup, with maple syrup as the sweetener.

If you don’t have elderberry bushes in your neck of the woods, no fret, you still have options:

You can purchase organic dried elderberries.

You can purchase organic elderberry syrup.

Listen in to this podcast episode for lots more information about elderberry.

How do I find elderberry bushes and forage elderberries?

Look for the tall, round shrubs covered in white wispy blooms in mid to end of July here in New England. And the tiny deep purple berries cover the shrub in end of August around here.

Listen in to this podcast episode for lots more details about elderberries and how to forage for them.

Is Kombucha even better for you with elderberry syrup?

Kombucha is an amazing elixir.

Kombucha can help you fight off colds and flus because it’s fermented tea. It’s filled with good bacteria and yeast that boost your immune system and contribute to a healthy gut.

Add in elderberry syrup and your kombucha will pack quite an amazing punch, because elderberry syrup offers vitamin A and C, potassium, folate, calcium, iron, fiber, flavonoids, and antioxidants. I make my elderberry syrup with maple syrup for added polyphenols–which do a great job fighting viruses as well. (Or you can buy elderberry syrup made with maple syrup!)

How can I add elderberry syrup to kombucha?

It’s super simple, really, just add about 2 TB of elderberry syrup to every cup’s worth of your kombucha you’re using for a second ferment. While it’s wonderfully delicious just like that, you can have fun playing with other complimentary flavors to add along with the elderberry syrup. Here are some of my favorite recipe combinations:

How can I add elderberry syrup to kombucha?

Recipes for Elderberry Kombucha

All recipes are for making a second-ferment elderberry kombucha in a 1/2-gallon-size mason jar. For more info on DIY kombucha: Simple DIY Kombucha

Mango Elderberry Kombucha

Mango Elderberry is one of my current FAVORITE kombucha flavorings that I make. You’ll need:

• 1 tsp mango flavoring for kombucha (find it here and use code SOULYRESTED for 10% off)
• 1/4 cup elderberry syrup (this is my all-time favorite and use code SOULYRESTED for 15% off!)
• first-ferment kombucha to fill 1/2 gallon jar

Orange Elderberry Kombucha

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup elderberry syrup
• first-ferment kombucha to fill 1/2 gallon jar

Elderberry Sage Kombucha

• 1/2 TB crushed dry sage leaves
• 1/4 cup elderberry syrup
• first-ferment kombucha to fill 1/2 gallon jar

Elderberry Mint Kombucha

• 1/2 TB crushed dry mint leaves
• 1/4 cup elderberry syrup
• first-ferment kombucha to fill 1/2 gallon jar

Strawberry Elderberry Kombucha

• 3-4 frozen strawberries, cut up
• 1/4 cup elderberry syrup
• first-ferment kombucha to fill 1/2 gallon jar

More Things You’ll Love:

How to make elderberry syrup yourself, sweetened with maple syrup

Where to buy the best elderberry syrup (use code SOULYRESTED for 15% off!)

Our family’s favorite kombucha recipes

My complete Pantry List for you to download and make your own

Kombucha Academy--you’ll be saving money and making your own delicious kombucha in just days.

He has given food to those who fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever. Psalm 111:5

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I’m about to show you something that will change the way you look at soda forever.

Can you really make homemade soda?

I don’t know when I last had a soda (I do give into my temptation a few times a year, probably), but today I had a crazy obsession for coke, so I knew today was the day to give this homemade soda idea a try.

So I started googling, and searching my pantry, and googling more for substitutes for many things I didn’t have on hand.

The result? Well I have a quart jar of soda syrup stashed in the fridge, I’m on my second glass of this DIY coke, and I’m in LOVE.

I also have a 1/2-gallon jar of DIY Coke Kombucha fermenting as we speak… more on that below.

Edit to add: If you’re here for ALL the homemade soda, don’t miss my Homemade Root Beer Recipe AND my VIRAL homemade Dr Pepper recipe.

Is Homemade soda better for you?

Most of the soft drinks on the market today are essentially liquid cocaine. Scientific studies have shown that they induce cravings that are comparable to addictive drugs. (source) We dove deep into this in episode 11 of season 3 of the podcast. 

So yes, homemade soda is much better for you. You are in charge of every ingredient, so you know exactly what is in your homemade soda. And, maybe most importantly, you can choose how to sweeten your homemade soda. You can choose to use an all-natural sugar that won’t spike your blood sugar level, which is what leads to so many problems and you can choose how much sugar. My goal is to slowly wean down the amount of sugar I’m using in our homemade soda so it’s even better for us.

How to make your own soda?

You have choices. You can pull together the ingredients yourself or you can use an all-natural syrup mix. Both are great options and I’ll walk you through both.

First, let’s start with the from-scratch option. I bet you have all of these things in your kitchen right now. Well, maybe not the lavender. But that’s okay. Read the recipe notes for substitution ideas for lavender, as well as many other items on this list.

If you’d rather opt for purchasing a completely natural, pre-mixed coke soda mix, this one is amazing. Not only is it made with the same quality of ingredients you’d stock your own kitchen with, but purchases support a small family-run business. Plus I even have a code just for my readers (“soulyrested”).

Oh, one thing you won’t find in either version of this DIY coke? Caramel color. Yeah, I’ll skip the cancer-causing, oh-so-bad-for-me ingredient that you find in every can of coke, and I’ll be perfectly happy with a yellow colored glass of soda.

More of a root beer fan? Get my root beer recipe here.

Can you buy a kit for making homemade soda?

YES! If you don’t want to try to source your ingredients and make your own cola syrup, you can absolutely buy a mix from a trusted, small-family business that I have been ordering from for many years. In fact, after years of making my own cola syrup, I heard that Farmhouse Teas came out with this Kola Syrup Mix and I knew instantly I had to try it. (Use code SOULYRESTED to save $$, if you want to try it out. Oh, and they make other delicious teas and a root beer syrup kit! If you spend $59 or more shipping is free!)

This syrup, when combined with carbonated water, tastes just like a tall, cold glass of Coke. BUT you get to choose the sugars you use, so you can make it with all-natural sugar options that don’t spike your blood sugar level.

Better yet, this Kola Syrup Mix is made with medicinal ingredients, not addictive ones. It’s made of powder from a nut that grows in West Africa that is world-renowned for providing energy, reducing appetite, and helping manage depression and anxiety.

While I’m not saying a glass of this will solve all your problems, it sure is a delicious step in that direction.

One Kola Syrup Kit will make 4 quarts of syrup, total, which means each kit makes about 13 2L amounts of homemade soda.

And bonus, if you care about the color of your soda, unlike my from-scratch soda, this soda even almost has the caramel color of Coke, since it’s made with kola nut powder.

Is homemade soda cheaper?

Because my Homemade Soda Syrup makes a whole quart of syrup, and you only need 1 TB for a cup of soda, it’s always going to be cheaper than buying Coke. Plus, you can make exactly how much you want instead of opening a whole 2L of soda and winding up with a flat drink that noone wants to drink before the 2L is empty.

If you make homemade soda with the Kola Syrup Mix that I love I’m very happy to report that you can make a 2-liter’s-worth of homemade soda for $2.99 worth of syrup. I don’t know about where you live, but we would have to pay that much at our local store for a 2L of Coke and this homemade soda is FAR superior and SO much better for our family.

I’m even going to try to grow some of the ingredients for making DIY soda in my garden this year… More about that here: Growing Herbs for Tea (& more)

Can you make cola kombucha?

Yes! You can make kombucha that either option above, the from-scratch recipe I share or the Kola Syrup Kit.

Cola kombucha recipe:

Combine 1/4 cup of soda syrup with 1/2 gallon of first ferment kombucha. Let sit at room temperature 1-3 days. (Find out more about how much money you save making your own kombucha here.)

Or, for another alternative, keep the ingredients you strain out of your sauce pan (the ginger and lavender), and steep that in 1 gallon of first ferment kombucha for 1-3 days at room temperature

Soda kombucha, without second ferment:

Combine soda syrup and first ferment kombucha, 1 TB syrup per every 1 cup kombucha, and enjoy immediately. (And here’s another floral kombucha recipe you might love.)

How long does homemade syrup last?

Homemade syrup lasts for a week or two in the fridge. But it can last for a year or longer if you want to freeze it.

It’s super easy to freeze your homemade soda syrup ! Simply fill ice cube trays with your soda syrup and freeze until solid. Store cubes in freezer-safe container and use 2-3 cubes in a tall glass of cherry seltzer water for the most amazing ice-cold homemade Cherry Coke you can imagine.

How do you make soda without a machine?

While I love our soda machine, it is new to us and I’ve been making homemade soda for years. Simply add a can of carbonated seltzer water to your syrup, no machine necessary. If you do have a soda machine, I don’t recommend adding your syrup to the machine. Unless you like volcanic-like explosions. Simply carbonate cold water and add that to your syrup.

What are the steps in making coke?

I have no idea what steps are included in making genuine Coca-Cola, and the ingredient list is closely guarded. But I’ve worked at creating a delicious drink my family enjoys that sure does taste a lot like the real deal.

And I’m going to break down exactly how I do it. Because, well, the world needs a Coke substitute that has zero junk. If you’re ready to skip the dyes and artificial ingredients and enjoy a guilt-free refreshing soda, here are the steps you need to know…

Homemade Soda Recipe

• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp anise extract (or see notes for substitution)
• 1 tsp dried lavender (save $$ with code SOULYRESTED)
• 4 tsp minced ginger
• 1 TB vanilla extract (I love this one)
• 3/4 tsp white vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1 3/4 cups maple syrup

Combine all ingredients except the maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain out the solids.

Pour into a quart jar and let cool.

Add the maple syrup and stir.

Keep refrigerated for up to a month.

Yield: 1 quart of soda syrup

To make homemade soda, combine 1 tablespoon of your homemade soda syrup with 1 cup of seltzer water or club soda. Serve over ice.

Or, we love making our own carbonated water too. This is our soda machine. I love it because I can use my own ingredients (usually fruit) to make any flavor of bubbly water I want. (Most soda machines don’t let you add ingredients to the machine.)

Sidenote: I source most of my ingredients from Azure Standard. Go here to find out how this independent food supply chain is fixing a broken food system and connecting food suppliers directly to consumers.

Homemade Soda NOTES

• Substitute 1/2 tsp anise extract with  1/4 tsp allspice.
• Swap in a ¼ teaspoon allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg for every tablespoon of fresh ginger. Or substitute 1/4 tsp ground ginger for every 1 TB fresh ginger.
• Or use 1/4 tsp turmeric powder in place of the 4 tsp fresh ginger in this recipe.
• If you want to always be prepared to make this, consider grating some fresh ginger and freezing it.
• You could substitute honey in place of maple syrup.
• Dried lavender leaves can be used instead of lavender flowers. But I love the great quality of these lavender flowers if you’d like to stock up on some. Use code SOULYRESTED and save.
• If you don’t have lavender on hand, or maybe are waiting on these great lavender flowers that you ordered, you could try an equal amount of a few other herbs instead that might work pretty well. (If you try one, please let me know!): rosemary, lemon thyme, or mint.
• Have fun trying all different flavors of seltzer, make lime coke, strawberry coke, orange coke, you name it… my favorite is black cherry coke. Mmmmmm.
• If you splurge on a carbonated water machine–we LOVE this one–then you can really experiment with lots of neat flavors that you make (I just made a raspberry ginger coke… so good!).
• I source many of these ingredients from Azure Standard. Go here to find out how this independent food supply chain is fixing a broken food system and connecting food suppliers directly to consumers.
• All the ingredients for this homemade soda are included on my Pantry Checklist, which is also loaded with discount codes for you on all my favorite real food ingredients. Download your own Pantry Checklist right here.

Print

DIY Coke-homemade soda

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp anise extract or see notes for substitution
• 1 tsp dried lavender
• 4 tsp minced ginger
• 1 TB vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp white vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1 3/4 cups maple syrup

Instructions

To make homemade soda syrup:

• Combine all ingredients except the maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and strain out the solids.
• Pour into a quart jar and let cool.
• Add the maple syrup and stir.
• Keep refrigerated for up to a month.

To make homemade soda WITH your syrup:

• To make homemade soda, combine 1 tablespoon of your homemade soda syrup with 1 cup of seltzer water or club soda. Serve over ice.

Notes

• Substitute 1/2 tsp anise extract with  1/4 tsp allspice.
• Swap in a ¼ teaspoon allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg for every tablespoon of fresh ginger. Or substitute 1/4 tsp ground ginger for every 1 TB fresh ginger.
• Or use 1/4 tsp turmeric powder in place of the 4 tsp fresh ginger in this recipe.
• If you want to always be prepared to make this, consider grating some fresh ginger and freezing it.

This is the organic dried ginger I use if I don’t have fresh grated ginger available. (Use code SOULYRESTED)

If you like homemade soda, you’ll love these drink recipes:

Homemade gatorade

Homemade Healthy Tea Blend that Tastes Like Coffee

Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix

One Drink we Need to Ditch (podcast episode)

Homemade Root Beer Recipe (with REAL ingredients!)

Dr Pepper recipe: homemade soda

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13

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“Real food is seasonal, yet our society insists on having all flavors available at all times. But it’s the out-of-season time that makes ripe, off-the-vine taste more appealing. It’s the eleven months of unavailability that makes just-picked food so delicious. Sadly, we’re out of sync with the seasonal nature of food, and we’ve forgotten that real food is wonderful.” (excerpt from my book, Sweet Maple)

I’m crazy about seasonal flavors, and I love making my kombucha with the tastes of summer.

One of my favorites is Strawberry Dandelion Kombucha. Trust me. You want to try this. Scroll down for the complete recipe.

Don’t forget about the first ferment…

Before I share my recipe for Strawberry Dandelion Kombucha, I have to point out that while the second ferment flavor is fun to experiment with, it’s your FIRST ferment that can truly make or break your kombucha.

• You want to use the right teas for the taste your family loves. I list all our favorites here.
• You want to know how to ferment it for the right amount of time, both in the first and the second ferments.
• And you want to consider what first ferment teas go best with your second ferment flavors.

DIY kombucha is easy! (unless it’s not…)

Don’t let my little list above overwhelm you. I spent years learning and perfecting all of these details.

…I threw rotten-tasting kombucha down the drain.

…I used the wrong teas.

…And, I killed a scoby.

But once I realized the easy tips and tricks to perfect kombucha every. stinkin. time. I knew I had to share everything with you.

Because it’s SO EASY guys! I created this 12-module Master Class to walk you through all I wish I had known when I first started making kombucha.

Since I released this Master Class (which was years in the making!), folks from around the world are messaging me that they had no idea just how easy perfect DIY kombucha could be, and their families are loving their brews.

Success.

5 tips for making the best flavors of kombucha:

1. Experiment with your first ferment teas. Don’t think you should always and only use black tea. Not only is that not true, but you will eventually run into some difficulties with your brew and you’re missing out of so many possible, wonderful flavors! (I explain all you want to know about choosing your first ferment teas in my master class: Simple DIY Kombucha.)
2. Try some dried flowers in your second ferment. Seriously. (You’ll strain them out before you drink it, but the flavor they leave behind can be wonderful.)
3. Add your favorite fruit juices in your second ferment. Heck, combine a few of your favorites in one bottle of kombucha!
4. Start with the best teas. Both the 3 Sisters and the Mossy Rock teas you’ll find here are wonderful teas that compliment many second ferment flavorings.
5. Consider adding flavored teas for second ferment flavor. This one is one of my favorites! Or pick your own here and take 20% off your first order with the exclusive code MICHELLE.

If all of this seems like jargon…

• Maybe you’re not sure what first and second ferment means,
• Or you have no idea how to build up a carbonation in your kombucha,
• And maybe you bulk at what flavors to use to make delicious combinations…

No worries! I put this all together for you in one simple place.

And, bonus, after you’re made just a few batches you will have more than saved the cost of this Master Class! You’ll be making your own DIY kombucha for just pennies a batch.

Read here for my cost analysis of DIY vs. store-bought kombucha. It’s really crazy how much you save by doing it yourself.

Strawberry Dandelion Kombucha

Make your first ferment using a combination of white, rooibos, and black teas (I link to my favorites here.)

Then, for a 1/2-gallon second ferment, add:

1/4 cup dandelion syrup (see how to make any floral simple syrup here)

6 strawberries (frozen, then cut up)

Combine and let sit at room temperature for at least 6 hours, or up to many days, and enjoy!

Other Articles You’ll Enjoy:

My favorite DIY kombucha flavor in the SPRING

All my favorite SUMMER Kombucha flavors

Four More Delicious Ways to Use Fresh Strawberries

Save hundreds of dollars & hours of time every month when making kombucha

Talk to me!

If you have any questions, leave a comment below. And please tag me (with the hashtag #simpleDIYkombucha) on ig to show me your delicious kombucha flavors @souly.rested.

Pin this for later!

Click on the image below to pin this post.

 

“He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:9

 

Find out why SoulyRested was considered to be one of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018 and then one of the Top Homesteading Blogs of 2021 as well.

 

 

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

 

 

 

 

The post Strawberry Dandelion Kombucha first appeared on Souly Rested.

And if you stumbled upon this article but don’t know how to make your own kombucha yet, check out Simple DIY Kombucha. It will fill you in on every detail you need to be off and running fast and effectively, saving lots of time & hundreds of dollars a month.

Can I use tap water for making kombucha?

The answer is a wholehearted “yes,” you can use tap water for making kombucha IF your water isn’t treated with chlorine.

So, essentially, if you have well water coming into your home, you can make your kombucha with water right out of your faucet.

The only real problem with tap water in kombucha is the chlorine.* While it’s great at killing bad pathogens in our water (see more info here, if you’re interested) it’s also great at killing all bacteria, including the GOOD bacteria that makes up your scoby.

*EDITED TO ADD: A follower on my instagram page pointed out that some tap water now contains Chlormine, which is more stable than chlorine and therefore not removed by evaporation. I dug into a few scientific studies about this additive (here’s one study). And I found that you can filter chlormine out with a charcoal filter (like a pitcher filter), or neutralize it with tablets (like sodium- or potassium-metabisulfite Campden tablets).

Does tap water harm my SCOBY?

Since chlorine, found in all treated water, doesn’t discriminate and isn’t able to discern the good bacteria in your scoby from the bad bacteria that might be present in the water, you definitely don’t want any chlorinated tap water near your DIY kombucha.

Yes, the chlorine will kill your scoby, over time.

Is there any way to use treated water for making kombucha?

There are 3 ways you can safely use treated tap water for making kombucha.

Having explained all that, I’ll fill you in on one more detail… if you have well water (which we do), you don’t need to worry about any of this. Because, of course, you don’t treat your well water with chlorine.

But if #3 intrigues you, I DO have an RO system, if you’d like to know more about what we do with our RO system, this is my most popular post ever–all about RO and how a sugarmaker uses an RO system.

And here’s all the rest of The Tools I Use the Most in my Farmhouse Kitchen.

Other Articles You’ll Enjoy:

How to Give the Gift of Kombucha

My family’s favorite kombucha recipes of all time

How much money will you REALLY save by making your own kombucha?

Save hundreds of dollars & hours of time every month when making kombucha

 

Talk to me!

If you have any questions, leave a comment below. And please tag me (with the hashtag #simpleDIYkombucha) on ig to show me your delicious kombucha flavors @souly.rested.

 

Pin this for later!

Click on the image below to pin this post.

“Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” Isaiah 55:1

 

Find out why SoulyRested was considered to be one of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018 and then one of the Top Homesteading Blogs of 2019 as well.

And check out the time-saving, stress-reducing things I wouldn’t want to live without in my farmhouse kitchen, sugarbush, gardens, and more.

 

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

 

The post Can I use tap water for making kombucha? first appeared on Souly Rested.

I’m paddle boarding daily, before the New England lake water gets too frigid for my bare toes. I’m in the garden. A lot. And I’m drinking all my favorite summer flavored kombucha.

Don’t forget about the first ferment…

Before I list the best summer flavors for kombucha, I have to point out that while the second ferment flavor is fun to experiment with, it’s your FIRST ferment that can truly make or break your kombucha.

• You want to use the right teas for the taste your family loves. I list all our favorites here.
• You want to know how to ferment it for the right amount of time, both in the first and the second ferments.
• And you want to consider what first ferment teas go best with your second ferment flavors.

DIY kombucha is easy! (unless it’s not…)

Don’t let my little list above overwhelm you. I spent years learning and perfecting all of these details.

…I threw rotten-tasting kombucha down the drain.

…I used the wrong teas.

…And, I killed a scoby.

But once I realized the easy tips and tricks to perfect kombucha every. stinkin. time. I knew I had to share everything with you.

Because it’s SO EASY guys! I created this 12-module Master Class to walk you through all I wish I had known when I first started making kombucha.

Since I released this Master Class (which was years in the making!), folks from around the world are messaging me that they had no idea just how easy perfect DIY kombucha could be, and their families are loving their brews.

Success.

5 tips for making the best flavors of kombucha:

1. Experiment with your first ferment teas. Don’t think you should always and only use black tea. Not only is that not true, but you will eventually run into some difficulties with your brew and you’re missing out of so many possible, wonderful flavors! (I explain all you want to know about choosing your first ferment teas in my master class: Simple DIY Kombucha.)
2. Try some dried flowers in your second ferment. Seriously. (You’ll strain them out before you drink it, but the flavor they leave behind can be wonderful.)
3. Add your favorite fruit juices in your second ferment. Heck, combine a few of your favorites in one bottle of kombucha!
4. Start with the best teas. Both the 3 Sisters and the Mossy Rock teas you’ll find here are wonderful teas that compliment many second ferment flavorings.
5. Consider adding flavored teas for second ferment flavor. This one is one of my favorites!

If all of this seems like jargon…

• Maybe you’re not sure what first and second ferment means,
• Or you have no idea how to build up a carbonation in your kombucha,
• And maybe you bulk at what flavors to use to make delicious combinations…

No worries! I put this all together for you in one simple place.

And, bonus, after you’re made just a few batches you will have more than saved the cost of this Master Class! You’ll be making your own DIY kombucha for just pennies a batch.

Read here for my cost analysis of DIY vs. store-bought kombucha. It’s really crazy how much you save by doing it yourself.

What are the best flavors for DIY kombucha in the summer?

There are so many wonderful kombucha flavors that taste perfect in the summer. (Please leave a comment on this post and share YOUR favorites!) But here are some of our family’s favorites:

• Orange & vanilla (think creamsicle!)
• Peach basil
• Ginger
• Ginger peach
• Lemon
• Blueberry
• Blueberry ginger
• Blueberry mint
• Raspberry
• Raspberry mint
• Blueberry raspberry mint
• Grapefruit rosemary

What is THE best flavor for summer kombucha?

My favorite DIY kombucha flavor that yells “summer” to me?

Lemon Lavender… the chunks of lemon provide such a refreshingness, and the lavender is YUM. This kombucha tastes like floral lemonade y’all, and it’s perfect to sip while sitting in the shade on a gorgeous summer day.

Lemon Lavender Kombucha (perfect for summer!)

Make your first ferment using a combination of white, rooibos, and black teas (I link to my favorites here.)

Then, for a 1/2-gallon second ferment, add:

1 TB organic lavender lemon tea

1/4 tsp lemon juice

Let sit for 24-72 hours then enjoy, when the carbonation and taste is just the way you like it.

Totally DIY version, for similar flavor:

1 TB dried lavender

1 tsp lemon juice (or a few chunks of fresh lemon)

And a Lemon Lavender Chamomile that is wonderful:

1 TB organic lavender chamomile tea

1 tsp lemon juice (or a few chunks of fresh lemon)

Other Articles You’ll Enjoy:

My favorite DIY kombucha flavor in the SPRING

My family’s favorite kombucha recipes.

How much money will you REALLY save by making your own kombucha?

Save hundreds of dollars & hours of time every month when making kombucha

The Tools I Use the Most in my Farmhouse Kitchen

Talk to me!

If you have any questions, leave a comment below. And please tag me (with the hashtag #simpleDIYkombucha) on ig to show me your delicious kombucha flavors @souly.rested.

Pin this for later!

Click on the image below to pin this post.

“He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:9

 

Find out why SoulyRested was considered to be one of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018 and then one of the Top Homesteading Blogs of 2019 as well.

 

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

The post The Best Summer Flavors for DIY Kombucha first appeared on Souly Rested.

Aside from Bill, who is my favorite sugarmaker but not a soul-mate when it comes to loving kombucha, our family loves kombucha.

Okay, I’ll just admit it, Bill refuses to taste kombucha. He just can’t get over the look of that scoby. But that’s fine, it leaves more for me and the girls. Before we dive into my favorite kombucha recipes, you may want to know more about how to make kombucha and the products I use.

My course, Simple DIY Kombucha breaks down every detail you could ever want to know about making kombucha–perfectly every time–at home. And  you can go here to find out the full scoop on every product I use for making kombucha.

Enjoy 10% off this organic scoby for your kombucha using code SOULYRESTED.

And take 10% off this kombucha starter kit using code SOULYRESTED10.

Our favorite kombucha flavors

Since we have so many we love, today I’m sharing with you some of the favorite flavors that are often brewing on the kitchen counter in our little farmhouse.

But I am holding back a little on you… the best of the best recipes are only in my totally FREE kombucha e-course , which you can sign up for in a hot second at that link or at the bottom of this article.

These measurements in the recipes here are all for a 33-ounce second ferment bottle. I decided that was the best way to offer you the recipes, since I always recommend folks start fermenting kombucha with flip-top bottles like these. (affiliate link) With their tight seals and thin bottle necks, they’re great at building up carbonation. And who doesn’t want their homemade kombucha on the extra bubbly side, am I right?

Once you become more of an expert at brewing, you’ll discover what ingredients aid in carbonation and you’ll have lots of tricks up your sleeve for great success, even using mason jars for brewing. If you’d like to learn from my failures experimentation and research, check out my crash course (and the amazing bonuses that come with it) right here–>  Simple DIY Kombucha.

Citrus Rosemary

 1/4 cup of chopped tangerines and 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

This is my personal favorite. I think. I really shouldn’t try to pick a favorite though, because I’m pretty sure I’ll have a new favorite in a few weeks.

Maple Apple Pie

1/4 cup diced frozen apple pieces, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon maple syrup 

This one is Kayla’s favorite. She’s my teen-homestead-mentor who inspires me to do something amazing almost daily.

While you can use these flavors with first ferments that you’ve made with any variety of teas and sweeteners, I prefer to start this second ferment with a first ferment that I’ve made with one of these specially-blended kombucha teas and maple syrup. (Use code SOULYRESTED on both and save $$!)

If you’d like to make your own maple kombucha, you will need to grow your own maple scoby (it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds). In my last post I gave you the full directions for growing a maple scoby.

Blueberry Ginger

1/8-1/4 cup frozen blueberries and roughly 1 teaspoon finely diced fresh ginger

This one is Hayley’s favorite. Hayley is my youngest but possibly most creative daughter, at least with words and a camera. Check out her youtube channel here if you’d like a view of homesteading from a teen’s perspective.

Strawberry Ginger

1/8-1/4 cup frozen strawberries and 1 teaspoon finely diced fresh ginger

Okay, maybe this one is my favorite. Yeah, I’m just gonna stop trying to choose, cause I had to include this one too.

Strawberry Mojito

1 tablespoon lime juice (or small chunks of a lime), 1/4 cup strawberry chunks, and 1/2 tablespoon dried mint

This recipe is Wilma’s favorite. Wilma is a sweet, older friend who watched my kombucha obsession from the side lines for a while. Until she was over for dinner one evening and decided to put her reservations aside and give it a try. I had quite a few flavors on hand that night. (I try to plan ahead when I know we’ll have company over and make multiple flavors for a kind of kombucha smorgasboard.) She sampled them all and knew with certainty that strawberry mojito was her absolute favorite. I often take the super easy way out when making my strawberry mojito (especially if I don’t have limes on hand). I love the strawberry mojito flavored tea that Ceanne expertly blends over at Farmhouse Teas (and all the others too for that matter). I just add about 1/2 teaspoon of this tea to my 33-ounce bottle.

If you want to try this amazing option, make sure you use the coupon code SOULYRESTED for 10% off your strawberry mojito teas and anything else your heart desires over at Farmhouse Teas.

Elderberry

1/4 cup elderberry syrup

This recipes is everyone’s favorite and I love that it adds even more immunity-boosting umph with this amazing elderberry syrup that you can make yourself with these dried berries. Of course you can purchase elderberry syrup too. Use code SOULYRESTED for 15% off already amazing prices on all things “elderberry” with this amazing small business.

Lemon Lavender

1 tsp lavender lemon kombucha tea

This recipe is Eliya’s favorite. Eliya is a friend of Kayla’s and Hayley’s who–yes, it’s a little unusual for a teen boy–loves kombucha. I got him hooked when he spied all the colorful creations on our kitchen counter and asked to sample them. While it took him numerous tastes of almost all of them, he declares Lemon Lavender his favorite. (He even went full-blown-test-test-mode and did a blind test. Yeah, I guess the teens were a little bored that summer afternoon.)

In Eliya’s honor, be sure to use coupon code SOULYRESTED on your lavender lemon tea (or anything else that looks great to you) for 10% off. Whooo Hooo!

Of course this barely scratches the surface of the kombucha recipes I’m creating weekly around here.

More of our favorite kombucha recipes:

• We love the taste of summer in a glass of kombucha when we brew some Blueberry Lilac Kombucha.
• Or Blueberry Mint is just as heavenly and just as summery. Add 1 TB frozen blueberries and 1 tsp dried mint to a 1/2-gallon jar of kombucha.
• Orange Creamsicle is pretty much loved by everyone… Add a 1/4 cup frozen citrus pieces and 1 tsp vanilla to 1/2-gallon jar of kombucha.
• We are big on all simple yet fruity flavors and this Rose Berry Kombucha really hits the spot for being super, simply refreshing.
• Raspberry Lilac is yummy, made with 1-2 TB frozen raspberries and 1/4-1/2 cup of lilac syrup.
• This one I call New England Springtime and it is wonderful: 1-2 TB frozen blueberries and 1/4 cup lilac forsythia syrup.
• My favorite drink with breakfast (especially if it’s buttermilk pancakes drizzled in maple syrup)? Orange Forsythia Kombucha. I add my first-ferment kombucha; 1/4 cup frozen, chopped oranges; and 1/4 cup of my maple forsythia syrup to 1/2-gallon jar. So yummy!
• Rhubarb kombucha is delicious. In spring I enjoy a lot of it, when I have easy-to-make Rhubarb Simple Syrup on hand. Just add 1/4 cup of the syrup to your 1/2-gallon second ferment.

More kombucha goodness you’ll love:

Listen in as I spill the beans about a perfect cup of kombucha.

Go here to find out the full scoop on every product I use for making kombucha. (Including that awesome filter and pour lid.)

Find out how I dye Easter eggs with kombucha!

And read my cost analysis of the insane amount of money I save by making my own kombucha.

Pin this for later!

Click on the image below to pin this post.

Find out why SoulyRested was considered to be one of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018 and then one of the Top Homesteading Blogs of 2019 as well.

Glance at my Resource Page if you’d like to get a glimpse of supplies I use for maple syrup making, DIY kombucha, gardening, homeschooling, and homesteading.

Many readers often ask what camera I use to take the images you find here on SoulyRested. I love my Nikon.

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

The post Our Favorite Kombucha Flavors first appeared on Souly Rested.

If you’ve grabbed a copy of my brand-new book, Sweet Maple (affiliate link there), you know I’m bound and determined to make everything that I can with the best choice of sugar known to man… all-natural maple syrup.

So, yes, I had to start making my kombucha with maple syrup.

This post explains 3 ways you can go about making maple kombucha in your first ferment, meaning your total sugar base is all-natural maple sugar. Another option is to add maple syrup to a second ferment. In that case, you could feed your scoby (in the first ferment) any sugar source you want and use maple syrup to sweeten your second ferment.

But that’s not what this post is about… More about that another day. (For now, see links at the bottom to some of my favorite second ferment recipes.)

If you need a scoby…

Save $$ on this organic scoby with code SOULYRESTED.

How to make maple kombucha

This post will help you brew a completely all-natural kombucha without a hint of refined sugar. Now that’s sweet, am I right?

If you’ve stumbled upon this post and have no idea what this “kombucha” and “scoby” stuff is you might wanna go here for more info on all that. Or check out this post for the full scoop on what you’ll need to get started.

Folks said I was crazy.

So there I was, sitting back sipping my kombucha one afternoon right after I had sent my final edits on Sweet Maple (affiliate link) to my publisher and it hit me. I needed to ditch the refined sugar in my kombucha and try making it with maple.

When I first got this idea to make maple kombucha, folks seemed to think I was crazy. (That’s okay, it certainly wasn’t the first time.) I couldn’t find anywhere as a reliable source for how to do it either. Those sources I did trust told me it couldn’t be done and I would kill my scoby. So I knew two things…

1. I would prove everyone wrong (or kill a scoby or two in the process… one or the other)
2. I was alone in this experiment of making a maple scoby.

So I put on my big-girl pants and got to work in the kombucha corner of my kitchen.

Fast forward a few seasons, I’m loving my successful experiment of maple kombucha, and I stumble across an intriguing, hot-off-the-press article about findings at the Cornell Maple Program that suggests the public is longing for maple kombucha. Go figure!

Little ole me, sitting here in my little ole farmhouse kitchen, tucked away in little old nowhere… I was doing what the scientific geniuses at Cornell were doing! The article went on to explain that there’s an overwhelmingly positive response from the general public who is loving their maple kombucha. Well, duh.

That’s what I’ve been saying!

This is seriously good stuff guys! And, creating an amazing organic scoby that has only ever lived on pure, all-natural maple syrup? Well, I feel as brilliantly happy as any Cornell genius ever could!

Here are more drinks I love making with maple!

Try this delicious Maple Apple Cider. (A fall favorite of mine.)

I love making Maple Lemonade. (A refreshing summer drink.)

This Maple Switchel is another gut-healthy drink (and it doesn’t require a scoby).

How to make a maple scoby.

I took three approaches to growing a maple scoby.

Well, okay, to be honest I only took two approaches. The third one just happened, and I can take no credit for any effort at all on the third option.

1.  You can convert a current scoby.
2.  You can grow a new scoby.
3.  You can let your kombucha grow a new scoby.

Today we’ll look at all 3 options… the ones you have to work at and the one that takes no brain power at all.

Once you get the hang of this, the sky’s the limit on the amazing kombucha flavors you can start creating. (I share lots of tried-and-true second ferment recipes in Simple DIY Kombucha.)

Converting a scoby from refined sugar to maple syrup

First, I took a new scoby from my established one and started a new batch of kombucha that I fed a little less refined sugar and a little more maple syrup gradually, each time I brewed a new batch. This slowly got the scoby used to a new food source and prevented starving it before it learned to adjust. You can totally work this out in your own estimates and adjustments… just be sure to write it all down. Trust me, you think you’ll remember it, and then you totally don’t. Not that I’ve ever done that.

Or feel free to check out my kombucha Master Class for all the nitty-gritty details. Basically, let me do the trial and error, and make the mistakes, and then teach you all I learned.

In my crash course, Simple DIY Kombucha, you’ll find the exact schedule I followed as I converted my refined sugar scoby over to a 100% maple scoby, all laid out in an easy-to-follow format, that worked for me, over 6 brew cycles. It took about one month and my scoby was thriving on pure maple syrup.

Growing a new scoby with maple syrup

Make your own maple scoby is surprisingly easy and probably the best way to have your own maple-based scoby. Oh, and sidenote–you can follow these same steps for any kind of scoby, fed with any type of  sugar.

You do need a little floater of a tiny piece of scoby in order to grow a new one. I found one in my current brew and used that. If you already make your own kombucha, they are ultra easy to find. There are little floaters of scoby floating around in kombucha all the time. Tiny is fine.

If you don’t brew your own kombucha yet, you’ll have to make a trip to the store and inspect all the unflavored kombuchas for sale. Turn the jars upside down and around until you find the best floating specimen of scoby. Or until the produce manager kicks you out for manhandling the drinks. Whichever happens first.  

Place your tiny scoby “floater” in a little bit of tea that you brew just for it. You’ll want to combine 1/2 cup hot water with 1/4 TB of loose leaf tea (or 1 tea bag). If you’re new to making kombucha, there’s plenty to learn about what teas to use, but for now you’re safe to choose a simple non-flavored black tea.

Check out Simple DIY Kombucha for a break down of the best types of teas to use when brewing kombucha and the ones I personally have had the most success with that you’ve probably never heard of.

When nice and dark, add 1 TB maple syrup and 1/2 cup cold water. Make sure it’s cooled to room temp before adding in the tiny scoby wannabe. That part is super important!

Secure a piece of fabric over the jar, so your little bit of brew can create and take on the good bacteria in the air. Then let natural goodness happen. Ideally, set your jar in a warm area, 68-85°F, but not in direct sunlight, and let it be, untouched, for a week or two.

About a week into your science experiment, you may notice the scoby doing its magic. It will be a clear film across the liquid. Over time, it’ll become thicker and less translucent. Most likely you’ll need to wait a month or so until your scoby is thick enough to actually brew some kombucha.

If you give it 3 weeks and see no difference in your concoction—no sign of scoby growth—you’ll need to toss your little experiment; recite Edison’s brilliant quote, “I have not failed, I’ve only found 10,000 ways that won’t work;” and try again. And don’t worry, I’m positive you won’t need to do this 10,000 times before you succeed.

Letting your maple kombucha grow a scoby

It may not look like much, but that picture above? That right there is Maple Scoby Kombucha Success. On the right/top is the beautiful scoby I grew from scratch. When I first decided to go for this kombucha goal, I thought for sure I would fail, but boy was I wrong. It was super easy and so exciting to watch gut health form and grow right there in a mason jar on my counter.

On the left/bottom is an even crazier success. While I was eagerly trying to grow my own scoby, one started forming totally on its own in another jar of kombucha that I was transitioning to maple syrup. In the second ferment. (Again, we’re not talking about second ferment maple kombucha today. I’ll have to write about that topic soon.) While the jar was totally sealed. I wasn’t trying to do a darn thing but make a bottle of kombucha. Crazy, but true.

The longer time went on and the more I made kombucha over the years, I realized this wasn’t unusual at all. These scobys really do seem to take on a life of their own sometimes.

But really, isn’t that just like life? You labor hard and hope big and then, out of nowhere, you realize another blessing right there in front of you that you didn’t see coming or do anything to deserve. I never would have thought I’d see an analogy for God’s grace in a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast in my kitchen. I never would have thought I’d WANT a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast in my kitchen… but oh was I wrong. On both accounts. 

Fyi, never use a second-ferment scoby as your primary one for new batches. I feed mine to the chicken–they LOVE it–but it’s also great to add to your compost pile.

How long does it take to grow a new scoby?

You can grow a new scoby from scratch in a month or less. If your kitchen is warm it could only take a few weeks.

On the other hand, if your kitchen is cool, the scoby formation could take even longer than a month. In general, if you’re able to keep your kombucha at an average temperature of about 70°F, you’ll have a new scoby in no time, sending out glorious strands of yeast and making oh-so-good-for-you fermented goodness.

If you’d like to monitor your kombucha temperature, that’s extra easy with a handy stick-on thermometer. This is the one I use.

I applaud you that you’ve made it this far into this crazy-long post! You obviously care about your gut health (or you just like to try fun new things), and you’re obviously a fan of maple syrup.

You may want to check out my new book, Sweet Maple. (affiliate link) For a peek inside and a long list of reviews, glance right here.

More kombucha and maple goodness you’ll love:

Go here to find out the full scoop on every product I use for making kombucha.

This article shows you how we cut the cost of making maple syrup IN HALF. Seriously. 

Enjoy 10% off this organic scoby with code SOULYRESTED.

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It’s no secret. I’m that crazy kombucha lady.

Y’all know I love kombucha. I sure have written enough about it… from my Lilac Blueberry kombucha to my second ferment made with roses and berries. From a cost analysis of what it costs me to make every 1/2 gallon I brew, to this crazy thing I do with my vinegary kombucha.

But today I have a treat for you, if you want to know more about this amazingly delicious way to improve your gut health.

Today, instead of writing all about this delicious stuff, how I make it, and why I love it, well, today I’m talking about it…

I spilled the beans about a perfect cup of kombucha.

Today I met up with Nicole, at Heritage Acres Market, and we talked non-stop about everything kombucha. Listen in here.

• I explain why I never use refined sugar in my kombucha, what I use instead, and why.

• I explain why I have 2 1-gallon jars of vinegary kombucha in my root cellar right now and what the heck I do with it.

• I explain why I always have at least one batch brew in the works at all times, along with my 4-gallon continuous brew.

• I fill you in on my secret for keeping my kombucha the perfect temperature at all times (even in my drafty old farmhouse during a long New England winter), using something you have in your home right now.

• I even share a deep, dark secret about my hubby and my scoby that I’ve never told anywhere else…

This is how I make my DIY kombucha.

Here are detailed answers to some common questions I get:

• If you’d like to know more about all the products I use and love for making kombucha, I rounded up all the DIY kombucha products I love on one page, right here.
• My favorite sugar farm where you can buy maple syrup? It’s here.
• Foods we grow on our homestead to use in making kombucha? I answer that question right here, over on Porch.com, along with many other great homestead-related questions answered by the experts.
• The teas I use for making kombucha? They’re included on this list.

Join me in my kitchen as I show you lots of kombucha flavors and share how I make them!

For more gut-healthy eating, consider fermenting your veggies.

I talk about fermenting vs. canning pickles right here:

More about kombucha.

DIY (probiotic!) kombucha–what’s it really cost to make it yourself?

A recipe for a delicious floral kombucha that I love.

How I dye eggs with kombucha. (Yeah, I’m kinda weird. But it makes gorgeous Easter eggs!)

See all the products I have and LOVE for making DIY kombucha (including those awesome flip & pour lids for 1/2-gallon jars)

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I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13

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Find out why SoulyRested was considered to be one of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018 and then one of the Top Homesteading Blogs of 2019 as well.

Glance at my Resource Page if you’d like to get a glimpse of supplies I use for DIY kombucha, maple syrup making, gardening, homeschooling, homesteading topics, nature journaling, and more.

Many readers often ask what camera I use to take the images you find here on SoulyRested. I love my Nikon; you can read more about my camera and even purchase your own here. (affiliate link)

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

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After glancing at the prices in my local market today, I feel I should add something to my kombucha definition…

Kombucha (n): a delicious, bubbly drink that’s ultra good for your gut and ultra hard on your wallet if you’re buying it premade.

There I stood, with a few pears and a ginger root in my hand, when I glanced down at the store’s kombucha for sale.

I hadn’t purchased kombucha more than a few times, and that was well over a year ago. Once I started making my own, I never even glance that way when I’m in the produce aisle. I was shocked to see the large price tag:

And that bottle, folks, is only 48 oz. Only 3/4 of a 1/2-gallon jar, which happens to be my favorite size to bottle. In fact, I bottle 5-6 large 1/2 gallon jars at a time! I had no idea I was bottling over $60-worth of kombucha every week!

What’s the value of homemade kombucha?

When I make my kombucha at home, I often make 5 or 6 1/2-gallon jars at a time.

So I did the math. At the price they are charging at my local Acme, one of my 1/2-gallon jars would cost $13.30. That means in my 10-15 minutes in the kitchen every week, when I bottle 6 new jars of bubbly, fruity deliciousness, I’m making $79.80 -worth of kombucha.

Holy cow! I’m making $319 an hour (in kombucha currency) for that 15 minutes of my time. And heck, I’m even chatting with a daughter, multi-tasking and making dinner, or checking up on emails at the same time.

Why is store-bought kombucha so expensive?

While I’d never done a cost-benefit analysis, I knew that was about 100x the cost of making it myself. (More on actual costs below.) So why that crazy price for store-bought kombucha? The best I can figure, it comes down to a few factors:

• Brewing kombucha requires patience and time. While that’s no biggie on the corner of my kitchen counter, it’s a pretty big deal in the manufacturing world.
• Kombucha naturally builds up yeast, which leads to lactic acid, which leads to the wonderful bubbles in my drink that I love, but it can also lead to explosions if it’s not kept cold. Since nobody wants exploding bottles in the store, the store has to keep the kombucha refrigerated. Refrigeration slows down fermentation to a crawl but adds to the expense for sure.
• Kombucha is a premium health beverage, and ultra popular, both factors mean manufacturers can jack up the price and consumers will pay.

But honestly, I’m pretty sure it’s that last point that leads to that giant price tag the most.

What does it cost to make your own kombucha?

I was shocked when I sat down and did a cost benefit analysis. Truly shocked.

I analyzed the full gamut of choices, from the most simple way I make a jar of kombucha to the fanciest, most-amount-of-ingredients way I sometimes choose. The results? Are you sitting down for this?

Remember that bottle at my local market that cost $13.30 for a 1/2 gallon of kombucha? My half gallon jars of kombucha cost anywhere from $0.45 to $3.70. Total. So my six bottles I have lined up on my counter right now? These particular jars, combined, cost me less than $4 to make. For all 3 gallons of kombucha, in 6 amazing bubbly flavors.

What are the ingredients of kombucha?

What is the healthiest kombucha to drink?

Hands down, kombucha you make yourself will always be the healthiest. You know exactly what’s in it and can make it exactly the way you want it. Not sure where to start? Or maybe you just want to know all the secrets and inside scoop so you can make kombucha like a pro? Join Kombucha Academy. There’s even a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you have delicious healthy kombucha to gain and nothing to loose.

What are the upfront costs to making kombucha?

This is a hard one to really answer. There are so many variables.

Plus, a lot of the stuff you’ll need–like jars and a strainer–you may already have in your kitchen. Then there are a lot of other great products that you don’t need when you’re starting out. And you may want to up your kombucha game, eventually, with the one item I’ve spent the most on in my past year and a half of non-stop kombucha making. It’s my favorite purchase by far, and was well worth every penny: my stainless steel continuous brew vessel. (Although, if you’re looking for a little more “traditional” option, this ceramic kombucha vessel is great too.)

But no worries about investing in anything near that fancy when you’re just learning the ropes. In fact, you can try making a few batches and make sure it’s something you enjoy making before you invest much money at all.

When you’re ready, go here to see the kombucha products I use and highly recommend.

How do I make kombucha at home?

It’s simple. To make kombuch at home, you’ll need these things (and I’m sure you have a few of them already):

1. A scoby
2. A good amount of starter tea (this should come with your scoby)
3. A container (this just be a mason jar)
4. A piece of fabric and a rubber band

Number 1 & 2 are both covered right here… The only really important thing, in my mind, to get started right with DIY kombucha is an organic scoby and a nice quantity of high-quality starter tea.

You don’t have to purchase a scoby, though. If you have a friend or neighbor who brews kombucha, feel free to ask them to share a layer of their scoby with you. That’s how I got started. And I’m forever indebted to my friend Ang, who gave me that first little chunck of bacteria and yeast in a pint jar. Just be prepared to be patient with your first month or two of brew. Depending on your friend’s starter tea–how much yeast has built up and how much tea they give you with your scoby–it may take a little while to build up your kombucha to great taste and carbonation.

In turns out the starter tea, which comes with your scoby, isn’t talked about much. I guess because eventually, if you’re really diligent and stick with the process long enough, you will build up your own high-quality starter tea. Sadly, most folks who start off with a poor quality starter tea, or too little starter tea, get discouraged after a few weeks because it’s still not fermenting well and it’s bland tasting, without any bubbles.

If you purchase a scoby like my favorite, right here, which is packaged with well over a cup of rich, starter tea, you will be off to the best start. You still need to be patient for a few weeks as your scoby acclimates to its new environment, but before you know it, you’ll be off and running with wonderful homemade kombucha.

You’ll also need a 1/2 gallon jar, or larger, and a piece of fabric and cloth to cover the top, so your kombucha can breathe.

What’s the BEST way to make kombucha at home?

If you’d like to effortlessly have everything on hand, I’d recommend these simple purchases:

1. This Master Class in all things kombucha–Kombucha University–in which I include every thing you’ll ever need to know to make perfect kombucha, every time.
2. This scoby and
3. This starter kit, from Great Fermentations.

Great Fermentations, btw, is also where I found my 4-gallon fermenter… ya know? my favorite kombucha item ever?

I really like Great Fermentations. They’re a small family-run business with a giant amount of heart. They make sure to offer great products for kombucha makers and they love what they do, so I’m always happy to introduce folks like you to a great company like theirs.

What are the priceless qualities of DIY kombucha?

Honestly, even if it cost a lot more to make, I’d still prefer homemade DIY kombucha over store bought, any day. What makes it so valuable to me?

• I love the options I have. The flavors I can create. The new ingredients I can experiment with. I’m not a cookie-cutter kind of person living a cookie-cutter kind of life, so why would I want my drinks to be cookie-cutter flavors?

• I love that when I’m making kombucha myself I have total control over the intensity of the flavor. I like a smidge of hint of pineapple flavor, but a lot of ginger (mmmm). I love blueberry, but I like my strawberry flavor to be subtle. In my grapefruit rosemary kombucha, I love intense amounts of grapefruit flavor, but minimal rosemary for a perfect combination. You get the point. With DIY kombucha, you can play with the exact amount of each flavor you want to add, for the perfect combination for you.

• I love treating my friends to a smorgasbord of gut-healthy yummy drinks when I have company over. I can whip up six 1/2-gallon jars at once, for an insanely tiny bit of money (seriously less than $4 for 3 GALLONS of kombucha!). Then I line up the eye-candy drinks on the counter for them to choose from. Often they don’t have to “choose” at all, but sample some of every jar.

• I love the extra scobys and fermented fruit that each bottle of DIY kombucha presents me. Most often they wind up being wonderfully healthy treats for my chicken, which of course results in even more wonderful food for me, in the form of those gorgeous fresh eggs my sweet hens provide for me every single day.

• I love using the fruit in my yogurt or oatmeal too, if I decide to not share with the hens.

• I love making maple scoby candy with my excess scoby. I’ll have to fill you in on that deliciousness in a future post.

• I love the joy this wonderful drink gives me, just by sitting there in my kitchen looking gorgeous. This one seems like a silly benefit of DIY kombucha, but I kid you not, this stuff gives me joy and makes me smile just because it’s so pretty sitting on my table. That’s a true benefit of making it, no?

• I love the satisfaction I get from making DIY kombucha. The same satisfaction I get from creating a wonderful from-scratch meal for my family once in a while, or bottling amazing all-natural sugar that I tap from my trees. Honestly, if kombucha is your first DIY, you can’t even imagine yet the satisfaction you will get when you’ve create a delicious bottle of joy so easily. You may soon want to expand into making sourdough bread or baking with maple syrup. Seriously. This could open a whole new world to you.

How do the costs break down?

I have quite a few favorite teas and tea combinations that I love brewing my first ferment with. You do have to be careful that you’re using the right kinds of teas or you take a chance of killing your scoby. If you decide to check out my Master Class on DIY kombucha that I offer–Simple DIY Kombucha–you’ll be an expert on what teas to use.

In general, I love lots of options. Just a few include this delicious organic loose-leaf rooibos and this kombucha tea made by the experts at Farmhouse Teas. I broke down the cost, per tablespoon (or 4 bags worth), of every tea I’ve ever used and the cost per tablespoon (the amount needed for every 1/2-gallon jar of kombucha) range was 22.5¢ to $1.20 for the tea itself.

I factored in which kind of sweeter I may use, from pure cane sugar to maple syrup, and my sugar costs range from 22.2¢ to $1.50 per every 1/2-gallon jar. (While we make our own maple syrup, it’s not free or cheap even to make your own, so I used the standard market price for maple syrup in my analysis.)

Then there’s the second ferment fruits and herbs that I add for flavor. This step can wind up with zero cost for three reasons:

1. You can totally skip this step if you want,
2. You can grow your own herbs, and
3. You can use older, past-its-prime fruit for flavoring; fruit that you even would be throwing away otherwise.

But, I also love using frozen fruit that I purchase for this purpose, dried herbs that I’ve grown or purchased, or flavored teas that are blended just for kombucha. (CeAnne, over at Farmhouse Teas is the only tea expert I know who is doing this, and she does it so deliciously well. Check out all of the Farmhouse Tea Kombucha flavors right here.) So this step can range from $0 – $1.21 per 1/2 gallon of kombucha.

But there are many wonderful organic teas I love for flavoring, I share links to them and recipes right here.

To sum it all up?

My 1/2-gallon jar of homemade kombucha costs me anywhere from 44.7¢ to $3.91. For a grand savings of $12.85 – $9.39 for every single 1/2-gallon jar of kombucha I make here in my kitchen.

Or, to break that down even more, homemade kombucha can cost anywhere from 7/10th of a penny to 7 cents per ounce, which would mean a 16 ounce bottle (which costs $3 in my local grocery store) costs anywhere from 11 cents to 97 cents if I make it myself. So for every little bottle of kombucha I make myself I save $2 to $2.89 per bottle. Wow.

And I did you catch that cost? I can make it for as little as 11 CENTS a bottle guys. Amazing.

Do you wanna up your game?

Now that I figured out the crazy amount of money that I’m saving by making my own kombucha, I felt zero guilt at any investments I’ve made into this process, to make it easier, more enjoyable, and more delicious. Here are a few of those things… the things that make me happy every single time I go to make more DIY kombucha. (Keep in mind NONE of these are necessary to make your own kombucha. So don’t be intimidated by this list. It’s just my what-makes-me-happy list.)

• Try this filter for a mason jar!

I love this stainless steel filter that I slide right into my second ferments I do in a mason jar. I use the quart-sized filter in a half-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar. And, yes, I realize the description says it’s for making cold filtered coffee. Parker, the owner of True Leaf Market, is a great guy. When I called him to ask him some questions about this filter to see if I could use it in kombucha making, he didn’t laugh once.

In fact, Parker was totally intrigued and loved knowing there was this other use for this awesome filter set up. And he even offered a sweet coupon to all my readers who join Kombucha Academy.

And if you hop over to look at this bad-boy filter, tell Parker that Michelle said “hi.”

• Let the pros help you choose your teas.

I love that Farmhouse Teas has done all the expert research and field testing to put together the best possible teas for both brewing kombucha (check out these first ferment teas) and flavoring kombucha (check out these second ferment teas).

• Serve your kombucha in style.

Like I said, I love using plain ole half-gallon mason jars for both first and second ferments, but if you want to up your game and have elegant bottles to take some kombucha to a friend’s dinner party or just impress the socks off anyone who steps in your kitchen and sees these lined up all pretty, I love using swing top bottles. You can snag some 16-ounce ones or some nice larger ones like these. Bonus, if you’re having trouble building up carbonation, the narrow necks and nice seals of these bottles help with that, no matter which size you use. Kombucha Academy gives you lots more insight & tips for the best carbonation.

• Top your mason jars with the best gaskets.

Then there’s these lids. A really impressive stainless steel construction and wide, intense, amazing gaskets make these the best lids I’ve found anywhere. Hands down.

• Try an all-natural sweetener.

In Kombucha Academy I break down all the details of why I make some kombucha with maple syrup every week and how I do it. If you want to add maple to kombucha, I highly recommend this all-naturally delicious maple syrup.

• Make more. Continually.

If you’re looking for a broader array of bacteria and beneficial compounds in every glass of kombucha that you enjoy, or if you just want to be able to draw off just one glass to drink at a time, or if you just love the idea of four gallons of kombucha, you may love upgrading to this 4-gallon fermenter.

Kombucha recipe (or lots)?

I share some delicious kombucha recipes–including lilac blueberry!–in this post, and here’s another one of my favorite recipes for kombucha made with roses and berries.

I’ve also put together a little deliciously fermented gift for you that I think you’ll love, and I parked it right here for you. Kombucha Made Simple–an in-depth book, including more of my favorite kombucha recipes!

Want perfect DIY kombucha every time?

I’ve worked hard to pull together an intense Master Class that will help you have perfect DIY kombucha every time–for only a tiny fraction of the cost to purchase it! And, the best part? Your own kombucha will be just the way you like it!

Join Kombucha Academy and make sure to take advantage of the $60 worth of valuable coupons to get you started with some great products.

More info you’ll love:

My list of beloved items I highly recommend that I can’t imagine life without in my farmhouse kitchen.

How to use tap water (not filtered) when making kombucha

Everything I recommend–and all my favorite teas–for making kombucha

The best teas for tea fanatics

He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.  Psalm 136:25

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Find out why SoulyRested was considered to be one of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018 and then one of the Top Homesteading Blogs of 2019 as well.

Glance at my Resource Page if you’d like to get a glimpse of supplies I use for DIY kombucha, maple syrup making, gardening, homeschooling, homesteading topics, nature journaling, and more.

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

 

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