Pineapple kombucha vinegar

What happens when you forget about your kombucha? It turns into vinegar!

As a Fermentationist, I ferment a lot, obviously, and sometimes you forget about your ferments in the insanity of life. If you are asking yourself: what is kombucha? The answer is a fermented probiotic drink made from sweetened tea with the help of a SCOBY- a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It is usually a slightly sweet, tangy, and fizzy drink, and you can see it in almost all grocery stores.

However, if you forget about your kombucha, it will gradually turn into vinegar! Making kombucha vinegar is a great way to use a kombucha recipe that turned too sour to drink. Please, don’t throw it away: turn it into vinegar! We all need help with digestion, and drinking this kombucha vinegar will do just that as it offers the same benefits as apple cider vinegar.

I decided to flavor my kombucha vinegar with some pineapple rinds leftover from cooking and some spices to boost this healthy drink to another level.

This recipe came alive by accident, with no planning and some inspiration. This is what cooking are fermentation means to me, moments of genius and courage.

RECIPE

Ingredients

• half a gallon of sour kombucha

• rinds from a pineapple

• 5 pieces of star anise

• 2 black cardamoms

• 5 green cardamoms

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 5 cloves

• 1/2 cup brown sugar or jaggery

• 2-inch piece ginger

Instructions 

• In a gallon jar, pour the kombucha and add all the other ingredients, stir well;

• Cover the jar with cheesecloth, tie it with a rubber band, and allow it to ferment at room temperature for 1 week, not in direct sunlight;

• After 1 week, strain the vinegar and discard all added ingredients, pour the kombucha vinegar back into the jar, and cover with cheesecloth;

• Keep fermenting the kombucha vinegar for another 1 month, at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

• After a month, taste the vinegar, make sure it is sour enough, pour it into glass bottles with caps, and refrigerate;

• How to use: add a tablespoon of vinegar to a glass of water and drink daily.

As usual, these are my thoughts and ideas, not medical advice. You are encouraged to create your own recipes or search for some suited to your needs. I am just sharing my recipes, hoping that I can inspire some of you to make healthier food choices.

Please remember that we all have different nutritional needs and that food affects us differently. If you are not sure which foods are best for you, reach out for a free phone consultation. 

In good health,

Ioana