Kombucha with winter flavours

Basic kombucha:

Makes 1 litre

Fermentation time: 5-14 days

Brew the tea with the boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Strain, whisk in the sugar until dissolved. I tend to brew in a 1.5 litre glass Kilner-style jar but you can use a large jug.

Add your SCOBY to the tea once it has cooled to room temperature. Pour in 2 tablespoons kombucha from a previous brew or apple cider vinegar - this helps kickstart fermentation; add more if you want to speed up the brewing process.

Cover with a clean cloth and leave to brew at room temperature (18-22°C) for anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks. In the summer, unless your house is air conditioned or unusually cold, your kombucha will brew much faster, and in the winter, much slower.

Winter Kombucha or Jun Flavours:

Once you have your kombucha base, blend 150g fresh fruit and 1 tablespoon of herbs or ½-1 tsp spice with the kombucha, then strain through a cloth and pour into bottles. Seal and ferment at room temperature for a day before placing in the fridge. For best flavour, drink within one month – after this time, the sugar will have been fermented out and the drink might have become too tangy.

• Blood orange and cardamom
• Cranberry, fresh ginger and star anise
• Dried figs, clementine and mixed spice