Flavored jun kombucha: Blueberry jam and lavender

Jun kombucha is also called the champagne of fermented drinks because it has a more refined flavor compared to traditional kombucha. This flavored jun kombucha recipe will teach you how to make a wonderful Blueberry jam and lavender Jun kombucha.

Jun’s unique fermentation process using honey instead of sugar results in a lighter, sweeter, and less acidic fizzy drink. In this recipe, we’ll combine the fragrant lavender and the sweet-tart flavor of blueberries to create a refreshing Jun tea drink.

The Blueberry and Lavender pairing is common in baked goods because it offers a perfect balance of sweetness, tartness, and floral notes. When drinking this flavored jun kombucha, the distinct lavender smell impresses first, followed by the lovely sweetness of the blueberries, while the deep aromas of honey linger on the tongue.

Bottles of fermented blueberry and lavender jun also look gorgeous, as the remains of the blueberry jam sit in the bottom of the bottle, giving it a more concentrated color on the bottom and creating a lovely ombre effect.

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Difference between Jun and Kombucha

The flavor of jun tea is milder and smoother compared to kombucha. This is mainly because the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) feeds on green tea and honey, compared to feeding on black tea and sugar in the brewing of classic kombucha. The jun drink has a floral and fruity flavor from honey, which is balanced with a slightly bitter taste sensation of the green tea. This champagne of kombucha is delicious and refreshing! Jun has more bubbles than kombucha, so be careful when opening it. We are massive Jun fans and always have a few batches brewing and a few bottles in the fridge.

Why you’ll love it

• It’s brewed with dried lavender and blueberry jam, which are available all year long. Brewing jun with fresh fruit is fantastic, but we also love the convenience of making it any time of the year.
• This is a complex and satisfying flavor combination, which consists of layers of sweetness, fruitiness, and slight tartness. This Blueberry jam and lavender jun kombucha has proven to be a crowd-pleaser on several occasions.
• It ferments quickly, with significant bubbles already appearing after an overnight second fermentation.
• It creates a lovely ombre effect. The bottom is dark purple from the blueberry jam remains, which gradually transitions to orange on the top of the bottle. If you can get a hold of dried lavender flowers, and stick them in the bottle, it will look gorgeous floating in the middle of the ombre effect.

Ingredients for blueberry and lavender flavored jun kombucha

• Lavender – Not all Lavender varieties are edible. Though most lavender is safe to eat, culinary lavender is typically cultivated from Lavandula angustifolia plants (commonly known as English or “true” lavender) and has a lot less oil than the aromatic lavender used in perfumes or soaps. Read more about eating with lavender here. Since it’s very fragrant a little will go a long way. Both dried, or fresh lavender are fine.
• Blueberry jam – Preferably a high-quality jam, that will still have some whole blueberries in it.
• Unpasteurized honey – While the type of honey does not matter, the type you choose will have an impact on the flavor of jun. For example, on the one hand, jun brewed with chestnut honey will have a bolder, richer flavor with caramel and woody notes. On the other hand, jun brewed with floral honey will have a more subtle, mild, yet fruity flavor. Experiment with different types of flavors to identify your preferences.
• Green tea – organic loose leaf with a mild flavor. Avoid teas with added flavors, oils, or smoked teas. Some of our favorite green teas for brewing jun include Sencha and Dragonwell.
• Water – 1 Gallon or 4 liters.

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Equipment for making jun kombucha

• Brewing vessel – You’ll need a glass jar, preferably with a wide mouth. Plastic can leach chemicals into the tea and harm the SCOBY. Opt for a 4-liter (one-gallon) large jar. It’s useful for the jar to have a spigot, but it needs to be made from stainless steel, or plastic.
• SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and kombucha/jun liquid – You can get it online, from a friend brewing kombucha, or perhaps in a cafe/restaurant that brews kombucha.
• Plastic fine mesh strainer – This will help to strain the tea and SCOBY in the bottling process.
• Breathable cloth – You need to cover the jar during fermentation to keep flies and dust from getting in. Cotton or muslin cloth both work well.
• Rubber band – To secure the cloth to the jar.
• Bottles – For storing the finished Jun tea. You should look for glass bottles with swing caps, that are specifically made for brewing beer, kombucha, and other fermented drinks. Avoid decorative glass bottles with swing caps that are not meant to hold carbonated and fermented drinks, as they are made from thin glass, that can explode once you’ve bottled jun.
• Thermometer – To check the temperature of the water.
• Funnel – For transferring the tea to bottles.
• A large spoon – For stirring the tea. Stainless steal is the best because you can disinfect it.

How to make blueberry jam and lavender jun

If this is your first time brewing jun, and are starting with a kombucha SCOBY, have a look at our tips on using it for this recipe here. Otherwise, see instructions on how to flavour jun kombucha below.

First Fermentation

• Make the tea – Bring 1 liter (1 quart) of filtered water to 80°C (180°F). Add in four teaspoons of green tea. Steep for 15 minutes and then drain to remove the tea leaves. Leaving tea in for longer will let the tea develop a stronger flavor.
• Cool down – Add 3 liters (3 quarts) of cold water and some ice if needed until the tea has reached 30°C (86°F).
• Sweeten with honey – Once the tea has cooled down, add 160 grams of honey, and stir until the honey has dissolved.
• Add SCOBY and one cup of the liquid – (jun from the previous batch).
• Cover with a cloth, you can fold the cloth one time, but there should not be more than two layers, because the brew needs air to ferment. Tighten the cloth with an elastic band.
• Let brew – place in a space with a constant temperature and away from sunlight.
• Taste – In 6-9 days, when the jun has developed bubbles and a slightly sour flavor, its ready to drink and bottle.

Second Fermentation: flavored jun kombucha

• Bottle – Take bottles with swing caps and add a teaspoon of dried lavender, a teaspoon of blueberry jun, and teaspoon of honey (or brown sugar) – this will increase the carbonation process.
• Ferment – Seal the bottles and leave them to ferment for a few more days, for the flavors to infuse and carbonation to develop.
• Burp – Open the bottles daily, best to do it over the sink, to avoid explosions from carbonation.
• Taste – It will be ready anywhere between 1 and 7 days, whenever it tastes good to you. The longer you leave it, the more sour it will get.
• Enjoy! – Strain when pouring in a glass.

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Learn all the basics about brewing jun kombucha in our blog post on How to brew Jun kombucha.

For more fermented drinks recipes see:

• Ginger kombucha
• Apple kombucha (with fresh apples and apple juice)
• Sage kombucha

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Flavored jun kombucha: Blueberry jam and lavender

Author: Darja

Jun kombucha is also called the champagne of fermented drinks because it has a more refined flavor compared to traditional klombucha. When drinking this jun, the distinct lavender smell impresses first, followed by the lovely sweetness of the blueberries, while the deep aromas of honey linger on the tongue.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 7 days d

Total Time 10 days d

Course Drinks, Fermented food and drinks

Cuisine Fermented, Japanese

Servings 4 Bottles

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• 1 Brewing glass jar, preferably with a wide mouth. This is called a brewing vessel
• 1 Wooden or plastic ladle
• 1 Funnel
• 1 Thermometer
• 4 Glass bottle with flip top
• 1 Rubber band
• 1 Breathable cloth
• 1 Plastic fine mesh strainer

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 SCOBY Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast
• 1 cup kombucha or Jun liquid
• 4 teaspoon green tea
• 160 grams unpasteurised honey
• 4 liters water
• 4 teaspoon blueberry jam
• 4 teaspoon honey
• 4 tablespoon dried lavender

Instructions

 

First fermentation

• Bring 4 liters water of filtered water to 80°C (180°F). Add in 4 teaspoon green tea of green tea. Steep for 15 minutes and then drain to remove the tea leaves. Leaving tea in for longer will let the tea develop a stronger flavor. If you want to speed up this process, you can make the tea with 1 liter (quart gallon) and add cold water once steeped.
• Once the tea has cooled down to a max 40°C (104°F), add in a160 grams unpasteurised honey, and stir until the honey has dissolved.
• Wait until the sweetened tea has reached 30°C (86°F), or add a few ice cubes to shorten the process.
• Add SCOBY and one 1 cup kombucha liquid (jun from the previous batch).
• Cover with a cloth, you can fold the cloth one time, but there should not be more than two layers, because the brew needs air to ferment. Tighten the cloth with an elastic band.
• Place in a space with a constant temperature and away from sunlight.
• In 6-9 days, when the jun has developed bubbles and a slightly sour flavor, its ready to drink and bottle.

Second fermentation

• Take bottles with swing caps and add a teaspoon of dried lavender, a teaspoon of blueberry jam, and a teaspoon of honey (or brown sugar) per bottle – this will increase the carbonation process.
• Seal the bottles and leave them to ferment for a few more days, for the flavors to infuse and carbonation to develop.
• Open the bottles daily, best to do it over the sink, to avoid explosions from carbonation.
• It will be ready anywhere between 1 and 7 days, whenever it tastes good to you. The longer you leave it, the more sour it will get.
• Your jun is now ready, enjoy! Strain it when pouring in a glass.

Notes

Here are a few tips and tricks: 

• Temperature: The ideal temperature for brewing Jun tea is between 20°C and 27°C (68°F to 80°F). Lower temperatures can slow down the fermentation process. Higher temperatures can encourage the growth of unwanted bacteria. Try placing the brewing vessel somewhere with a consistent temperature. Always keep Jun away from direct sunlight.
• Hygiene: Only touch SCOBY when wearing clean gloves to avoid contaminating jun. Unclean equipment or environments can introduce unwanted microorganisms, leading to mold growth or spoilage. If mold occurs, throw away the entire batch, including the SCOBY, as contaminants can pose health risks if consumed. Store the fermented Jun in clean, sterilized bottles, you can sterilize it with vinegar, alcohol, or dish soap.
• Have more batches of jun: as soon as your SCOBY grows, you can peel off the top layers and use them to start new batches. This way you’ll always have a healthy SCOBY, in case of contamination.
• Feeding SCOBY: Always leave some finished Jun (starter liquid) in the jar with the SCOBY. This provides nutrients for its survival.
• Burping bottled Jun: Jun is one of the most carbonated fermented drinks. To avoid explosions, you should open the swing cap every day and let the excess gas out. This is called burping and its best to it above a sink.
• Use glass, wood, and plastic: Metal can react with the SCOBY and affect its health. Use plastic or wooden utensils.
• Purchase glass bottles meant for brewing beer: Ideally with swing heads. Avoid decorative glass bottles with swing caps that are not meant to hold carbonated and fermented drinks, as they are made from thin glass, that can explode once you’ve bottled jun.
• The result of 1st fermentation is a basic kombucha / jun tea. It will be slightly sweet and tart. However, it won’t be fizzy and may lack some flavor complexity, which is why we’ll ferment it again with blueberry jam and lavender.

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.003gSodium: 52mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Blueberry and lavender jun tea, Blueberry and lavender kombucha, Brewing jun kombucha, Fermented drink, How to make jun tea, jun kombucha, Jun tea