Fermentation
Kombucha Macedonia with Figs and Blueberries
Macedonia is an Italian dessert of cut fruit chilled in juice. Here figs and blueberries soak in homemade kombucha, whose fresh tartness lifts the gentle sweetness of the figs.
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Time
- About 15 minutes (plus chilling)
Ingredients
- Kombucha (ready to drink)300 ml
- Figs3
- Blueberries80 g
- Lemon juice1 tsp
- Maple syrup (optional)1–2 tsp
- Mintto garnish
Optional
- Seasonal fruit such as apple or peachas you like
Method
- Wash and dry the figs, and cut them lengthways into 6–8 wedges, skin on. Wash and drain the blueberries.
- Put the figs and blueberries in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice. If adding other fruit, cut it into 2 cm cubes and add it now.
- Pour in the kombucha. For a little sweetness, add the maple syrup and stir gently.
- Transfer to bowls or a container and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Serve topped with mint.
Tips
- Kombucha is a lightly sparkling, tangy drink made by fermenting sweetened tea with a culture of yeast and bacteria. You can buy it bottled or brew your own.
- Kombucha contains a very small amount of alcohol. Children, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone sensitive to alcohol should avoid it.
- Use fruit in season: peach, watermelon or melon in summer; figs, grapes or pear in autumn; persimmon, mandarin or strawberries in winter.
- If your kombucha is very sour, a little maple syrup or sparkling water makes it easier to enjoy.
- Drink the kombucha too — it picks up the colour and aroma of the fruit.
- Keep it in the fridge and finish it the same day. At room temperature the fruit sugars keep the fermentation going.
Macedonia is a much-loved fruit dessert in Italy. Soaked in kombucha, it tastes like a sweet-and-sour fermented fruit punch. To explore fermentation hands-on in Tokyo, join UMAMI & KOJI LAB.
