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Question about adding fruit to secondary fermentation
I got some real pushback from a friend who saw my blueberry kombucha setup. He said my method of just tossing in whole frozen berries was 'asking for mold' and would make things too boozy. He told me to puree and pasteurize the fruit first, which I'd never done. So I tried it his way on my next batch, heating the puree to 160 degrees for about 15 seconds before adding it. The flavor was way more even, but I kinda miss the little fermented berry bits. Is pasteurizing the fruit really the safer move, or is he just being extra careful?
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coleman.gray2mo ago
Doubt it's that serious. I've been tossing in frozen fruit for years without pasteurizing, same as west.miles. The cold and the active kombucha culture usually handle any wild stuff. You do get a more active ferment, which can mean a bit more fizz and maybe a touch more alcohol, but mold seems like a stretch if your starter is strong.
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west.miles2mo ago
Honestly, my laziness usually wins and I just throw the frozen fruit in. Never had mold, but I did make a batch that could probably get you a little buzzed. His way is definitely the textbook safe move, even if it's less fun.
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