A refreshing summery kombucha that can be turned into delicious ice blocks.

Recipe: Extracted from The Abundant Kitchen by Niva & Yotam Kay

Apple mint grows all around us; it is a weed that has spread wildly in our area. That means that we have an abundant supply within easy reach. Turns out it makes amazing kombucha, which is extra refreshing when turned to ice blocks.

Makes: 1 litre (35 fl oz) jar

INGREDIENTS

850 ml (29 fl oz) water
1/3 cup sugar
15 g (½ oz) fresh apple mint leaves
125 ml (4 fl oz) mature kombucha (or 40 ml (1¼ fl oz) natural vinegar)
kombucha SCOBY

METHOD

Boil 1–2 cups of the water and mix in the sugar and apple mint leaves, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cover and steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the sweetened tea into a wide glass container. Add the remaining water that was not boiled — this should cool your tea quickly.

Once the tea is at room temperature, add the mature kombucha liquid and the SCOBY. Cover the container tightly with a clean cloth and a rubber band.

The kombucha will be ready in 7–12 days — age for your desired acidity.

Apple Mint Kombucha Ice Blocks

Kombucha, jun and ginger beer all make great ice blocks. When we were little, we used to make ice blocks in cups, balancing spoons between two rubber bands to keep them centred. Now reusable ice block moulds are easy to get in both classic and various fun shapes. We enjoy being creative with them, adding sliced fruit, edible flowers such as viola, cornflowers, rose and dahlia petals, spices and even cucumber and greens such as sorrel and fennel to the mix. Add-ons such as fruit should be packed tightly. Lightweight additions, such as very small flower petals, will float to the top (which will end up at the bottom), so don’t add too many.

INGREDIENTS

thin slices of cucumber
dahlia petals* (you can trim the bottom tips if you don’t like their slightly bitter flavour)
ready-to-drink Apple Mint Kombucha

METHOD

Using your preferred mould, start by filling it with the cucumber slices, 2–4 slices per ice block, depending on your mould.

Fit in the dahlia petals around the cucumber slices. We grow fairly big dahlias, with some petals as long as the length of the whole ice block that can be arranged side by side. Smaller petals can be stacked in layers.

Once you are happy with your ingredient combination, gently pour in the kombucha, add the sticks/handle and freeze. Ready in approx. 5 hours depending on how cold your freezer is.

*Fun fact: pink and purple dahlias are higher in protein, fibre and (alongside cherry-coloured flowers) also higher in vitamin C and flavonoids13 than other colours that were tested.

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Recipes extracted from The Abundant Kitchen by Niva & Yotam Kay, photography by Aaron McLean, published by Allen & Unwin NZ, RRP $49.99.