In recent years, kombucha has gone viral as the ultimate healthy fizzy drink with live bacteria and yeast. You can freeze kombucha as you would any drink. How does freezing kombucha affect its probiotic content?
Can you freeze kombucha? Yes, Kombucha can be frozen. To prevent the bacteria and yeast cultures from dying, you should freeze kombucha using the proper freezing technique. Additionally, you should not freeze kombucha for an extended period.
You can learn how to freeze kombucha here so that there is little risk of killing the live cultures within it. Defrosting kombucha properly is also included in this article.
Should You Freeze Kombucha?
Tea is used to make kombucha, a fizzy drink. Yeast and bacteria are used to make it. Recent years have seen a big increase in the popularity of this sweet-sour drink that promotes stomach health.
Kobucha is usually stored at room temperature in order to preserve its yeast culture. The drink, however, will continue to develop until the taste of vinegar starts to prevail, so long as it is alive.
Do you know if you can freeze kombucha?
It is risky to freeze kombucha, but the drink can be saved in some circumstances from going to waste if it is done safely.
Make sure that you understand the risks of freezing kombucha to avoid damaging the bacteria and yeast cultures.
Flash-freezing kombucha is also vital if you want to feel more confident in the survival of the probiotics.
What You Should Know Before Freezing Kombucha
It is important to educate yourself on whether freezing kombucha kills the probiotics or not before you freeze it.
It has been claimed that freezing kombucha kills the yeast culture, but many others believe that this happens only when you slowly freeze the beverage.
So, if you want to freeze kombucha, flash freezing is recommended.
These probiotics will have a greater chance of surviving freezing and defrosting if they are frozen and defrosted instantly.
Kombucha’s bacteria become dormant or inactive when frozen. So, it keeps the sourness at bay.
You still get the health benefits of kombucha if you defrost it to bring them back to life.
As a result, freezing Kombucha over a long period of time is not recommended.
How To Freeze Kombucha
If you want to freeze Kombucha, you must use flash freezing. You can freeze store-bought kombucha, as well as homebrew.
- Find the right container for freezing. When freezing homemade kombucha, this is especially important. Drinks should be frozen in freezer-safe airtight glass containers. Allow for some expansion of the containers. Airtight plastic bags are also an option. Do not use metal containers as the drink will react with them. Kombucha that has not yet been opened should be frozen in its original packaging.
- Fill a bowl with ice. Add the drink to the bowl and let it chill.
- Add salt to the water. By adding 14 cups of salt to the water, you will lower the temperature of the drink instantly.
- Label the drink with the date. In order to prevent kombucha from staying in the freezer too long, mark the date the kombucha was frozen.
- Put kombucha in the freezer. Ensure that the freezer is set at 0 F. Don’t shake kombucha during the entire freezing process.
Please note that only a minimal amount of probiotics survive after defrosting kombucha after it has been frozen. Learn here How To Store Uncooked Tapioca Pearls?
How Long Does Kombucha Last In The Freezer?
Kombucha should be frozen for 3 months at the most.
The drink may still be safe to consume after that time, but the bacteria and yeast cultures in it may already be dead and drinking it will have no health benefits.
How To Defrost Kombucha
The frozen kombucha must be placed in the refrigerator whenever you want to enjoy it. You should never expose the drink to drastic temperature changes even though it would thaw quicker at room temperature.
Make sure to drink the kombucha as soon as it is defrosted. Don’t store defrosted kombucha at room temperature. Refreezing kombucha is not something we recommend you do either.