Fermented fruit sodas are so fun to make, simple, and delicious. I am working through my freezer right now– it needs to be defrosted, so I am using up the remaining bounty from last summer’s foraging walks. The blackberries we gathered have a lot of flavor, but are really not very sweet– so turning them into fermented blackberry soda is a great option. You can use this method for any fruit, really, and it’s very similar to my method for making fermented rhubarb & honey soda.
This method is very adaptable. There is a reason I don’t give exact measurements– you don’t need them! But I will offer some guiding principles.
How to Make Fermented Blackberry Soda
What You’ll Need:
- Blackberries– either fresh or frozen (I used about 5 cups)
- Raw, local honey (or at least raw– you can order it here if you need to) or sugar– brown or sucanat would be nice
- Some kind of culture– you can use sauerkraut juice or whey from strained yogurt– you only need a tablespoon or two
- a demijohn, an airlock, a funnel and swing-top bottles.
What to Do:
- Put the blackberries into a pot, and cover with water. I used about a liter of water. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat, then cool. I have left mine overnight before, but you don’t need to.
- Strain out the blackberries. To extract more flavor, you can blend them up first– it will just take longer to strain.
- Add the honey or sugar and stir until dissolved. I used about 3/4 cup, which made it very, very sweet. Keep in mind that the sugars will be digested to create the fizz, so you do want to start with it much sweeter than you would like the soda to be. You can also just save this as blackberry syrup! This is a nice way to make another batch later– you can freeze, then dilute when you want to make another batch, quickly. Dilute the syrup with water to get a good juice flavor and consistency.
- Pour the “juice” into a sterilized or very clean demijohn, pour in your whey or sauerkraut juice and add your airlock. (I have a small swing-top container that I used for making a smaller batch than usual. An airlock fits in the top. Some people have had success with putting a balloon over the top of the demijohn with a pin hole in the top to mimic an airlock. Worth a try in a pinch!
- Let it sit for about three days, and taste it. Mine fermented pretty quickly, but there are some variables– the temperature of the room, the strength of the culture you used, etc. Taste it and let it ferment until it’s only a little sweeter than you would like it to be.
- Pour it into your swing-top bottles, and store in the fridge. (The type of bottle is important, as they allow the ferment to give off some small amounts of Co2 and won’t explode.) You could leave them out at room temperature if you’d like to drink them sooner, but I usually pop them into the fridge to slow down the fermentation process. You will want to drink them within a few weeks, or risk losing most of your Blackberry Soda to the “geyser effect.” With this batch, I popped into the fridge as soon as I bottled it. If you’re storing it for a while, I’d just check in now and then to see what kind of pressure is building up. Your beverage will get drier, more tart and fizzier the longer you wait. It will eventually develop more of an alcohol content, too, so you might want to taste it before giving it to your kids if you’ve been storing it for a while!
- Enjoy!
We stored ours in the fridge right after bottling, and when I opened our last one four weeks later, it was not too fizzy or over-fermented. In the warmer months, I like to keep fermented sodas on hand. It’s a nice treat in the afternoon, and something to offer Amelia when we’re enjoying our home-brewed beers and wines. They are so refreshing, and I can’t get over the fun of creating really fizzy drinks through some simple kitchen chemistry. To take things one step further, you could also try making wild blackberry cider.
For more fermented beverage projects, you may want to check out: True Brews and Real Food Fermentation. Have you tried making your own fermented drinks at home yet?
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Holly says
I’m excited to try your soda recipe with this year’s harvest. My blackberry bushes have just started to bud, so I have a wait ahead of me, but I will get the supplies ready in the meantime. Last year I just froze the berries and used them in galettes and smoothies. I may just have to break down and buy some berries if I find a good deal at the market.
ariana says
Hi Holly! Yes, I am a little impatient for the berries to come in, too. I used to buy bags of frozen berries at Trader Joe’s. These would work perfectly for this. Maybe you could try the rhubarb soda I wrote about a week or so ago, while you’re waiting.
Kristi@Creative Connections for Kids says
Hi Ariana,
How much whey do you put into it? And I can get whey from the liquid in yogurt, correct? So I would just pour that liquid in??? Would love to try it this spring with strawberries. Thanks!
ariana says
Hi Kristi,
A tablespoon or so of whey will do the trick. You can also use the liquid from another ferment, like if you have been making sauerkraut, or have something else that has been lactofermented. Otherwise, just put some yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, and use the liquid that drips through. You’ll also get yogurt cheese out of the process, which is great for making dips with!
Kristi@Creative Connections for Kids says
Wonderful! Thank you so much. I can’t wait for strawberry season! Kristi
Travis says
Would raw apple cider vinegar work for this? I’ve been making my own ACV for awhile, it’s essentially the same ferment as sauerkraut. s
The Crunchy Urbanite says
Don’t think so. ACV bacteria require lots of oxygen to flourish whereas lacto-fermenting bacteria like in sauerkraut need an anaerobic environment. Dying to try this recipe. If you try it & it works, though, let us know.
ariana says
Yes, The Crunchy Urbanite is right. Use some kraut juice or a little whey instead.
annette McCollum says
Would Kombucha work in place of whey?
ariana says
Kombucha will not work– it’s a very different type of culture. I would suggest just draining some yogurt to get a tablespoon or two of whey.
Damara Shanmugan says
Will Jun work? It is fabulous in fermented lemonade.
b says
Greetings. I love fermented stuff and excited to see this posted. I was surprised that you suggest using honey for the sugar since honey is anti-microbial. I used to brew a lot of kombucha and batches that I tried using honey, instead of other types of sugar, it got a little weird and did not ferment as fast as it should have. Love the post though, Im inspired to try making natural ginger soda again.
ariana says
Hi B– you are right that honey does not work at all with kombucha! But it does work just fine for lacto-fermentation. I love ginger soda… I need to make some!
jess says
b-
while i understand you cant use honey in kombucha’s 1st ferment, i always use it in my second ferment when i add my berries or ginger or what-have-you. it has yet to fail (knock on wood)
Vicki H says
I’m a newbie to fermentation, but want to try. Was wondering if fermented berry drinks are good for you like Kombucha is?(probiotics)
ariana says
Hi Vicky,
Yes! Probiotic drinks like this one are very good for you. The only caveat is how you handle sugar, even in honey form– if you are sensitive, I would just ferment longer so the soda is more dry. Otherwise, it’s a great way to get more probiotics into your life!
Mike Pass says
Just curious. To keep it from over fermenting, could you add potassium sorbate or something similar to halt the fermentation? Also, Could one use something like champagne yeast for the culture?
ariana says
Hi Mike,
I have never added anything to stop the fermentation with. I have wondered about this myself, though– it would be nice to figure out a way to get it just right and then store it. I think champagne yeast would produce a different beverage– but probably a good one!
Tim says
You can also use water kefir. That is how I do it. I add more sugar to the first ferment and then do a second ferment in a swing top bottle.
Randy says
Will champaigne yeast work instead of whey? Have used to make different fruit wines with.
ariana says
Hi Randy, I think you’d end up with a sparkling blackberry wine– which would be nice, but definitely a different product than a soda!
Joanne Mitchell says
I was going to ask if I could use kombucha but then I saw that it was already addressed. I just made a batch of blackberry kombucha this morning. My daughter’s name is Amelia, too, only she’s old enough to drink alcohol. But she doesn’t, so she’d probably love this version!
ariana says
All the sweetest girls are named Amelia! 🙂
Marsha R. Sumal says
Can’t seem to register for emails!
ariana says
Thanks for letting me know, Marsha– I’ll look into it. In the meantime, I’ll sign you up myself– you just need to confirm in the follow-up email you’ll receive.
Mamatart says
OK…so can you use water kefir? Or Kefir crystals? I saw that you cannot use Kombucha…and I guess I can use yogurt, but I have a TON of water kefir crystals!
ariana says
This can be made with water kefir, but it’s a different process. If you are well-versed in making water kefir, then go ahead and use this as your “juice” and carry on as usual. I have used water kefir, but not enough to confidently give instructions on it.
Pam Bachman says
Guess I totally missed something… How much water? Or, what is the actual yield from this amount of ‘syrup?’ I very much want to make this, but am totally lost after ‘dilute with water and add to demijohn.’ More specific guidance would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
ariana says
Hi Pam, this is a very flexible recipe that will require you to taste and adjust. It varies according to the amount of berries you are using. Use the syrup and dilute to taste, so that it’s a juice a bit sweeter than you want it– the sugars will be metabolized into CO2 bubbles. It’s not an exact recipe because there are a lot of variables.
Christina Manuka says
I am a little confused too. This is my first (actually second because I have made sauerkraut) go at lacto- fermenting and not even sure what that means… but plan to learn more. Is this a recipe for a ‘syrup’ that needs to be diluted (if so into what?) or is this recipe ready to just pour into bottles and put into cooling once the fermenting is to satisfaction? Thanks so much!! 🙂
Ivan Lucas says
I’m wondering if you got the sugar quantity right? I tried it with three-quarters of a cup, and the mixture really wasn’t very sweet at all. So I increased it to a little over 2 cups full, which seemed about right to me. Did you mean ‘3/4’ or ‘3 or 4’?
ariana says
Hi Ivan,
I did use 3/4, but I like a really dry soda– so it may be just a matter of taste. It also depends on how much liquid boiled out when you cooked the blackberries, and how sweet they were to start with. Adding more sugar until it’s sweet to you is perfect– this recipe is meant to be adjusted exactly like that, to taste.
Janie Murphy says
could I use a scoby I grew on apple vinegar?
ariana says
Only if you want to make blackberry vinegar! 🙂
Diane says
I am wondering if you can just bottle right away? I don’t have a demijohn
ariana says
Diane, if you bottle it right away, you definitely run a high risk of having your bottle pop. If you use a large plastic soda bottle, that is much less risky. Some people use a ball jar and “burp” it daily, letting out the gas that builds up until they are ready to bottle it. So, you definitely have some options, just be mindful of the gas build up.
Diane says
Ok…thanks. I have recycled flip tops that I purchased from a brewery. But I did put it in a large jar with the same kind of closure. Should I burp this?
Betty says
Hi, I just started fermenting Kefir. Can I use the whey from my kefir to ferment the fruit juice sodas?
ariana says
Hi Betty, I think that would work very well!
Oriahma says
Would organic maple syrup work instead of honey?
ariana says
I think that will work just fine, Oriahma.
EB says
Does this contain alcohol? I am highly allergic to even very small quantities.
Heidi Marian says
I love this recipe! Just wondering why you remove the fruit before you add the whey. I’d think the fruit would just ferment and add flavor to the soda. No? Thanks!
ariana says
Heidi, if you leave the fruit in, it will get kind of weird. The pulp floats to the top and does not break down into liquid in a nice way. 🙂
Carol says
Hi, I don’t have an airlock, can I use a mason jar instead?
ariana says
Hi Carol,
You can technically use one, but I would be VERY careful about consistently releasing the gasses that will build up– otherwise, your glass jar could explode. Airlocks are really inexpensive to pick up, though.
Kathleen says
Is there any way to make this without whey? I am allergic to dairy but would like to try this. Thank you.
ariana says
Hi Kathleen,
You can use the powder from a probiotic capsule (these are the ones I like: https://amzn.to/1VuWoRy) or some juice from another ferment, like sauerkraut. Even if it tastes salty, just a tablespoon should do the trick and won’t affect the flavor of your soda.
itsmevalVal says
A little yeast would work
echo says
can i use a wing top bottle for the whole fementation process =? I do not have the demijohn bottle.
ariana says
Probably, but just be careful to release the pressure every day. You could end up with a dangerous explosion! I have also used mason jars during this process, carefully releasing gas daily.
Andrea says
Hi
I brew beer and have 22oz bottles and can cap them. Would this work instead of the swing top bottles? Is there a risk of any of these bottles exploding?
Jessica says
How precisely would I go about making this withou ta demijohn? Like I need details ?
Jessica says
Never mind! Just did a search for “demijohn” through the comments. Found the answer
Jessica says
How do you use the mason jar for this? I’m slow do I might need specific instructions
ariana says
Jessica, I don’t recommend using a mason jar for storage in the end, and it’s also a bit risky for the first part of fermentation. The reason is that you need a way to let the Co2 that builds up to escape. So if you use a mason jar, be sure to release the gas by opening it once or twice a day.
Paul says
might one screw the ring half on and let the gas self vent while staying covered?
Cathi Alonzo says
What is the rough amount of syrup that you use per batch. I have jars of canned blackberry syrup from last summer, and this would be a great way to use some of it. Thanks
Paula says
Thank yu for your grea recipes! I just made the rhubarb lemonade.. and waiting to see how it will turn out 🙂 I’m plannning to make blackberries as soon as they are available. I was wondering if it is ok to no cook them, just make a juice and ferment… tnx!
Lynn L. says
Has anyone tried this with other fruits? Blueberry or strawberry?
Billy says
This looks so great. I can’t wait to try this recipe at home. I’ve never tried making a fermented soda like this by myself yet – the only real fermented drink i’ve tried is Kombucha. Does this have a similar fizziness to Kombucha? I am also curious how prevalent the blackberry flavor is in the end product. Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
Lee-Anne Coetzee says
Hey there so I am trying out this recipe and I am also very new to fermentation. I was wondering, can I use the berries afterwards in like muffins or a tart or something? Just feel it is a waste to through away.
Madi says
Wondering if I could use a ginger bug instead for my culture?