How to make Kefir

Water Kefir

Water Kefir (correct pronunciation  keh-FEER) grains are small, translucent, gelatinous polysaccharide structures and are comprised of assorted bacteria and yeasts in awesome little houses that are made of proteins, lipids, and sugars.  When properly cared for and regularly cultured, they produce a wonderful probiotic-rich beverage and will continue to grow and reproduce indefinitely.

Water kefir, like most fermented foods, supports gut health and systemic wellness.  The beneficial bacteria in the water kefir grains consume the sugar that we add to the water and as they metabolize the sugar, they produce a variety of beneficial acids, food enzymes, B vitamins and more beneficial yeasts and bacteria.  This process of fermentation also reduces the sugar content of the drink by 80-90%

Milder than lemonade, water kefir is a beautiful, sparkling addition to any cold beverage and contains  about the same amount of alcohol as one would find in a ripened piece of fruit.  Like all fermented foods, water kefir must be cultured and stored in glass. 

Water Kefir

Prep Time 10 minutes

 Yield 2 quarts

Things that you will need for your first ferment

½ Cup water kefir grains

½ C organic cane sugar

2 dried, organic, unsulfured figs or favorite organic dried fruit (optional but adds natural yeast)

2/3 thinly sliced organic lemon wedges

1 wide mouth 2 quart glass bottle

Cheese Cloth or Coffee Filter (instead of the Tattler lid. )  Secure over bottle mouth with a rubber band of string.

Lid that can let the fermentation process breathe.  I like to use a Tattler lid without the rubber ring during the fermentation process and can add the ring to store in frig.

For the secondary ferment you will need a flip top glass bottle or a glass bottle that you can seal tightly.

What you will do for the first ferment.

Fill your 2 quart bottle to within 4 inches of the top with filtered, well or spring water?  (I am on city water so I filter my water and let it sit for 24 hours prior to use)

Stir raw organic cane sugar into the water.   Pour the water defer grains into your jar, and drop in the dried fruit and lemon slices.  I like t  put ½ of a washed, organic free-range egg shell into your kefir to add minerals.

Cover the jar with the tattler lid, minus the rubber ring or cloth and secure.  You can even use the ring to secure the cloth or coffee filter.  This will allow air in but prevent stray debris from contaminating your water kefir with other organisms.  Allow the kefir to ferment for 2-3 days.   The longer it ferments, the stronger its flavor will become.

Strain your 2-3 day fermented liquid through a tightly woven nonreactive nylon mesh or stainless steel strainer into a pitcher.  Do not use aluminum strainer!  Discard the spent lemon and fruit.  Be sure to reserve the water kefir trains which can be immediately re-cultured or which can be stored in sugar water in the fridge for a few weeks.

While the water kefir can be enjoyed as it is, after its initial fermentation, you can also culture it a second time.  Secondary culturing allows you to flavor the water kefir, and occurs in a tightly capped bottle allows carbon dioxide to develop, producing a fizzy, healthy soda like water kefir.  Remember to periodically burp your ferment as CO2 will build up and can cause some pretty explosive results.

Second Ferment

Pour either ½ c home canned fruit juice, ¼ can frozen  juice concentrate, or fresh squeezed juice of your choice into the pitcher that holds your first ferment kefir.  Then pour the newly flavored water kefir from the pitcher into each bottle, filling the bottles no less than 1 inch of the top.  Seal the bottles, set them on your countertop to ferment a further 12-18 hours, keeping in mind that warm temperatures will speed up the fermentation process while cool temps will slow it down.  Transfer the bottles of water kefir to the fridge for a day to allow the bubbles to set.  (This step is optional.  I drink mine as soon as it has cooled in the fridge, and sometimes before it is even transferred to the fridge.  Depends on how patient I am deciding to be.)  Open carefully over a sink, as the liquid in the bottle is under pressure, and when you release the bottle’s seal, the water kefir may fizz and foam out of the bottle, like a soda pop that has been shaken up.

Notes:  Sugar substitutes.  The beneficial bacteria and yeasts that make up water kefir grains and I use organic cane sugar in my water kefir, however, you can substitute unrefined cane sugar, jiggery which is a traditional African date sugar or honey, Keeping in mind that honey has some antimicrobial properties and may weaken water kefir grains over time.

Enjoy!!!