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+ servings
water kefir in glass with brown bottle.

Water Kefir

Bubbly, slightly sweet, and good for you. Give water kefir a try! It will help you kick the sugary soda habit to the curb!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Ferment Time 2 days
Total Time 2 days 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine International
Servings 16 servings
Calories 52 kcal

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Wooden or plastic spoon
  • Mineral drops or pastured egg shells (I prefer the liquid minerals)
  • 1 gallon jar with tight fitting lid

Ingredients
  

  • Kefir grains about ¼ cup
  • Gallon of non-chlorinated water
  • ¾ cup natural sweetener such as dehydrated sugar cane juice Sucanat, Rapidura, honey, or turbinado sugar
  • 2 cups organic fruit juice

Instructions
 

  • Put the sweetener in a small saucepan and just cover it with water. Heat, stirring frequently, just until dissolved.
  • Pour filtered water into your gallon jar until it’s about half full. Add the sweetened water and stir.
  • Add more water up to the shoulder. Make sure the water has cooled before you go to the next step.
  • Add your mineral drops or egg shells and stir. Now add your kefir grains.

First Fermentation

  • Cover the top of the jar with a coffee filter or clean towel. Use a rubber band or twine to secure it.
  • Now set the jar in a warmish place (75°F to 85°F is ideal) and let it brew for 24 to 48 hours. The warmer it is the faster it brews.
  • Taste it at 24 hours. It should be much less sweet than when you started. Keep tasting it until the sweetness level is to your liking.
  • At this point, you can bottle it and let it sit for another 24 to 48 hours to build up carbonation, or you can flavor it in a second fermentation.

Second Fermentation

  • For the second fermentation you need to strain the kefir grains out and add juice or fruit.
  • After straining out the kefir grains, make sure to put them back in a jar with fresh sugar water so they stay active for the next batch.
  • Then I fill the jar to within an inch or so of the top with organic fruit juice. You can also use fresh or frozen fruit, changing it out every day.
  • Now put the lid on the jar. If it doesn’t seal well, put some plastic wrap over the top first before you put the lid on it.
  • Put it back in the warm place to brew some more. After 24 hours check for carbonation and taste.
  • If it’s bubbly and tastes good to you, transfer it to your flip-top bottles.

Bottling Water Kefir

  • I like to put about a tablespoon of juice in each bottle before I fill them with kefir.
  • Make sure that you leave about one to 2 inches of head room in each bottle.
  • You can refrigerate right away or leave the bottles out for another day at room temperature to get really bubbly.

Notes

NUTRITION NOTES: The nutrition calculation is for the sugar water and fruit juice before fermentation. The actual amount of sugar will be MUCH less, but the calculator has limitations.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ozCalories: 52kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 0.03gFat: 0.04gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.002gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 0.3IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword water kefir
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