How to make water kefir: fermented fruit juice which is naturally fizzy fermented sugar water. That is rich in beneficial bacteria that is refreshing, tangy, and semi-sweet. And when added fresh fruit into water kefir during the second ferment may be arguably the best Summer beverage that is perfect for a refreshing drink!
What is water kefir?
Water kefir is a fermented drink that is started with a bit of a starter culture, aka water kefir “grains”, which contain Kefir beneficial bacteria and yeast. water, and sugar.
unlike water kefirs cousin, kombucha which has a strong taste. Water kefir is delicate in flavor and has natural fizziness which makes it an excellent substitute for sodas.
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Water kefir is a good non-dairy functional beverages to get the good probiotics as milk yogurts or kefirs if you are sensitive to dairy.
And the great thing about homemade fermented juice is not only the amazing gut health benefits but also that you get to control the sugar content! We will be enjoying this refreshing drink all summer season long! You get a sweet and healthy drink that brings a perfectly balanced approach to- as my kids call it “sodas” And you get to have fun with it, mixing different kinds of fruits to get any flavor you desire! What a great way to make a nutritious drink that children will love!
Benefits of kefir
In the modern world of processed foods and sugar, our gut health is slowly starting to worsen. Our guts have “good bacteria” and also “bad bacteria” When our guts are low on the good bacteria, we start to show symptoms of all sorts of problems! Water kefir (fermented fruit juice) helps to balance out our microbiota to a healthier gut!
- Low in sugar
- Kefir Supports the Gut Microbiota– Drinking kefir doesn’t just taste good: it’s also good for our microbiota! The intestinal microbiota is the set of microorganisms that live in our gut, where they help us in many ways.
- organic acids
- Kefir is rich in probiotics
- Lactic acid bacteria – can improve the digestibility of protein in food and enhance the nutritional value of food protein
- Beneficial microorganisms
- Water kefir is full of nutrients
- fermented plant-derived
- Boost your immune system- A good portion of your immune system is located in the gut, and by increasing probiotics, you are benefiting your gut flora.
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Where can you get water kefir grains?
If you know someone who is local to you who has water kefir grains, you can ask them to share some with you. Or you can get them delivered straight to your door with Amazon! These are the grains that I started with and they work great!
Tips:
- Kefir grains multiply rapidly when you make it constantly. The extra grains you can compost or even feed to your chickens! sell them online, or better yet share them with friends and family!
- Make sure the sugar water is completely cooled before adding in the water kefir grains because hot temperatures can kill the ‘good guys’.
- If you like a fizzy sparkling drink, ferment it a second time to create carbonation.
- Add your favorite fruit juice to the second fermentation to create a healthy soda.
- Choose filtered gallons of water. Chlorine in city tap water can damage kefir grains.
Tools you will need how to make water kefir: fermented fruit juice
Ingredients
- filtered water
- water kefir grains
- 1/2 cup organic raw sugar( raw brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup-1/2 cup fruit juice
- 1/2 cup of fruit
The first step How to make water kefir: fermented fruit juice:
The main ingredients to water kefir is- water kefir grains, sugar, and water! So let’s get started!
Add 1/2 cup of sugar (I use raw organic brown sugar) and 1 cup of boiling water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Cool down the mixture. Hot water can damage or kill the water kefir, it is important to use room-temperature water with the grains.
Step 2
Add the sugar water to the 32 oz jar and fill the jar with filtered water leaving a few inches of head space.
If you are thinking ” I thought sugar is bad for you” typically highly processed sugar is the worst to use, but I try to use raw organic sugar for this recipe, also you only need a 1/4 cup of sugar to make a big batch of fermented water kefir juice.
those little ‘good guys’ in the kefir grains loooove to feed on sugar and when they consume it, they turn the sweet sugar water into something sour and fermented. The resulting liquid will have negligible amounts of sugar left and a whole lot of beneficial probiotics.
Step 3
Add the water kefir grains to the jar. Close the jar with something breathable like cheesecloth, a thin towel, or even a paper towel, and secure it with a rubber band. Let the water ferment for at least 24-48 hours in a dark place at room temperature.
important note:
If you are the type of person who needs specific directions and you are not comfortable with such “loose directions” I apologize! Just know it is very hard to mess up this process. As much as I want to tell you “leave it out exactly for 24 hours” I can’t, because there are a few factors you need to keep in mind.
- The cold slows down fermentation. If you keep your house cooler than 68 degrees this will slow down the fermentation process
- if you keep a warm house it will ferment much quicker
just keep an eye on it, and do a taste test at the end of your 24-hour fermentation. If it still tastes like regular sugar water, you will know it needs more time to ferment.
HOW TO DO A WATER KEFIR 2ND FERMENT WITH FRUIT JUICES
Step 4
At this point, you can either flavor your water kefir with either organic raw juice or fresh fruit!
If you are using fruit juice (such as apple juice or grape juice)
Pour 1/4 cup -1/2 cup of fruit juice of choice (raw is recommended) into a swing-top fermentation bottle.
Place a funnel into the bottle you are using, then use a fine mesh strainer to strain water kefir grains from the finished kefir into kombucha bottles or swing-top fermentation bottles. Wire swing top bottles work great for this as they will help build the carbonation.
If you didn’t have enough water kefir to fill the bottle, top it off with filtered water leaving a few inches of space.
If you are using fresh fruit
Wash and cut 1/2 cup of the sweet ripe fruits that you are using and place them in the bottle. Dissolve 1/4 cup of raw sugar in hot water then cool it. Pour the sweet water into the fruit and fill the bottle with filtered water.
My favorite fruit combinations to flavor water kefir fermented juice
(it is best to avoid unripe fruit to get the maximum flavor)
- pineapple and mint
- pear and fresh ginger
- apple
- pomegranate and blueberry
- raspberry with lemon
- Strawberry and mint
Close the lid of the jar and let it ferment for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature. An alternative is to let it sit in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be careful of too much carbonation as it can break the bottle! Burp the lid every so often if you feel you need to release the pressure within the bottle.
Be careful when opening the bottle at the end of fermentation, as with every soda it can explode because of the gases that have built up inside the bottle.
If there is hardly a “pop” sound when opening the lid, your soda probably isn’t fermented enough. Close the lid back up and let it ferment for another day.
Keep in mind, that the longer you let it ferment the more traces it will have of a small amount of alcohol. I recommend fermenting it only until you notice tiny bubbles forming in the bottle if children will be consuming this fermented fruit juice.
As a word of caution, this is mostly for adults as the alcohol level can sometimes rise above 2 or 3%. If you are over 21 and would like to ferment it for longer to make it stronger, you can.
It’s probably one of the most enjoyable health drinks you can make, but like with all good things, enjoy it in moderation.
Drink fresh or chill in the fridge before consuming. Enjoy 🙂
How long does water kefir last?
After it has been fermented and strained, water kefir can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate it if you came back and gave it a 5-star rating!
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HOW TO MAKE WATER KEFIR: FERMENTED FRUIT JUICE
Equipment
- fine sieve strainer
- funnel
- 32 oz jar
- swing top jar for fermentation
- my favorite apron
Ingredients
- filtered water
- 2 tbl water kefir grains
- 1/4-1/2 cup organic raw sugar( raw brown sugar)
- 1/2 cup fruit juice
- 1/2 cup fruit
Instructions
- Add 1/4 cup of sugar (I use raw organic brown sugar) and 1 cup of boiling water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Cool down the mixture. Hot water can damage or kill the water kefir, it is important to use room-temperature water with the grains.
- Add the sugar water to the 32 oz jar and fill the jar with filtered water leaving a few inches of head space.
- Add the water kefir grains to the jar. Close the jar with something breathable like cheesecloth, a thin towel, or even a paper towel, and secure it with a rubber band. Let the water ferment for at least 24-48 hours in a dark place at room temperature.keep an eye on it, and do a taste test at the end of your 24-hour fermentation. If it still tastes like regular sugar water, you will know it needs more time to ferment.
- Place a funnel into the bottle you are using, then use a fine mesh strainer like this one to strain water kefir grains from the finished kefir into kombucha bottles or swing-top fermentation bottles. Wire swing top bottles work great for this as they will help build the carbonation.At this point, you can either flavor your water kefir with either organic raw juice or fresh fruit!
If you are using fruit juice (such as apple juice or grape juice)
- Pour 1/2 cup of fruit juice of choice (raw is recommended) into the bottle with the kefir. fill the bottle with filtered water leaving a few inches of space.
IF YOU ARE USING FRESH FRUIT
- Wash and cut 1/2 cup of the sweet ripe fruits that you are using and place them in the bottle. Dissolve 1/4 cup of raw sugar in hot water then cool it. Pour the sweet water into the fruit and fill the bottle with filtered water.
- close the lid of the jar and let it ferment for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature. An alternative is to let it sit in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be careful of too much carbonation as it can break the bottle! Burp the lid every so often if you feel you need to release the pressure within the bottle.
- Drink fresh or chill in the fridge before consuming. Enjoy 🙂
Notes
MY FAVORITE FRUIT COMBINATIONS TO FLAVOR WATER KEFIR FERMENTED JUICE
(it is best to avoid unripe fruit to get the maximum flavor)- pineapple and mint
- pear and fresh ginger
- apple
- pomegranate and blueberry
- raspberry with lemon
- Strawberry and mint
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