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HOW TO MAKE WATER KEFIR: FERMENTED FRUIT JUICE

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.
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4 days
Course: Drinks
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Equipment

  • fine sieve strainer
  • funnel
  • 32 oz jar
  • swing top jar for fermentation
  • my favorite apron

Method
 

  1. 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.
  2. Add the sugar water to the 32 oz jar and fill the jar with filtered water leaving a few inches of head space.
  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.
    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.
  4. 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)
  1. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
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.