Drink fermented beverages – they contain probiotics or good bacteria and are great for your digestion! Studies also show that probiotics help when you are depressed or anxious. Kombucha is one example and another great one is water kefir. And you can actually make them at home. I have to say water kefir is my favorite when it comes to home-made because it’s so quick and simple.
Here you go
- Dissolve 1/3 cup sugar with filtered warm water in a clean one quart glass jar. I like to use turbinado or rapadura because they are not stripped of all their nutrients.
- Add water kefir grains (about 1 to 2 tablespoons)
- Add something to provide some flavor – I like ginger so I add 5-10 slices of freshly peeled ginger. Another option is a few mint leaves.
- Place in spot out of direct sunlight.
- Cover jar with a clean dish towel.
- Let sit for 24 hours to 30 hours or to your taste. If you aren’t sure how it should taste, try some from someone else’s batch or buy a bottle of plain kombucha…it should taste similar to cider but less sweet. The length of time will differ depending on the room temperature too and will take less time when it’s warmer.
- Strain water kefir grains from liquid and discard ginger or mint leaves
- Transfer liquid to another one quart glass jar and save in the fridge to start drinking
- Rinse grains and start over for an unlimited supply of delicious and nourishing water kefir loaded with probiotics or good bacteria!
A few other things
- Don’t worry about the sugar as it’s mostly used up during the fermentation process
- Your kefir grains will actually start to grow so you can share them with friends – getting from grains from a friend is a good way to get started
- The grains sort of look like very baby cauliflower florets and should be kept cool when not being used
Hi Trudy:
I’d never heard of keifer water before…sounds yummy. I do make kombucha and dairy keifer. Would love to try the water version. Where can I get keifer water grains? I’m in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Many thanks,
Valerie
Hi Valerie
I got my recent batch from Marilyn at http://www.kefirlady.com Members of Weston A Price also pretty much always have kefir grains (both regular and water kefir grains) and kombucha mushrooms to share http://www.westonaprice.org. Some moms from HMN http://www.holisticmoms.org/ will have them too so reach out to folks in these organizations (and consider joining these great orgs too!)
My friend and colleague, Mira Dessy, Certified Nutrition Educator and holistic health columnist helping others eat well to be well, shared my recipe with her readers and shared this resource on her blog
(http://grainsandmore.blogspot.com/2011/09/water-kefir.html): Cultures for Health
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/starter-cultures/kefir-cultures.html
They also sell a large number of other culture products for yogurt, sourdough, cheese and more.
Let me know how it goes
Trudy
My friend just gave me a batch of kefir grains and I absolutely love drinking the liquid. So much so that I had to ask my friend to give me enough for 2 batches. I cannot make it fast enough. I can hardly wait to start incorporating the liquid in other recipes. I don’t expect the health benefits to hold up to cooking. Can you suggest some other ways, aside from smoothies, that I can entice my kids to start adding it to their diets. Thanks for sharing the ginger recipe – that sounds good too! Cheers!
Kelly
Yes, cooking will destroy the probiotics. For your kids, I suggest blending with small amounts of berries (organic of course because berries are typically heavily sprayed) or other fresh fruits like apples or pears. Eventually you’ll be able to use less fruit as they start to enjoy the flavor of the kefir. Enjoy!
Dear Trudy~ I am wondering if one can make this without any residue of sugar? I suffer with a condition where I have a shingles outbreak if I have even a smidgeon of sugar. Super-sensitive!
Plus, I live overseas. Will the grains stay alive during what could be at least a 2-week shipping time?
Julianah
The fermentation eats up the sugar and needs it in order to work. You would need to find some local grains – try your local health store