Back before I discovered I'm lactose intolerant I used to make my own yogurt. It was something I loved doing not only because it was easy and thrifty but because it felt like I was doing something good for myself. When I cut out dairy I felt a bit lost for a while. I tried making dairy free yogurt, but while it worked, it wasn't the same experience. Kombucha sounded promising but I can't tolerate caffeine, so I considered giving up on this particular probiotic avenue until I discovered water kefir.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with water kefir, it has the same probiotic and digestive benefits as milk kefir or yogurt without dairy. The consistency of water kefir is similar to that of soda or carbonated water. While initially I missed the creamy goodness of yogurt, thinking of water kefir as a totally different experience (aka extra healthy juice) really hooked me.
Not only is water kefir addicting, it's really easy to make. To make your own water kefir you only need a couple of things:
My process is pretty simple. Most sources will tell you not to use tap water and to use either spring water or distilled water. While it would make for better kefir, I don't have the time or budget for that. Instead I use filtered tap water, preferably water that's been left to sit out all day so it can off-gas a bit.
To make kefir you need a sugar water mixture. There's a bunch of kefir recipes out there so be sure to experiment a bit when you're first starting out. Everyone's kitchen is a bit different, and kefir grains are living organisms that will react differently to these different environments. I found that for me, the following works best:
You can use any sugar you have on hand, although kefir does prefer cane sugar: white sugar with or without molasses or whatever sugar combination you'd prefer. Every once in awhile I like to throw in a bit of unsulphered blackstrap molasses. It lends a stronger flavor to the kefir, but since I'm more interested in the mineral content, particularly the iron, I don't mind. The baking soda is to help the kefir grow. Depending on your water you may or may not need it.
I let my grains sit in the sugar mixture for 48 hours (less if the kitchen has been particularly warm). Then I strain out the grains, wash my utensils and the jug, pour in more of the sugar mix and replace the grains, covering the jug with a cloth to keep the bugs out. I then place the jug in a warm spot out of the sun. The kefir drink I poured off is then poured into bottles, flavored and left to set for a day before being refrigerated.
To flavor kefir, you can add a slash of fruit juice to the mix right before you drink it, but since I'm sensitive to sugar I like to add it ahead of time and let the kefir do its thing. For the most part I add the fruit itself and not juice since I've found it's easier to keep frozen berries rather than juice on hand. For around 3 pints of kefir I add between 3 and 5 tablespoons of fruit, removing it from the rebottled kefir after 24 hours before it starts to ferment.
There are a lot of great sites out there with more information on making your own water kefir. Cultures for Health is a particular favorite of mine. Their Q&A is much more extensive than the one I've complied below to get you started.
How do I know the kefir is done?
It's done when you're satisfied with the level of sweetness. Most of the time the kefir grains are ready for a new batch of sugar water when the kefir is significantly less sweet, and the liquid has become somewhat opaque or cloudy.
Is the first batch of water kefir different from the rest?
Generally when you're first starting out with new grains, they're going to be a little sluggish and the resulting water kefir will be a bit sweeter. If you're worried about it being too sweet, leave the kefir water (not the grains) out for an extra day during the second fermentation. Make sure if you've added fruit that you remove it after the first day.
The grains keep growing and now I have more than I need/more than half a cup, what do I do with the rest?
Kefir grains make a great snack. Rinse them off and snack away, share the extra grains with a friend, or start another batch of kefir. If your jug is large enough you can start making a double batch.
What if I won't be around to feed my kefir/I want to take a break from making kefir?
If you're going to be away for less than a week, you can leave your grains in their sugar water mixture in the refrigerator. If you're going to be away or would like to take a longer break I would recommend dehydrating and freezing your grains, which will store for up to two months. To dehydrate your grains, lay them out between two paper towels and let them dry for several days. They should shrink significantly in size and be dry to the touch. Wrap in a paper towel, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with water kefir, it has the same probiotic and digestive benefits as milk kefir or yogurt without dairy. The consistency of water kefir is similar to that of soda or carbonated water. While initially I missed the creamy goodness of yogurt, thinking of water kefir as a totally different experience (aka extra healthy juice) really hooked me.
Not only is water kefir addicting, it's really easy to make. To make your own water kefir you only need a couple of things:
- A jug that can be covered with a permeable material such as cloth.
- A cover for the jug, something that lets in air but not bugs or dust (a piece of fabric secured with a rubber band works well)
- A spoon for mixing the sugar mixture before adding the grains
- Measuring cups
- Sieve to filter grains out or unbleached cotton bag to keep the grains in
- Jars or jugs to keep the kefir in. Make sure these are sturdy and won't crack under pressure if you're planning on making carbonated kefir.
My process is pretty simple. Most sources will tell you not to use tap water and to use either spring water or distilled water. While it would make for better kefir, I don't have the time or budget for that. Instead I use filtered tap water, preferably water that's been left to sit out all day so it can off-gas a bit.
To make kefir you need a sugar water mixture. There's a bunch of kefir recipes out there so be sure to experiment a bit when you're first starting out. Everyone's kitchen is a bit different, and kefir grains are living organisms that will react differently to these different environments. I found that for me, the following works best:
1/4 - 1/2 cup kefir grains
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of baking soda (occasionally)
water (I use around 3 pints which yields a 2-3 day supply of kefir)
You can use any sugar you have on hand, although kefir does prefer cane sugar: white sugar with or without molasses or whatever sugar combination you'd prefer. Every once in awhile I like to throw in a bit of unsulphered blackstrap molasses. It lends a stronger flavor to the kefir, but since I'm more interested in the mineral content, particularly the iron, I don't mind. The baking soda is to help the kefir grow. Depending on your water you may or may not need it.
I let my grains sit in the sugar mixture for 48 hours (less if the kitchen has been particularly warm). Then I strain out the grains, wash my utensils and the jug, pour in more of the sugar mix and replace the grains, covering the jug with a cloth to keep the bugs out. I then place the jug in a warm spot out of the sun. The kefir drink I poured off is then poured into bottles, flavored and left to set for a day before being refrigerated.
To flavor kefir, you can add a slash of fruit juice to the mix right before you drink it, but since I'm sensitive to sugar I like to add it ahead of time and let the kefir do its thing. For the most part I add the fruit itself and not juice since I've found it's easier to keep frozen berries rather than juice on hand. For around 3 pints of kefir I add between 3 and 5 tablespoons of fruit, removing it from the rebottled kefir after 24 hours before it starts to ferment.
There are a lot of great sites out there with more information on making your own water kefir. Cultures for Health is a particular favorite of mine. Their Q&A is much more extensive than the one I've complied below to get you started.
How do I know the kefir is done?
It's done when you're satisfied with the level of sweetness. Most of the time the kefir grains are ready for a new batch of sugar water when the kefir is significantly less sweet, and the liquid has become somewhat opaque or cloudy.
Is the first batch of water kefir different from the rest?
Generally when you're first starting out with new grains, they're going to be a little sluggish and the resulting water kefir will be a bit sweeter. If you're worried about it being too sweet, leave the kefir water (not the grains) out for an extra day during the second fermentation. Make sure if you've added fruit that you remove it after the first day.
The grains keep growing and now I have more than I need/more than half a cup, what do I do with the rest?
Kefir grains make a great snack. Rinse them off and snack away, share the extra grains with a friend, or start another batch of kefir. If your jug is large enough you can start making a double batch.
What if I won't be around to feed my kefir/I want to take a break from making kefir?
If you're going to be away for less than a week, you can leave your grains in their sugar water mixture in the refrigerator. If you're going to be away or would like to take a longer break I would recommend dehydrating and freezing your grains, which will store for up to two months. To dehydrate your grains, lay them out between two paper towels and let them dry for several days. They should shrink significantly in size and be dry to the touch. Wrap in a paper towel, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze.
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