There has been much information about the importance of consuming fermented foods in the news lately, but you may be wondering where do I start? A great place to start is fermented drinks; they are tasty, can be sweet or sour, and provide beneficial bacteria and yeast to your system. Yes, we need beneficial bacteria and yeast to keep the pathogenic ones under control. Now for this post I am not talking about wine or beer even though they are fermented! One of the easier fermented drinks to make at home is water kefir.
Water kefir is a probiotic beverage made with water kefir crystals. They make a bubbly fermented drink that is loaded with probiotics! Water kefir crystals are translucent in nature and also are dairy free. They contain a healthy combination of probiotic bacteria and yeasts, and grow and multiply for as long as you take care of them. These “grains” are actually clusters of bacteria and yeast living in symbiotic relationship.
One of the great things about water kefir is that it is not as sour or vinegar tasting as kombucha. It is a great replacement for soda or energy drinks and so much healthier.
Health Benefits of Water Kefir
- Immune Support
- Can Improve Bone Mass
- Supportive of Brain Health
- Improve Complexion
- Many More
Below I have provided an easy step-by-step recipe for making water kefir, and if you would like to order grains you can get them here. Note that these grains are dehydrated and you will need to hydrate them before using. Another fun option to get started fermenting your own water kefir, is to host a Water Kefir Workshop.
This is a fun event where you will learn a lot about basic fermenting, the health benefits, taste test flavors, and start your own batch to take home with you. Yes, you will get the grains, the sugar, and the fermenting jar to take home! The workshop costs $25.00 per person for private events. It is quite the deal as the grains from Amazon are close to this price. A few other great things about attending the workshop are the recipes for a second ferment, get your questions answered during the workshop, and have follow-up email support if you have questions once you start fermenting at home.
You can check out my events page for upcoming workshops. If you would like to host a private event and you live in the Minneapolis area and would like to host a workshop, please fill out the contact information below. There is a 4 participant minimum to schedule a workshop, but there is a free gift if you have 5 participants, and if you have 10 participants, your registration is free! Who doesn’t like something for free?
Water kefir is a super easy fermented drink to make at home. One word of caution, this fermented drink is really tasty but you don’t want to drink too much of it right away. You will want to work up to 6 to 8 ounces per day. By drinking too much right away, if your body isn’t used to fermented foods, you may experience some negative side effects in your digestive and elimination “patterns” if you know what I mean!!I
I would love to see you at the workshop or even better host a workshop.
Be blessed and remember the greatest gift you can give your family is a healthy you!
Heather
Water Kefir Workshop Hosting
Notes
This tasty fermented drink will not be as sour as most fermented drinks.
Ingredients
- Cultured water kefir grains, 2 tbsp.
- Organic cane sugar, 2 tbsp.
- Filtered water, 2 cups
- Supplies:
- Glass jar, at least 1 quart size with tight fitting lid
- Strainer, either nylon mesh or stainless steel
Instructions
- Pour the filtered water in to the glass jar, add the sugar. Stir (do not use metal utensils) till the sugar has been dissolved completely. If you are using reverse osmosis water or distilled water, you will need to a couple drops of molasses every few batches. This feeds the culture the minerals they need to stay healthy.
- Next you will add your live water kefir crystals to the sugar water mix.
- Cover the glass container with a tight fitting lid. The container should be placed on the counter, away from direct sunlight. It will ferment in 24 to 48 hours. You will want to "burp" the container once or twice a day to release some of the pressure.
- Once the first ferment is complete, you will strain the crystals out of the liquid.
- The water kefir can be consumed as is or add a little lemon juice to it, or you can do a second ferment to add flavoring and bubbles to the drink. To do a second ferment, you simply add 1 to 3 tablespoons of juice, maybe some chopped ginger, or 1/4 cup fresh fruit to the strained kefir water; put in a flip-top bottle, let set on the counter for a couple of days, burping each day, and then move to the fridge after the two days.
- With the strained crystals you will start the whole process over agian.
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