Water Kefir - The New Kombucha!
By Cameron Conklin, apprentice 2021
Delicious, probiotic, fizzy and homemade soda (Water Kefir)
Kefir is more than just milk!
Before coming to the Ranch, I only knew of kefir as a tasty, sour, probiotic milk product - almost like a liquid yogurt. I loved it, and knew of it’s health benefits, but didn’t think kefir could be anything more. Turns out, kefir can refer to both milk kefir, the product I’ve known and seen in grocery stores, and water kefir, a delicious fermented soda and a staple for us here at Rancho.
Kefir “grains” are not actually grains at all, but instead a type of SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), a word you might recognize from researching or making kombucha. Kefir grains are shaped like little translucent miniature cauliflower florets - giving them their name. Milk kefir and water kefir grains look similar, but contain a different combination of bacteria and yeast. So if you want to make both, like we do, you’ll need a different source for each. If you are interested in milk kefir, check out Ryan’s blog post for some great milk kefir recipes here!
Some kefir makers have had luck with rinsing their kefir grains and changing the nutritive liquid they are fermenting. For example, using milk kefir grains with coconut milk instead of dairy milk. But as a rule of thumb, your grains will be trained to like a certain combination of ingredients, and in the case of water kefir grains, water and sugar is the magic recipe!
Making water kefir, what we call “balm”, was my first task here at Rancho. After my first week on balm duty, I thought to myself, “Why isn’t everyone making this stuff?!” It’s easy, delicious, refreshing, and serves as a great base for seasonal flavors, medicinal plants, and culinary creativity.
Water Kefir grains
The health benefits of water kefir
The exact origin story of kefir is unknown, but it is believed to have originated in the Caucasus Mountains. Kefir is Turkish for “good feeling” - which I can’t agree more with when I take a cold sip of bubbly kefir soda. Water kefir is high in probiotics, hydrating, and a great replacement for electrolyte sports drinks like gatorade, since it contains enzymes and minerals. It is known to aid in digestion, reduce inflammation, and relieve skin irritation such as eczema and acne. Water kefir is also said to help with detoxification by cleansing the liver (Mueller, 2014). What a magical concoction!
Water kefir serves as a great conduit for fruits and herbs. There are endless combinations of ingredients you can add to boost nutritional and medicinal potency depending on what your body needs!
How to make water kefir
**Note! If you do not have a water kefir making friend or local grain dealer, you can purchase dehydrated grains online. You will need to rehydrate them before following the recipe below.
Water Kefir SCOBY in the water/sugar solution
Primary Fermentation
Combine 1 gallon of water with 2 cups of sugar into a non-metal container (at Rancho we use tapa dulce which is a locally sourced sugar cane that our grains love, but you can use other sugar sources as well)
Pour in 1 cup of kefir grains
Cover with a cheese cloth or lid to keep out dust and bugs but not oxygen
Allow the mixture to sit for 2 days - this may be longer for you (up to 4 days) if you are in a cooler climate. Here in the tropics things move fast!
When your water kefir is ready you will notice a change in color and you may see bubbles rising to the top or foam settling on the surface
Strain your kefir into airtight bottles or jars (no metal) for the second fermentation, being sure to leave room for added fruit juices, herbs, and bubbles from the carbonation process
Set aside your kefir grains to begin your next batch - you can continue using these grains an infinite number of times if you keep them fed and healthy. You will see them start to multiply and this is a great time to give away extra grains to friends!
You are now ready to move on to the second fermentation and carbonation phase!
At this stage your kefir is ready to drink if you do not want to add flavor or carbonation - but in my opinion that is the best part!
Secondary Fermentation
**Note: This is where you can let your creativity shine! Read below to see some of our favorite recipes. You may wish to adjust the amount of fruit juice or sugar you use based on preference so start experimenting.
Passion fruit makes a great and easy flavor for balm!
Add 1/4 cup 100% fruit juice or fruit puree per liter of water kefir
Add 1/8 cup sugar per liter of water kefir
Add any herbs you’d like (I like to muddle them or blend with the fruit juice first)
Cap the airtight containers and let sit at room temperature for 1 to 3 days to let the secondary fermentation take place. In this stage of the process, the added sugar will be consumed by the SCOBY and create the carbonation as carbon dioxide builds up in the airtight container. The longer you wait, the bubblier and less sweet your beverage will be, so do a few trials to find your perfect combination.
Give your bottles a little burp to make sure you release some carbon dioxide to avoid your bottles exploding. Place your bottles in the fridge and enjoy! Don’t wait too long to burp your bottles and put your soda in the fridge, or your bottles might bust. The fridge will slow down the fermentation process significantly, allowing you to enjoy your balm for a longer period.
Watch out when opening your bottles again, the carbonation can be very intense depending on the ingredients so start slow as you unscrew the cap!
A refreshing, bubbly glass of balm
Our favorite variations
Below are a few flavor combinations that are staples here at Rancho. These flavors are absolutely delicious and come right from our farm. If you aren’t in the tropics and don’t have access to the below, I recommend using local, seasonal, ingredients to flavor your balm - there are so many different options!
Galaxy Bomb:
1/4 cup fresh squeezed starfruit juice
grated fresh ginger to taste
Sunshine Daydream:
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
muddled mint to taste
muddled basil to taste
The Queen:
1/4 cup fresh squeezed and strained victoriana
1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
(be careful with explosions, this one is a firecracker!)
Resources:
Delicious Probiotic Drinks, Julia Mueller, 2014
Wild Fermentation, Sandor Ellix Katz, 2003
More Articles on Fermented Beverages you Can Make!
How to Brew Your Own Ginger Beer
Learn More
Check out our workshops that include farm to table fermentation, medicinal plants, permaculture and more!
Happy brewing and happy microbes!