How to Make Water Kefir

5 from 1 vote

How to Make Water Kefir

Water Kefir is easy to make once you have some water kefir grains. It makes a wonderful effervescent and probiotic-rich drink. It's also an economical beverage to make because other than the grains, all you need is water and sugar.

Prep Time5

Total Time1 5

Course: Beverages

Cuisine: Eastern European

Servings:

Calories: 46kcal

Author: Mary Bryant Shrader

Ingredients

1 pkg Water kefir grains
4 tbsp Cane sugar
4 cups Filtered water

Instructions

Place water kefir grains in a 1-quart jar.
Mix water and sugar in a 4-cup measuring cup until the sugar has dissolved.
Pour the sugar water into the 1-quart jar over the water kefir grains.
Cover the filled 1-quart jar with a coffee filter or clean cloth and secure with a rubber band.
After 24 hours, taste the water kefir using a clean spoon. If it is to your liking, drain off the grains and use them to make a second batch of water kefir. If you would like the water kefir to be less sweet, let it ferment for another 24 hours for a total of 48 hours.
Once the water kefir is to your liking, drain off the grains as mentioned above. You can now decant your water kefir and refrigerate it.

Notes

You can make a fruit-flavored water kefir. Put your strained water kefir into a clean jar without any kefir grains and add a small amount of fruit. Cover the jar with a coffee filter or clean cloth and secure with a rubber band. Allow the water kefir and fruit to ferment for 12-24 hours. Once the taste is to your liking, strain the fruit (or you can leave it in the water kefir), decant the fruit-flavored water kefir, and refrigerate.

Water kefir is best enjoyed when first made. It's a treat, as opposed to something that should be consumed on a daily basis. Think of it as a soda—just a soda that has been made for centuries by traditional cultures.

Store your water kefir in the fridge after it's ready. It will become less fizzy after a day or two but is safe in the fridge for up to three months.

For a less sweet kefir, allow your water kefir to ferment longer.

Don't throw out your kefir grains! You can use them indefinitely. And they will multiply and grow. You can also share them with others who are interested in making kefir. You can also eat them. (They have a mild taste with the texture of gummies.)

Nutrition