Fermented Water Kefir (Wasserkefir) is yet another fermented drink that we make.
Our main focus is on Kombucha, but we also have other fermented drinks, like our very popular Fermented Soda, Red Beet Kvass, Milk Kefir, etc.
Water Kefir is an alternative to Milk Kefir, which is great option for Vegans, or people who are lactose-intolerant.
Water Kefir is good health-wise, but you should not expect it to be an equally good alternative.
Quoting online article from The Home Economist:
"Milk kefir, made with either dairy milk or coconut milk, far surpasses water kefir in probiotic potency. The benefits of milk based kefir exceed those of water kefir no matter if the water kefir is cultured with fruit juice, vegetable juice, coconut water, or filtered water and a whole sweetener."
Plus this:
"The most likely reason is that there are only 10-15 strains of good bacteria and good yeasts in water kefir made with live grains. This compares with the 30 to 50 in homemade milk kefir made with live grains."
But despite all that, it is still way healthier than any soda, and most of the other drinks.
DrHealthBenefits.com lists these 22 health benefits:
"1. Source of Probiotics
2. Source of Vitamins
3. Acts as Antibiotic and Anti-Fungal Properties
4. Lowers Risks of Diabetes
5. Promotes Healthy Digestion System
6. Boosts Immune System
7. Boosts Energy
8. Prevents Allergies
9. Acts as Anti-Inflammatory
10. Reduces Risks of Candida Issues"
Water Kefir belongs to those simpler ferments. It requires good water, sugar, few dried fruits, and of course Water Kefir Cultures (also known as Water Kefir Grains).
Here are some of those cultures, that we start with.
And, here are the other ingredients.
We use Organic (BIO) unrefined sugar, and Organic raisins + dates.
It is crucial for the health of the cultures to avoid any pesticides or chemicals. Standard dried fruits almost always contain sulfur, as a preservative.
Sugar that we use, is exactly the same that we use for our Kombucha, and our Fermented Soda.
What is not pictured, is our filtered and revitalized water.
Since our water is really good, we do not even heat it up. We just add all the ingredients together, and we mix them, so that the sugar dissolves.
When all things are in place, then our Water Kefir looks like this:
The first fermentation process takes about 2-3 days. After that, we strain the fruits, and we separate the grains.
At this point, we discard the raisins and dates, and we rinse the grains so that they are ready for another batch.
But the Water Kefir liquid still requires some flavoring.
In Winter we usually use freshly squeezed ginger juice, like in the photos below.
In Spring and Summer, we use herbs like lemon balm or mint.
If those herbs are used, we infuse the Water Kefir with them.
In case of ginger juice, we just stir it in, and we bottle our Kefir right after.
Next comes the second fermentation process (F2), during which natural carbonation builds up.
When that is complete, our Water Kefir goes into our front fridge.
Here's an artsy picture of our Water Kefir Grains. Yes, sometimes they get this big!
Water Kefir is always available for pick up, but in case you want to make your own, you can stop by to pick up the Grains or our Set.
If you stop by in person, and if we have an excess of them, you will leave with more than the standard 30 gr.
If you can not stop by, you can always order them through our online store.
To buy the Water Kefir grains through our online store, please click here.
To buy Water Kefir Set, please click here.
Below is the label for our Kefir Grains:
And here's our label for Water Kefir. The flavoring ingredient (like ginger, etc) will be hand written on the bottle.
Ingredients: Filtered and Revitalized Water, Unrefined Brown Sugar + one more flavoring ingredient like Mint, or Ginger, or Lemon Balm, etc
Disclaimer: All medical information in this post is merely information & not advise. If you need medical advice, please consult your doctor or other appropriate medical professional.