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Water Kefir

A refreshing slightly effervescent fermented drink. You can add fruit or juice for flavor and extra fizziness!
Prep Time 4 days
Servings 12

Equipment

  • 2 ½ gallon jars

Ingredients
  

  • 32 oz water
  • ¼ cup new kefir grains
  • 2 tsp unsulfered molasses

Instructions
 

  • This instruction is for newly purchased kefir grains to get them going. If your grains are from a friend and already established, no need to use the molasses steps. Skip to the next set of instructions.
    Mix 32 oz of water and 2 tsp molasses add the ¼ cup kefir grains
    Cover with a towel, beeswax wrap, or coffee filter. Leave on the counter to ferment for 3-5 days. Your home temperature will dictate how long it takes. The dark color should be washed out by the third day. This is a good indication that the grains are active and creating kefir water!
    Strain the grains and rinse well before using them again. If you wish to take a break from making kefir, place the grains in a jar with 1 TBS sugar and 2 Cups of water. Feed a bit of sugar weekly to keep them active and alive.

Kefir Water with Established Grains

  • Fill two half-gallon jars halfway with water. Add ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup kefir grains to each jar. If you have ½ of kefir water from the first batch, split that between both jars. Add one slice of lemon to each jar. You can also add a prune or a few raisins for flavor. Cover with a towel, beeswax wrap, or coffee filter. Let the mixture sit on the counter for 3-5 days or until the desired taste is achieved.

Second Ferment

  • After the first ferment, you can flavor the kefir water. Add ½ cup lemonade or ½ cup chopped fruit to a ½ gallon jar. Pour the strained kefir water over the top. Place a lid on the jar and let it sit for another 24 hours. If you let it go longer than 24 hours be sure to burp the lid from time to time so that it doesn't build up too much pressure.