the third and last post in the series of homemade fermented drinks. after milk Kefir and kombucha, today i want to introduce you to water kefir. i have to say this one is my favorit. water kefir is slightly bubbly (just right, since i am not a big fan of carbonated drinks) and sweet in taste. really a perfect refreshing drink and good alternative to juices and the likes.

known under a variety of names like japanese water crystals, australian bees, ginger bees. i have to admit neither name meant much to me and so i was excited to see what water kefir actually is – no surprise since you can buy ready water kefir in a shop, so you have to make it yourself. contrary to milk kefir and kombucha here you have small jellylike crystals which through fermentation with water, sugar and dried fruits produce a sparkly drink. the crystals look a lot more appealing than the milk kefir ones and also the fermentation process is more appetizing than the milky version. besides that water kefir is naturally vegan.

dried fruits are a major part for fermentation, as they are providing the necessary nitrogen. all the more important it is to use natural finished fruits without sulfur. as in terms of taste just try different kinds, whichever yield the best result for you. the added sugar provides the rest of the needed energy. but don’t worry, most of it will be fermented so you won’t be drinking a sugar bomb. also depending on when you are stopping the fermentation process (1-3 days), more or less sugar will have been converted.

during the fermentation you don’t see much change on the outside. the longer you have the jar sitting there the more carbon dioxide bubbles up and also the dried fruits swim to the top. other than that i couldn’t see much change.

since we are talking fermentation here, the ready kefir contains some alcohol, but just a teeny tiny bit. the lemon balances out the sweetness with something sour.

so you see the it is quite ease to produce water kefir, you just need some patience. you can comfortable order the water kefir crystals at eg Natural Kefir Drinks and if you don’t have all the necessary jars, sieves etc just order the starter set with everything you  need.

i can only recommend to try your hand at fermenting drinks yourself. it is fun, you experience something new in taste every time, you know what’s in it and you’ve got the perfect alternative to conventional sugary drinks/sodas. if you want to dive deeper into the subject of kefir and kombucha, check out natural kefir drinks – you’ll find a whole bunch of interesting information there.

Filed under: drinks Tagged: drinks, kefir, natural kefir drinks, vegan, water kefir