We enjoy water kefir all year round as a fermented beverage full of healthy probiotics. Even our dog, Pearl, looks forward to her daily allotment each morning. It helps all of us maintain gut health. It’s our most consistent ferment.
While kombucha is more popular and well known, I find water kefir to be easier to ferment and a lot tastier! To learn more about this easy ferment and how to make it, check out my post, How to Ferment Water Kefir.
During the summer months though I especially look forward to making flavored bottles of water kefir in a second fermentation step.
This offers a bubbly refreshing fruity alternative to sodas, juices, or other sugar filled beverages that are tempting as thirst quenchers. I love experimenting with different flavor options!
Why Drink Water Kefir?
- It’s a probiotic rich drink full of valuable enzymes, B vitamins, and minerals.
- Water kefir is a great dairy free alternative to milk kefir while offering the same benefits.
- Drinking it regularly helps maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in your digestive tract.
- It aids the immune system by optimizing gut health.
- With proper care you can use the same set of grains indefinitely to continuously ferment.
How to Make Carbonated and Flavored Water Kefir
What You Will Need:
- a clean sealed container for fermenting in like swing top bottles, clean soda or water bottles, or even a jar
- finished water kefir
- flavoring of your choice
- a small funnel
Notes and Tips for Flavored Water Kefir:
I use 16 oz swing top bottles for my second ferment. Some people prefer 32 oz bottles. I know others who use plastic bottles for their second ferment to completely avoid the possibility of exploding glass. That’s a great option if you’re absent minded about burping your ferments.
To flavor or carbonate water kefir you need finished water kefir or water kefir that has gone through the first fermentation process.
Flavorings can be anything from fresh fruit to juice to dried fruit or herbs and spices. For a 16 oz bottle I recommend adding 1/4 cup of juice, 1/8 cup of sliced fresh fruit, and just dash or a few leaves of spices or herbs. If you’re using a strong juice like lemon or lime start with only 1/8 cup of juice.
If you only wish to flavor your water kefir, you could move the bottles to the fridge immediately.
To carbonate the water kefir in addition to flavoring, leave the bottles out for 24 to 72 hours to undergo a second ferment. Remember to burp the bottles once a day! Pressure can build up quickly and lead to exploding bottles that are both dangerous and messy.
I’ve also taken to burping the bottles outside after having to clean watermelon off the ceiling once due to an unexpected pressure change. That sort of pressure has never occurred again but once was enough.
Flavored Water Kefir Directions:
1. Add your flavoring of choice to the bottom of your bottle or container.
2. Use the little funnel to pour the finished water kefir in. Leave at least 1 inch of head space of the top of the bottle.
3. To carbonate and flavor, allow 24 to 72 hrs for a second ferment. Burp the bottles once a day!
4. When the bottles have carbonation, move them to the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy. The cold stops the fermentation process and make the beverage even more refreshing.
10 Flavored Water Kefir Recipes to Try
All recipes are to make one 16 oz bottle of flavored water kefir and require adding just under 16 oz of finished water kefir.
1. Strawberry Pineapple
- 1 medium strawberry sliced
- 1 pineapple ring sliced or 3-4 chunks
- 1/8 cup pineapple juice
2. Pineapple Mint
- 1 pineapple ring sliced or 3-4 chunks
- 1/8 cup pineapple juice
- 5 – 6 mint leaves (chopped or muddled will give even more flavor)
3. Strawberry Watermelon with Lemon
- 1 medium strawberry sliced
- 1 watermelon chunk sliced (about 1/8 cup)
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
4. Blackberry
- 4 – 5 blackberries muddled up
Note: This is one that we definitely strain right before drinking to avoid annoying seeds. If you like mint, a few leaves are a refreshing addition to the blackberry
5. Mango Ginger
- 1 mango slice cut up or muddled (about 1/8 cup)
- 1/2 inch to 1 inch piece of ginger minced depending on how strong you like your ginger
6. Ginger Beer
- 1/2 inch to 1 inch piece of ginger minced
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
7. Strawberry Lemonade
- 1 medium to large strawberry sliced
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
8. Lemon Lime
- a tbsp lemon juice
- a tbsp lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
9. Mojito
- 1/8 cup lime juice
- 6 to 8 mint leaves chopped or muddled
- 1 teaspoon sugar
10. Watermelon with Lemon Cucumber
- 1 watermelon chunk sliced (about 1/8 cup)
- half of a lemon cucumber sliced (about 1/8 cup)
Have you tried water kefir before? What are your favorite fruit flavor combinations for summer drinks?
FAQs
The best fruit to use is dried figs. It provides the essential minerals needed for the kefir grains to develop properly. Dried fruit such as dates, raisins, and cranberries can also be used.
What happens if you let water kefir ferment too long? ›
When water kefir is finished, it tastes a bit sweet still. If you prefer it more sour you can overferment it. If you leave it for a very long time it may become even to sour to drink. The same is with kombucha.
How do you make flavored kefir water? ›
To give your kefir a flavour boost, fruit juice is ideal! Add between 60 and 200ml (¼ and ¾ cup) of your favourite juice per litre of kefir. Citrus fruits enhance water kefir particularly well. A few tablespoons of citrus fruit juice can give a special zing to a kefir lacking personality!
How long does water kefir last in the refrigerator? ›
Water kefir does not need to be refrigerated unless you want it chilled. It's best to consume within 10 days after opening a bottle. Unused grains can be fed and stored, covered, in sugar water (1/4 cup sugar to 1 quart water), and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
How alcoholic can water kefir get? ›
Water Kefir Has a Low Alcohol Content
During fermentation, the water kefir grains produce alcohol. The alcohol content is between 0.02% and 2.0% (ref.). Although the alcohol content is low, homemade water kefir is not recommended for children, pregnant women, and people who do not wish to consume any alcohol.
What is the best sugar for water kefir? ›
Good: "White" Sugar
White sugar is processed using chemicals in refining, so no nutrients or minerals remain. Organic cane juice sugar or crystals aren't as refined as white, so they have a low mineral content. Both kinds create a sweet water kefir.
Why add raisins to water kefir? ›
Add a small handful of raisins to your next culturing batch, ensuring the raisins are free of oil and sulfur. Your grains will feast upon the natural sugar. Fun fact, if you eat the raisins after the culturing time, they won't be sweet anymore. Bonus: because of the extra fruit sugar, extra carbonation should develop.
Can you drink kefir water every day? ›
Drinking kefir water every day can provide your body with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients that may boost your health. Since kefir water's probiotics can have some side effects, consult with your doctor before adding it to your diet.
How to know if water kefir is working? ›
Always test aroma and flavour to make sure the water kefir grains are working properly. The finished water kefir should smell pleasant and maybe a bit sour, and it will be less sweet than the sugar water or juice you started with.
How do I know if I killed my water kefir? ›
To know if your water kefir grains are dead, use them to ferment a new batch and repeat this cycle at least 4 times. If the grains are dead, the water will remain sweet, and there wouldn't be a sign of fermentation. Another way to know is the appearance of mold on the surface.
Caution is advised due to the higher alcohol content than your typical water kefir or other ferments. If flavor is your ultimate goal, try doing a 2nd ferment with grape or apple. If you want the most probiotics, try prickly pear. Want good antioxidants, try pomegranate juice or kiwifruit juice.
What bottled water is best for water kefir? ›
Plain spring water is excellent, except “sparkling” or those with higher or added mineral content. Water labeled “drinking” is usually okay, but always read the ingredient label for additives.
What is the white stuff floating in my kefir water? ›
During fermentation, white foam can form on the surface of water kefir. It appears especially when fermentations are too lengthy. It can also come from the sugar used. This is normal and not dangerous.
How many times can water kefir grains be reused? ›
If cared for properly, water kefir grains have an unlimited life span and can be used repeatedly to make water kefir. Kefir made with a powdered kefir culture (direct-set) can often be recultured from 2-7 times.
How do you know if water kefir grains are healthy? ›
How do you know if the grains are 'healthy'? Kefir grains are very resilient and will strive to maintain their health at all times. As long as your grains are converting the sugar-water mix to kefir that is not 'off' they are just fine.
Can you use tap water to make water kefir? ›
Using Tap Water for Making Water Kefir
If using tap water, we do recommend filtering the water to remove as many additives, chemicals and contaminants as possible. If filtering is not possible, aerating or boiling the water for 20 minutes may help remove at least the chlorine.
Is water kefir full of sugar? ›
On average, fermented water kefir contains the same amount of sugar as in one green apple, just 3 grams. If you add fruit juice to your fermentation, the sugar content can go up to 5 grams. Not bad compared to 72 grams of sugar in a root beer.
Does water kefir spike insulin? ›
The bacteria and yeast produce enzymes that break down the sucrose (the double sugar that sugar is composed of) into fructose and glucose. Fructose is digested by the liver and does not spike the blood sugar of diabetics like sucrose or glucose. Because of the fructose, it makes this drink a lower GL.
What happens if you add too much sugar to water kefir? ›
Too much sugar or too many water kefir grains can lead to over fermentation and more alcohol content.
Is honey good for water kefir? ›
Don't: Use sweeteners like honey, palm sugar, stevia, agave, artificial sweeteners, maple syrup, sorghum syrup, coconut sugar, beet sugar, corn-based sweeteners, powdered sugars, or invert sugar. These are nutritiously deficient.
We would recommend 1/3 fruit juice to the bottom of the bottle (I like organic fruit juice but that's a personal preference, avoid cloudy fruit juices as they can add stringy bits to your drink! you can also use fresh fruit if you wish, slices of lemon and ginger are a nice addition).
Can you add fresh fruit to water kefir? ›
FRESH OR DRIED FRUIT
When using fresh fruit, leave in the water kefir no longer than 24 hours. For a stronger fruit flavor, strain out the fruit after 24 hours and add fresh fruit; continue to ferment another 24 hours.
What fruit is good for second ferment kefir? ›
If you second ferment with a lemon or orange peel or a million other things it will flavor the kefir and make it taste unique and delicious. It also increases B vitamins, like folic acid, and makes the calcium and magnesium more bioavailable which means that your body can take it in and use it immediately.
How do you flavor kefir with fruit? ›
6. Fruit Flavored Water Kefir
- Make water kefir and remove the kefir grains.
- Add fresh or dried fruit to the water kefir. If using fresh fruit, change the fruit out every 24 hours. Dried fruit can be changed out as infrequently as once a week.
- Culture the fruit and kefir for 1-7 days.
- Remove and discard the fruit.
TRY MINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION FOR MAKING WATER KEFIR
One of the best and easiest ways to encourage your water kefir grains to multiply is using mineral supplementation. These will help promote more growth inside of your water kefir grains and will allow them to multiply much easier.
