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.
How do you make Flavoured water kefir? ›
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 take to work? ›
Water kefir generally takes 24-48 hours to culture. The exact time will vary depending on environmental factors, the most important of which is temperature. Allowing the water kefir grains to culture for longer than 48 hours puts you at risk of starving the grains and potentially damaging them.
What sugar is best for water kefir? ›
Good: "White" Sugar
Evaporated cane sugar (light blonde in color) is the most popular for fermenting water kefir grains. We use this sugar when we make water kefir for our families or customers to sample, as the mildness of the light sugar allows the kefir to be easily flavored and is appealing to more people.
Is water kefir a laxative? ›
So even though kefir may act as a mild laxative, it did not cause diarrhea or softer stools for people who have normal bowel movements.
What not to add to kefir? ›
Avoid mixing Honey, Turmeric and other strong antibacterials with kefir.
How much water kefir should I drink a day? ›
Drinking 1–3 cups (237–710 mL) of kefir daily can be a great way to boost your intake of probiotics. Certain people may need to limit their intake, including people with diabetes or autoimmune disorders and those following a low carb or ketogenic diet.
Can I add baking soda to water kefir? ›
Add ONE of the following to strengthen the mixture: a pinch of baking soda, a pinch of sea salt, ½ tsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses for each quart of water, 1 eggshell (if no allergies), or mineral drops if using a low mineral water and sugar.
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.
Should I stir my water kefir? ›
Before pouring in the fermented water kefir, give it a good stir with a spoon to evenly distribute the probiotics.
Normally pure white sugar and filtered water is enough for great batches of water kefir. However, if your water lacks minerals and you notice your water kefir is sluggish, you can add a tablespoon of raisins and a pinch of Himalayan salt to your 1L sugar solution.
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.
What is the best hour to drink kefir? ›
Since kefir has an impact on your digestive system, it can keep you from getting a peaceful night of sleep. Instead, you should try to have kefir during a time when you're going to be active. Even if you drink it later in the day, it should be at least a few hours before bed.
Is it safe to drink water kefir every day? ›
Most people can drink kefir every day without any problem. But if you have a weakened immune system, talk to your doctor before you start drinking it. Some studies show probiotics can cause infection in people who are immunocompromised.
Can you eat the fruit in water kefir? ›
Pick out any fruit or lemon. You can eat these, discard, or even keep in your bottled water kefir. You can also re-use dried fruit for one more ferment if desired. If you used lemon, you can squeeze it into your strained/bottled kefir for a stronger lemon flavor if desired.
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.
What do you put in kefir water? ›
Or you can add small pieces of fruit, vegetables, or tea leaves (like blueberries, ginger, or hibiscus) to the kefir once you've strained out the grains. The additional sugars from these additions will make the kefir lightly carbonated. If you want to use the kefir as a starter culture, leave it plain.
How do I get more fizz in my water kefir? ›
There are some basic principles we need to follow so we can prepare water kefir full of bubbles. Add pieces of fruit like lemon or lime to your first fermentation to increase bubbles. Ginger is also very effective.
