Water Kefir: Round Two

This is the second round with my Water Kefir grains.

They are looking rather healthy, I think. See the new grains forming at the top? When I moved the jar, lots of bubbles rose up from the bottom, so I am thinking they are doing what they are supposed to do. The bottom of the jar holds the majority of my grains, which when strained, look like this:

I let the first batch sit for 3 days and wasn't greatly impressed with the results (though it wasn't horrible, either). I decided to let the second batch sit for 2 days to see what happens.

The result is a (to me) more palatable drink.  Your mileage may vary, and my first batch results might have differed from a regular 3-day ferment because the grains were dormant in my fridge for awhile before I got brave enough to start this adventure.

I put the entire second batch in a glass pitcher with a rubber seal, added some vanilla extract, and left it on the counter so that it could create bubbles and become a sort of Cream Soda.  There was pressure when I went to open it after 2 days, but nothing like opening a bottle of soda. Still, the kefir is palatable (maybe too sweet....I may cut back a tad on sugar---especially since I realized I'm not using an entire 2 quarts of water in my jar once I leave headspace at the top---companies must not make actual 2 quart jars anymore with their cutting back and all....).

I want to find some glass bottles with seals and clamps, old-fashioned style, to bottle the kefir and maybe make Ginger Beer with it.  Something to look into for sure! 

I think this will be a good summer project to do with the kids as well! :) I bet they will have fun creating different flavors! If I get individual bottles, they can make their own individual drinks!

Water Kefir Experiment Update

As promised, here are the results of my Water Kefir Experiment

First Batch:

I let the first batch sit for 3 days, strained it, and set another batch going.

This first batch was palatable, but not particularly something I would eagerly reach for as a refreshing beverage on its own.

I poured half in one pitcher and half in another.

In one pitcher, I added about half a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice to about a quart of Water Kefir. Again, palatable, but not the awesome beverage I had hoped for.

In the other pitcher, I added about 1 tsp vanilla extract to the generous pint of Water Kefir and let this mixture sit on the counter for a day or two to increase the fizzy bubbles. This batch I found more favorable and I think I might be able to get the kids to at least try it, particularly if I can find some bottles to bottle it up in and hold more of the bubbles in so it's more like soda. (because I'm sneaky like that)

Water Kefir: My first try

For a year or two now, I have been considering making water kefir. Especially in the summertime, when it seems a lighter probiotic beverage is called for(rather than a milk-based one).   And I want to keep my probiotic intake up as I try to get my immune system and gut back to healthy status, so adding another option sounds good (especially since I can flavor the water kefir!).

I got some water kefir grains from an online friend and finally got around to doing something with them the other day. I am using Cultures for Health as my source of instructions.

I dissolved 1/2 cup of Turbinado sugar in some hot water on the stove, let it cool, then put the sugar water and the water kefir grains in a 2 quart jar and filled with water to about 2 inches from the top. I covered it with a cloth and rubber band to keep ants out (of which we have some in this old farm house these days...). I'm letting it sit 48 hours and then will test it to see how it is. I may let it sit another day, but no longer, as the instructions I have say not to let it sit out longer than 72 hours before feeding it again.

So, here it is on my counter, sitting pretty. I'll report in a few days as to how it is! :)

RECIPE UPDATE: Healthier Morning Orange Drink!

I mentioned in my other recipe post about Morning Orange Drink that I was looking for a way to make it healthier.

Well, today I found one way! And it turns out it's a good way to get food-based probiotics into my kids!

I had let my previous Homemade Kefir die after one of our Colorado trips awhile back, and gotten out of the habit. However, I was recently able to acquire some kefir grains from a friend and got started with it again.  This strain isn't as tart as my other strain, and it grows a lot more quickly. I had a jar that was basically 1 cup whey and 1 cup of ricotta-consistency kefir from one of the days last week. I kept it in the fridge for a few days until I could figure out what to do with it, and came up with the idea of incorporating it into the recipe I'm sharing today.

Here's the recipe with the alterations:

Healthier Morning Orange Drink 
2 cups kefir
1/3 cup sugar
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp vanilla extract (check for gluten)
10 ice cubes


Put all of the above into your blender and blend until smooth. Serves 4.

All of my kids had some, and I put what was left into popsicle molds. Goodbye dyes and artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup!

Made with kefir, this recipe has a slight bit of effervescence. I told  my kids "It's sort of like a soda, sort of like a milk shake." 

I might even let the kids have one of these popsicles with their breakfasts. :)

How to make Kefir

Making your own kefir is a simple and cheap way of getting your daily dose of probiotics.

Many people have been on one or more rounds of antibiotics in their lifetime. Antibiotics, though admittedly beneficial in fighting off infection, have been overused. This overuse has wreaked havoc on many people's immune systems as their natural "good" bacteria have been killed off along with the bad. This would explain why often a yeast infection(whether vaginal, thrush, ringworm, etc.) of some sort is often known to follow a round of antibiotics. For what it's worth, yeast overgrowth usually causes people to crave/consume more carbs and sugars, since this is what the yeast needs to thrive...and this often leads to gaining weight.

Taking some form of probiotics will help to repopulate the good bacteria in one's gut. It will in turn strengthen your immune system and probably improve one's digestion.

I began making and drinking kefir soon after I made my appointment with the AAT doc. Since I was not able to get a Rx from my allergist for a systemic antifungal, I decide I was going to try this route to get rid of the annoying Yeast Beast.

I found Kefir far easier to make than yogurt, and come to find out it offers more diversity of probiotic strains than yogurt, as well as more of them per quantity of milk it takes to make it.

The first thing I had to do was acquire some kefir grains. I was able to get some from an online acquaintance. They came in the midst of a blizzard and our lane was completely snowed in. I didn't get to the mailbox the day they came but they survived the freezing overnight temperatures! (phew!)

Making Kefir

You will need:
A quart(or so) glass jar
Lid or cloth and rubberband to cover the top
2 cups of milk
Bowl and Colander
Spoon

Be sure your glass jar is clean. If you use conventional cleansers or antibacterial soap, or bleach, be sure to rinse VERY well, as these can kill your kefir grains. Vinegar works well as a cleanser and disinfectant.

Now, you're all set!

1. Pour your milk into your jar.
2. Plop your kefir grains in.
3. Cover with lid(loosely) or cloth/rubberband
4. Let sit approximately 24 hours
5. Pour kefir and grains into colander over bowl. Drain, stirring the kefir to work it through the colander and ending up with the only the kefir grains in the colander.
6. Pour 2 cups milk into your quart jar (no need to clean the jar)

Repeat daily.

That's it!

Kefir will keep in the fridge indefinitely(months). I have read that once you have strained your kefir, you may leave it on the counter at room temperature for one more day in order to let the bacteria eat the lactose, creating a very low-lactose product. I haven't tried this, so don't know whether it tastes any different.



The lower the fat in your milk, the faster the culture will develop and the sooner it will turn into a curd-like texture. The curds are easily broken up though, not as firmly set as cottage cheese. I am needing to separate my kefir grains and pass some on to friends soon, as mine have been multiplying like crazy!

When you first start to make Kefir from dormant kefir grains(like, if you get it in the mail and the poor thing froze), it may take a few days for the balance to get back in sync. I had really bubbly kefir for a day or two, but after that it was just right!

I have been drinking my Kefir every day now and must say the yeast problems I was having are gone! Yeah for probiotics!