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
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 long does water kefir last in the refrigerator? ›
Finished water kefir can be stored as follows: At room temperature (68° to 78°F): 3 to 4 days. In the refrigerator (40° to 45°F): 2 to 3 weeks.
How to 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!
What is the best sugar for water kefir? ›
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.
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.
How many times can water kefir grains be reused? ›
Yes. Reuse the same grains multiple times. If they were previously dehydrated, they may not reproduce but will ferment the sugar water. If they are living water kefir grains, expect them to proliferate!
How much water kefir should I drink a day? ›
How much should you drink? Kefir can be a healthy and delicious addition to a well-rounded diet. For best results, stick to around 1–3 cups (237–710 mL) per day and pair it with a variety of other fermented foods and beverages to increase your intake of probiotics.
How do I know if my water kefir is good? ›
Taste: After the 48-hour culturing process, the finished kefir should be less sweet than the sugar water you started with. Please note: finished kefir will still be fairly sweet as it does still contain fructose which is naturally very sweet. But it should be at least a bit less sweet than the original sugar water.
What fruit is good for water kefir? ›
fresh berries (strawberries, huckleberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.) Pineapple, apples, pears, or Frozen fruit, or fruit juice will work too. Water- Tap water or well water is generally best when making water kefir- or use “still” mineral water.
What bottled water is best for water kefir? ›
Bottled Water
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.
Before pouring in the fermented water kefir, give it a good stir with a spoon to evenly distribute the probiotics.
What happens if you add too much sugar to water kefir? ›
Too much sugar and the yeasts will either become slimy and overrun the bacteria or fall completely asleep and do nothing.
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.
Can you use tap water to make water kefir? ›
If using city tap water, we recommend boiling the water for 20 minutes to remove chlorine, then allow it to cool to room temperature. You can also let your tap water stand for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate. Structured, alkalized, or pH-adjusted water is not appropriate for fermenting water kefir.
How long is too long to ferment kefir? ›
The longer they ferment the more acidic your kefir will be and the lower it will be in lactose. I don't recommend fermenting for longer than 48 hours. Although these grains are acid tolerant, even they have their limits.
Is it safe to over ferment kefir? ›
Can I drink my over fermented Milk Kefir? Sure, although drinking it neat can be a real challenge (We've only met a handful of people who can stomach over fermented Milk Kefir). Firstly, give it a really good stir. This will blend the curds and whey back into the sort of kefir you're used to seeing.
How long should water kefir ferment? ›
Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the level of sweetness you want. Shorter time will result in a sweeter kefir; longer will be less so. Do not exceed 72 hours.
How to tell if kefir has gone bad? ›
Kefir will often smell like fresh yeast. If your kefir smells like spoiled yeast (rotten), that can be a sign of either contamination or that the yeast and bacteria which comprise the kefir grains are out of balance.
