Water Kefir
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:15 pm
Has anyone ever tried water kefir or any other cultured pro-biotic product?
Water kefir is really easy to make, cheap, alcoholic and very healthy. Yes, I know. It sounds unbelievable, but it's true. I drink large amounts weekly and can personally attest to it's wonderful-ness.
Basically you have these things called "water kefir grains" (which are different from milk kefir grains). The grains are created by the symbiotic action of various forms of yeasts and bacteria. These yeasts and bacteria are actually very helpful for our digestive systems. A big factor in the bio-availability (absorption) of many nutrients and amino acids is intestinal microfauna! This is originally why yogurt was touted as being so healthy, because it contains a couple strains of yeasts that are healthy. Water kefir contains many more. Most people have badly damaged microfauna so drinking kefir can help recolonize their gutty-wuts.
Milk kefir has even more than water kefir, but it has a much stronger taste that I like but others think is gross. Milk kefir is also alcoholic, maybe even more so.
To make water kefir you just take a sealable glass jar and fill is about 2/3s full with warm water. Mix in several table spoons of sugar and half a lemon or lime. You can just use the juice from the lemon/lime if you want, if you don't trust having the peel in there for too long. Then add some fruits, most people suggest dried fruits but I use any. I've found pineapple, strawberry and mandarin oranges to make tasty kefir but dried apricots taste very strange. Again, I like it but others think it's gross. Stir it all around and then add the kefir grains, and if you have any kefir from a previous batch, mix it in there too, it helps get things started.
If you did it right, you should see lots of bubbles forming either immediately or in a few minutes. Common sense dictates you shouldn't completely seal the container if it's making lots of gas, so the glass doesn't explode on you. Wait 2 or 3 days then drink. You can wait longer for a less sweet, more alcoholic kefir. Sometimes I'll get busy and leave it for a week or twoand it'll still be quite good.
My instructions are a little rough so I'd look it up online for more details. You can get grains for free or for shipping from a few places online since many give them away for free. Usually the water kefir grains will grow and people will have extra.
If this sounds interesting to you, read up on milk kefir. It's for the hardcore people. Milk kefir is amazing, but most think a sour-milk taste is really gross. I gave some milk kefir mixed with a little honey and cinnamon to my indian friend and he said it tasted like something his grandmother gave him back in India (actually, his exact words were "made me drink").
I know people who are highly resistant to alcohol and are seasoned vets of drinking that quickly get red-faced from small amounts of water kefir. I'm nto sure why since the alcohol content is supposed to be around 2%. Maybe it's a different type? It is a very happy, smiley type of drunk and I usually wake up feeling good after drinking a lot of it.
Water kefir is really easy to make, cheap, alcoholic and very healthy. Yes, I know. It sounds unbelievable, but it's true. I drink large amounts weekly and can personally attest to it's wonderful-ness.
Basically you have these things called "water kefir grains" (which are different from milk kefir grains). The grains are created by the symbiotic action of various forms of yeasts and bacteria. These yeasts and bacteria are actually very helpful for our digestive systems. A big factor in the bio-availability (absorption) of many nutrients and amino acids is intestinal microfauna! This is originally why yogurt was touted as being so healthy, because it contains a couple strains of yeasts that are healthy. Water kefir contains many more. Most people have badly damaged microfauna so drinking kefir can help recolonize their gutty-wuts.
Milk kefir has even more than water kefir, but it has a much stronger taste that I like but others think is gross. Milk kefir is also alcoholic, maybe even more so.
To make water kefir you just take a sealable glass jar and fill is about 2/3s full with warm water. Mix in several table spoons of sugar and half a lemon or lime. You can just use the juice from the lemon/lime if you want, if you don't trust having the peel in there for too long. Then add some fruits, most people suggest dried fruits but I use any. I've found pineapple, strawberry and mandarin oranges to make tasty kefir but dried apricots taste very strange. Again, I like it but others think it's gross. Stir it all around and then add the kefir grains, and if you have any kefir from a previous batch, mix it in there too, it helps get things started.
If you did it right, you should see lots of bubbles forming either immediately or in a few minutes. Common sense dictates you shouldn't completely seal the container if it's making lots of gas, so the glass doesn't explode on you. Wait 2 or 3 days then drink. You can wait longer for a less sweet, more alcoholic kefir. Sometimes I'll get busy and leave it for a week or twoand it'll still be quite good.
My instructions are a little rough so I'd look it up online for more details. You can get grains for free or for shipping from a few places online since many give them away for free. Usually the water kefir grains will grow and people will have extra.
If this sounds interesting to you, read up on milk kefir. It's for the hardcore people. Milk kefir is amazing, but most think a sour-milk taste is really gross. I gave some milk kefir mixed with a little honey and cinnamon to my indian friend and he said it tasted like something his grandmother gave him back in India (actually, his exact words were "made me drink").
I know people who are highly resistant to alcohol and are seasoned vets of drinking that quickly get red-faced from small amounts of water kefir. I'm nto sure why since the alcohol content is supposed to be around 2%. Maybe it's a different type? It is a very happy, smiley type of drunk and I usually wake up feeling good after drinking a lot of it.