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
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 can water kefir be kept in the fridge? ›
The first ferment with no flavoring added can last in the fridge for up to 3 months. The LIVE cultures in the drink slowly continue to eat up the sugars but it is very slow.
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.
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.
What fruit is best for water kefir? ›
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 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.
How to tell if water kefir has gone bad? ›
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 long can you keep water kefir in storage? ›
Add water kefir grains to 1 quart fresh sugar water (¼ cup sugar dissolved in 1 quart water). Put a tight lid on the container and place in the refrigerator (when storing the grains, if possible the sugar water should be changed out each week). The water kefir grains should be safe and healthy for up to 3 weeks.
How much kefir water should you 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.
What can go wrong with water kefir? ›
Stored too many times in the fridge. Fermentation temperature too high or too low. Not enough nutrients. Too many kefir grains for the amount of water and sugar.
Color: The liquid will change color over the 48-hour culturing process. For example, if using white sugar, the plain sugar water will be yellow but finished water kefir will be a more opal color and less translucent.
Can you drink the whey from kefir? ›
Uses for Extra Kefir Whey. Add kefir whey to your smoothies for extra nutrients and probiotics. Kefir whey is rich in B and C vitamins and has probiotics and will add a richness to your smoothie. Make Cultured Veggies!
Is honey good for water kefir? ›
Honey. Raw honey has its own bacteria that can compete with water kefir grains; some honey is contaminated with high fructose corn syrup; We DO NOT recommend using this for making water kefir.
How do you add flavor to water kefir? ›
Fruit juice is the easiest method of flavoring kombucha and water kefir. Bottled juice has natural fruit sugars that are excellent food for the yeasts and bacteria in your brew. The shelves in our local stores are stocked with every imaginable flavor, so it's easy to experiment.
Should I add salt 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.
How do you add flavor to kefir? ›
Stir, shake, or blend any of the below ingredients with your already fermented milk kefir:
- honey or agave.
- fruit purees.
- fresh pressed juices.
- fresh or frozen berries.
- chopped fruit (mangoes, stone fruits, pears)
- fresh ground spices (vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric)
- Or try our Golden Milk Kefir Recipe!
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.
Can you add juice to water kefir? ›
You can flavor water kefir with nearly any fruit you like or even coconut water. I suggest using freshly made juices whenever possible. But bottled juices should work if you're in a pinch.
Why is my water kefir so sweet? ›
My water kefir tastes too sweet!
Water kefir is a sweet cultured drink after the first ferment, and you just can't avoid that. If you've just begun and it's only been a few weeks since rehydration, likely your kefir is fine even though it's too sweet. It just needs a few more batches, so don't panic yet.
