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!
What is the best sugar for water kefir? ›
Good: Rapadura Sugar
Rapadura (and similarly pressed cane sugars called sucanat or panela) is the least refined sugar. It's produced by pressing the pure juice from the sugar cane, then cooking at low temps to evaporate the water.
What fruit is good for kefir water? ›
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.
How long can you keep water kefir grains in the fridge? ›
Store grains in the fridge unless absolutely necessary. If you have to, we recommend storing them no longer than two weeks, and even so, expect the grains to take a few rounds of culturing to snap back. Rinse your grains. Doing so takes off the protective bacteria that makes them thrive.
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.
How much alcohol is in homemade water kefir? ›
Water Kefir Has a Low Alcohol Content
During fermentation, the water kefir grains produce alcohol. The alcohol content is between 0.02% and 2.0% (ref.). Although the alcohol content is low, homemade water kefir is not recommended for children, pregnant women, and people who do not wish to consume any alcohol.
Does water kefir raise blood sugar? ›
Drinking kefir water can help maintain your blood sugar (glucose) levels. Avoiding high and low glucose levels is essential for patients with diabetes — it helps prevent cardiovascular, vision, and kidney problems. Bacteria strains in kefir may help muscle cells increase glucose absorption.
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.
Is it safe to drink kefir everyday? ›
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.
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. Then pour it into the bottles, allowing the grains to collect in the strainer. Leave a little airspace at the top of the bottle.
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!
Fresh lemon juice is tart and bright. It's a great addition to any water kefir recipe but also plays well with other citrus fruits.
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 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.
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.
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!
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.
