Most carbonated beverages have at least 10 teaspoons of sugar in them. Think about that, the next time you put your 50 cents into a machine! Want an alternative? Water kefir to the rescue! Grapefruit water kefir tastes just like Fresca and you can make it without all the junk. Read on and Mindy will tell you how.
Kids aren’t always that fond of sauerkraut, but water kefir? It’s almost always a win! Water kefir is a fermented beverage that you can drink on its own or you can flavor and bottle it for a mildly fizzy, soda-like drink. If you don’t like grapefruit you will still probably like this recipe. The final product comes out tasting like grapefruit soda (think Fresca) which is delicious and refreshing.
The flavoring part of making water kefir is called the second fermentation where the bacteria feed on the sugar in the flavoring (or in this case the added sugar since grapefruit doesn’t have much sugar). This recipe uses organic Sucanat instead of organic white sugar because the higher mineral count of the Sucanat creates a fizzier final product.
How to Make Grapefruit Water Kefir
A Grapefruit Water Kefir Recipe
Ingredients:
Activated water kefir grains
3 cups water
Juice of 1/2 large grapefruit
¼ cup + 1 tsp organic Sucanat
Supplies:
Mason jar
Wooden or plastic stirring utensil
Funnel
Plastic strainer
Coffee filter and rubber band
Grolsch-style bottle
Instructions:
- Pour 1/4 cup of sugar into the Mason jar. Add 1/2 cup warm or hot water. Swirl to dissolve the sugar.
- Add 3 cups of cool water and swirl or stir again.
- Wait for this mixture to reach room temperature (about 68-85°F). If it feels warm to the touch, it’s too warm. A thermometer works well to gauge the temperature but you can also just wait a while and the water will eventually come to room temperature.
- Add the water kefir grains and cover with a coffee filter and rubber band. Set in a warm location to culture for 24-48 hours.
- When your water kefir has cultured, prepare a new jar of sugar water and transfer your kefir grains to the new jar for a new batch. Save the liquid for a second ferment.
- Add grapefruit juice and sugar to a Grolsch-style bottle. Using a funnel, pour the finished water kefir in the bottle leaving some headroom.
- Culture your flavored water kefir in a second ferment for 24-72 hours, burping the lid once or twice each day.
Tips for Successfully Making Water Kefir:
As with all fermentation, making water kefir isn’t necessarily hard, it just may take some practice to get right. Here are some tips for making water kefir and flavoring it:
• Water kefir is a short ferment, so you need to find a good rhythm for making a new batch every day or two.
• If your house is cooler than 68°F, it may take a bit longer to ferment. So, keep an eye on how bubbly it is. There should be bubbles rising to the top, especially if agitated a bit. Also, the grains should have grown over the fermentation period. You can also taste it. It should be mildly sweet.
• For a fizzier water kefir, consider adding a piece of dried fruit to the second ferment. Figs are said to be the best choice. You’ll know the fermentation process is complete when the fruit is fully rehydrated and floating in the kefir.
Enjoy your sparkling beverage and the amazing health benefits it holds!
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Thirsty for more health-promoting, fermented beverage recipes? Try a few of these:
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Mindy Wood is a writer, wife, mother, and homesteader, living in the beautiful mountains of New Hampshire. She writes at Purposefully Simple where she shows people how to live more self-reliant and healthy lives by growing their own food and learning other homesteading skills.