How to make bubbly, fermented water kefir which is a traditional cultured beverage loaded with probiotics and enzymes. A healthy alternative to soda.
Many people are surprised to learn that soda is actually a traditional food! Of course, ancestral cultures did not sweeten fermented beverages artificially or add unhealthy chemicals and GMO sugar like today.
Water kefir is a very popular example of a healthy traditional beverage that is tasty, fizzy, satisfying and thirst-quenching without any of these additives.
Many people are familiar with homemade dairy milk kefir or coconut milk kefir. Be aware that a slightly different type of culture is used to make water kefir.
Water kefir grains look different than milk kefir grains. They also grow much faster, which is great because there is more to share with your friends!
The probiotic properties of water vs milk kefir grains vary quite a bit as well.
You should be able to procure some water kefir grains within your local community by asking your health-conscious friends or at farmers’ markets.
If you still cannot find some locally, you can order them from the vetted sources in my shopping guide.
If you wish additional flavor and fizz, be sure to bottle your homemade water kefir after it is finished culturing.
Homemade Water Kefir Recipe
Bubbly, homemade water kefir recipe that the whole family will enjoy to help kick the unhealthy soda habit once and for all!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water kefir grains
- 1 quart filtered water
- 1/4 cup sucanat
Instructions
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Mix all the ingredients together in a mason jar leaving 1 inch at the top.
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Screw on the lid and leave on the counter for 48 hours. Taste after 48 hours, and if it is too sweet, leave for another 24 hours. Taste again, if too sweet, leave another 24 hours. Repeat for up to 5 days until the a fermented, apple cider type flavor with minimal sweetness has been achieved.
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Strain out the water kefir grains and refrigerate the liquid (no metal please), clean the mason jar, and repeat the process for a new batch of water kefir. You will have approximately double the kefir grains as they grow rapidly with each batch. You can give them away, eat them as a live probiotic, or make a larger batch of water kefir.
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To add variety, you may also reduce the sugar to 1/8 cup, reduce the water to 3 cups, and add 1 cup of fresh fruit juice. Juice from the store is almost always pasteurized and as such, is not recommended as it significantly increases the risk of fermentation mold. Fresh juice has minimal mold issues when fermented and is much more nutritious, and is therefore best to use. If using fresh lemon or lime juice, keep the sugar at 1/4 cup and only use 1/2 cup fresh juice.
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After fermenting, you may bottle the liquid to achieve extra fizz. This is an optional step. The picture with this step shows the types of bottles I use. Only fill the bottles to the bottom of the neck and leave on the counter for and additional 24-48 hours.
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Chill well and open the bottles slowly over the sink as the level of carbonation is quite surprising!
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To store your water kefir culture, place up to 1/2 cup water kefir grains in 1 quart of filtered water mixed with 1/4 cup sucanat, coconut sugar, or maple sugar and refrigerate until you are ready to use again.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Maple sugar or coconut sugar may be substituted for the sucanat. Raw honey does not work as well in my experience.
Hi ma’am Sarah,
I have just made water kefir soda (48 hrs fermentation) . I started already to drink it but I still confuse about the exact dosage for me… Is this water kefir soda also good for my 8 year old boy? and what is the good dosage for him? Thanks.,,,
There is no “dosage”. It is a food … I would not overdo though. I gave my kids no more than a glass a day at that age.
Thank you. I’m looking forward to exploring these links and info further!
Sarah, one of my babies and I cannot do dairy AT ALL (we used to drink a TON of raw milk, but cannot even do this right now). So, I’m trying to find creative ways to still ferment my grains. I am wondering if Water Kefir could be a good option. Or, is there another good alternative to dairy based fermentation? Please advise if you’re able!
What about coconut kefir? It would be better probiotically and nutritionally than water kefir. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-coconut-milk-kefir/
Here are some fermented milk alternatives too: https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-three-best-substitutes-for-a-child-allergic-to-milk/
Is is okay to drink this if I’m having Candida problems?
Yes, it is fine. Just be sure to ferment the proper length of time to ensure the sugar has been fermented away.
I have been making water kefir for 2 years now. The kefir is great, but the grains have not multiplied at all. Is there anything I can do to make them grow?
Not sure what is going on there. Water kefir grains grow rapidly. Perhaps you are using a milk kefir culture which grows very slowly? If you were using for water kefir, I would suspect it would not grow at all which is what you are seeing.
I have seen water kefir instructions that say to cover jar with cloth and others that say with a lid for the initial fermentation. I’m confused. Please advise. Thanks
I’ve always used a lid and it works well for me.
Is there Milk protein in the milk kefir culture? And could I make milk kefir with my breastmilk? My son is very intolรฉrant to cow milk ( casein)
Have you tried goat milk. I don’t like the taste of it but so many people do those with milk allergies are supposed to do very will with it. I have a casein allergy, but I seem to tolerate sheep milk and raw cows milk pretty well. Homogenized cow milk makes me sick, but I don’t have the same reaction to raw.
Sarah,
I have made water kefir in the past but now I would like to use my Zin wine grape juice to make it. My question is after harvesting the grapes to make wine I have to sterilize the juice before adding the yeast, Do I need to do the same before using the juice to make kefir. When sterilized all the wild yeast is killed ,will that affect the juice in a negative way.
As always thank you for all your help.
Gilbert
Sarah, I buy my kefir from a local person who makes it with raw milk. Can I now make kefir soda with that and if so how?
Milk kefir and water kefir soda are made with entirely different cultures and methods.
If you add some Prune juice to your finished water kefir and let that ferment a bit, you will get a flavor similar to “cola”. Prune juice and sweet dry cherries = “Cherry Cola”!