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29

Jun

2010

Raw Food Recipes: How To Make Water Kefir

Saved in:-   Raw Food Diet Video,Raw Food Recipes


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Coconut kefir is one of my favourite drinks. I always notice a feeling of well-being after drinking a glass and then a couple of days of drinking it I notice a difference in my hair and skin.

In this video I’ll show you how to start with a very small amount of water kefir grains and grow them into a larger amount do you’ll never need to buy them again.

I’ll also then show you how to make kefir from coconut water.

One thing I need to mention is that the fermentation should be done at room temperature, then when you have a finished drink you should store it in the refrigerator.

 

 

Water kefir grains cannot be grown from scratch they have to come from a donor. The good news is that you only need a very small amount to start growing them from that first batch.

Here are the instructions for growing kefir, we use maple syrup because it has a high amount of sugar for the grains to feed on.

 

Growing kefir grains

2 – 3 tablespoons water kefir grains
1 quart pure water
1/4 cup maple syrup

- Place all ingredients in a glass jar and seal.

- Allow to stand at room temperature for up to 48 hours.

- Strain the liquid and reserve the grains.

- The resulting water can be drunk as is or added to smoothies for an extra boost of probiotics.

- You should notice a small increase in the volume of the kefir grains that came out.

- Repeat this process until you have enough grains to keep this process going and also make coconut kefir.

Young coconut water doesn’t have enough sugar to actually make the kefir grains grow very fast, but it does have enough sugar to make the coconut water ferment into kefir.

When you team up the previous process of growing the grains with the next instructions on how to make the actual kefir, you should be able to provide your daily kefir requirements on a ongoing basis.

 

For coconut kefir

1/4 cup kefir grains
1 quart young coconut water

- Combine the water kefir grains and the coconut water in a jar.

- Allow to stand for up to 48 hours at room temperature. You can check every 12 hours to make sure the fermentation isn’t going to far. You’ll know if it’s strong enough by taste testing (the longer you leave the more pungent and sour it gets). After you’ve made a few batches you’ll get a feel of how you prefer it. The rule of thumb is that the more grains you have in the water, the less time it will need to develop. Warmer room temperature will also result in quicker fermentation.

- Strain the coconut water kefir from the kefir grains, reserve the grains for another batch or to grow more. Set the coconut water kefir aside for a second stage fermentation.

 

Second Stage Fermentation

Coconut kefir
1/2 to 1 cup juice of your choice

- Combine the coconut kefir and juice in a jar.

- Leave to stand at room temperature for 48 hours. This will cause a second stage fermentation where the kefir will break down the sugars in the juice and go fizzy.

- If your kefir is already quite fizzy or you just like the taste of the kefir with the juice without actually fermenting for that second stage, then you can simply add the juice and put in straight in the refrigerator which will slow the fermentation down.

 

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  • Lmtollett

    I bought “inner-eco” prepared coconut water kefir.  There are no clumps of cultures seen in the cloudy fizzy liquid.  

    Would it be posssible that the particles ate small and can be grown as you suggested with water, maple syrup and a few teaspoons of the liquid kefir

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    No, you actually need the kefir ‘grains’ (or particles as you called them) to grow more grains.

  • Rmpeck2

    I need new started grains for kefir, do you have a suggested source for them?  Thank you

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James
  • http://www.aveganobsession.com/ India-leigh

    fabulously clear instructional video.  I have a question…once you have performed the first stage of fermentation and have strained the grains, can you use those grains again?

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    Absolutely, you can keep reusing those grains.

  • http://www.aveganobsession.com/ India-leigh

    excellent.  Thank you Russell!  Cannot wait to try it.

  • Vikki

    Great information. Thank you. Can I make kefir out of boxed coconut milk such as So Delicious coconut milk?

  • Danny Newcomer (Raw-Fire Chef)

    Vikki – you can make coconut milk kefir using the milk kefir grains and So Delicious Coconut Milk.  Be advised that your milk kefir grains will not reproduce unless they are in animal milk.  If you are talking about substituting coconut milk to make coconut water kefir in the recipe Russel has posted above, then the answer is NO.  The recipe above uses sugar kefir grains, (often referred to as water kefir grains) rather than the milk kefir grains I mention above.  Coconut water is the clear liquid inside of either the young coconuts which are normally green if unhusked or white if they have been husked or the mature coconut which are hard and brown and sold at most markets.  Coconut milk is made by blending the clear coconut water with the white coconut meat.     

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    Thanks, Danny.

  • Mom wants to know

    Can you tell me the nutritional facts of coconut water kefir? Does it have absorbable calcium?

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    I’ve seen sites that say water kefir does have calcium, but I’ve been unable to find any actual research on it.

  • memarie3

    Is there a raw substitute you suggest to maple syrup? What will do the trick? Thanks :)

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    Not that I’ve found.  One of the least processed sugars that seems to work is demerara.

  • Mom wants to know

    This website will tell you some of the benefits and nutritional data for coconut water: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/is-coconut-water-good-for-you

    What do you calculate to be the initial cost to make coconut water?

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    Hi,

    That link is broken, do you have the correct link?

    I’m not sure what you’re asking when you mentioned the initial cost to make coconut water, can you clarify that please?

  • Wendyallred

    Thanks!  Simple and to the point.

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    Cheers, Wendy.  That’s how we do it around here :)

  • neba

    Lovely! Thanks! Question: what to do with the remain grains?

  • neba

    Still me  :)  I want to say again that your video was the best thing I found for understanding what to do with this amazing elixir that a friend of mine gave me, I had no idea that such a beautiful thing existed and what to do with it!!! My friend came to Costa Rica (where I live) and left me coconut kefir first stage, it has around two cups of grains and double water, she left without giving me any instructions. But again your explanation is lovely! My question still with the remain grains; I guess after I drink the strained liquid I just have to add some more coconut water and live it out 48 hrs, but if I never drink the grains… why do I want to grow them more? Do I need to re-do the feeding maple syrup part to keep them alive? I’m just thinking that if I keep growing them I’m going to end it up having a big amount of grains which will be nice but not for storage proposes. Or… do they get feed by the coconut water sugars? If I want some other kind of kefir I just wash off the grains and use them for other recipes? Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge Rusell! Blessings from Costa Rica!

  • MartiG

    Great video.  Yes, same question as Neba below…the grains that remain (in your strainer) when you make your final beverage–in this case you added the juice…are those grains in the strainer usable and can they be put back in with the originals…or are they to be discarded?

    Thanks.  Considering taking your course soonish.  Moving to Austin, but still in New Zealand for now–so a challenge getting certain ingredients.  Once I return home to America, might be a better time for the course.

    Cheers,
    Marti

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    Hi Neba, thanks!

    If you don’t want to grow more grains, you can just keep doing the coconut water stage.

    Grains can be used again and again.

    If you find you have an excess of grains you can add them to smoothies, as they are beneficial to eat too.

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    HI Marti.

    Thanks for the question, I just answered Neba below, so I’ll paste the answer in here…

    If you don’t want to grow more grains, you can just keep doing the coconut water stage.Grains can be used again and again.If you find you have an excess of grains you can add them to smoothies, as they are beneficial to eat too.

    ————

    Have fun in Austin!