Water Kefir Grains-the natural probotic - Basic Recipe

Water Kefir Grain Instructions, Basic recipe:

One cup non-chlorinated water, well water or mineral water preferred.

One tablespoon organic cane juice crystals or white sugar

½ teaspoon black strap molasses or one teaspoon sucanat

A pinch of baking soda

One dried fig or a few dried cherries or raisins

Make sure sugar is completely dissolved before adding the culture. This will feed ¼ cup water grains. The ideal temperature is 70º - 75ºF. Below this temperature fermentation will take longer and your water grains will not grow as well. You can make an incubator by putting a hot water bottle in a cooler. I like to keep them on a 48 hour schedule. Double the recipe except for the baking soda if it is getting done in 24 hours. When the fig floats it is probably done.

     Let the water grains complete their cycle. That means, if it is still sweet, it isn’t done. Leave it alone. When it becomes pleasantly tart, strain out the water grains using a fine mesh strainer and start the process over.  When your water grains double, double the recipe.

     After a few cycles you will have more water grains in your culture jar. Divide into two jars and continue making water kefir with a portion of your water grains using the basic recipe. This is your back up insuring you always have firm, healthy happy, and growing water grains. The other jar can be for all the fun experiments you want to try.

     Water grains will ferment any beverage, including coconut water and plant milk. Remember to add 1 tablespoon of sugar per cup. If something goes wrong it doesn't matter; you have your back up jar going. They grow quite well in plant milk and dairy milk as long as you add 1 tablespoon of sugar per cup.

     You may refrigerate the finished product. You may also  refrigerate your culture jar with the water grains inside.  Water grains may stop growing for reasons that they are not getting exactly what they need. Dried fruit and a little baking soda are key ingredients to keeping them happy. They can  lose their growth factor if neglected. When all the sugar is gone, they start to starve. So feed them continually and on time and you will never have to buy them again.

**To reactivate dried water grains use the same basic recipe but give them 3 days the first time.