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?
