Water Kefir, what is it? Basic Recipe.

For those who haven't heard of Kefir before, like me only a year ago. I will try to explain what it is and why it's an awesome addition to any diet. Kefir is a yummy, sweet carbonated soda like, healthy wonder.

Water Kefir has been around for centuries, I have read many accounts where children in mountains somewhere in the east drank mostly Kefir and lived to be over 100 years old on average. The simple description is that Kefir is a mix of beneficial bacteria and yeasts that are held together, and feed off of cane sugar, and sugar from fruits. Technically water kefir is usually made up of Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and Leuconostoc bacteria with yeasts from Saccharomyces, Candida, Kloeckera and possibly others. In my research I have found that all of these living organisms help you to have a healthy gut along with many other health benefits.

I have found that these little guys are like a life tonic, I have more energy and my gut seems to be in much better shape when drinking Kefir daily, not to mention how nuts' the kids get when I make a new batch. .

It is very simple to prepare Kefir, what you will need:

1 Quart wide mouth jar
1/2 Lemon
1/2 Cup Brown Cane Sugar (kefir grains don't seem to like beet sugar) Or Succanat (unprocessed cane suger)
1/3 Cup Kefir Grains
Dried Fruit (I like to use organic figs as my dried fruit, but prunes, or raisins work great as well.)
Good water (Kefir Grains hate chlorine, so don't use city tap water)

Wash your jar, then add your kefir grains, brown sugar, lemon (just toss it in), 2 figs or prunes or a small hand full of raisins. Fill your jar with good water until the rim, give it a bit of head space so the carbonation doesn't break the jar. Put a cap on the jar, give it a shake and your off.

A couple of times a day give the jar a shake or stir, and then unscrew the lid a bit to let off the pressure. Your Kefir drink should be ready within 24 to 48 hours, just taste it at 5 hours intervals to see when you like the taste.

If you let it go to long then it will taste alcoholic, since the Kefir grains eat the sugar, and give off bubbles, the longer it goes the less sweet it is.

When you reach the flavor you want, just drain your drink through a mesh strainer, squeeze the lemon into it, and enjoy!

Rinse your grains and start a new batch, you can reuse the dried fruit for a few batches. If you don't like the flavor of the plain batch then add it to some juice, or iced tea... Yum!

Purchasing Kefir is fairly easy, the Internet is awesome and you can even get some on e bay now. The best part about Water Kefir Grains, they multiply... if you feed them well and take care of them, they will multiply and grow. Soon all your friends and family will have grains you have given them. After you have given grains to everyone you know you can eat them, my mother in law puts them in her cottage cheese, and other foods. She feels like a new woman.