imarenegade_350 This week’s contribution to The Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday is about making water kefir soda.  I initially bought the water kefir grains from Cultures for Health.  I wanted an alternatives for soda that my kids so desperately want to drink.  I’ve been making batch after batch of water kefir lemon-aide.  The process is very simple and I’ve taken a series of photographs to document the procedure.

Pictured above is 1/2 cup of warm water mixed with 1/4 cup of sucanat (dehydrated cane sugar), a peeled lemon (leave unpeeled if organic), 3 slices of ginger which I smashed, about 10 organic raisins and a dried fig.  I add all these ingredients to 1.5 quarts of cold water.  You’re supposed to use well water or if you use tap water, air it out for 24 hours to disperse the chlorine.  I don’t do this, but I’m just saying, you might want to do it.

To your 2 quarts of water, add your water kefir grains.  The grains are not typically brown in color, but mine are stained from the Sucanat and from fermenting in grape juice.  Dump these grains in your water mixture and give it a good stir with a plastic spoon or spatula.  I typically add a pinch of baking soda.  I find I get more bubbly action when I add baking soda than without it.  Let this mixture sit covered tightly for 24-48 hours.  Less time for a sweet drink, more time for a more sour drink.

After you’ve let it sit out for as long as you like, drain your water kefir in a colander lined with a coffee filter.  Once it’s drained out, you can rinse your kefir grains and begin a new batch, or you can put the grains into a pint of sugar/water and put it in the fridge for up to 7 days.

To your drained water kefir, you can mix 1/2-1 cup of lemon juice for lemon aide, or you can add 1 tablespoon of vanilla for “cream soda”, though I didn’t have much luck with that drink.

I typically funnel my drink into old bottles and put it in the fridge to chill.  Sometimes, for a more sour lemon-aide, I’ll leave the drained water kefir out on the counter (without the grains) for another 24 hours.

While I bought this for my kids to break their soda addiction, they haven’t really responded very well to this drink.  Even though I’m encouraging them to drink frequently, and even though it’s much sweeter than kombucha, it’s got a weird, ferementy smell that I think throws them off.  Redd does not seem interested in it either.  That leaves me drinking it.  About the only thing I can say about this is at least my health will be great in case I’m needed to take care of the three of them!

Please head over to The Food Renegade and check out all the great Fight Back Friday posts she’s going to have.  This carnival really brings in an eclectic mix of people who are all interested in nutrition.  I learn something new every Friday.