Here are some flavorful ideas to enhance your water kefir:
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Water Kefir Lemonade: After making water kefir, remove the kefir grains and add ¼ cup of lemon juice per quart of water kefir. Serve it chilled.
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Orange Zest Water Kefir: Add the kefir grains and several strips of organic orange zest (not the juice) to a standard batch of sugar water. Let it culture for 24-48 hours. Remove and discard the orange zest, then remove the kefir grains and serve the finished water kefir cold.
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Cream Soda Water Kefir: Make water kefir and remove the kefir grains. Add 2-3 teaspoons of vanilla extract per quart of water kefir. Serve it cold.
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Blueberry-Pomegranate Water Kefir: Make water kefir and remove the kefir grains. Add ½ cup of blueberry-pomegranate juice per quart of water kefir. Serve it cold.
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Raspberry Juice Water Kefir: Add kefir grains to 1-2 quarts of organic raspberry juice. Let it culture for 24-48 hours. Note that a longer fermentation period will result in a higher alcohol content due to the sugar in the juice. Use caution when serving cultured juice to children.
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Fruit Flavored Water Kefir: Make water kefir and remove the kefir grains. Add fresh or dried fruit to the water kefir. If using fresh fruit, change it every 24 hours. Dried fruit can be changed once a week. Culture the fruit and kefir for 1-7 days, then remove and discard the fruit. Avoid adding fruits to the water kefir with the grains, except for slices of organic lemon or organic raisins with no added oil, which can be added to the initial ferment with the grains.
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Grape or Apple Juice Water Kefir: Add kefir grains to 1-2 quarts of organic grape or apple juice. Culture it for 24-48 hours. Similar to raspberry juice kefir, a longer fermentation period will increase the alcohol content. Be mindful if serving cultured juice to children.
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Water Kefir "Soda": Make water kefir and remove the kefir grains. Combine four parts water kefir and one part fruit juice in an airtight bottle. Let it culture for 24-72 hours at room temperature before refrigerating. Open the bottle with caution.
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Coconut Water Kefir: Add water kefir grains to 1-2 quarts of coconut water. Culture it for 24-48 hours before removing the kefir grains. After making coconut water kefir, refresh the grains in a batch of sugar water to keep them healthy.
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Herbal Infusion Water Kefir: Make water kefir and remove the kefir grains. Mix 1 part finished water kefir with 1 part herbal infusion, such as nettle leaf or red raspberry leaf. To make herbal infusions, combine a handful of fresh or dried herbs with one quart of boiling water. Let the mixture sit for 6+ hours, then cool it completely before mixing with the finished water kefir.