From juice to kefir

[newcastlemama]

Hi all,
I am trying to figure out the easiest way to make water kefir so I will drink it more. Could I make it from pineapple/orange juice? I was thinking I could make it from the frozen concentrate : and then add the grains. I was also thinking that I could get some Welch's 100% grape juice and do the same thing.

Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Lazy Jen in NorCal

[mimim]

It'll work! You won't get the same vitamin/mineral content as fresh juice, but you'll get kefir.

[newcastlemama]

Originally Posted by mimim

It'll work! You won't get the same vitamin/mineral content as fresh juice, but you'll get kefir.

Cool. I am making it for the cheap probiotics.

[celestialdreamer]

You should try pineapple water kefir. I really don't like the taste of most water kefir, but when it is made with dried pineapple rings during brewing....oooh so good! It gets super fizzy like soda and gets a really nice flavor. Its very cheap for me to buy a bag of organic dried pineapple at Trader Joe's and probably is a bit healthier than using juice.

[*Di]

My favorites are:
- organic grape juice (from HFS in big bottle) and maybe diluted by half with water if it's strong grape juice, and brewed 24 hours... if brew 2 - 3 days begins to taste like weak wine - whatever you prefer

- about 2 inches grated/sliced ginger, 6 T. rapadura/sucanat, and water to make 1 quart - it's fizzy and tasted pretty much like ginger ale

Good Luck !

[guestmama9916]

I tried to make it with canned pineapple and it wasn't good. I'd like to give it another whirl with dried pineapple though. Something that I think is good is white grape juice kefir. Its more champagne-like than concord grape juice. Another way to make it that's not bad is fresh squeezed lemon juice. I think I use about 2 -3 organic lemons when I'm doing it this way. Once its kefir, you can mix in whatever juice you want to or drink it plain like lemonade.

[saratc]

Since the water kefir turns sour as it brews, it may be hard to tell with citrus juices when it's done. Anything sweet including grape juice, pomegranate juice, etc, even lemonade would work. But if the juice is very sweet, as pp mentioned, it tastes like wine. I would dilute the juice if it's a very sweet juice unless you *want* wine.

[newcastlemama]

Thanks for all the help. Di, that gingerale sounds easy and yummy. Good idea to dilute the juice Sarah...I don't like wine (I wish I did!)

The pineapple rings sounds easy and good too. Around here there are no good lemons right now and that was the only kind I had made before. These ideas will give me someting to work with though

Thanks!
Jen

[beachbuminthecity]

Do the juice/or water kefir's have the same probiotics and vitamins etc.. and the milk ones?:

[Tcarwyn]

I also do the ginger one and add juice of half a lemon, every one (but Dh, sigh) loves it. Also I like it with rapadura, some lemon juice and a small hadnfull of dried rosehips. I get a bag for about $2 at the hfs and that has lasted me weeks now. I am thinking of trying dried blueberries or elder berries next.

Tanya

[caedmyn]

Originally Posted by beachbuminthecity

Do the juice/or water kefir's have the same probiotics and vitamins etc.. and the milk ones?:

They have lots of probiotics but not necessarily the same ones as milk kefir. They aren't going to have the same vitamins because the vitamins are coming from the milk and are being enhanced by the fermenting process.

[caedmyn]

I made a batch with the juice of one lemon and 6 or 8 frozen raspberries--it was really good. I usually just make lemonade, too, with 1 or 2 juiced lemons. I made a batch with a few frozen peaches the other day and it tastes gross. I don't know if it was just the peaches or if I let it sit too long. The dried pineapple sounds good, I'll have to try that.