Looking for basic water kefir info

[staceyshoe]

I've been making milk kefir for several months and am SO intrigued by the threads I've read here about water kefir. Is there a website with basic info about water kefir--health benefits, how to, what not to do, etc? I'm thinking about getting some grains but want to make sure it's not going to be too complicated. I also try to keep a very low sugar diet due to health issues and have concerns about the water kefir having a higher sugar content than milk kefir. Where should I start researching?

[cottontail]

me too

I'm also looking for water kefir info and how to start. DD is allergic to dairy and I've only had store bought milk Kefir in the past. What does water kefir taste like??

[caedmyn]

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ir+soda+recipe
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ht=water+kefir
This should get you started...

[staceyshoe]

Thanks, Caedmyn! I've been reading the links you gave and bookmarked those and a couple of others for future reference. I didn't see anything about the sugar content of water kefir (maybe I missed it). Do the water kefir grains eat up the majority of the sugar? Some have mentioned their water kefir being sweet which makes me wonder how much is left. Also, if I want to take a break from water kefir, can I put it in a jar in the frig with lots of sugars to eat for a week or more? Dom's site has info on storing milk kefir but I didn't see anything for water kefir. TIA!

[caedmyn]

If you want water kefirs to be less sweet, just leave the grains in longer or leave it out longer after you strain out the grains. I usually leave my grains in for 48 hours and then leave the jar out for another 24-48 hours. If you want to store the grains for a while, put them in a jar with one cup of water and a Tbsp of sugar in the fridge, and change the sugar water every 7-10 days or so.

[staceyshoe]

Thanks again! I will definitely give this a try!

[Nikki98]

Ok, I'm sure this has been addressed somewhere but I got a kefir starter kit for milk at the hfs, where could I get a water kefir starter. Thanks!!!

[browneyedsol]

:

[bonberi]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

If you want water kefirs to be less sweet, just leave the grains in longer or leave it out longer after you strain out the grains. I usually leave my grains in for 48 hours and then leave the jar out for another 24-48 hours. If you want to store the grains for a while, put them in a jar with one cup of water and a Tbsp of sugar in the fridge, and change the sugar water every 7-10 days or so.

aaah! Thanks, caedmyn! I always think my WK is too sweet. I'll try leaving it out a bit longer after I remove my grains.

Staceyshoe, you can make WK with coconut water. This has less sugar than a sugar-water mix would have, and if you use water from fresh, young coconuts, has enzyme bonuses. You can also get pasteurized coconut water in tetra-packs.

[staceyshoe]

Thanks for that tip! I've heard that coconut water kefir is yummy! So many things to try!

[caedmyn]

You can make it with coconut milk, too, which is pretty good. I find that I can't leave the grains in coconut milk very long, though, or it gets too yeasty and overflows the container. I only leave the grains in for 12 to 18 hours, and if I want a little more tang I'll leave it out without grains for maybe 6 more hours. Coconut milk kefir seems to keep culturing in the fridge a lot more than other water kefirs, too.

Yes you can use kefir powder for water kefir as well as milk kefir.