In part 2 of our series on Natural Ways to Strengthen Your Immune System we are going to talk about a wonderful, easy, inexpensive, probiotic-rich beverage called, Water Kefir. In part one we discussed how to make your own Immune Strengthening Herbal Tea Blend.

Probiotics plays an important part of a healthy body. Our gut and digestive system rely on a healthy flora balance in the body to not only function properly, but to keep your immune response strong, on the ball and ready to fight! Unfortunately the revelation of probiotics is still very new to the medical community and hasn’t been fully embraced by mainstream medicine yet. But, for those of us who are into traditional and real foods and natural methods of health care, probiotics are a part of our daily routine. We’ve seen amazing results and cannot doubt the powerful health benefits of these amazing live cultures!

What exactly is water kefir?

Water Kefir is an amazing probiotic-rich beverage made using kefir grains, water (I use spring water) and sugar (I use organic cane sugar). Kefir grains are not actually grains (wheat, spelt, rye, etc.). They look like little crystal rocks and have a soft, rubbery consistency. Water kefir is sweet tasting and depending on the type of sugar you use, will be a little bubbly or fizzy. Definitely not as much as soda, but enough to make it a refreshing drink.

You can also use coconut water or juice to make water kefir. When using regular water, sources say the best kind to use is clean well water or spring water due to the fact that those still contain traces of healthy minerals. They also say it’s not best to use water filtered using a carbon activated filter. You can use coconut water and I would suggest to use RAW if you can get it at your local health food store. When using juice (instead of sugar water), it will be a much sweeter beverage and will also contain more carbonation.

Flavoring your water kefir can be done in a variety of ways. Once you are done fermenting the grains in the sugar water, remove the grains (then begin making a new batch with those), then add some fresh fruit to the water kefir, allow to sit on the counter for 24-48 hours until you see it bubbling, then store it in fridge. I’ve heard of people using lemon juice, freshly squeezed juice or organic juice concentrate to flavor theirs and I personally like to use fresh mint from my garden to make this wonderful, minty, slightly fizzy beverage!

The strains of probiotics found in water kefir grains vary depending on the batch of grains you have, but they are many. You can view this link to see what strains of healthy bacteria can be found in water kefir.

To sum it up, it’s a wonderful beverage you can add to your daily routine that will give your body a good boost of probiotics that will help build up your immune response and keep foreign invaders from wreaking havoc in your system. Perfect addition for the days ahead of kids in school and cooler weather on the way!

If you don’t already have water kefir grains, you’ll have to order some online or if you know anyone who already makes this, you can see if they would like to share some with you. The great thing about kefir grains, is that if you take care of them properly, they will last indefinitely. It ends up being such an inexpensive supplement for your family to consume daily.

Probiotic Rich Water Kefir

What You’ll Need:

3 tablespoons hydrated water kefir grains

1 quart of spring water

1/4 cup – 1/3 cup organic cane sugar

1 glass quart jar, sterilized

plastic strainer

coffee filter

What You’ll Do:

1. Place sugar in jar and pour about 1/2-1 cup of water, which has been boiled, into the jar.

2. Swirl the jar around until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Once sugar is dissolved, fill the rest of the jar with the remaining water, cold or room temperature.

4. Next you will add the water kefir grains, but you must make sure that the water isn’t hot.  Hot water will kill the grains. The water should be room temperature or cool to touch. So, when the water is at the right temp, add the grains. Also note that cold, cold water will rest the grains, so you want a good cool/room temp water to proceed.

5. Using a coffee filter, place on top of the jar and using just the metal ring, secure the coffee filter on the jar. Do not seal with the metal lid. You need the airflow, so the coffee filter will allow this to take place without bugs and other debris getting in.

6. Allow the jar to sit on the counter or in the pantry for 24-48 hours. Sometimes I even let it go 72 hours.

7. After the fermenting process is over, strain the water kefir into another glass container, using a plastic strainer to strain the grains out. If you want to further strain the water kefir, you can place a coffee filter in the strainer and pour the water kefir through this. It will take a little longer, but you will end up with a clear and clean beverage.

8. Flavor your water kefir with fresh fruit, lemon juice, fresh juice or even fresh mint leaves. There are many options for this, depending on what you like.

9. Refrigerate* water kefir and enjoy!

10. If you are making a new batch, repeat the process. If you want to rest the grains, simply prepare as normal, but add the lid and metal ring when finished and place in the refrigerator. Depending on how long you will be resting the grains, you’ll need to put the grains in fresh sugar water every 14 days so the grains don’t starve.

* If you are using fresh juice to flavor your water kefir, you’ll actually put the lid and ring on and allow to sit on counter a few days more for carbonation to appear.

Cultures for Health is my go-to website for all things water kefir! Use the links below to find more detailed info on this amazing beverage. You can also learn about dairy kefir, which is another pro-biotic rich beverage!

To learn more about flavoring water kefir, click here.

For a video tutorial from Cultures of Health on how to prepare water kefir, click here.

For more in depth instructions o how to prepare water kefir, click here.