PECAN HEALTH - Water Kefir Starter Kit

Water kefir is a wonderful probiotic drink where you can make your own natural probiotic soda, right at home. Water kefir “grains,” come from a cactus. So not only is this a dairy-free probiotic, it’s gluten-free! The water kefir grains are “fed” with sugar therefore, very little sugar ends up in the finished product. The water kefir grains metabolize (consume) most of the sugar.

A delicious, effervescent, fruit-infused water, full of good probiotics. It’s easy, with our all-in-one Water Kefir Starter Kit!
Just add our Water Kefir Grains to water and sugar.

Contents: Glass jar to make Kefir, 1g Dehydrated Kefir grains (3g hydrated), Plastic spoon, step by step instructions.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRODUCING WATER KEFIR:

A happy bubbly, fruit-infused sparkling water, that is packed full of probiotics. that will energize the body and is good for the gut.

Note. Using non-chlorinated, non-fluoridated water will give best results to your finished products. Kefir grains are living organisms and they require food in the form of mineral water or purified water and cane sugar.

Activation of Water Kefir Grains:
1. Heat 3-4 cups water.
2. Dissolve ¼ cup cane sugar in the water.
3. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Empty entire packet of dehydrated water kefir grains into cooled sugar water.
5. Stir well with the plastic spoon provided or wooden spoon (do not use a metal spoon). Do not seal the jar, put the lid on loosely or use a breathable cover (paper coffee filter)
and secure it with a rubber band around the neck of the jar.
6. Place in the pantry/cupboard at room temperature, for 3-4 days.
7. After +-4 days grains should be plump and translucent. Strain the sugar water off and discard it. The grains are now ready to make water kefir.

Producing Water Kefir:
1. Restart the process from point 1 to point 4 and add the Kefir Grains to the sugar water.
2. After +- 4 days the kefir water is ready to drink and if required, carbonate.

To Carbonate:
1. Pour approx. ¼ cup of fresh fruit or fresh Fruit juice (preferably Squeezed) i.e. grapes, pomegranate, apple, berries (Excluding Citrus fruits) into the water kefir you have just
strained.
2. Once you’ve added the juice/Fruits, cover the jars tightly with an airtight lid and leave on the counter for an additional 1-3 days before drinking or refrigerating.
In order to keep the process on going, simply repeat the above.

Notes
The longer you let your kefir ferment, the more sugar ferments out. So, if you’re limiting carbs, it is recommended to ferment for the full 48 hours. Don’t leave it longer than that though or it can starve the grains, which need sugar to live!

“Kefir grains are an amazing symbiotic matrix of bacteria and yeast that work together to feed off the natural sugars found present in the sugar-water and dried fruits. Yeasts break down the simple sugars like glucose and fructose, turning them into ethanol and acetic acid. Lactic and acid-producing bacteria (such as lactobacilli) convert sugars (such as sucrose) and complex carbohydrates (starches, etc) into simpler sugars and lactic acid. Lactic and acetic acids naturally preserve as well as stave off harmful foreign bacteria. kefir contains millions of probiotics ”

CHOOSING INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING WATER KEFIR:

The sugar and water you use to make water kefir can impact the flavour and carbonation level of your finished kefir and may even affect the health of your water kefir grains!

If your water kefir is too sweet for your taste or too flat after bottling the finished water kefir, you may want to try a different type of sugar.
If your water kefir grains do not appear to be active, you may simply need mineral supplementation or a different sugar and water combination.

Choosing a Sugar for Making Water Kefir:
When choosing a sugar for making water kefir, always read the label. Some sugars may contain anti-caking additives or other ingredients that could affect the health of the water kefir grains.

Look for plain sugar with no added ingredients, for best results.
Type of Sugar
Description and Mineral Content
Effect on Water Kefir

1. Refined white sugar (Pure white, free of minerals)
   • Makes a sweet water kefir
2. Organic Cane Juice Crystals (Less refined than white sugar; very low mineral content)
   • Makes a sweet water kefir
3. Turbinado or Raw Sugar (Sugar that is spun to have most of the molasses removed. Slightly less refined than OCJC; medium mineral content)
   • Makes a sweet water kefir
4. Rapadura or Sucanat (Sugar cane juice that has been pressed and dried; high mineral content)
   • Makes a sweet water kefir
5. Brown Sugar (White sugar with molasses added back; high mineral content)
   • Makes a stronger-flavoured water kefir
6. Coconut Palm Sugar (Sugar extracted and dried from coconut palm trees; very high mineral content.
   • Too rich for water kefir and can damage water kefir grains.
   • Use small amounts only in combination with cane sugar.
7. Maple Sugar or Syrup Made from the sap of the sugar maple tree
   • Too rich for water kefir and can damage water kefir grains.
   • Use small amounts only in combination with cane sugar.
8. Honey (Natural sugar from bees; high in mineral content)
   • Raw honey has its own bacteria that can compete with water kefir grains; some honey is contaminated with high fructose corn syrup;
   • We DO NOT recommend using this for making water kefir.
9. Molasses (Very high mineral content
   • Used on its own, molasses can be damaging to water kefir grains.
   • We recommend using only ½ tsp. as mineral supplementation per batch, as needed.
10. Agave, stevia, monk fruit, Splenda (Sugar substitutes)

Unfortunately, these substitutes do not provide the food necessary for water kefir grains.

We DO NOT recommend using these for making water kefir.

Choosing Water for Making Water Kefir
What to Use
Water kefir grains may benefit from water sources with higher mineral content. Some water sources such as mineral water or natural spring water can be naturally high in mineral content and are ideal for making kefir.

What to Avoid
On the other hand, distilled water, reverse osmosis water, and water often have extremely low or non-existent mineral levels. If using one of these types of water, and your water kefir grains seem sluggish or inactive, it may help to either use a high mineral sugar (see above) or add a mineral supplement to your water.

Structured, alkalized, or pH-adjusted water is not appropriate for culturing water kefir.
Mineral Supplementation Options
– ⅛ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
– ¼ teaspoon plain baking soda
– ½ teaspoon unsulfured blackstrap molasses.

How to Use Mineral Supplements
When using a mineral supplement, it’s important to start by using just one supplement to avoid overloading the grains.

Try adding one of the above supplements to your next batch of water kefir and see how your kefir and grains react.

Using Tap Water for Making Water Kefir
If using tap water, we do recommend filtering the water to remove as many additives, chemicals and contaminants as possible.

If filtering is not possible, aerating or boiling the water for 20 minutes may help remove at least the chlorine. This process ill not remove chloramines and fluoride though, so you must use special filters to
remove these. You can also let your tap water stand for 24 hours to help the chlorine to evaporate.