Water kefir, the wonder drink

What the hell is that?

Most people’s reaction when they hear I am brewing water kefir is “what the hell is that?” And that’s when I launch into a kind of (but not really) complicated explanation of what kefir is and the benefits of its consumption slowly lulling them to sleep. It is when the buzz word probiotics is mentioned that heads start nodding and excitement sets in for some when you speak of fermentation. Visit your local homesteading store,  in Vancouver it’s on Hastings, and discover a world of urban farmers who have embraced, with enthusiasm, an area of cooking that has always appealed heavily to me. 

Fermenting, aging, curing, drying

For a chef the idea of fermenting, aging, curing or drying a product to improve its flavour or create a completely new product like bread, beer or charcuterie, well it’s what it is all about. So to delve into the weird science of brewing kefir or kombucha was right up my alley. The answer to what kefir is goes back hundred of years.

For us it started on Maui, we were first introduced to water kefir made with coconut water by one of our readers (thanks Rob!) and went looking  for some made with coconuts harvested on the island. It’s intense probiotic effect was evident the next day when there was a noticeable difference in both of our systems. After a month, we agreed that the beneficial effects were worth continuing to consume kefir and, inevitably, tweaked my curiosity about how this magical water is made.

Kefir grains

Water kefir grains are small translucent balls of a symbiotic bacteria and yeast culture that feeds on a sugary solution, in this case sugar water. Also known as tibicos, Japanese water crystals, ale nuts, beer seed or vinegar bees, kefir has been fermented for centuries and debuted in the USA in the mid 1800’s in relation with the production of ginger beer.

A living thing, the kefir water contains as many probiotics in one tablespoon as a whole bottle of commercial (dead) probiotics and has the added benefit of being dairy (lactose) and gluten free, vegans rejoice.

Fast forward to today where we are currently stationed in the beautiful city of Vancouver and my ongoing experimentation with kefir is in full swing.
We have been consuming a reasonably steady intake of kefir water (until a dirty bottle fouled a batch). I can produce 1 quart of kefir water every 48 hours that I secondary ferment with pure juice to produce a kefir Soda. The results have been terrific and we both really enjoy the flavour and healthy effects.

Sourdough starter

Looking a little deeper, I found you could make sourdough starter with dairy kefir so I decided to try and ferment a bit of old dough, water kefir and some flour. The result is a super finely bubbled water kefir sourdough starter with a very distinct aroma of bananas and fresh paint, it’s now about a month old. We continue feeding it and keep it in the fridge until our weekly baking session.

Kefir ketchup

Another super cool thing we tried was to make kefir ketchup. The kefir water is added to a very thick homemade tomato based ketchup or BBQ sauce. 72 hours later, the percolation of fermentation was evident and it smelled like lacquer thinner! We had a taste and it had a very lively tang, not like licking a battery but zippy. I stashed it in the back of the fridge and forgot about it, hoping things would mellow with time and they did. We tasted it a couple of days ago (10 days in the fridge) and the flavours had developed and melded and the strong smell was no more. The tang has mellowed to a nice zip and we are eating living ketchup!

If you’re interested in trying to make your own water kefir drinks, you can buy grains by clicking here.

Now, as if all of the water kefir fun isn’t enough, my “scoby” is ready to make kombucha. What the hell is a scoby? That’s a story for another post.