Water Kefir

Water kefir is the sister of milk kefir. The principle is the same but the taste is completely different. For preparation, you use "water kefir cultures." These are the same yeasts (e.g., Saccharomyces unisporus, Kluyveromyces marxianus) and bacteria (e.g., lactobacillus caucasus, kefyr) as found in milk kefir, but cultivated on a water base. By adding the kefir to a mixture of water, sugar, lemon, and dried fruit (such as figs), the drink begins to ferment. Because carbon dioxide is produced during the fermentation process, water kefir almost resembles a healthy soft drink!

Follow the steps below to make your own water kefir.
Supplies:
- a glass canning jar
- 3 level tablespoons of sugar
- 3 dried figs
- ½ lemon (peeled)
- 1 liter of water
Instructions:
Dissolve the contents of one sachet of water kefir cultures in 1 liter of water. Add figs, lemon, and sugar. Let the water kefir rest for 48 hours at room temperature in a tightly sealed canning jar.
After 48 hours, the water kefir is ready. Pour through a sieve, squeeze the juice from the added lemon into it, and remove the fruit. Reserve 200 ml for your next preparation. Do this before drinking the kefir, refrigerating it, or adding extra ingredients. The rest is for consumption and will keep well in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Preferably store in a sealed canning jar.
You can make subsequent preparations by mixing the 200 ml of water kefir from the previous preparation with more water, sugar, lemon, and figs. Use a maximum of 1 liter of water and let the mixture rest again at room temperature for 24 or 48 hours (24 hours for a sweet taste).
The second and third steps can be repeated many times, provided proper hygiene is maintained during preparation. After 15 to 20 preparations, it is time to switch to a new sachet to prevent the development of bacteria that make water kefir unsuitable for consumption.
Tip: add finely chopped fruit to your drink to make an extra delicious "kefir sangria"!

Names:
Latin: Saccharomyces unisporus, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Lactobacillus caucasus
Dutch: Waterkefir
Also known as: Suikerkefir
English: Water kefir