I’m a very busy mama. This lady’s a work-at-home writer, entrepreneur, Graduate student, and household manager-mama extraordinaire. It’s exhausting. So when I first heard about water kefir, I didn’t bat an eye. Nope, I don’t need any more projects. Besides, the thought of growing my own bacteria was a little off-putting.
After hearing my friends rave about it for quite a while, I looked at a link someone posted and realized that not only did it look easy to culture water kefir at home, but the potential benefits were things I was striving to achieve: regularity, gut health, immunity strength, and more energy.
An added benefit is that it’s not a dairy product. (My toddler and I have lactose issues).
A mama friend offered to share her kefir grains with me, and soon they arrived in a little package in the mail. My excitement was replaced again with uncertainty. The grains looked… weird. They sat in my refrigerator, unopened for about a month.
Finally, I gathered enough courage to try cultivating my first batch. I bought organic sugar, added it to a mason jar full of water, and poured in the grains. I placed the jar in a warm spot on top of my fridge. In three days, the water had turned cloudy. Opening the jar, I realized my science experiment had worked. A fizzy vinegar aroma tickled my nostrils.
Gathering even more courage, I tasted the liquid. It was sort of awful at first. Each day, I would take a bigger sip. Eventually, I started to like the taste, and was drinking big gulps.
Some of my friends suggested doing a second ferment and making a flavored drink using fruit. However, I just pour a swig of it into my smoothie every day, and it’s great that way. I also pour a bit -into my toddler’s fruit-and-veggie juice once a week. She doesn’t even seem to detect it.
Am I feeling any better? Yes, indeed! In fact, when my first grains became weakened (due mostly to my novice abilities), my gut really suffered. My sweet friend was kind enough to send me a new batch of her super-strong grains so I can try again.
You have time for this, and it’s not a scary as it seems. Trust me, I was a skeptic. And it really does help with gut issues. It’s exciting to share my enthusiasm about my little bugs, even if I do get some strange looks and “gaggy-faces” at times.
Have you tried fermenting water kefir? Have any tips for us newbies? Please share.
