Hello, young Padawan
Do you want to take care of your gut while making yourself a super nice drink? Ok, so as promised in my article on the intestine, let’s do it, right away.
Water KEFIR
You will need a glass container with a capacity of half a gallon for this (the “mason jar” type is ideal).
– 50 oz of water or 1.5 liters (spring, filtered, or mineral. If tap water: let it stand for 24 hours in the fridge, to evaporate the chlorine)
– 1.8 oz (or 1.76 ounces – 50 grams) of water kefir grains (in Europe, we say fruit kefir or water kefir. You can find them in an organic market, or maybe you have cute neighbors who can give some to you…)
– 4 tbsp of sugar (preferably organic brown sugar)
– 2 whole organic dry dates (or 2 dried apricots, or 2 dried figs, or candied ginger,…) do not cut them.
– 1/2 organic lemon in slices, or half an orange or any citrus fruit (organic required) and remove the seeds so as not to find them with the kefir grains later.
Regarding dried fruits :
Be careful to use non-sulfurized, dried, and organic dried fruits preferably. Sulfur dried fruits have a preservative added and can cut off fermentation.
To recognize them, for example, a dried sulfur apricot is bright orange, while a natural organic non-sulfurized dry apricot is brown. (see the photo of the article. You can also go on my Instagram to see the making of this magic drink, and fermentation steps in the permanent stories: “Food”).
Recipe
Place the sugar in the bottom of the jar, dilute it with water, stir with a wooden spoon, add the kefir grains and the rest of the ingredients, meaning the whole dry fruit of your choice and the citrus slices of your choice, then close the jar with a clean cloth and a rubber band.
Leave at room temperature, protected from light (the drink will color a bit, this is normal – see the picture below).
When the dried fruits rise to the surface (about 24 hours), the drink is ready. In 24 hours, the drink will be slightly laxative, and in 48 hours, it will be more probiotic.
Remove the fruits, transfer the beverage into glass bottles (closed with a rubber stopper that swivels like a lemonade bottle or screw-type bottle because it is a slightly carbonated drink), and you can keep it for a long week in the fridge – about 10 days.
Once you have poured your drink into glass bottles and you have the grains left at the bottom of the jar, you must rinse them in a bowl of clear water (the water temperature must be imperatively below 104 ° F), then filter them with a strainer or cheesecloth without metal (nylon or fabric strainer will be very well).
Kefir does not like metal at all, unlike your faithful servant, but you can still listen to System Of A Down while making your kefir, that yes, it is possible, lol.
The kefir grains at the bottom of the jar grow, reproduce, and are to be reused to make new kefirs. You can even give your extra grains to your friends when you have too much for yourself.
If you don’t want to make another drink right away and just want to keep your kefir grains (or donate some):
You can put them in a bowl of sweetened water in the fridge, film, and change the water regularly (once per week) up to 15 days. Otherwise, you can freeze them for up to a year. Or they can be dried for a week to 10 days on a warm surface (such as a radiator) on a cloth. There you can send your dry kefir grains to Grandma Brenda or Uncle Brandon by mail so that they will enjoy kefir too, or put them in a small envelope for another life … Or save them for the dealers in north L.A, but not sure that you have great success, even if we do agree: kefir is so much better for your health than their icing sugar they sell!
The benefits of kefir
It is a regulator of the digestive system, facilitates digestion and intestinal transit, cleanses and detoxifies the intestines, reduces gas and bloating, brings good bacteria and yeasts beneficial to the intestinal flora, improves the health of the digestive system, and supports the immune system …
It is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and fermentation makes these nutrients very bio-available for the body. Basically, it’s a superfood! (if you have this question in your head: the little sugar we put in the drink is consumed by the yeasts. It is a low GI beverage).
That’s it, the nice healthy drinks secret is yours!
XO 🍹
