How to Make Kefir (and Water Kefir) at Home

What is kefir? From "champagne of milk" to the "drink of the centenarians", kefir has already some extraordinary titles, but what’s behind them? Kefir is a fermented sour milk drink made from cow, sheep or goat milk. Fermentation begins with the addition of a kefir starter culture also known as kefir grains or kefir nodules, which is made up of sugar, yeast, lactic acid bacteria and protein. The lactose contained in the milk ferments, casein (a protein found in dairy products) is broken down and carbon dioxide and lactic acid are produced. After only 24 hours, the original milk becomes an effervescent drink with a slightly sour taste. Kefir (like its other probiotic cousin, kombucha) can not only be enjoyed pure, but also in smoothies, mocktails or desserts.

In addition to its refreshing effect, kefir is mainly drunk for its health benefits. Originally from the Caucasus, the drink spread to Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, where it was prescribed to patients with stomach and intestinal problems—can it just be a coincidence that people in the Caucasus live to an above-average age?

What makes kefir so healthy?

Kefir has a great nutritional ranking. Because it is made from milk, kefir contains not only calcium, protein and magnesium, but also many B vitamins and vitamin D. As a probiotic drink it supports digestion and the immune system, has positive effects on the intestinal flora and has an antibacterial effect. Those who suffer from an easily irritated stomach or other digestive problems can may benefit from using kefir as a household remedy.

With approx. 50 – 60 calories per 100 g / ½ cup, kefir is somewhat lower in calories than whole milk, but the nutritional values depend on the respective starting product: kefir based on low-fat milk has fewer calories overall, while cream kefir with almost 10% fat is the most powerful variant. On that note, that’s one of the key differences between kefir and buttermilk—while both are fermented acidified milk drinks, to make buttermilk lactic acid bacteria are added to skimmed milk.

Since lactose is ‘eaten up’ during fermentation, kefir contains only a fraction of it and is therefore more tolerable for people with lactose intolerance—however, this is not a rule of thumb and can vary from individual to individual— so it’s best to trial it for yourself first. If you want to be absolutely sure, you can also produce kefir using coconut milk or even water as a base—more on that later!

How to make milk kefir at home

Kefir is available at the supermarket, but you can easily make it at home. You can find the kefir grains in organic shops or online. Best of all, once purchased, they can be used again and again so you can make new kefir every day.

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Homemade kefir

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Water kefir – the healthy soda

A refreshing, probiotic soda can also be fermented using water as a base, which easily keeps up with the health benefits of milk kefir. Since you cannot buy water kefir, there is no other way than to make it yourself—luckily it’s super simple! You can find the required water kefir crystals, also known as "Japan crystals", online or in organic shops—just like with milk kefir, you can continue to use them and enjoy fresh water kefir again and again.

In contrast to conventional sodas, water kefir contains significantly less sugar, because the added sugar is processed into lactic acid, carbonic acid, and vitamins by the yeast and bacteria cultures that are found in the crystals. At the end of the process, only a fraction of it is left in the water kefir.

What you need for water kefir:

- 1 sealable glass container
- If you do not have a screw-top jar, you can alternatively use an open glass container and a clean tea towel and rubber band to cover the glass
- plastic sieve
- glass bottles to store the water kefir

Ingredients:

- 500 ml /17 fl oz still mineral water
- 1.5 tbsp cane sugar (alternatively granulated white sugar, raw cane sugar, or sugar beet syrup)
- 1.5 tbsp water kefir crystals
- 15 g/0.5 oz dried fruit with no added sulfites (e.g. raisins, dates, apricots, figs or goji berries)
- 2 lemon slices (alternatively lime slices)

Method:

1. Mix lukewarm mineral water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture into the glass container.

2. Add kefir crystals, dried fruit and lemon slices. Then close the glass container loosely so that the carbonic acid produced during fermentation can escape. If the lid is too tightly closed, you run the risk that the pressure in the glass becomes too great and your screw-top jar "explodes".

3. Let ferment for at least 24 hours at room temperature (between 20-25 degrees). The longer water kefir is fermented, the more sugar is broken down and the less sweet the finished product tastes. Try your water kefir after 24 hours and let it ferment 1– 2 days longer until you like the taste. Fermentation should not take more than 6 days.

4. Remove dried fruit and lemon slices and pour water kefir through a sieve into glass bottles.

5. Let ferment for at least 24 hours at room temperature (between 20-25 degrees). The longer water kefir is fermented, the more sugar is broken down and the less sweet the finished product tastes. Try your water kefir after 24 hours and let it ferment 1– 2 days longer until you like the taste. Fermentation should not take more than 6 days.

Important: Do not fill the glass bottles to the brim, but leave some space for the drink to ferment and the carbonic acid to escape.

You can now flavor the water kefir with herbs, fruit, fruit tea or the juice of the lemon slices and let it ferment for a second time, making the water kefir even more sparkling. It can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks, taking care not to seal it too tightly so that the excess carbonic acid can escape.