Learn how to make kefir water with us, and a little fairytale

As soon as we tasted the sparkling concoctions, laid out like coloured fairy lights before us, we knew we had to share how to make kefir water with you all!

As with the best homemade stuff, kefir water is as good for you as it is good looking. The process or preparing kefir water requires the grains to consume sugar and ferment, creating probiotics. For vegans or those who can’t have dairy products, it’s a great alternative source healthy bacteria and yeast to yoghurt. It’s good for gut health, and a very low sugar beverage that makes it preferable to a whole lot of nasty fizzy drinks and high-sugar juices.

Then, of course, there’s the fun and alchemy of creating something from very little. We prepare the sugary water for our kefir grains to be plunged into with a little trepidation. Kefir water makers before us have passed down their wisdom; there must be half an organic dried fig and a slice of lemon. We exchange looks as the mystical ingredients are dropped in – it seems that an eye of newt or toe of frog would not be amiss. As satisfied as we can be with our mysterious liquid, we drape the tea towel shroud over the bowl and hope for the best. After 48 hours, our potion seems to have woven it’s magic! A taste reveals a very delicate, vaguely sour water (in the best possible way).

For the second ferment, we added no sugar save for the fruit we added to our jars. The resultant liquid is gaily coloured, with the faintest whisper of sweetness. Jordy, our recipe developer,  tastes the mandarin, a shimmering palest yellow when decanted into its glass. “It’s…so mandarinny!” she exclaims. We all try a sip. It is mandarinny. Not sweet, but the essence of the flavour, the core of every sip is infused with citrus. It’s like seeing mandarin without it’s makeup on – less adorned and infinitely beautiful.

The deep jewel beetroot tastes earthy and wholesome, utterly refreshing. Our strawberries have undergone a dramatic transformations, rendering their brew a bright tangerine orange. The raspberries look more like the pink we’d predicted for the strawberries, and both flavours are crowd favourites. Finally, green apple and spirulina is the dark horse of our gathering. It’s forest green hues is perhaps the strangest looking of the waters, none the less it tastes refreshing we all agree a good gulp of it is enough to calm anyone down when a frantic case of  3.30-itis strikes.

L-R: Beetroot, Raspberry, Strawberry, Mandarin & Green Apple and Spirulina kefir waters

Our friends at Nourishme Organics have an amazing complete kit with water grains and detailed instructions if you fancy starting your own live culture beverage cycle. We can’t wait to see your concoctions!

Use the code hellofresh to get 10% off their Kefir Water Grain Kit!