This is water-kefir fermenting at home.

About Kefir

Waterkefir is considered to be even better than milkkefir and the effect is similar. Waterkefir tastes very good and one becomes accustomed to looking forward to it every day.

The natives of the Kaukassus Mountains know the effect of Kefir. As children they drink it like water, and on average these people live to an age of 110 years. This is one of the few places in the world where most people reach an advanced old age in perfect health.

According to Dr. Menkiw, who has researched Kefir all his life, tuberculossis, cancer, stimach ailments etc. are unknown there. Dr. Drasek from Germany had already observed the good effects of Kefir before the Second World War. Persons who drink Kefir report it has helped them to recover after severe illnesses. Other people explain how drinking Kefir has helped them to overcome stomach cramps,chronic intestinal inflammations, gall bladder ailments, inflammations of the liver and bladder ailments. Mothers have given Kefir to their children as a substitute for mother’s milk. Women claim that Kefir has served them well in the treatment of eczema during pregnancy and in various chronic abdominal ailments.

Other possible applications of Kefir include nerve ailments, jaundice, diarrhea, constipation, aneamia, rashes, decomposition of blood

And it tastes good!

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So where do you get it from and how do you make it you may ask.
We were given a small bottle of kefir powder from some French friends, but are looking around for kefir granules (this looks promising)

Our recipe is adapted from one on the web.
1 litre mineral or filtered water
2 slices unwaxed lemon
40g sultanas
6-8 dessert spoons of unrefined sugar
powdered kefir

mix ingredients in sterilised jar, leave for three days letting off the ferment gas occasionally.
Remove the lemon and sultanas with non-metal spoon, carefully pour off 5/8 of the liquid into a storage jar for serving.
Top up with correct proportions of water and sugar and on alternate occasions either replace or renew lemon/sultanas.
We also return the dregs of the serving bottle into the kefir as the powder is too fine to be filtered. If you can get granules you can filter them out at stage two for re-use with a non-metal filter.
Repeat.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 at 6:41 pm and is filed under Drink, How To.