waterkefir

Water kefir grains can be used in a lot of ways. You don’t just have to put them in a sugar/water solution. They work with honey, I’ve used them in green juice and here’s the result of putting them with watermelon: Watermelon kefir.
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I’ve transferred it to a swing top with some sliced pear (added so its sugar can be further fermented and the drink will become fizzy) for a second ferment.
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Feels a bit like pink champagne. Tastes complex – fresh from the watermelon, tart from my likeness for sour ferments (I leave them a long time) and sweet from the pear.
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You do not need a juicer for this. I blended the watermelon flesh and then drained it through a sieve.
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Cheers!

Watermelon rind ferment. I added garlic, coriander seeds, yellow mustard seeds and black pepper. Never done this before – thinking of cracking it open early next week, so I’ll let you know how it tastes!
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I juiced most of the flesh. It’s sitting in a glass jar with water kefir grains now. Hoping I’ll have a fizzy pink kefir nectar soon.
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I love summer in Italy 🙂

Mint-Choc-Chip Kefir? Here’s my water kefir going in for a second ferment with mint from the garden and a generous helping of cacao nibs. We’ll see how it turns out!

I cleaned the shelf where I hide my ferments. They looked so splendid on the table I’d thought I’d take a photo. And I remembered you haven’t seen me for a while 😉
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From left to right:
banana skin vinegar – fermented garlic – bread kvass 1st ferment – ginger carrots – sauerkraut – water kefir 1st ferment – another water kefir 1st ferment – water kefir 2nd ferment with lemon and ginger – bread kvass 2nd ferment with mint (almost gone!) – water kefir 2nd ferment with strawberry (almost gone too!).
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And off camera there’s a sourdough starter, some blended fermenting millet and some blended fermenting farro.
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There are a lot of bubbles in my small kitchen.

My newest batch of #breadkvass going in for its second ferment. I used mint from our little garden as, thanks to @forest.grace I know it’s traditional. It’s a great combination. .
I’m finding the kvass so very sweet. Perhaps it is that I am used to making my #waterkefir on the not-sweet side? Perhaps it is because it is supposed to be this sweet? My hubby, who can handle much more sweet than me, is drinking most of it. He’s happy 🙂