Name: Fermented Pineapple Pomegranate Water Kefir
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 big cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 7 cups water ((spring or filtered)); 1/3 cup cane sugar ((organic and fair trade if possible)); 1/2 tsp organic unsulphured molasses ((substitute trade mineral drops)); 1/3 cup rehydrated water kefir grains; 1 2 quart glass jar ((with lid)); 1/2 cup pomegranate juice; 1/4 cup pineapple cubes ((fresh, can use frozen if defrosted))

Fermented Pineapple Pomegranate Water Kefir

Serves

Level

Intermediate

Ingredients

Ingreds.

Total

3 Days

Serves

Level

Intermediate

Ingredients

Ingreds.

Total

3 Days

Water kefir is a great vegan alternative to dairy kefir that also provides all the wonderful probiotic benefits of fermented foods! This pineapple pomegranate water kefir is refreshing, zippy, and tasty! The flavor is sort of like a mix of lemonade and soda, but not really... It's hard to describe, so you'll just have to make some and try it yourself.

Ingredients

Initial Ferment

7 cups water (spring or filtered)
1/3 cup cane sugar (organic and fair trade if possible)
1/2 tsp organic unsulphured molasses (substitute trade mineral drops)
1/3 cup rehydrated water kefir grains
1 2 quart glass jar (with lid)

Second Ferment

1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup pineapple cubes (fresh, can use frozen if defrosted)

Servings: big cups

Units:

Directions

Prep

10 min

Total

3 days

Initial Fermentation

Heat one cup of the water until hot enough to dissolve the sugar. Add the sugar and molasses if using to the hot water and stir until it dissolves completely. If using the minerals you can add them to the remaining room temperature water.
Pour sugar water mixture into your glass jar and add remaining water, stirring to combine. Make sure the water is at room temperature before you add the water kefir grains. Once the water is room temperature add in the grains and cover the jar loosely with the lid. Let the water kefir ferment away from sunlight for up to 2 days. I like to place my kefir in a cardboard box to keep it protected.

Second Fermentation

Once the kefir is done with the initial fermentation, strain out your kefir grains with a plastic or stainless steel strainer into a smaller glass jar with a lid. Once you strain the grains out of the water kefir, you need to store the grains in sugar water made with ¼ cup of organic sugar and 3-4 cups of pure spring water in a covered container until you’re ready to make another batch of water kefir. I usually just use the kefir grains to make another batch of water kefir right away. If you don’t want to do this, the water kefir grains can stay in the refrigerator for several weeks in the sugar water before you need to feed them again with a new batch of sugar water.
For the second ferment you will need to mix the juice and fruit together. Blend the pomegranate juice with the pineapple cubes in a blender until smooth. Pour into the same jar you used to ferment the water kefir and add 6 cups of the water kefir in the jar and stir. Close the top tightly and let it ferment for 24 hours. Your pomegranate pineapple water kefir is now ready to go in the refrigerator and you can drink it right away!