Water Kefir, a great success at our house......

I got my first ever water Kefir a little over a week ago.  I was so excited to get it having just learned that our Booboo was having such success with the Milk Kefir, as most of you know also called Tibetan Milk Mushrooms.  She is still having great success and has not had any pain since she started having daily Kefir smoothies.  It was really funny she spent the night at her G-Pa's and took it with her, I said "what if Grandma won't make it into a smoothie?" She said, "If she won't I will drink it plain."  That is a kid dedicated to not being in pain, plain kefir is more than funky it is like drinking very sour buttermilk.  She is well and truly in love with the Kefir and the relief of pain it provides her.  Mokie, who has Chrons will not even try it.  So sad.

I got my water Kefir, I bought about 10 tablespoons of it.  I mixed it up the way the instructions said to mix up the grains so they would be in growing mix.  It took, 1/3 of a cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of molasses and spring water to fill the jar up.  I split mine into two quarts with 2 1/2 teaspoons each and 5 tablespoons in the 1/2 gallon jar.  I didn't have spring water so I boiled my tap water, I have a well so it is not chlorinated. Kefir hates chlorinated water, it kills it.  I mixed it up, put a small bit of cheese cloth on the top and secured it with a jar ring.  I don't have any coffee filters but will get some for future use.  The Kefir had to breath as it grows. I let it set, but you know me I couldn't just let it set.  I looked at it a couple hours later and it amazed me there were little bubble around the top, and it was moving.  It was really growing and active, you could actually see it working.  I let it set the 2 to 3 days and was ready to try it for the first time. 

I strained out the Kefir grains and put them in a new jars.  I had Kefir water,  it doesn't say in the direction that I can use the growing mix water to make Kefir "pop" but I couldn't wait so I put 1/4 cup a mangoes in one jar and 1/4 cup of huckleberries in each of the other jars. I put a metal lid and ring on the jars, a tight seal. The seal is to allow for the "pop" to have carbonation, natural carbonation.  I let it set overnight and we were ready to try it.  We opened it and it fizzed like pop.  The kids one and all loved it.  I thought may be it need a little sugar so I dropped a teaspoon into one of the jars and I was amazed at the results.  The sugar hit the Kefir water and the liquid foamed up like the foam on a root beer float.  You could literally see the Kefir water consuming the sugar.  The kids all think it's a keeper.

I started my second batch and this time I fotgot to boil the water and when I realized it I was afraid I killed my Kefir grains.  I went quick to the internet to see if I was losing my grains.  I soon found that my well water was probably great for it because I have hard water.  Kefir doesn't like chlorinated water, it doesn't like honey either because honey is a natural antibiotic and it attaches the probiotics that the Kefir creates.  It likes to eat minerals which hard water is chocked full of so my well water was a great accident.  You can use plain tap water if it is boiled.  It likes to have pasteurized egg shells in it for calcium, in the grown brew.  Kefir is full of probiotic and good for you bacteria's needs food to keep it growing.  It actually eats the white, sugar, and white sugar is one of the best ways to grow it, I know it sounds bad but.  I had read on a blog that a young lady wrote that she uses only evaporated cane sugar because it is better, the reality is that evaporated cane sugar is a byproduct of the sugar making process and is not better for you it just cost more...  I digress.   Water Kefir eats up white sugar and transforms it into the probiotic and bacteria that is good for you.  Much like Milk Kefir changes milk into a lactose tolerant drink, with probiotics and good for you bacteria.  Water Kefir has many good qualities and helps your health with beneficial probiotics, but it is slightly different from the Milk Kefir probiotic, both help a myriad of conditions and diseases.

My first brew solution started.  I mixed white sugar and water and put in my water Kefir grains, each jar has more than doubled the amount of Water Kefir grains as they each started with.  The mix started to bubble with in minutes of me mixing it up.  I am so excited to try it with the actual first brew mix, it probably won't be all that different than the growing mix.  I tried the Kefir water it's self and it is a very palatable drink without the fruit added.  I took it to CAKLs and all the lovely ladies were game and tried it.  Most liked it and felt they could drink it especially if it was so good for them.  I am taking starter kits for them next week.  Isn't that wonderful that so many will be adding such goodness to their diets.  Yay!!

I am off to start my day.  I was working on tile yesterday when my Mother in Law stopped by for a two hour visit.  I had not seen her, or her husband, in several years and they drove 130 milestone way on a whim and only stayed 2 hours, didn't even stay until the girls got home from school.  They had to get back to their house,  I have know them for 34 years and don't understand them any better today than I did 34 years ago.  I often wonder "why?" but I know I will never know the answer so I don't dwell on it.  So today I am back to tiling.  I hope the Lord blesses your day, I hope he calls out to you today in a way that makes you hear his call again or for the first time.  Nothing is more wondrous than living in the Lord, no love is greater and more satisfying and his love makes all other loves better.... tomorrow.