Three Mineral-Rich Ingredients For Better Water Kefir
One of my absolute favorite fermented beverages is water kefir. It’s delicious, but more than that it makes me feel really good. I’ve been known to kick an afternoon caffeine inhabit by imbibing this beverage rich in beneficial bacteria and yeasts.
There are two main ingredients in water kefir – water and sugar. For optimal performance of your water kefir grains it is important to focus on the two top needs of this mother culture. The first is warmth. Water kefir almost always performs better for me in the warmer months than the cooler ones. The other big preference of water kefir is plenty of minerals.
If you are using a mineral-rich water then you are halfway there. Add in a higher-mineral sweetener and it seems to do even better. We have rainwater, however, as our drinking water source so I need to add extra minerals to the process.
In addition to using a mineral-rich sweetener, I like to add one or several of the following to the first fermentation:
- Eggshells – These guys are a freebie with our homegrown eggs. Not only that, they are rich in minerals. To use them I simply rinse them well with water after cracking. I find that one whole shell is sufficient for one half-gallon of water kefir. After the first fermentation, the eggshell is often broken down or even completely disintegrated. This is a good sign that the minerals have been transferred to the water kefir.
- Molasses – This is the liquid portion of cane sugar which is full of minerals. I add just about 1 teaspoon to a half-gallon of water kefir.
- Mineral Supplements – I just happened to have this mineral supplement on hand and tried it out one day. Just 1/4 of one of these tablets works well in tandem with the molasses for making one half-gallon jar of water kefir.
You certainly don’t want to overdo it; more is not necessarily better. We are simply trying to mimic the minerals found in natural spring or well water. The above photo is what we are after – vibrant, bubbling water kefir filled with living organisms for our guts. Plus, it’s just downright tasty.
p.s. Get your water kefir grains, sourdough starters, milk kefir grains, yogurt starters, fermentation equipment and more at a great discount here:
I’ve actually had kefir grains for some time and just never got it started. We are producing our own kombucha, but I think my husband would prefer the kefir. Thank you for encouraging us with good instructions and tips you have learned along the way. Need to get those grains out and get started!
Just wanted to remind that there is a difference in nutrients in types of “molasses”. Preferred would be organic blackstrap molasses(we like Plantation brand). Regular Molasses(lighter colored like Grandma’s or brier rabbit) won’t have the same value. Up until a few years ago I thought any molasses was the same, now I make sure to stick to blackstrap to get the full benefit.
I have never had my water kefir bubble like your picture. I have bubbles but not like the picture. What do I need for that? The extra minerals? I use organic sucanet. I have well water so I do filter it. Would you use egg shells? I have mineral drops from cultures for health so I will add a few drops of those. My husband would drink a half gallon a day if I made enough. What are your thoughts on amounts to drink daily. Can we drink too much like kombucha?
Thanks for this post!
Great tutorial. Pinned!
I tried making water kefir a few weeks ago and I don’t think my grains were doing well because it didn’t seem like anything was fermented. Thank you for these helpful tips!
These are great ideas! I haven’t heard of the egg shell one and love its frugality and function. (Also, sweet photo of you two at the top of the page!) 🙂
Love this! Water kefir is one of my favorites but I have yet to make my own. Thanks for sharing these wonderful tips!
I would never had thought to use egg shells. Great idea.