Kefir Soda is a bubbly fermented probiotic beverage made from fruit juice or coconut water. It's fun and easy to make, and wow, is it fizzy!
Kefir Soda is not available in the stores but can easily be made at home using a Kefir Soda Starter.
Below are the DOs and DON'Ts of Kefir Soda to help you make this exquisite, sparkling, probiotic beverage!
DOs:
- Use thick flip-top bottles designed for brewing, not from a craft store, as fermentation creates high pressure in the bottle (natural carbonation).
- Opt for juice/coconut water with the least additives possible.
- Use a funnel to pour the liquids into the bottles.
- Leave some headspace in the bottle to let the mixture expand.
- While fermenting, carefully burp the bottles several times a day to release pressure.
- Store the ready Kefir Soda in the fridge to slow down the carbonation.
- Even after refrigeration, keep popping the top gently to release pressure from time to time.
- Use some of your prepared kefir soda to create a new bottle within a week.
- Consume the ready Kefir Soda within one to two weeks.
- Follow the instructions closely.
DON'Ts:
- Don't compromise on the quality of the bottles. Fermentation creates strong carbonation. Get thick flip-top bottles that can handle high pressure, not from a craft store.
- Don't use canning jars. You need bottles that can handle high pressure.
- When preparing a subsequent Kefir Soda, do not add new starter from a sachet to a bottle that already contains a previously-made Kefir Soda. This previously-made Kefir Soda IS your starter.
- Don't add water kefir crystals. Kefir Soda is not made in the same way as water kefir.
- Don't add SCOBYs. This is not kombucha.
- Don't add too much water. You don't want to dilute the mixture too much.
- Don't add too much juice as it can result in an excessively strong carbonation. Follow the instructions closely.
- Don't place your bottle to ferment in a cold spot. The bacteria like it nice and warm. If you're a bit chilly, chances are, so are they. Choose a spot where the room temperature is warm and pleasant, and not too hot.
- Don't forget to carefully pop the top several times a day to release pressure, even once refrigerated.
- Don't drink it all up. Once you've made a bottle of Kefir Soda, use some of it to make your next bottle(s). This is called reculturing and can be repeated several times over.
More about Kefir Soda on our FAQs page