12 Steps to Whole Foods

Preserving Raw Foods with Natural Probiotics
Coconut Liquid Kefir / Water Kefir
Vegans may prefer to make kefir from coconut liquid or from water. It does not get thick; fermenting makes it
fizzy and tangy. I use it every morning in my Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie (see Ch. 10).
Put 1 to 3 Tbsp. of water kefir grains (pictured left) in a
pint jar of coconut liquid. Cover it with a lid and leave it
for 24 hours at room temperature. (Do not refrigerate kefir
grains of any kind. If you do, they will become dormant
and inactive.)
I simply strain the water grains from the coconut liquid that
has been sitting on my counter for 24 hours with a small,
fine-meshed strainer. I transfer it to a new jar of coconut
liquid for the next day. It’s okay if the grains ferment the
liquid for an extra day or for less than a day. The longer
you allow the fermentation process, the more tart and tangy
your kefir becomes.
You can get water kefir grains, which are different than milk grains, by selecting “Kefir Grains” on the “Robyn
Recommends” tab on GreenSmoothieGirl.com. Or you can purchase a dehydrated starter at some health food
stores—and then, after making your first batch, you can use a little of the old batch to start a new batch. (Do
this for up to two batches, but then use a new start to ensure your cultures don’t degrade over time.) Live kefir
grains are better, compared to dried starter.
To store and to grow your water grains, or to make true
“Water Kefir,” fill a quart jar with filtered water and C
organic Sucanat, coconut palm sugar, or agave. Add 1 tsp.
molasses or a piece of an egg shell (make sure the egg has
been cleaned out), because water grains thrive on minerals.
Stir until dissolved and then add ¼ to 1 C water grains.
Cover and let it sit at room temperature for up to five days.
This, by itself, can be consumed as Water Kefir. The sugars
are mostly consumed by the fermentation process. You can
then start a new batch using the same grains.
You can watch my short GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube
video showing how to open and drain a young coconut (www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi). Don’t use an older (hairy, brown)
coconut, which will not likely contain much liquid. Alternatively, you can purchase coconut liquid (also known
as “coconut water”) in cans from a health food store or Asian stores (I have even seen them at Wal-Mart).
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw 12 Steps to Whole Foods 235