Imprimer la recette

Serves : 1.5 liters

Preparation : 30 minutes

Wait : 3 days

Ingredients

1.5 liters of water still, and unchlorinated. Let your tap water sit for a day or two if necessary. Avoid bottled water, which is often too high in minerals.
1 lemon
3 dried figs large or other (see introduction)
2.5 oz of granulated sugar
2.5 oz of kefir grains

Kitchen utensils
1 large jar or a 2-liter jar (e.g., IKEA Corken)
1 filter funnel with built-in strainer
2 screw-top bottles also known as a stirrup bottle, which is pressure-resistant

Instructions

First fermentation

Fill the jar with water—as pure as possible. I have an under-sink filter that removes the chlorine.
Otherwise, you can also let the water sit for a day or two to allow the chlorine to evaporate.
Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves in the water.
Strain the kefir grains using a fine-mesh strainer, then add the amount specified in the ingredients list to the jar.
Add the figs to the jar.
Wash the lemon (I personally wash it with soap because the pesticides on citrus fruits can be oily and may not wash off completely with just water).
Cut the specified number of slices and add them to the jar.
Place the glass lid on the jar without closing it or using a gasket, as fermentation will release gases that need to escape.
Leave the jar at room temperature, but not in direct sunlight.

For my part, I simply removed the metal hinge so I could place the lid directly on the jar. Then I covered the whole thing with a paper towel held in place with a rubber band around the neck of the jar. You can also just leave the glass lid on the jar, as long as there’s no risk of it being knocked over by children or others!
The first fermentation takes between 24 and 48 hours, though this timeframe may vary depending on the outside temperature, the "strength" of your kefir, and your personal preferences regarding sweetness and bitterness.
Check on the kefir from time to time, and once all the figs have risen to the surface and foam has formed, you can start tasting it.
If it still seems too sweet to you, let it ferment further at room temperature and taste it from time to time. The kefir should be slightly sweet, slightly bitter, and already a bit fizzy.
For my part, I let mine ferment for another 8 hours after the figs had risen.

Second fermentation

Once the kefir seems sufficiently fermented, you can move on to the second fermentation.
To do this, start by removing the lemon slices and figs floating on the surface.
Since they’ve been sitting in the air and water for three days and have lost all their sugar anyway, I prefer not to eat them myself—I save them for my compost!
Pour the liquid from the bowl into the pressure-resistant bottles using the funnel fitted with a strainer—it’s really handy!
You should end up with about 1.5 liters of kefir.
When you reach the bottom of the jar while pouring the kefir into the bottles, the kefir grains will come out and settle in your funnel.

The Chef’s Tip

Avoid adding water to recover the last few grains, as this tends to weaken your kefir grains if they are rinsed too often. It’s better to put a little kefir back into the jar and empty it again.
Save your kefir grains. Check out the article to learn how to store your kefir grains between batches.
Seal the bottles and store them at room temperature to allow the secondary fermentation to complete.
You can leave them for a period of time equal to that of the first fermentation, which is between 24 and 48 hours.
After a day, start tasting the drink (I use the half-full bottle for this, so I can save the larger one for guests 🥂).
Check that bubbles are forming, and once the taste is to your liking, simply put your bottles in the fridge, and the fermentation will stop.

You can store your fruit-infused water kefir in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.

Be sure to "degas" your kefir at least every two days, because even when refrigerated, fermentation continues slowly. Another precaution: like any carbonated beverage, do not shake the bottle, or you’ll get drenched when you open it (speaking from experience!!!).

Variation 1: I replaced the granulated sugar with the same weight of mascobado, and the kefir took on a beautiful amber color, a bit like beer, as well as a slight caramelized flavor. I can therefore recommend this variation.
Variation 2: You can add seasonal fruits during the second fermentation to give your kefir an extra burst of flavor. Since fermentation takes place in bottles, you’ll of course need to cut them into small pieces so they can fit through the neck.

Feel free to share your own variations in the comments 😋🥂

My homemade fruit-flavored water kefir