I tried making sauerkraut, I really did. I will try another time in a mason jar, but so far the experience hasn’t been great. I am making fermented pickles this week if I don’t juice all the baby cukes first, but a simple way, for me, to “regrow” beneficial bacteria is with kefir water.
Beneficial bacteria offers immunity benefits. Most people become depleted often because of the overuse of the non-discriminate antibiotics.
I drink water kefir often. It’s a popular drink for raw foodists. To me, like I said, it is a simple approach to encouraging probiotics into the gut.
1) I have a jar of water (hopefully chlorine free if I let it sit long enough in room temperature) waiting to “soak” the kefir grains.
2) I then add a bunch (maybe 2-3 cups) of water kefir grains, and about a cup of coconut sugar to the water and stir with a wooden spoon.
3) Then I put the Mason jar lid on but just the “disc” part to create a “loose fitting cover.”
4) I put it in the dark (in a cupboard or covered with a towel for 2-3 days).
5) I drain the resultant liquid out into an empty jar, stir and drink (and usually repeat the process from there).
6) I may add it to smoothies but I mostly just drink it as is.
7) I only take a few sips at a time and leave the open jar in the fridge (my theory is that any alcohol present might evaporate).
8) I drink it over 48-72 hours with a gulp here and there until the next batch is done.
Sometimes I put the kefir sugar solution in the fridge rather than at room temperature to give the grains a break. I’m experimenting with other foods (fermented pickles soon) and now some milk kefir so I will share as I go along.
