Hibiscus Pomegranate Kefir
This recipe is for those of you out there, who have been making Water Kefir for a while and looking forward to taking it to the next level, and start experimenting with more flavours.
This way of flavouring water kefir is a full-proof recipe that you can adapt to the seasons, or whatever you have available, so enjoy experimenting! You will very soon learn what are the most volatile combinations. For instance - hibiscus is quite explosive, and combined with grapes, well you've essentially made a bomb!
~ Gutsy Flora
Festive Brunch
makes 400ml syrup / 500ml bottle with lid
INGREDIENTS
400ml water
100g organic cane sugar
100ml boiling water
1 orange - 2 slices, and juice of the rest
A few broken pieces of a cinnamon stick
A large handful of pomegranate seeds
HOW TO MAKE A SYRUP
Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan with hibiscus, cinnamon, orange slices, and juice.
Make sure sugar has dissolved.
Simmer for 5mins.
Leave to cool and infuse in saucepan.
Strain into a bottle along with the pomegranate seeds.
Store in the fridge for months.
TOP TIP
Put the ingredients back in the pan with water to make a sort of hot ribena, or red wine, for a fast mulled wine!
HOW TO FLAVOUR YOUR KEFIR
1litre bottle
800ml fermented water kefir
4 tbs (60-100ml) of syrup
Place your water kefir and syrup in a bottle and gently shake. Add more syrup, to taste - knowing that sweetness will change overtime when most of the sugars will be consumed by the microbes in the water.
Leave to ferment at room temperature for 12-24 hrs, you will see signs of activity from a layer of bubbles appearing on the water surface. You can open it (carefully) and taste if it is to your liking.
Then store in your fridge and consume in about 7 days. The fermentation process will continue in the fridge, but at a much slower pace.