How to Make Homemade Coconut Water Kefir

The topic of gut health is of growing interest in the scientific and medical communities. Scientists and health professionals are discovering just how important gut health is in maintaining overall wellness. Fortunately, maintaining and restoring gut health can often be achieved through making changes to diet and lifestyle habits. One simple way we can improve our gut microbiome is by consuming more fermented foods rich in probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that prevent the overgrowth of harmful microbes in our gastrointestinal tracts. Coconut water kefir is an easy way to introduce more beneficial bacteria to your gut, and it couldn’t be easier to make! Read on to learn more about coconut water kefir and how to make your own at home.

How Coconut Water Kefir Can Improve Your Health

Dysbiosis is a term used to describe an imbalance of gut flora which can lead to inflammation, compromised immune function,¹ heart disease, cancer,² and even depression and anxiety.³ In light of this, it’s important to understand how to maintain and restore eubiosis, a state of balance within the gut microbiome. Eating a variety of whole plant foods is one way to do this, but also consuming fermented foods that are rich in probiotics, such as sauerkraut, yogurt, miso, and kefir.

Why Should You Make Your Own Water Kefir?

The advantage of making your own fermented foods and drinks is that the probiotics are not lost during packaging or storage time as would be the case with store-bought products. This means more gut-healthy microbes for you to benefit from.

Homemade coconut water kefir is not only refreshing and simple to make, it’s also rich in probiotics. Making it a regular part of your diet can improve gut flora, and thereby strengthen your overall health.

Since adding coconut water kefir to my diet, I’ve noticed better digestion and clearer skin. My immune function also seems stronger as my body can better fight off oncoming infections.

Finally, another great reason to make your own coconut water kefir is that it’s more cost-effective. The cost is just what you’d pay for the coconut water, plus the kefir grains which gets spread out over time as you use them repeatedly. If properly stored, kefir grains can last indefinitely. With a bottle of water kefir running anywhere from $4-$7 for a 12 -16 oz bottle, making your own amounts to excellent savings.

The Benefits of Coconut Water

Aside from being low in calories and fat, which makes it ideal for weight management, coconut water contains antioxidants and electrolytes, which have several benefits for the body. First, antioxidants help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, both precursors for many diseases. It is also rich in potassium which supports heart health and may assist in lowering blood pressure.⁴

Aside from its health benefits, unsweetened coconut water is low in sugar, meaning less alcohol will be produced during fermentation. This is important if you are trying to avoid alcohol or if you plan to serve this to children.

Tools You May Need

• Fine mesh strainer
• Mason jar, large
• Swing-top bottle – Amazon sells these
• Funnel
• Liquid measuring cup

Ingredients

• Coconut Water, unsweetened – I use this brand from Costco
• Water kefir grains, activated – I bought mine from a local health food store, but there are plenty of online retailers that sell them
• Grape juice (optional)

How to Make Coconut Water Kefir

If your water kefir grains are not activated, follow the instructions on the package to activate them.

Add active water kefir grains to a large (approximately 1 L) mason jar. Pour unsweetened coconut water over the grains, filling the jar.

Cover the jar with paper towel, and use a rubber band to hold it in place.

Leave the jar away from sunlight for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, taste the coconut water kefir. If it has a sour flavour, it is ready for consumption. Place a fine mesh strainer over a 1 litre (32 oz) liquid measuring cup and pour coconut water kefir into the cup, straining out the kefir grains (see notes for how to store the kefir grains).

Using a funnel, pour the coconut water kefir into a clean swing-top bottle.

Add approximately 1/4 cup of grape juice to the bottle (leave some space at the top). Seal the bottle and refrigerate.

Drink on its own or with a little juice or a squeeze of lemon.

Notes

• Coconut water kefir is best consumed within a week.
• Sweetened coconut water can be used but the final product will be higher in alcohol.
• The longer the kefir is left to ferment, the greater the alcohol content. If fermenting in a warm area, the fermentation time may need to be reduced.
• After use, rinse kefir grains with filtered water and add them to a jar of sugar/molasses water. I use 2 tablespoons of sugar or molasses per 1 cup of filtered water. Store the jar in the fridge.

1. Yoo JY, Groer M, Dutra SVO, Sarkar A, McSkimming DI. Gut Microbiota and Immune System Interactions. Microorganisms. 2020 Oct 15;8(10):1587. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8101587. Erratum in: Microorganisms. 2020 Dec 21;8(12):E2046. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8122046. PMID: 33076307; PMCID: PMC7602490. ↩︎
2. Sheflin AM, Whitney AK, Weir TL. Cancer-promoting effects of microbial dysbiosis. Curr Oncol Rep. 2014 Oct;16(10):406. doi: 10.1007/s11912-014-0406-0. PMID: 25123079; PMCID: PMC4180221. ↩︎
3. Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S. Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clin Pract. 2017 Sep 15;7(4):987. doi: 10.4081/cp.2017.987. PMID: 29071061; PMCID: PMC5641835. ↩︎
4. LeWine, H. E. (2023, March 1). Can eating potassium-rich foods lower my blood pressure? Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved September 10, 2024, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-eating-potassium-rich-foods-lower-my-blood-pressure#:~:text=Potassium%20relaxes%20the%20walls%20of,and%20protecting%20against%20muscle%20cramping. ↩︎