Water Kefir Soda: Save 70% on Store-Bought Soda

Water kefir soda is easy to make in your own kitchen — and it’s good for you! Not only that, but you can save so much money. Homemade water kefir soda costs about a penny an ounce to make, which means it is 70% cheaper than store-bought soda.

Why Make Water Kefir Soda?

Store-bought soda is really, really bad for you. And it’s not just sugar you have to worry about anymore. These days, soda pop is made with high fructose corn syrup or, just as bad, aspartame. These are not things you want to be putting in your body.

High fructose corn syrup is made by soaking corn in battery acid. Aspartame is an excitotoxin. Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s anyone?

I also don’t drink kombucha anymore, since I learned that it’s very high in fluoride.

Read my posts about fluoride and kombucha:

Why I Don't Drink Kombucha Anymore
Fluoride in Kombucha? Why I Stopped Drinking Kombucha and Tea

What is Water Kefir Soda?

Water Kefir Soda is made from water and a little sugar, plus some fruit (optional) for flavoring. The water and sugar are fermented with water kefir grains.

These are like kefir grains but they are different. They thrive on sugar water instead of milk.

Homemade soda pop made with kefir grains is super cheap to make. I did the math and it costs 1 penny per ounce… that’s 1/3 of what it costs for Coke or any other soda. You’ll save a ton not buying sodas or juice.

Not only that, but as you use your kefir grains over time, they will grow and multiply. When you have more grains, you can make larger batches at a time. This recipe will get you started with your first batch.

What is Water Kefir Soda?

They say you can also convert milk kefir grains for this recipe. Just don’t use all your kefir grains — set aside 1-2 tablespoons just for this purpose.

Also, be aware that the first few ferments will take longer with dairy kefir grains (4-5 days instead of 1-3). After that, they should perform like water kefir grains.

While I have not tried it, I have read that converted dairy kefir grains will poop out over time so I prefer to stick with water kefir grains for making soda pop.

Water Kefir Soda Recipe

Equipment

Plastic mesh strainer
Quart mason jar
Glass bottles (you can get these at a homebrew store, or reuse old wine or beer bottles, or you can simply store your soda pop in a mason jar in the fridge)
Funnel

Ingredients

Water kefir grains (1-2 TBS)
Filtered water (NOT tap water — you’ll kill your kefir grains; make sure the water is filtered for chlorine and fluoride – see my post on water filters)
Sugar (1/4 cup ) — I use plain white organic cane sugar but you can use other forms of sugar such as palm sugar
Piece of an egg shell (half of the egg shell will do)
Frozen or fresh fruit (1/4 cup)
Optional: Molasses (1 tsp) — You can omit this if you are using the egg shell

Directions

1. Fill the mason jar 3/4 of the way full with filtered water.
2. Add the sugar, optional molasses, and rinsed egg shell and stir or put a lid on and shake until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the water kefir grains.
4. Leave on the counter or in a cupboard at room temperature for 1-3 days (depends on the temperature in your home — the warmer it is, the faster the soda will ferment).
5. You’ll know when it’s ready when it’s nice and bubbly and the taste is only mildly sweet — not like sugar.
6. Strain the kefir grains using the strainer, pouring the liquid into another quart mason jar (or, if you only have one, pour into a bowl and then pour it back into the mason jar).
7. Set the grains aside (or start a new batch of soda in a mason jar — following the instructions above). Discard the egg shell.
8. Add to your soda batch whatever fruit flavorings you like. Use about 1/4 a cup frozen or fresh fruit. I have tried lemon, blueberry, raspberry, pineapple, figs, and raisins. You could also use grapes, cherries, watermelon, ginger, mint, lime, grapefruit — or combinations of any of the above. If you are using lemon, you might also want to add another tablespoon or two of sugar. This is not an exact science — be creative and see what appeals to you.
9. Let ferment a few more days on the counter until it tastes just right and is nice and fizzy.
10. Transfer to bottles using the funnel. Store in the fridge. If you want extra-fizzy pop, cap the bottles and leave them at room temperature for another day, then transfer to fridge.

Recipe Notes

If using flip top bottles, be careful when opening. It can be explosive.

This recipe calls for two ferments, one with sugar and the grains and one with the strained fermented water and fruit.

To save time, you can do just one ferment — adding the fruit and the sugar on the first go-round. You can also just ferment your kefir grains in fruit juice with a little added sugar. Coconut water is especially wonderful and refreshing.

Unless I am using coconut water, which seems to have no ill effects, I prefer to do two ferments because I like to keep my kefir grains pure.

I used pineapple juice once and ended up with these funny little pulpy things in my kefir grains that are still there. I have also heard of people using fruit juices and ending up with purple water kefir grains.

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