What is Water Kefir? It is a bubbly natural soda packed with probiotics. Water kefir contains over 40 strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast~probiotics. A full list can be found here. There are countless sites that discuss the benefits of probiotics, but one thing that stands out about water kefir is that these strains of probiotics are colonizing probiotics. That means they actually take hold and proliferate in your gut. They aggressively recolonize the gut by destroying pathogenic strains that may have gained dominance over the years through the use of antibiotics, other drugs, and a diet of processed foods. In contrast, yogurt and many other probiotic supplements do not actually repopulate your gut, but only stay a few hours. Another huge plus!
I have been wanting to take a local water kefir class for 2 reasons. First, to get some local water kefir grains, and second, to learn a recipe from someone that has been doing it for awhile. I didn’t want to just follow a recipe online. The email finally popped up on my TampaBay yahoo group for Real Food. My friend Lisa from GoingGreenTampa and I had to sign up. Rebecca Conroy is a local lady that knows everything about anything natural. Her website is a great resource. She has been making water kefir for 4 years and is finally sharing her recipes and secrets of success.
I have started my first batch and will post the recipe in 4 days. That is how long it takes to let it sit and then ferment.
Here are the ingredients you need. Gather these over the next few days. Start asking around for local water kefir grains.
baking soda
ginger root
lime
sugar
water kefir grains (4 TBS)
mason jar w/ lid (quart)
something to bottle in- glass bottles (similar to Grolsch beer bottles)
Stay tuned 
~Green Boot Kaley.
