Cherry Limeade Kefir Soda

Cherries - they are powerful medicine and yet no one ever talks about how incredible they are for you. Cherries are rich in antioxidants and work to eliminate by-products of oxidative stress, which slows down the aging process. They also have the antioxidant melatonin, which helps regulate the body’s sleep patterns, making you more rested. All this in the little cherry! Add lots of fresh cherries to your glass for a pretty presentation and extra flavor. You can also tweak this recipe and make this into a delicious limeade. See instructions at the bottom of the recipe.

Course: Beverages

Servings: ounces

Equipment

1 32-ounce bottle Make sure you use thick glass bottles made for brewing. Craft store bottles will explode.

Ingredients

1/4 cup lime juice Freshly squeezed or juiced, if possible. About 5-6 limes
1/4 cup Honey
¾ cup cherry juice
1 packet Kefir Soda Starter Or ½ cup Kefir Whey
Water spring or filtered with minerals Lightly filtered or spring

Instructions

Whisk honey with your lime and cherry juice in a bowl.
Add the Kefir Soda Starter packet OR kefir whey to your juice and stir till dissolved.
Add your juice and honey to a 32-ounce bottle. A funnel helps. (Make sure you use bottles such as Grolsch or Bormioli thick glass bottles. Bottles bought at craft stores can explode.)
Fill the rest of the bottle with water leaving an inch of room at the top.
Allow it to ferment for 3-7 days or until bubbly and fizzy. If your home is 75°F or warmer it will usually take 3-4 days. Colder homes can take 5 days or longer, but you'll need to check it by popping the top and see if it's getting fizzy. It will start to bubble out the top if it does.
When it's done, you can pour it into a glass and enjoy right away or place it in the fridge. It will continue to ferment in the fridge, so burp it daily and consume it within 1-2 weeks for the most benefits and the best flavor.

Re-Culturing From Your First Bottle

You can use ½ cup of this finished kefir soda as a starter to make a new bottle. Add the other ingredients and ferment again. It should only take a half to a full day to ferment. It ferments faster on subsequent batches and you can make many bottles over and over again!

To Make Limeade,

Use 3/4 cup of the lime juice, and eliminate the cherry juice.