Naturally Cultured Beverages

Naturally cultured and fermented beverages are not only a simply way to incorporate more fermented foods into your family's diet, they are often quite easy to make.

Lacto-Fermented Soda: Using whey or a "ginger bug", homemade lacto-fermented sodas harness wild yeast to culture the beverage consuming much of the sugar and leaving beneficial yeast and bacteria in its place.  Making lacto-fermented soda at home is not only easy, it's a great way to get kids excited about kicking a commercial soda habit.  Here are a few recipes to get you started:

• How to Make Lacto-Fermented Homemade Soda
• Rhubarb
• Blueberry
• Ginger Ale
• Root Beer, "Cola" and Ginger Ale

Juice from Cultured Vegetables: Don't waste all the liquid left over from making Sauerkraut, Cultured Beets, Carrots, etc.  The leftover juice makes a wonderful probiotic-rich beverage.  Often the juice will be quite salty and strong so it may need to be watered down a bit depending on your taste preferences.  No time to make your own cultured veggies?  We now have ready-to-drink cultured veggie juice in five varieties shipped chilled to your door!

Kombucha: A fermented tea containing significant quantities of B-vitamins, Kombucha is made from a culture often known as a Scoby or Mushroom.  The mother culture is composed of yeast and bacteria and is similar to cultures used to make vinegar.  The flavor of Kombucha can be influenced by several factors including the type of tea used and the length of time beverage is allowed to ferment (can range from a sweet, slightly acidic beverage to a stronger vinegar-taste).  Kombucha can be consumed plain or flavored with fruit, herbs or fruit juice following the initial culturing process.  While Kombucha is often available commercially through health food stores, it can run $3+ for 16 oz. but can be made at home for about $1 a gallon.  Click here to learn more about making Kombucha at home.

Water Kefir: Made with sugar water, fruit juice or coconut water, water kefir is perhaps one of the most well liked fermented beverages.  The slightly sweet, slightly fermented taste makes the perfect background for flavorings such as fruit, juice and even herbs.  Made with a culture known as Water Kefir Grains (also known as Tibicos, Japanese Water Crystals, etc.), water kefir is fermented for 24 to 48 hours.  The culture itself is comprised of bacteria and yeast existing in a symbiotic relationship.  The culture does not contain any grains such as wheat, rye, etc. but rather is referred to as a grain for its crystal grain-like appearance.  Click here to learn more about making Water Kefir at home.