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In early 2011 I became addicted to coconut kefir - I loved it's fizziness and tangy taste - kinda like a natural soda. But, my habit became expensive - at $3.50 to $12.99 per bottle, depending on quality. Then my friend Amy told me I could easily make it on my own and save money! I started doing that right away, and it cost between $2-2.50 depending on the coconut water I used! Coconut kefir is very healthy due to it probiotic content, vitamins, and minerals - check out the following video to see how to make it yourself!
All you need to make your own coconut kefir is a starter and coconut water. I bought the Body Ecology starter for about $23.50 from Rainbow Grocery in April 2011.
There are so many coconut waters on the market to choose from.
- The most eco-friendly option is to buy fresh coconut without plastic wrapping - I've found Organic Mexican coconuts, which don't have to travel as far as young Thai coconuts. Depending on where you live, which kind you buy and the season, coconuts range from $1.50-3 and there's usually about a cup of water in each (but you never know)
- Since buying, storing, and opening fresh coconuts can be a pain, you can opt for canned coconut water instead. There are many brands to choose from, Amy & Brians is the most popular (17.5 oz for about $1.60) but I like Natural Factor organic coconut water even though it's more expensive (10 oz for about $1.49-1.99)
- And lastly, you can easily find many brands of coconut water in Tetra Paks which are made from paper and are recyclable, but they have plastic lids (around $1.29-1.49 for 8.5 oz)
Directions:
- Heat 1 QT (32 oz) of coconut water to skin temperature (about 92 degrees)
- Remove from heat and stir in starter packet until it desolves
- Pour into a glass, close-able container (seal with foil and rubber band if necessary)
- Leave for 48 hours in a place where it won't be disturbed/agitated
- It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, but if you're going to make another batch take 6 tbsp of the kefir and add to another quart of coconut water within 3 days of making the first batch
If you really prefer not to make it but still want to drink coconut kefir, here are my favorite brands:
- inner-ēco - super pure, organic - retails for around $12 for 15 oz but it so concentrated that it has about 30 servings in it
- KeVita - certified organic, very tasty and sweet, comes in lots of yummy flavors. Contains stevia, fruit purées, apple cider vinegar, and various stabilizers - retails for around $3.50 for a 16 oz bottle