Coconut Kefir

Coconut water with kefir starter....

Cover em up with a towel and let them sit...

Coconut water kefir. It is a super important part of your diet if you are suffering from Candida, but even if you aren't - it is an amazing addition to your health regime. Instead of buying the very expensive coconut water kefirs you can find online, I decided to make it myself (thanks to Lorie Rice for the inspiration!). I bought 9 thai coconuts from the asian supermarket for $17, sterilized some mason jars, and busted out my cleaver. All in all, it was a pretty simple process.

Coconut Water Kefir

Ingredients:

• 1 quart Coconut Water
• 3 tablespoons Water Kefir Grains or 1 packet of kefir starter (this is what I used)

Place the Water Kefir Grains in the coconut water.  Cover the jar loosely and allow the Kefir Grains to culture the coconut water for 24-48 hours.  Once the culturing process is complete, remove the Kefir Grains (or if you used kefir starter then this is not necessary). 


Here is an easy peezy way to open your thai coconuts (trust me, its really that easy...)
 

Why coconut water kefir?
 Coconut Water Kefir is a whole food probiotic, rich in vitamins, minerals and natural electrolytes.

This product is brisling with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, which creates awesome intestinal flora, digestion and production of B-6, B12, K, niacin and folic acid. This is a fermented beverage that hydrates, and gently cleanses the intestinal tract, and liver. Throughout time and place, living culture foods have been a sacred key to unlocking the secret of abundant health and longevity.

Cultured Coconut Pudding

Tools

• Blender
• Glass or ceramic container with lid

Ingredients

• Meat from 3-4 young coconuts 
• 1/2 kefir packet (I used yogourmet kefir starter)
• Purified water
• cinnamon or cardamom

Directions

1. Open the young coconuts and conserve most of the the water for Coconut Water Kefir (recipe above). The meat should be white. If it is pink or gray, it should be discarded.
2. Scoop the meat out with a strong spoon or spatula.
3. Rinse any brown skin off the meat.
4. Put the coconut meat in a blender and purée with just enough water to create a pudding-like consistency.
5. Add half a packet of kefir starter culture or a teaspoon of kefir grains. Pulse to incorporate.
6. Transfer the pudding to a glass or ceramic container, making sure there are a few inches of room on the top for the pudding to expand.
7. Cover the container and let it ferment on your countertop or on top of your fridge at about 72-75 degrees for 7-10 hours.
8. After fermentation, add cardamom or cinnamon and nutmeg and stir in.
9. Refrigerate. It will last about 3 days.

In Sanskrit the coconut palm is referred to as “kalpa vriksha” meaning “the tree that supplies all that is needed to live”.