Homemade soda that is actually good for you. Fresh strawberries blended into a puree, mixed with honey and water kefir, bottled, and left to ferment for up to twenty-four hours. The kefir bacteria produce carbonation naturally. When you open the bottle, it fizzes like a commercial soda but tastes like strawberries and honey with a slight tanginess from the fermentation.
Two cups of strawberries, a quarter cup of honey, two cups of water kefir. That is it. No refined sugar. No artificial anything. The probiotics in the kefir survive the bottling and you get a fizzy, probiotic strawberry drink. These don’t last long here.
Tips for Making Strawberry Kefir Soda
Do not leave it out longer than twenty-four hours
The fermentation builds pressure. Too long and the bottle can overflow or worse. Twenty-four hours is the maximum.
Open the bottle carefully over a sink. Release the pressure slowly. If it geysers, you waited too long.
Use ripe, sweet strawberries
The riper the berries, the sweeter the soda. Under-ripe strawberries make a sour, flat drink even with the honey.
Blend until completely smooth. Strain if you want a clear soda. Leave the pulp if you like a thicker texture.
Homemade Strawberry Soda with Kefir
- Total Time: 1440 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Description
Fresh strawberry puree and honey make this refreshing drink sweet with a fizz from probiotic kefir water, creating a soda anyone can feel good about.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cups water kefir
Instructions
- Blend the fresh strawberries until smooth to make a puree.
- Mix the strawberry puree with honey until well combined.
- Add the mixture to the water kefir and stir gently.
- Bottle the mixture and let it ferment for up to 24 hours to build up pressure and get bubbly.
- Carefully open the bottle to release pressure before serving.
Notes
Don’t leave the soda out on the counter for more than 24 hours, because too much pressure can build up and cause a big mess when opened.
You can strain the Probiotic Strawberry Soda before serving too if you prefer the soda to have less pulp.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 5
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 1
Frequently Asked Questions
What is water kefir?
A fermented, probiotic beverage made by culturing sugar water with water kefir grains. It is mildly fizzy and slightly tangy. Available at health food stores or made at home with kefir grains.
Can I use milk kefir?
No. Milk kefir is thick and creamy. Water kefir is thin and fizzy, like a base for soda. They are different cultures and produce different drinks.
How long does this last?
Drink within three days. Keep refrigerated after the initial fermentation. The carbonation slowly decreases over time.
This still feels like a small miracle, fizzy soda that is good for you, so good and lightly bubbly and berry-bright. How long does a bottle keep once opened?
Bottled a batch of this and it came out lightly fizzy and so fresh, way better than store soda. So good and the kids love that it is a little healthy, definately a great summer project!
Homemade soda that is good for you sounds too good to be true. How fizzy does it actually get with the water kefir, or is it more of a gentle sparkle?
Mine got pretty fizzy after about two days of second ferment, almost like a soft soda. If you want more bubbles just leave it capped a bit longer, but keep an eye on it so it does not overflow.
This sounds lovely, thank you for sharing. I am going to buy some water kefir from you tomorrow. I really love your articles on Facebook.