Refreshing Lebanese Soft Drink

Fermented drinks are trendy. Kombucha is popping up everywhere, but kefir (a sparkling fruit drink), cider and lassi are also becoming increasingly popular. The book Kefir & Kombucha contains more than 40 recipes for these trendy and healthy drinks. Tastier and better for you than soft drinks from the supermarket.

During fermentation, sugars and harmful bacteria are converted by natural microorganisms into acid, gas or alcohol. And that is tasty, but above all, it is also very good for you. Fermented drinks aid digestion, increase the production of enzymes and are a source of vitamins.

This recipe is called Lebanese kefir because the combination of rose petals and green anise is typical of the delicious Lebanese cuisine. The flavor pairs perfectly with kefir, and anise is also good for your stomach.

Method

1. Heat the water without bringing it to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and steep the rose petals and green anise in the water. Stir in the light brown sugar while the water is still warm and let the liquid cool completely.

2. Put the water kefir grains in the clean jar. Pour in the water while stirring. Seal the jar airtight (or cover it with the cloth and elastic band).

3. Let the drink ferment in the jar for 24 to 48 hours in a dark, warm place (22 to 26 °C). If you are using a lid, open the jar briefly every 24 hours to release some gas. You should see the grains ‘dancing’, and the fruit should float to the top due to the carbon dioxide. Taste regularly using the straw method: the longer you let the kefir ferment, the less sweet it becomes.

The fermentation time for kefir varies from 24 to 72 hours. If you ferment it for too short a time, it will be sweeter and laxative. If you ferment it for longer, the opposite happens and the kefir becomes drier. Taste the drink after just a few hours of fermentation. This trains your taste buds and helps you determine how far you want to ferment the kefir.

4. Pour the kefir through a sieve into the bottle and save the grains for next time. For more fizz, let the drink ferment a second time in a swing-top bottle. Place the bottle in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.

Title: Kefir & Kombucha
Author: Sebastian Landaeus and Nina Lausecker
Price: €17,95
Publisher: Good Cook