Can I use the starter culture packets and coconut water to make a water kefir drink?
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No. The starter cultures require certain ingredients to be present in the medium.
They are:
- Fats and Proteins which determine the texture. For using with coconut “milk”, the milk needs to be made with shreds as they increase the fat and protein contents and deliver a thicker texture. Coconut water is a very light and processed version with a low amount of those, so the fermentation might not start. Additionally, if you buy those from the shop, you might find a lot of additives that certainly will kill any bacteria(all bad but also all good bacteria that are needed)
- Lactose or other sugar> sugar is the food that bacterial cultures eat
Please check this topic
You can use coconut milk when made with the shreds for a creamy texture, cashew and soy milk for a thick texture(with no additives and preservatives)
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Yes, but it depends on what kind of starter culture packets you have. If they’re specifically water kefir starter cultures, you can generally use them with sugar water and then flavor with coconut water.
If you mean milk kefir starter packets, those aren’t designed for making water kefir and may not ferment coconut water properly.For coconut water, I’d also avoid using it as the only fermentation liquid at first—it doesn’t provide the same sugar/mineral balance that water kefir grains or a proper water-kefir medium need.