Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [22]
To open your coconut, see page 55. Make sure not to use any metal when making this recipe, as it will damage your living cultures. Use only plastic and glass.
Coconut kefir makes a healthy soda substitute. Kefir is said to decrease sugar cravings; clear our complexions; aid in digestion; and provide nutrients, minerals, and healthy bacteria that restore balance to our intestinal flora. It will be ready to drink in just a day or two.
NOTE: One coconut will usually yield around 1½ to almost 2 cups of water, and around ¾ to 1 cup of meat to use in Coconut Bacon (page 76) and Coconut Kefir Cheeze (page 106).
2 coconuts
1 to 2 tablespoons water kefir grains
Open your coconuts and pour the coconut water through a plastic strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl. Then, transfer the water to a large, glass canning or mason jar. Using a funnel will make it easier. Fill your glass jar only three-quarters to four-fifths full. NOTE: Make sure water is clear; if the water is pink, it’s rancid.
Next, add your kefir grains to the jar with the coconut water. Close the lid and place the jar someplace that’s 70° to 74°F. In colder climates, you can place your jar in your oven, with only the oven light on.
The longer your water ferments, the less sweet and more sour and vinegary it will taste. The water will turn milky in color. The brew time should not exceed 48 hours. There’s really no minimum brew time; the shorter the time, the more sugar and sweeter your brew. Ideally, you want to brew the coconut water for somewhere between 24 and 48 hours. You can taste your water every 24 hours to check if it’s slightly fizzy, like champagne, and to achieve the sugar level and flavor you desire.
Once your brew is done, pour it into a nonmetal bowl, catching the grains in a plastic sieve. Use these grains to start your next recipe right away.
Pour the strained kefir water into another glass jar, and enjoy immediately. Store in the fridge.
Will keep for several weeks in your fridge.
Opening and Scraping a Young Coconut
SINCE WRITING my first book, Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, I’ve found a quieter way to open a coconut without the need of a heavy cleaver. A sharp knife of any size, even a pocketknife, will work. So, now I can take a coconut hiking or camping without lugging my cleaver along.
1. To open a coconut, lay it on its side. Use a knife to shave the white pith, or coir, off the top of the coconut. Shave toward the top center point of the coconut. Rotate coconut, and repeat until you fully expose the hard center, which looks like smooth wood and contains the water.
2. Next, set the coconut upright and use the heel of your knife to gently tap the edge of the hard exposed center. The coconut has a natural stress line around the crown, in a circle that will give and crack open.
3. Place the heel of your knife in the opening and rock backward and forward to increase the opening. It should split to create a large, circular opening.
4. Pull back and remove the top from the coconut. Pour the coconut water into a container.
To scrape out your coconut’s meat, use a strong, large spoon. I find it easier to hold the spoon’s curve opposite of the coconut’s curve, upside down compared with how we hold it to scoop soup. I like to see if I can get all the meat out in one piece. Place the meat in a bowl and clean it by running your fingers over it to remove any hard pieces.
WATER KEFIR
MAKE 2 CUPS
Whereas kombucha and rejuvelac, and even coconut kefir, can taste a bit vinegary, water kefir’s taste is the most palatable. It’s really delicious, like a soda.
This is an alternative way to make beneficial kefir when coconuts are not available, or when you want a faster, easier process. Just dissolve sugar or agave syrup in water, add raisins and lemon slices plus the grains, and brew for 24 to 48 hours. This recipe was inspired by Cheree from www.stichingtime.com, where I order my grains.
As with kombucha brewing, some people are concerned about the sugar used to feed the culture