Rhubarb Water Kefir: What Squirt is Trying to Be

Trying to kick the pop habit? How about a nice cold glass of Rhubarb Water Kefir?

Huh?

I'm telling you, it's way better than any pop you've ever had. My husband, who is generally wary of fermented beverages, said "This is what Squirt is trying to be!"

It's the first fermented beverage he's actually been enthusiastic about. I crave kombucha. He just wishes we had orange juice. But this stuff was a different story!

So what in the world is it?

I was inspired by a recipe featured on the Gnowfglins Seasonal Recipe Round-Up for Rhubarbade. (Thanks for the inspiration, Laurie of Common Sense Homesteading!) Her recipe says to puree some rhubarb and strain it, so you are left with what is essentially rhubarb juice. Then you add some water and the sweetener of your choice - she chose stevia for a healthy sugar-free version. She said her family liked it, even though they don't normally like rhubarb, and that it tastes a little like apples. I thought that sounded pretty good, and I had some rhubarb in the freezer from last year, so I thought I'd give it a go. But then, being the traditional foodie that I am, I thought, Hey, could I make it....fermented?

 The answer is yes. And if you already make water kefir, it's as easy as adding the rhubarb juice to a finished batch of water kefir and leaving it on the counter for another day or two to get fizzy. (I also added a splash of lemon juice. Yum.) The result is a tangy, slightly sweet, extremely refreshing beverage, perfect for this hot weather we've been having!

If you don't already make water kefir, I highly recommend it. If you're clueless, here's a quick primer on this wonderful beverage:

According to Cultures For Health (where I bought my water kefir grains):

"Kefir consists of lactic acid bacteria and yeast existing in a symbiotic relationship. The benefits are similar to those of milk kefir (aka dairy kefir) but the average person will be able to consume larger amounts of it due to it's water base."

If you are now saying "What is milk kefir?" Here is a helpful description from the same source:

"Milk kefir grains are live active cultures consisting of yeast and bacteria which exist in a symbiotic relationship. Adding the kefir grains to fresh milk yields a probiotic drink within 24 to 48 hours."

Both of these beverages, milk kefir and water kefir, are probiotic, which means they are good for the gut, AKA the digestive system. Most of us these days have comprimised digestive systems due to the Standard American Diet, antibiotics, the birth control pill, vaccines, and other environmental factors. A compromised gut can lead to allergies, nutrient deficiencies, and out-of-whack hormones, among other things. So drink (and eat) up those probiotics, people!

If you're interested in getting into water kefir, which I prefer to dairy kefir, personally (I couldn't get into the whole fizzy milk thing...), I recommend you watch this video by Katie at Kitchen Stewardship, where she shows you just how easy and fast it is! And then hop on over to Cultures for Health and take the plunge (no, they didn't give me any money to say that, but wouldn't that be nice?)! They send you very helpful instructions and are available for troubleshooting. Really, you can do this!

Here is the "recipe", if you can call it that!

Rhubarb Water Kefir

Ingredients:
3 c. cultured water kefir

1 c. rhubarb liquid, made by pureeing and straining fresh or frozen rhubarb

a splash of lemon juice

Directions:

Combine in a quart jar, and close tightly. Leave at room temperature 1-2 days until it reaches desired level of carbonation. Transfer to refrigerator. Serve over ice and toss out the pop!

Do you make water kefir? What's your favorite way to flavor it?

This is part of Real Food Wednesday,  Simple Lives Thursday, and the Gnowfglins Seasonal Recipe Round-up.

 

Rhubarb Coffeecake: a soaked whole grain recipe

When the farmer's market opens in the spring it's pretty much just asparagus and rhubarb. And plants. Lots of plants. I buy asparagus every Wednesday and Saturday until it's gone, since this is the only time of year it's in season! I roast it, steam it, put it in quiches, eat it with pasta...I could eat it every day and not get sick of it.

But rhubarb is a little trickier. I love its bright, tangy flavor, but I don't always know how to best use it. It's often combined with strawberries, but those haven't quite appeared yet (they're coming soon!) and I don't have any in the freezer from last year, so my rhubarb has to stand alone. We've been enjoying it in two ways this year: rhubarb compote, and rhubarb coffeecake.

The compote is easy enough: chop a few stalks, put it in a small saucepan with a splash of water, add a little sweetener and cinnamon, and cook until it softens. Eat it by itself, in your oatmeal, on your pancakes, or on top of vanilla ice cream.

And this coffeecake is a cinch, too. I've made it twice in the last week and that's probably not the last we'll see of it this season. :) Even better, the batter is soaked to provide better absorption of nutrients. Don't be intimidated by that step - you can do this!

Recipe notes:

• Start this the day before you want to bake it. Be sure to plan ahead!
• You are welcome to try it with all whole grain flour, but I haven't tried it yet. I think the texture is perfect with the 1/2 c. of all-purpose flour added, and I don't freak out about it since we eat mostly whole grains. If you do use all whole grain flour, add it all to the soaking step.
• Make sure whatever dairy you use is cultured. If it isn't, add 1 T. of raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to the soaking step.
• Chop the rhubarb coarsely if you want noticeable chunks, or finely if you want it to have more of a vague rhubarb flavor. I like chunks.

 

Soaked Rhubarb Coffeecake

Soaking step:

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 c. buttermilk, sour milk, yogurt, or kefir

The next day:

1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. unrefined sea salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 1/4 c. sucanat (an unrefined cane sugar)

1 large egg

1 1/2 t. vanilla

2 c. chopped rhubarb

Topping:

2 T. butter, softened

1/3 c. sucanat

1 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. cinnamon

Directions:

1. To soak the flour, combine with the cultured dairy in a stand mixer (or mix by hand) until evenly moistened. Cover with a damp towel and a plate and put in a warm place for 7-24 hours.
2. When you are ready to bake the cake, preheat the oven to 350 and grease two 9-inch cake pans or one 9x13-inch pan.
3. Chop your rhubarb and set aside.
4. Stir together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
5. Remove the soaked dough from your mixing bowl (you can place it on the plate you used to cover your bowl). Cream together the butter and sucanat. This will take a little longer than you're used to with regular sugar, but be patient and keep mixing until it is evenly combined (you'll still see little pieces of sugar, that's ok).
6. Add the egg and beat to combine.
7. Add the soaked dough back in and mix until there are no chunks of dough left. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
8. Add the vanilla, and then the dry ingredients, then the rhubarb, mixing after each addition. Mix just until combined. Spread into the prepared pan (it may not reach the sides, but it will spread out as it bakes).
9. Prepare your topping: Mix together the butter, sucanat, flour, and cinnamon until evenly combined. Sprinkle over the batter.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes for rounds, or 30-35 for 9x13, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes or so before serving.

If you want to take it to the next level, serve with rhubarb compote on top!

What's your favorite way to eat rhubarb?

(This post is part of Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, and Sweets for Saturday.)

This is now also a part of the Seasonal Recipe Round-up at GNOWFGLINS.