Green mango & peppermint water kefir

Green mango is believed to be a nutritional powerhouse, so if you’re waiting around for them to ripen, turn them into mouth-watering salads and pickles instead. They are best eaten raw, as many of its nutrients like Vitamin C are lost during the cooking process.

Here, green mango is used to lend a sweet and tart flavour to water kefir - a naturally-fermented probiotic beverage using “water kefir grains”. The resulting beverage is caffeine and dairy-free, making it a great alternative to other probiotic drinks such as kombucha and milk kefir.

Recipe contributed by Geok Kuan [@juanherbalcuisine].

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp hydrated water kefir grains

• 2 tbsp organic cane sugar

• 1/4 tsp molasses

• 5 raisins

• 3 c water (boiled and cooled)

• 1 green mango

• 4 peppermint sprigs

Method:

Step 1
Place all ingredients except mango and peppermint in a 1 litre glass jar. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved.

Step 2
Cover the jar with a cheese cloth and secure with a rubber band. Let sit for 24 to 48 hours.

Step 3
Strain the kefir grains through a plastic strainer and reserve for the next use. Retain the fermented water.

Step 4
Slice mango into strips and crush peppermint slightly. Place in a 1 litre swing top bottle and pour in fermented water.

Step 5
Let sit for 12 hours before serving. Serve chilled.