This section is reserved for three special drinks. They could be considered sodas or smoothies, but all three are made a bit differently from the other drinks. We’ll just call them the author’s favorites!
Probiotic Lemonade
Makes about 2 quarts
This only takes a few more minutes than dissolving one of those chemical-filled lemonade envelopes in water. This drink is probiotic from the start by virtue of the cultured drink (kombucha, cider, etc.) you have added. But if you can wait for a richer ferment, prepare the drink in advance and let all the ingredients stand together for 24–48 hours. Also, see the separate Lemon-Lime Soda recipe, which is similar. Try this lemonade on your kids!
• Juice of 5 lemons
• ½ cup kombucha, cider, water kefir, or yogurt whey
• 1½–2 quarts water
• ¼–½ cup sugar or honey
Mix together all ingredients and let the drink sit in a jar or container for 24–48 hours or until it reaches desired sourness. If it’s too sour, feel free to thin it out with more water or add extra honey or sugar. Garnish with a sprig of mint or slices of lemon.
Watermelon Kombucha Cooler
Makes about 2 cups
• 1 cup ripe watermelon
• 1½ cups kombucha or water kefir
• Honey or sugar, to taste
Blend watermelon to purée it. If chunks remain, strain them out. For a frozen drink, freeze watermelon or purée first, then blend with kombucha or water kefir. If you do not freeze the purée, then you can stir it directly into the kombucha.
Pineapple Tapache
Makes 3–4 quarts
This delicious beverage from Mexico may well be my favorite drink in this book. The recipe involves fermenting a whole pineapple (cut into chunks) in sweetened water with spices. You can culture it with water kefir grains (tibicos), yogurt whey, or cider. Otherwise, just let the naturally present bacteria culture it themselves. Traditionally, people cut up the peel and put this in to get plenty of bacteria. If you use the rind, then please cut off the bottom and discard this part, as ripe pineapples often have a little mold at the base of the core.
• 3–4 quarts water
• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 cups natural cane sugar or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cinnamon stick or one teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Optional: 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
Put the pineapple chunks in a very large container or jar, covering it with water. Use enough water to cover the pineapple—probably about half (2 quarts) of your water. Also add the sugar and spices. Then add your kefir/yogurt/cider culture, if you use any. Cover loosely and let it ferment. After 48 hours, add another quart of water and cover it loosely again. Let it sit for 12 hours this time before tasting. If it is sour enough for you, then drink some and refrigerate the rest. If it needs more time, add more water and give it an additional 12 hours to ferment. It should be ready at that point, and if it is too sour, you can add a little sugar, honey, or apple juice. You can eat the pineapple chunks or compost them. I feed some to my backyard chickens (the subject of another book) who love pineapple. They need their probiotics, too!
