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B.E.D. The Body Ecology Diet

Young Green Coconut Kefir (using fresh or bottled coconut water)

Young Green Coconut Kefir (using fresh or bottled coconut water)

Tara Carpenter, NC.

Nutrition Consultant specialized in helping people regain natural gut microbiome after yeast, bacterial, and viral infections.

Originally published on July 23, 2017.

This recipe for young green coconut kefir (yck) gives the option of using fresh or store-bought young coconut juice. Kefir means ‘feel good’ and how most feel drinking young coconut kefir …. this probiotic food contains raw Thai young green coconuts and high-quality kefir starter*. Mix these together, culture in a warm spot, and wait to enjoy a probiotic drink full of enzymes and vitamins 🙂Here are benefits of young coconut kefir (yck).

Yck is a digestive aid, detoxifier, and perfect for those healing a yeast, bacterial, or viral-related health issue with Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D). This powerful cleanser balances gut and your liver will thank you! Donna Gates, the founder of B.E.D. talks about why to drink yck here.

YCK is new to most and like anything new, has a learning curve. I am here to say that the hardest part making this recipe is sourcing coconuts or coconut water. Once you’ve got that and you make this recipe a couple times, you will feel to be a pro. Here is a step-by-step visual tool for coconut kefir and the pudding.

Young Coconut Kefir (YCK)

Yields: 1 quart-sized jar

Ingredients

1 packet of kefir starter*

2-4 Thai Young Green Coconuts or 4 cups bottled raw coconut water

1 tsp ecobloom** (optional)

Equipment

Sharp Pointed Knife

Plastic Cutting Board

Small Stainless Steel Pot

Rubber Mallet or Coco Jack

Screwdriver

Fine Mesh Strainer

Pint-Sized Mason Jar

Quart-Sized Mason Jar

Wide Mouth Funnel

Method

Choose young green coconuts that have no mold or discoloration.

Scald utensils, jars and equipment in boiling water before using.

Cut thin slices from bottom of coconut until a white/brown ring appears.

Hammer 3 holes around top “cone” of coconut with mallet and screwdriver (or Coco Jack)

Place coconut cone-side down into pint-sized jar with the wide mouth funnel

Poke through white/brown ring soft spot on coconut base with knife tip.

Filter each coconut through fine mesh strainer into pint-size Mason jar with funnel in top. Do 1 coconut at a time to be sure “water” isn’t old (pink, sour, thick, cloudy). Pour into small pot. If step is skipped, the risk of contaminating good coconut water with bad coconut water increases. 

Heat gently in pot over low heat until 92°F. Overheating destroys enzymes, vitamins, and flora (START HERE IF USING BOTTLED COCONUT WATER).

Pour warm coconut water into quart-size Mason jar, with 1” for expansion

Add packet of kefir starter and teaspoon of ecobloom.

Screw lid on tightly and shake to dissolve the starter.

Kefir 30-36 hours at 70-75° F (see below) until foamy, cloudy, light in color. If house is colder, place jars in insulated cooler or cardboard box with oven kit, hot water bottle, or heating pad loosely covering top.

  • As mixture cultures, the probiotics in the starter wake up and feed on coconut’s natural sugars.
  • Once done, kefir should be slightly cloudy with a foamy top, tart ‘n spritzy taste and gentle hint of coconut.
  • I kefir at 80-85°F. Though most recipes say 70-75° F, I find higher temp help kefir ‘catch’. 
  • Maintaining a stable temperature during kefiring ensures a successful batch. Beneficial flora grow best with consistency. If home temp is warm by day, cool by night, the risk of spoiling a batch increases. In this circumstance, look into purchasing an oven kit to maintain steady temperatures. less reliable, you can also use a hard plastic cooler lined with a seed/heating pad. Make sure to place a thermometer inside to keep a consistent temperature – VERY IMPORTANT. Also, can use oven with light on/door propped open. Keep in mind that kefiring lower than 80-85 degrees F will take 24-48 hours. I find temperature needs to be above 75 degrees to get a good kefir. 

Store kefir in fridge 4-5 days. Will last up to 2 weeks, though will be flat by then. If goes too long, will turn alcoholic.

Feed kefir every couple of days with ½ tsp of EcoBloom (optional).

Enjoy 2 ounces a day, gradually working up to a therapeutic dose of 1 cup.

Transfer some of this initial batch to start a second batch:

  • Do within 3 days of making first batch of YCK.
  • Add 6 Tbs from first batch to “transfer” probiotics to next batch (1 quart) of fresh, warm coconut water.
  • Follow instructions above to kefir new batch. Subsequent batches take 12 hrs. to catch instead of 30-36 hrs (but again, I incubate at 80-85°F). If you kefir at a lower temp, then will likely take 24-48 hours.
  • On you go, using previous batch of YCK to get next jar going (can do up to 7 x’s).
  • If batch spoils, start fresh with a new packet of starter.
  • Drink lots? Use 2/3 cup of 1st batch to start half-gallon fresh coconut water.

See tips & tricks for making young coconut kefir (coming soon).

*B.E.D. kefir starter contains potent strains of probiotics that can help balance pathogenic overgrowth and your inner ecosystem. Unlike most probiotics, the ones in this starter aren’t easily destroyed by antibiotics, fluoride, stomach acid, or chlorine. This means that they survive the trip to your intestines to work their magic.

**EcoBloom is prebiotic fiber made of 100% chicory extract powder (a.k.a. Frutafit Inulin/FOS) and quick and easy food for the friendly, beneficial microflora living in your gut without feeding the excess yeast/pathogenic flora also living in your gut. When friendly flora are nourished with food they can easily eat, they are better at doing the job of suppressing pathogenic growth; reducing toxins in liver/colon; stimulating immune system; reducing colon pH; and enhancing absorption of minerals. EcoBloom can be added to baked goods, dressings, etc. Added to coconut kefir/pudding, can help these already potent foods become even better.  

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Tara Carpenter, NC.

References

Gates, D. (2010). The Body Ecology Diet.  Bogart, GA: B.E.D. Publications

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May all bellies be happy!

3 replies on “Young Green Coconut Kefir (using fresh or bottled coconut water)”

Hi Tara thank you for replying I got the kit to work I think. I setup the temperature to 70-75 but it sometimes goes over up to 80 then I don’t know what to do when that happens

I am currently using the coconut kefir starter with the EcoBloom. Is it ok if the temperature goes up that high? Or it has to be super consistent?

Thank you for your time hope to hear from you.

Glad you got the oven kit all set up and running! Excellent. A bit of cloudiness is normal. Is it fizzy and carbonated when you open it? One more question …. did you use kefir starter or the contents of a probiotic powder capsule to start your coconut kefir?

Hi Tara how do I know if I have a spoiled coconut kefir? Mine looks cloudy at the bottom almost as it didn’t dissolve I kept my temperature 70-75 degrees for 36 hours. Hope to here from you thank you.

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