Apple Juice Culture Starter: 9 Hand-Selected Live Strains
Live probiotic strains, hand-selected by Kirsty for the research behind each one, and cultured in real organic cold-pressed apple juice. Makes up to 10 litres of lightly fizzy fermented apple juice at home.
Not a freeze-dried powder. The nine strains in this sachet are alive and already growing in real food when they reach your door. So what you receive is a living, fermented food, not a lab-made supplement.
- The starter most families begin with
- Worried you'll mess it up? You won't.
- Real food, alive. Not chemistry-lab powder.
- Easy as 1, 2, 3
- Nine strains. Each chosen for the research behind it.
- What's in the sachet
- Free from
- Made for people who care about real food
- Real stories from our community
- Meet Kirsty
- The Culture Guarantee
- About shipping live cultures
- Common questions
Of all our cultures, apple is the one we most often point families to first. The taste is familiar, the finished drink is lightly fizzy and naturally sweet, and children tend to take to it without any coaxing. It's also our coconut-free option, so it suits households that don't do well with coconut.
Three steps. A little patience. No special equipment. Just good apple juice and a clean glass jar. And if anything goes wrong, our Culture Guarantee has you covered.
Most starters on the market are sterile, freeze-dried bacterial powders, designed in a lab, sealed in a packet, waiting to be reconstituted.
Ours is the opposite.
Live cultures, already growing in real organic cold-pressed apple juice when they reach your door, that you then grow into more apple juice at home. The whole product is real food, from sachet to glass. This is food-as-medicine in the most literal sense.
- Stir the starter into 2 litres of apple juice, preferably homemade or good-quality organic, in a jar suitable for fermenting
- Leave it on your benchtop to ferment
- Once it's lightly fizzy, pop it in the fridge, then pour and enjoy
What you'll need at home: 2 litres of good apple juice (ideally cloudy, organic and free from preservatives or added sugar) and a clean 3L glass jar with a clip-lock lid. We stock the Kilner 3L Round Clip Lock Jar in the shop, and it's our go-to. Because we use fresh apples, drink your ferment within two weeks. One sachet makes up to 10 litres.
Need the jar too? Get the 3L Kilner Jar + Apple Juice Starter Bundle for $82.41. Both items, 15% off, with free shipping. Skip the separate add-to-cart.
Kirsty personally hand-selects every strain in our cultures based on what's been studied in published microbiome research, and what she's seen work over years of clinical experience with her community. Combined, they create a depth of fermented food that no single-strain starter can match.
Saccharomyces boulardii. A friendly probiotic yeast widely studied in clinical research, particularly for gut microbiome support during and after antibiotic use.
Lactobacillus gasseri. Naturally found in healthy human microbiomes. Researched for its role in metabolic balance and gut barrier integrity.
Lactobacillus plantarum. One of the most extensively studied lactic acid bacteria worldwide. Found in traditional fermented foods across many cultures.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Among the most-researched probiotic strains. Naturally present in healthy gut and skin microbiomes.
Bifidobacterium infantis. A keystone species in the infant gut. Researched extensively for its foundational role in microbiome development.
Lactobacillus salivarius. Naturally found in the oral microbiome. Studied for its role in mouth-to-gut microbial balance.
Bifidobacterium bifidum. A foundational gut species, researched for its role in digestion and microbial diversity.
Bifidobacterium longum. A widely-studied species in gut-brain axis research. Naturally abundant in healthy adult gut populations.
Bifidobacterium lactis. Researched for its role in gut transit and microbial diversity. A widely-included species in microbiome studies.
For deeper reading on the research behind each strain, visit our Culture Page.
- 9 live probiotic strains (listed above)
- 100% organic cold-pressed apple juice, the food the strains are already growing in
27 billion live cells per cup of finished apple juice, a depth of fermented food that no supermarket drink or freeze-dried starter comes close to.
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soy
- Coconut
- D-Lactate
- Preservatives, additives, fillers
- Vegan-friendly
Our community spans:
- Mums introducing fermented foods into their family's kitchen, and apple is often where they start
- Families with little ones who take to the familiar apple taste
- Health-conscious adults exploring the gut microbiome
- People who've tried capsule probiotics and want something real
- Anyone who doesn't tolerate coconut and wants a fermented option that suits them
Loved by gut-curious people across Australia and New Zealand.
"I am loving the amount of fermented foods I can make with the Kultured Wellness cultures. On the table are: coconut water kefir, coconut yogurt, fermented beetroot and ginger pressed juice, fermented beetroot squares and lastly fermented orange juice which is like a fizzy orange drink. These are all to replenish and help a healthy microbiome and they are delicious too."
Lexi, New Zealand
Founder, Kultured Wellness
"I hand-select every strain in our cultures based on what's been studied in the research, and what I've seen work in clinical practice with my community over years.
Then we culture them alive in real food. Not freeze-dried. Not designed in a lab. The probiotic you receive is already a living food.
This isn't just another supplement in a sachet. It's food as medicine, the way fermented foods have nourished cultures for thousands of years. Just better understood, more diverse, and made with the love and care it deserves."
Kirsty
If your first ferment doesn't work, for any reason, send us a quick message and we'll send you a new starter, free of charge. No quizzing, no troubleshooting required.
We've got you. That's why we offer it.
View T&Cs HERE.
Our cultures are alive and active. They may expand in their packets and arrive bubbly or fizzy in the post, and they may have even leaked a little into the outside packet. All of this is perfectly fine and expected. It just shows how active they are.
The cultures are robust and stay viable at room temperature, so don't worry if they arrive warm. Once they arrive, pop them in the fridge if you're using them within a few weeks, or in the freezer if you need to store them for longer. Enjoy the process and have fun!
How do I know when my apple juice is ready?
Look for gentle fizz and a slightly tangy, less-sweet taste. Small bubbles rising through the jar are a good sign the strains are active. Ferment time depends on your apple juice and room temperature. Warmer kitchens speed things up, cooler ones take a little longer. Once it's lightly fizzy and tastes right to you, refrigerate to slow it down.
What if I mess up my first batch?
That's exactly why the Culture Guarantee exists. If your first ferment doesn't work, we replace it free. No questions asked. But it's also genuinely hard to mess up. Three steps, no special equipment, and the strains do the work.
Which apple juice should I use?
Good-quality apple juice with nothing added. Ideally cloudy, organic and free from preservatives or added sugar. Homemade is wonderful if you can. Avoid juices with preservatives, as they can interfere with fermentation.
How long does the starter last?
In the fridge, up to 4 weeks. In the freezer, up to 6 months. You can also keep a small portion of each finished batch as a "starter for next time", though after a few generations the strain diversity drops, and we recommend a fresh sachet to keep things full-strength.
How much does one sachet make?
Approximately 10 litres of finished fermented apple juice across multiple batches, enough for months of regular drinking.
Is it suitable for children?
Apple is the starter many of our families begin their little ones on, thanks to the familiar taste. As with any fermented food, start with small amounts to allow the body to adjust to the live cultures. For specific concerns about your child, we recommend speaking with your healthcare practitioner.
Is it suitable during pregnancy?
Live fermented foods have been part of many cultural diets for generations, including during pregnancy. As with any dietary change in pregnancy, we recommend checking with your healthcare practitioner first.
Have a question that isn't answered here? Check out our full FAQ, or read more on our Culture Page about the strains and the research behind them.
The starter most families begin with
Of all our cultures, apple is the one we most often point families to first. The taste is familiar, the finished drink is lightly fizzy and naturally sweet, and children tend to take to it without any coaxing. It's also our coconut-free option, so it suits households that don't do well with coconut.
Worried you'll mess it up? You won't.
Three steps. A little patience. No special equipment. Just good apple juice and a clean glass jar. And if anything goes wrong, our Culture Guarantee has you covered.
Real food, alive. Not chemistry-lab powder.
Most starters on the market are sterile, freeze-dried bacterial powders, designed in a lab, sealed in a packet, waiting to be reconstituted.
Ours is the opposite.
Live cultures, already growing in real organic cold-pressed apple juice when they reach your door, that you then grow into more apple juice at home. The whole product is real food, from sachet to glass. This is food-as-medicine in the most literal sense.
Easy as 1, 2, 3
- Stir the starter into 2 litres of apple juice, preferably homemade or good-quality organic, in a jar suitable for fermenting
- Leave it on your benchtop to ferment
- Once it's lightly fizzy, pop it in the fridge, then pour and enjoy
What you'll need at home: 2 litres of good apple juice (ideally cloudy, organic and free from preservatives or added sugar) and a clean 3L glass jar with a clip-lock lid. We stock the Kilner 3L Round Clip Lock Jar in the shop, and it's our go-to. Because we use fresh apples, drink your ferment within two weeks. One sachet makes up to 10 litres.
Need the jar too? Get the 3L Kilner Jar + Apple Juice Starter Bundle for $82.41. Both items, 15% off, with free shipping. Skip the separate add-to-cart.
Nine strains. Each chosen for the research behind it.
Kirsty personally hand-selects every strain in our cultures based on what's been studied in published microbiome research, and what she's seen work over years of clinical experience with her community. Combined, they create a depth of fermented food that no single-strain starter can match.
Saccharomyces boulardii. A friendly probiotic yeast widely studied in clinical research, particularly for gut microbiome support during and after antibiotic use.
Lactobacillus gasseri. Naturally found in healthy human microbiomes. Researched for its role in metabolic balance and gut barrier integrity.
Lactobacillus plantarum. One of the most extensively studied lactic acid bacteria worldwide. Found in traditional fermented foods across many cultures.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Among the most-researched probiotic strains. Naturally present in healthy gut and skin microbiomes.
Bifidobacterium infantis. A keystone species in the infant gut. Researched extensively for its foundational role in microbiome development.
Lactobacillus salivarius. Naturally found in the oral microbiome. Studied for its role in mouth-to-gut microbial balance.
Bifidobacterium bifidum. A foundational gut species, researched for its role in digestion and microbial diversity.
Bifidobacterium longum. A widely-studied species in gut-brain axis research. Naturally abundant in healthy adult gut populations.
Bifidobacterium lactis. Researched for its role in gut transit and microbial diversity. A widely-included species in microbiome studies.
For deeper reading on the research behind each strain, visit our Culture Page.
What's in the sachet
- 9 live probiotic strains (listed above)
- 100% organic cold-pressed apple juice, the food the strains are already growing in
27 billion live cells per cup of finished apple juice, a depth of fermented food that no supermarket drink or freeze-dried starter comes close to.
Free from
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soy
- Coconut
- D-Lactate
- Preservatives, additives, fillers
- Vegan-friendly
Made for people who care about real food
Our community spans:
- Mums introducing fermented foods into their family's kitchen, and apple is often where they start
- Families with little ones who take to the familiar apple taste
- Health-conscious adults exploring the gut microbiome
- People who've tried capsule probiotics and want something real
- Anyone who doesn't tolerate coconut and wants a fermented option that suits them
Real stories from our community
Loved by gut-curious people across Australia and New Zealand.
"I am loving the amount of fermented foods I can make with the Kultured Wellness cultures. On the table are: coconut water kefir, coconut yogurt, fermented beetroot and ginger pressed juice, fermented beetroot squares and lastly fermented orange juice which is like a fizzy orange drink. These are all to replenish and help a healthy microbiome and they are delicious too."
Lexi, New Zealand
Meet Kirsty
Founder, Kultured Wellness
"I hand-select every strain in our cultures based on what's been studied in the research, and what I've seen work in clinical practice with my community over years.
Then we culture them alive in real food. Not freeze-dried. Not designed in a lab. The probiotic you receive is already a living food.
This isn't just another supplement in a sachet. It's food as medicine, the way fermented foods have nourished cultures for thousands of years. Just better understood, more diverse, and made with the love and care it deserves."
Kirsty
The Culture Guarantee
If your first ferment doesn't work, for any reason, send us a quick message and we'll send you a new starter, free of charge. No quizzing, no troubleshooting required.
We've got you. That's why we offer it.
View T&Cs HERE.
About shipping live cultures
Our cultures are alive and active. They may expand in their packets and arrive bubbly or fizzy in the post, and they may have even leaked a little into the outside packet. All of this is perfectly fine and expected. It just shows how active they are.
The cultures are robust and stay viable at room temperature, so don't worry if they arrive warm. Once they arrive, pop them in the fridge if you're using them within a few weeks, or in the freezer if you need to store them for longer. Enjoy the process and have fun!
Common questions
How do I know when my apple juice is ready?
Look for gentle fizz and a slightly tangy, less-sweet taste. Small bubbles rising through the jar are a good sign the strains are active. Ferment time depends on your apple juice and room temperature. Warmer kitchens speed things up, cooler ones take a little longer. Once it's lightly fizzy and tastes right to you, refrigerate to slow it down.
What if I mess up my first batch?
That's exactly why the Culture Guarantee exists. If your first ferment doesn't work, we replace it free. No questions asked. But it's also genuinely hard to mess up. Three steps, no special equipment, and the strains do the work.
Which apple juice should I use?
Good-quality apple juice with nothing added. Ideally cloudy, organic and free from preservatives or added sugar. Homemade is wonderful if you can. Avoid juices with preservatives, as they can interfere with fermentation.
How long does the starter last?
In the fridge, up to 4 weeks. In the freezer, up to 6 months. You can also keep a small portion of each finished batch as a "starter for next time", though after a few generations the strain diversity drops, and we recommend a fresh sachet to keep things full-strength.
How much does one sachet make?
Approximately 10 litres of finished fermented apple juice across multiple batches, enough for months of regular drinking.
Is it suitable for children?
Apple is the starter many of our families begin their little ones on, thanks to the familiar taste. As with any fermented food, start with small amounts to allow the body to adjust to the live cultures. For specific concerns about your child, we recommend speaking with your healthcare practitioner.
Is it suitable during pregnancy?
Live fermented foods have been part of many cultural diets for generations, including during pregnancy. As with any dietary change in pregnancy, we recommend checking with your healthcare practitioner first.
Have a question that isn't answered here? Check out our full FAQ, or read more on our Culture Page about the strains and the research behind them.
