Well I thought I should give you folks some useful information instead of just my rambling :) So here I am going to show you how to make kefir!
Kefir is kind of like a drinkable yogurt. It tastes like plain yogurt, and if done right it has a slightly bubbly touch. It is a fermented milk beverage that originated from eastern Europe. It has beneficial bacteria and yeast that helps heal your gut lining from celiac, colitis, or any other intestinal diseases. It also has very low or no lactose and many people who are lactose intolerant can have kefir.
All you need is organic, whole milk (preferable raw, but not required) and a table spoon of the kefir grains. You can get the grains online or from a friend! TRUE kefir cultures are NOT powdered. I am not talking about the powdered kind you might have seen in packets. I am talking about live little cultures of kefir that look like cauliflower. These little guys ferment the milk and increase the nutrients and probiotics in the milk.
Let's get started!
Here are the kefir grains! (above)
First- If you just got your kefir grains and are starting out completely new you will add one tablespoon of kefir grains to 4 cups of milk into a quart mason jar. You will put the lid on tight and set the jar in the dark to ferment for 1-2 days.
Second- Above you can see what it looks like when the milk has turned to kefir. You can see small pokets of whey forming and the milk will be thick. You dont want there to be too much whey or the kefir will taste extra sour. That means you fermented too long or you have too many kefir grains. The kefir grains will continue to multiply so you will need to thin the heard every so often. You can eat them or give them to livestock. You can also store in the fridge in some milk or give to a friend!
Third- So above you can see that I am now straining the kefir through a colander into the empty jar. That is your jar of finished kefir. You will then let that do a second ferment for 12 hours or you can drink it right away. I like to do a second ferment with a little bit of mashed fruit to flavor the kefir. The second ferment will make your kefir fizzy!
If you do a second ferment the kefir WILL separate. That is OKAY! Just mix it up with a spoon or use an immersion blender.
Fourth- Now you need to get your next batch going. You will put the kefir grains back into the fermenting jar and pour more milk over it to start the process again. After 1-2 days you will have another batch and you can start at step 2.
Kefir can store for a long time in the fridge once it's done. You should drink it up though! Have some everyday and keep the batch going. If you are ready to take a break, store all the grains in a smaller amount of milk (1 cup) in the fridge. You will need to strain the stored grains and give them fresh milk once a week.
It's important to note that this is a fermented food and will give off CO2 gas during the process. This means that if you are not tending to you kefir the jar can explode! Usually mason jars have leaky lids and this dosnt become much of a problem but never ferment kefir in a bail wire jar that does not have an air lock or you could have a dangerous explosion
Recipe ideas:
-Use kefir to make smoothies
-Use kefir to make ranch or dill creamy dressing
-Kefir is great plain or with cinnamon and honey
-I use kefir to soak my rice and oatmeal before eating (post about that coming soon!)
-Kefir is a great way to introduce dairy to infants, both of my daughters had kefir around 6 months old
I hope you liked this post! If you have any questions about the process please ask me. If you already make it in your home please let others know in the comments section some recipe ideas!
Thanks for reading :)
All photos taken by me.
