I may be a little late to join this new craze, but a friend gave me some kefir last night. She also emailed me instructions for culturing and some tips for use, but I would love to hear from others who do this.
What do you wish you had known when you first started making and using kefir? What is your favorite source of information? Did you run into any problems? And – big question – do you have to use unpasteurized milk? I do have a source for raw milk if necessary, but store bought homogenized milk is still the institutional standard in our home.
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I have been making kefir for quite some time now, and thoroughly enjoy making it, and consuming it. The best source of information is Dom’s website:
http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#intro
No, you do not have to use raw, unpasteurized milk. Nor do you have to use only cow’s milk. Other people have used goat’s milk and coconut milk, but I have only used store-bought milk to make mine, so I can’t offer any tips about other kinds of milk. I prefer homogenized cow’s milk, simply because it makes for a creamier kefir, but low fat ones work, too.
And there is also a whole other area of ‘water kefir’ to explore once you have a handle on making milk kefir, but you can leave that for another day.
My favorite way to consume kefir is using it in my morning shake with fresh and frozen fruit. I throw it all in the blender and the result is fabulously delicious. Also it can be used in place of buttermilk in muffins and pancakes. I also put it in soups, though I believe that heating will destroy the good probiotics. But it is a good way to use it up if you have extra, as it makes the baked goods delicious.
But any and all questions you have on kefir can be answered at Dom’s site. It is an extensive site so takes a long time to read it all, but it is the best.
Also he hosts a few yahoo groups where you can discuss kefir making with others. They are also listed at the website.
Have fun, and enjoy a good, ancient natural way to get the best and healthiest probiotics for your overall health.
You shouldn’t have any problem using regular old store bought milk. Here is my fav link for kefir: http://www.happyherbalist.com/how_to_kefir.htm
I was so nervous when I started making kefir, I wish I had known how forgiving it is & relaxed a bit. Even if you forget about it & it becomes too sour you can make it into a soft cheese. Have fun with it!
Ooh, we used to love kefir around here. Did she just give you a sample, or some of the grains? I always used plain ol’ store bought milk to make ours. I would put a couple cups of milk in a quart canning jar with the grains, put a washcloth secured with a rubber band on top, and then stick it up in my cupboard. Check it after about 12 hours, stir it up, and put it back if you want it more kefir-y. You can also take the grains out and let the kefir sit before you use it to make it thicker. If I didn’t think I was going to be using it soon, I would let it sit in the cupboard for 12 hours, then stick it in the fridge for however long (with the grains still in it) to slow everything down.
Oh, and I used kefir in my baking, in place of milk. It makes some AMAZING muffins and cornbread. I don’t know if you use whole wheat flour, but it is great with it. Makes everything light and fluffy, instead of dense and chewy.
Hmm….now you’ve got me tempted to hunt down some kefir grains!
I’ve only ever done water kefir but I think I’ve heard it is actually better to use pasteurized milk (or scalded raw) so that the bacterias don’t compete.
We use raw milk, mostly goat milk, to make our kefir. We’ve used two different grains. From that we learned that each batch of grains will work differently.
Our 1st batch took several days to kefir the milk and grew very slowly. Our newest batch kefirs in 24 hours and any longer is too strong for us. It also grows very fast.
We kefir our milk in 1/2 gallon mason jars. Leave the top ajar so it doesn’t explode. Don’t use anything metal with kefir. Glass or plastic only.
We like making smoothies with our kefir for breakfast or lunch or an evening dessert. We will use frozen bananas, strawberries, peaches, mangos and spinach, generally. You really can’t taste the spinach, but it does make the smoothie an *interesting* color : )
We’ve started starting the kefir in the evening and then the next evening making a batch of smoothies with a stick blender in the 1/2 gallon mason jar and then it’s all ready for quick breakfasts or snacks the next day.
Our biggest problem is when we get off schedule and the kefir gets too strong for us. Thankfully, kefir is good for animals too. Our chickens love it! As do the goats. We’ve also used some stronger batches of kefir for baking. It’s supposed to make baked goods much lighter in texture.
We like making kefir a lot more than yogurt. Kefir is much easier and has more probiotics in it.
I’m excited to see what other tips are posted or that you learn.
Laralee
http://PlymouthRockRanch.com
Recording the Faithfulness and Provision of God for Future Generations
Saw your question in a sidebar on another blog.
I wanted to mention that even though you can use processed milk, you will eventually starve the grains to death.
Kefir made with raw milk has 30 probiotics, and when its made with processed, you only get a fraction of that.
Reason being, that when you process milk, you kill it, and everything is dead.
Hence the reason it becomes putrid, rather then souring nicely like raw when it it ages.
Paula
Ok I guess I am in the dark…What is this? I read most of these and can still not figure it out.
In any case, if you’re pregnant you should not have raw/unpasteurized milk or cheese since it can contain bacteria (listeria) that can cause miscarriage.
Oh my, kefir is so much easier than yogurt to make!
My mom tried the grains…it seemed to turn out too strong for her practically every time…so I guess keep an eye on it to see how long it takes to get it to where you like it. I used a powder packet as a culture. It turned out perfect every time, just about how it is in the healthfood stores (minus the yummy flavoring:).
I used raw milk for kefir and yogurt and thought it was fine…but I figured if I was to perpetuate to culture (make more form it indeffinately) from the yogurt, I should probably pasturize it first (which store stuff is) because I wouldn’t want any foriegn bacteria to grow with the good stuff. I actually experimented with some store bought kefir once and cultured it like you do with yogurt…about half a cup in a quart of milk…room temp. ’cause that’s the protocol for kifer…it worked, too.
Sally Fallon author of Nourishing Traditions says “preferably raw” in her kefir (grain) recipe (and to pasturize in the yogut recipe).
Check out westonaprice.org for info on why you probably want to drink raw milk.
I make kefir! I have made milk kefir, and water kefir. I experimented with my milk kefir grains a couple of months ago, and made Kefir D’Uva. Which is Grape juice kefir. I took a grain of milk kefir, and placed in a jar with 100% grape juice. It ferments SO quickly. 2 days at the most. I believe that it does have a small percentage of alcohol in it, but tons of probiotics. It has been the most tolerable way to drink kefir for us. With the regular kefir though, I use plain ol’ store bought milk. When you blend the kefir with fresh blueberries and raw honey, it is very good too!
Ali
I have found that store bought milk will eventually kill off my grains. They get smaller and smaller rather than bigger and bigger.
We use raw goat milk and all the animals love to slurp up any leftovers.
Right now I am trying to revive my grains which have been sitting in the fridge for 4 months, unused.
I finally have a goat in milk again, so I am giving the grains fresh milk daily, and the animals are getting the resulting kefir because it isnt tasting quite right yet.
Try a little kefir if you have indigestion – it’s amazing!!
I use only store bought milk and my kefir grains are fat and happy after several years.
I use it in cooking as well as in smoothies. Just substitute it for any buttermilk…fried chicken, biscuits, pancakes…
I have a friend who drinks her kefir in grapejuice every day. Sounds good but haven’t tried it yet.
Have fun!
I don’t make kefir, but the only milk I am able to drink is raw milk. I become incredibly ill when drinking pasteurized… also, not necessarily true re: the bacteria in raw milk causing miscarriage. As long as the milk is from a dairy who is graded A, oftentimes that raw milk is cleaner than the pasteurized milk you buy at the store.
Hmm, making cloth kefir now?
Raw milk that is extracted with scrupulously clean instruments, chilled thoroughly and quickly, and kept in clean glass jars, will be wonderfully healthy for you. How did all those people in the thousands of years before us manage to live without the local dairy to pasteurize and homogenize their milk for them?
Everyone does not have access to raw milk, but if you do, it is so much healthier for you than processed milk. Price is also a concern, but if you can scrimp a little elsewhere to allow for raw milk, then it would be good to do so.
I, too, recently started maing kefir after a friend passed on her extra grains. One thought is that rinsing the grains daily, as many friends who pass on the kefir grains tell a newbie to do, is usually unnecessary, or so I’ve read. It actually protects your kefir grains to just transfer to new milk after draining. Saves a step!
When I want to take a break from making kefir each day, I sometimes put the grains in a jar of filtered water in the fridge for a few days. Not sure how long this will sit w/o killing the grains, but I have had no trouble after “resting” them for a week. The resulting water strained off I will use to soak my flour for bread dough, producing a slightly sourdough loaf.
We use the kefir in smoothies each morning, for soaking bread dough, and in pancakes/other quick breads in place of buttermilk. Usually I will use a batch that has cultured a bit too long in baking, because of the possible higher alcohol content. Definitely drink fruity smoothies made with kefir on the same day as making them!
Enjoy your expermenting! Should be great for cold/flu season.
LOVE Kefir, check out my friends blog: http://just-making-noise.blogspot.com/2009/03/nourishing-techniques.html. She makes different types of kefir and delicious soaked grain dishes.
Love kefir and have been making it for about 4 years now. They love raw milk best, but full milk is an acceptable substitute. They aren’t liking the WIC 1% milk though. I’ll have to do something soon.
If you can’t find the answer fromt he DOM’s site of all things kefir – he’s the authority, then I’d be surprised.
We love to make pudding with our kefir and breakfast smoothies. I’ve also experimented with using the milk kefir bugs to do up juice or water. Dom has a recipe.
Watch it close in early days. You want to pull it right as it turns thick and before it forms whey and curds. Even 2 or 3 degrees can make a HUGE difference in quality and speed of your kefir end product.
And the powder is only part of the needed kefir – it can only be recultured 5 – 8 times, then the quality disentigrates fast. It also has a different taste.
If your kefir begins to taste bad – soak them in distilled water over night, give them a good rub down, and poke them with a fork or pull them apart. If you have too many kefir colonies – either freeze them, eat them, or give them away. They can be dried too, but I’ve not done that.
Rachel,
Most of us are enjoying our kefir very much, and it’s far easier than I expected. Ours seems to be thriving in whole pasteurized milk. I was able to give away some grains already to my mom and sister.
I’ve learned the best way in our house to encourage others to eat it is to mix with a bit of honey before storing. Then it’s palatable poured right from the jar.
I’ve been making kefir a long time but this time it fermented in that it was like it was carbonated and bubbled out of the jar when I opened it. What happened?
Kathy,
Kefir generates gases when it’s being made and afterward. We always cover ours with cheesecloth while making it, then cover loosely with a lid in the fridge.
If you cover it tightly, it will build up pressure and become carbonated.
If you always cover yours, is there any chance you fastened the lid more tightly than usual so that the gases couldn’t escape this time?
Does anyone know what to do with unused kefir grains?
Can they be used to make a skin/facial care, hair product or anything else beside making kefir?
Thank you,
Artemisia