Kefir – Part 2
Ok, I’m sorry and I apologize. You know how when you know something and you know it well you forget that you used to not know and others still don’t know? Yep. So let me try again.
These are kefir “grains”. Simply said they are a collection of yeasts and bacteria that can then ferment milk products. There is some fun stuff that can be done with juice but I’ll let you experiment with that on your own.
You acquire grains the same way you acquire SCOBY for Kombucha Tea. By asking your friends. And yes, I’ll include a Kombucha Tea tutorial some time in the future. There is also kefir powder that you can buy which only lasts for a limited number of cultures. For some reason kefir will not culture like yogurt does with just a portion of the yogurt used from the last batch to make the next. And I just don’t know why. I am only one woman and I can only do so much.
The taste? It tastes like yogurt. Ours doesn’t get fizzy like Sheila’s because we don’t put the lid on tight enough. It is far better tasting than soda. Gack!! You can flavor it with anything you choose. We like pineapple. The kids also like to put nutmeg and vanilla in it and it tastes like egg nog…so they say. We’ve also done frozen strawberries and blueberries. Whatever suits your fancy.
I pour cold milk straight from the fridge over my grains and then it sits on the counter and warms. The culturing process takes 12-24 hours depending on how warm the room is.
Dell, it is really frightening the similarities. Do you know who your biological father is? Might we be sisters? Either that or we are both just really really smart. :) That would be ok too.
Kait, the similarities to store bought kefir are they should be the same except home made kefir is much cheaper and has no additives like corn syrup.
Chas, I *do* have grains. I’ll be heading to the PO soon as I have others I need to send grains and SCOBY to.
Vicki, next time I divide my grains I’ll pop some in the mail to you. :)
Debbie, frightening. I won’t tell the poor grains that they will be living in the slums. Perhaps they can fix the place up bit. ;)
Here is a nifty-thrifty site that you must read start to finish if you want to be a kefir aficionado. Read and be educated.
Everything you might ever want to know about kefir and more.
Now I must work on my Jodi post for today. Ciao.
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Katie, Does homemade kefir get thick? My kefir stays “thin” and kind of looks like watery ricotta cheese. It feels grainy in my mouth and is much too sour for my liking. I did drink some with Haitian vanilla and a little sweetener, but it was still not good. My store bought kefir has the “feel” and taske of rich, strong buttermilk. My homemade kefir is just downright gross.
I am starting to believe I don’t like homemade kefir. I don’t even think I could acquire a taste for it. And, I know my sensory sensitive child with FASD would never ever be able to keep even a sip down ~
Oh darn! I don’t know anyone with Kefir grains. I don’t even know anyone who would know what I was talking about if I asked them for kefir grains! LOL! I have found two people on Ebay UK who are selling some, but I’m not sure about getting them from a stranger – gonna have to think about and pray about that one! Thanks for answering the questions though. Very usefull tutorial! Jenna did a great job!
Wow, Katie….thanks for the great tutorial. Totally makes a daily kefir routine seem do-able. I bet it tastes similar to the yogurt smoothies we make now. I could do that! I need to look into getting grains. I would like to look into renting a Jenna as well…..appliance phobias and all!
BTW, your blog, Jeff’s and the board load super slow for me and I do have DSL plus Internet Explorer 7. I changed a toddler diaper waiting for the blog to come up, and could probably make a kefir smoothie in the time it took the comment page to load. ;)
Ah, Katie, you are so good to us. I have been wanting to make my own kefir for awhile now, since it is soooo darn expensive at the store, even the ONE time I found it at Costco. I am willing to bet there is not a person within a 50 mile radius of me that has kefir grains. Would you be willing to mail us some grains? I would be eternally greatful and I’m sure you would be richly rewarded in heaven too :) let me know, pretty pretty please with sugar on top :) themahnkens at hotmail
thanks so much, either way! Veronica
Katie,
when you have some extra grains and an extra SCOBY, could you send some my way. If you email me your address I will send you some $$ for the shipping, along with my address. Let me know. Thanks!
Kerri
Katie, I am sure with 12 kids you have been fretting all day over whether my current batch of kefir worked… It did! I knew it was working because I started seeing bubbles. I just got my grains. Perhaps the yeast weakened during shipping and I wasn’t really fermenting the milk. It took three bad batches for it to start working. I still think I let it brew a bit too long because it is a little sour, but just like the photo on Dom’s site, I got Delta Rivers… and a product that is drinkable (with a little strawberry and banana).
Thanks for the great photos.
Interesting, I didn’t realize that leaving the lid looser kept the bubblies away, but that makes sense. :D I actually really like the fizziness, and yes, way better than pop. :D (Soda)
If Mrs. Bettedorf runs out of extra grains… For those who would like, my grains are growing fairly well too, and probably in a month or so I could spare some for a couple people who need them. :D Email me: Christsinstrument [at] gmail [dot] com They are very happy, healthy grains. :)
Great post!
Sheila
Am I doing something wrong with my kefir? I can’t seem to get past the smell of it. It doesn’t smell or taste like yogurt to me at all. I described it to my husband as “old dirty socks.” I don’t mean to sound offensive, I’m just wondering if I’m culturing it incorrectly or something. Everyone seems to think it tastes wonderful and I think it tastes terrible. Can you describe how it should taste and if I’m possibly doing something wrong in culturing it?? (I refresh the grains daily with fresh milk, etc… and leave them on the counter and I have stored the kefir drink in the fridge) Any help would be appreciated!!
Kefir is pronounced (kef e-er). It is a refreshing cultured-milk beverage that is loaded with nutritional benefits. It is made by culturing fresh milk with kefir grains. Kefir grains are not to be mistaken for cereal grains; they are a soft, gelatinous white biological mass of proteins, lipids (fats), and a soluble-polysaccharide kefiran complex. They are famous for there vast mixture of specific friendly (LAB) Lactic-acid Bacteria and yeasts.
This is the most potent source of probiotics (friendly bacteria) you can find. In most probiotic pills found in stores you will find about 15 different strains of friendly bacteria, for example
(Lactobacillus bugaricus and Streptoccocus thermophilus) are just 2 of the more well known strains. To learn more about the different strains click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics
but once again Mother Nature has out done the laboratories, a natural kefir grain contains 42 different strains of friendly bacteria. There is no comparison here. Kefir grains are far superior to the probiotics you will find in a bottle.
Source and kefir videos course : http://www.howtomakekefir.com/