Kefir

  Water and Milk Kefir

You will need kefir grains to do kefir. I purchased mine from ebay(milk) and www.lifetimekefir.com (water). Look for someone who has extra.  The are prolific and anyone who is already doing kefir will have some to share soon, if not currently. I will share mine, when I have enough to split.

Water kefir fermenting with
coffee filter for top

Water Kefir

1 wide mouth mason jar

1 coffee filter

1 quart of filtered water almost to the top of the mason jar

1/3 c. organic sugar. (regular white sugar is also fine to use but do not use honey or artificial sweeteners)

Use the metal screw on ring part of the top to hold the coffee filter down.  The second best would be a cloth for top.

Step 1: add water and sugar in jar.

It is much easier to boil the water first so that the sugar can dissolve in the hot water but do not put the kefir grains in hot water at any time or they will die.

Step 2: Add the grains and seal the jar.

Add the grains when the water is cool or room temperature and seal the coffee filter on the jar and let it sit 48 hours so that it can ferment and create the water kefir.  After 48 hours, taste test it.  If its too sweet, let it go another day. They can ferment up to 5 days. 

Step 3: strain water kefir

When the water kefir is cultured to your liking, you can strain out the grains, and how you can drink the water kefir.

Step 4: Rinse and repeat.

Rinse the grains well with room temperature water and repeat the process using the grains.

I drink this with a little flavored stevia or with fruit juice. 

Milk Kefir

2-4 T. kefir grains

Kefir Grains after straining from milk kefir

4-5 cups milk  (I prefer raw milk, but pasteurized works, too.)

Place grains and milk in a jar. Loosely put the lid on to allow for gas to escape. Leave on the counter at room temperature.  Watch to see the whey separate.  Can take 8-24 hours.  The longer it sits the more fermented it will be.  It is most mild after 8 hours. Do not ferment for more than 3 days. (If you do, drain off the kefir and throw away but save the grains and start again)

Separate the grains from the kefir. The grains should have grown by about 1/3. 

Place grains in a clean jar. 

Place the grains in more milk and start the process again. Or place them in a small amount of milk and put them in the fridge.  Make sure they are fed at least every week if kept in the fridge. It will take longer for the kefir to ferment if the grains have been in the fridge. I only put them in the fridge if I’m going on vacation. 

Put about 3 c. milk for 3 TBS grains.

Kefir Shake

1 to 1 ½ c. kefir milk

1 banana

Sweetener if desired.  I often put in 1-2 T. coconut sugar or a little stevia

1 ½ c. frozen strawberries.

Blend until mixture is smooth.