Making your own Milk Kefir is easy when you know how! Only two ingredients are required, and a couple of minutes to get the fermentation process started. And then the rest happens without you, over the next 24 hours or so! Check out how to do it below.
Kefir is full of nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin A, Vitamin K2, B vitamins (including B12), enzymes and more. Additionally, it is also a very rich source of probiotics (even richer than yoghurt), boasting up to 50 different species of probiotic bacteria and yeasts. Furthermore, it also aids in many important body functions such as detoxification, cardiac health, bone density, immune function, digestion and gut health.
Milk Kefir grains are not grains at all! They resemble tiny cauliflower florets and are actually made up of bacteria and yeast. They are what the SCOBY is to kombucha.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of raw organic milk (or the next best thing you can access-any full fat milk works best)
- 1 tbsp (approx.) Kefir grains
Equipment
- Glass jar (no metal), 1250ml capacity
- Strainer
- Bowl
- Glass bottle, 1 litre capacity
Method
- Clean all equipment and your hands well.
- Place the kefir grains into the glass jar. You don’t have to be exact.
- Pour the quantity of milk over the top. Make bigger batches if you want, just stick to the ratio 1:4
- Next, cover the top of the jar with cheese cloth or tea towel to let the air in, but not the bugs or dust. Secure with a rubber band.
- Place in a warm (18-29 C) dark spot in your kitchen. This will allow fermentation to occur.
- It will be ready in less than 24 hours. Experiment with exactly how long it takes at your home, as temperature will dictate the speed of fermentation. You know it is ready when it is slightly thickened, and smells good! Mine currently takes 18 hours.
- Strain your kefir grains out of the kefir milk and pour the kefir into bottles to pop into the fridge. Drink at your leisure within 2 weeks.
- Rinse the kefir grains in water and place them into a new cleaned jar and add milk. Start the process again.
Notes:
Your kefir grains will reproduce and you will more than you need in no time. Give them away to your friends and share all that goodness and health with them too.
Reduce the fermentation time if your kefir is too tart.
If it separates into whey, either add more milk next time, or lessen the amount of kefir grains you use.
You can do this process every day. Or if you need a break, simply store the kefir grains in milk, with covered fabric on top in the fridge. It will last a few weeks at least.
Flavour your kefir with fruit, vanilla etc if you like. You can drink it straight, use it in smoothies, or freeze it and have it like frozen yoghurt.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Nutritious and delicious!