KEFIR – Grow Your Own Delicious Drink and Dairy Staple

[andiesenji]

Several FaceBook friends asked me to publish my method of making kefir on my blog so I put together some information and photos.

There has been only minimal interest expressed here on eG but I thought I would also put the info out here for those who find culturing yogurt "too involved, with all the heating and cooling of the milk to certain temps."  

None of that is necessary with kefir - regular milk right out of the fridge can be added to the "grains" and it is incubated at regular room temp, it just should be kept in a place away from sunlight. 

 

When and where kefir was first “discovered” is really unknown.  What is known is that it has been made by nomads in central Asia for at least 2000 years. Travelers wrote about it, including Marco Polo as they encountered nomadic tribes while crossing the steppes on their way along the silk road and the spice routes to the east.

The nutritional benefits are many, even more than yogurt, although that is an excellent dairy food, the combination of bacterial cultures and yeast cultures in kefir “grains” consume the sugars in milk which cause problems for those who are lactose intolerant.  Allowing the culture to “work” for longer will reduce the lactose even more.  The “probiotics” help to restore the desirable intestinal flora in the gut following illness and treatment with antibiotics, which often disrupt this system.  It also helps with heartburn and “sour stomach” which plagues people with GERD.

Did you know that Kefir is very good in cooking and baking?  Did you know that you can use it instead of buttermilk in recipes – and that it gives a wonderful texture and flavor to quick breads and cakes.  You can sweeten it for a refreshing drink and for a sauce for fruit and other salads.  And you can strain it to make kefir “cheese” which works well in recipes that call for similar dairy foods.

Kefir requires no special equipment, does not even require the milk to be heated or incubated at higher than room temperatures.  All you need to start is to order some KEFIR GRAINS.  This is what they will look like when you first get them. This is about three tablespoons full.  This is what they look like after removing them from the kefir and rinsing them with cold water.

Kefir “grains” are the “mother” cultures which will turn milk into kefir at normal room temperature, usually taking 24 hours. These are a combination of microorganisms that clump together by the action of polysaccharides.  These include lactobacilli, leuconostocs, lactococci, yeasts and acetic acid producing bacteria.   It looks rather like gelatinous curds, sort of like semi-transparent, whitish, gummi candies shaped like globules.  Some people liken the appearance to small cauliflower pieces.  The grains are chewy, rubbery and don’t have much flavor.

This is what they look like after adding a cup or so of milk.  They float at the surface.  In this photo the kefir grains have been placed in a half-gallon jar and 1 1/2 cups of regular milk has been added.

I put the jar WITH THE LID LOOSE in a pantry which remains about the same temp all year – around 75° F.  The "working" culture should be kept in a dark place, away from sunlight.

Some people recommend covering the jar with cloth to allow it to “breathe” but I found that a loose PLASTIC lid works just fine and many of the glass jars sold as canisters have one piece plastic lids that are dishwasher safe and work just fine and are easier to sterilize than cloth.  NEVER LEAVE THE JAR WITH THE LID SCREWED ON TIGHT!  The kefir culture produces some gas and if there is not sufficient room in the container, it can cause it to break.

This photo also shows a break in the culture near the bottom of the jar, this is normal and is just a layer of liquid – whey – that has separated from the curd and it recombines as soon as the kefir is stirred.

The process works fine with pasteurized milk, homogenized mild, ultra-pasteurized milk etc.  If you want to use raw milk it MUST BE PASTEURIZED prior to culturing with the the kefir grains.

The milk can be cultured for up to 48 hours but 24 hours is best, before adding more milk.  If the ambient temps are above 95, it is best to keep the culture in a cool place and check it every 12 hours and if the kefir grains are prominent on the surface and it looks somewhat dry, add some more milk.

DAY TWO.  This is after 24 hours.  As you can see, the culture has set and it appears to have expanded a bit as the kefir grains have swollen and multiplied.

I add another cup of milk, no need to stir, and return the jar, with its lid LOOSE to the pantry.

DAY THREE.  Another 24 hours has passed and the culture has again set and it is time to add another cup OR MORE of milk.  At this point the kefir grains have “grown” enough to culture a larger quantity of milk if you will be needing a greater volume soon.

It should be set like this.  If there is some separation near the bottom with some visible liquid, just stir the kefir and then add the new milk.

DAY FIVE.  I forgot to take photos on day four.  The volume is now more than a quart.

It is not quite set as firmly as previous days due to the volume.  Slightly less than one cup of milk will be added today.

DAY SIX.   It is ready to be strained and the kefir grains transferred to a clean jar to begin the process all over again.I have stirred the kefir to liquify the firm culture and separate the grains to make it easier to drain.

USE ONLY WHITE PLASTIC OR STAINLESS STEEL UTENSILS AND STRAINER.  Other metals react with the acid in the kefir and impart unpleasant flavors.  If you need to use cloth to strain it, make sure it is well rinsed with cold water prior to use. Wring it out but leave it damp to make straining easier.

This is the finished kefir, ready to be stored in the fridge until needed.  It can be combined with fruit syrups, added to smoothies, and even mixed with cereal, cold or hot, for a nutritious breakfast or snack.  Any recipe that uses buttermilk or yogurt works with kefir.

This is a 2.5 liter container so it will hold more than a single batch.  I have two of these so usually have one full and one partially filled.  I use a lot of kefir.

Some people advise straining the kefir grains out and starting a new jar every 24 hours but I have found that this is unnecessary and too time consuming and it discourages many first-time, novice people.  Using a larger container – in this case a two-quart glass jar – and just adding a cup of milk each day for FIVE days and then straining it on the SIXTH day, works well for most folks.  And the result is a sufficient amount that can be transferred to a glass container to store in the fridge.

And after 6 weeks of repeated culturing, we have a lot more kefir grains which can be divided into additional containers to make larger batches or stored in milk in the fridge, which slows down the activity but you still have to add some milk every three days or so, instead of daily.

And you can share your “extra” kefir grains with others.  Once you understand that the production of kefir is very simple and the savings when you make your own is significant, you will never go back to the store-bought stuff with the “preservatives” and “coloring agents” and “artificial flavors” that processors add to increase shelf life.

There are numerous online sources of information about Kefir and places where you can order the grains if you do not have a health food store in your city that sells it.

For further information, search the links below.

Cultured Food Life  has some excellent information.

Authority Nutrition explains some health benefits of kefir.

Health Food Lover  has some recipes.

Live Pure Health has more recipes.   And has a page on making Kefir Cheese.

And for an extensive HISTORICAL perspective and just about anything and everything you would like to learn about kefir, there is

DOM'S KEFIR GRAINS AND KEFIR SITE with numerous links to other pages and information about OTHER types of cultures such as water (sugar) kefir, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2016 by andiesenji (log)

[ElsieD]

Well, now, this was interesting.  I was at a store today to pick up yogurt starter and they had kefir grains right next to it so I know where to buy that should I decide to give this a go.  I have never had keffir (I really should get out more), does it taste anything like buttermilk?

[kayb]

I got on a kick of making kefir a few years ago, but stopped for some reason...probably because I was traveling and not able to feed it regularly. I do like it, though, particularly when blended with fresh or frozen fruit. I think it tastes a great deal like yogurt.

 

 

[cdh]

Water kefir is fun stuff too.... all the probiotics and none of the opacity!

[Deryn]

I need to try making kefir. I have had it on my list to freeze-dry the grains (and then rehydrate to see if that method means I would not have to continue making/feeding the grains but would not have them die on me). As a single person household I just can't use up much in a reasonable timeframe but I would love to be able to easily decide to make it from time to time without having to make a long trip to a store for new grains.

 

Thanks for all the great info and particularly the pictures, Andie.

[andiesenji]

3 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Well, now, this was interesting.  I was at a store today to pick up yogurt starter and they had kefir grains right next to it so I know where to buy that should I decide to give this a go.  I have never had keffir (I really should get out more), does it taste anything like buttermilk?

It tastes like the Bulgarian cultured buttermilk that appeared about 25 years ago at high-end markets, hung around for 5 or 6 years and then faded away.  I loved it.

I think I started culturing kefir about then after attending a "seminar" at Herbal Gardens in Rainbow, CA where there was a person demonstrating it.  I kept that culture going for years.  Started another culture in 2005 and it died last March when I was away having open heart surgery.  So I got some new grains last September and started up again.  

I use it a lot in baking, instead of buttermilk.

[andiesenji]

17 minutes ago, Deryn said:

I need to try making kefir. I have had it on my list to freeze-dry the grains (and then rehydrate to see if that method means I would not have to continue making/feeding the grains but would not have them die on me). As a single person household I just can't use up much in a reasonable timeframe but I would love to be able to easily decide to make it from time to time without having to make a long trip to a store for new grains.

 

Thanks for all the great info and particularly the pictures, Andie.

I have frozen the grains in heavy cream for about a month.  Last year I had intended to do that during the time I would have my surgery but I got to Orange county to stay with my friend in Yorba Linda (surgery was a Loma Linda Univ) and the cardiac surgeon forbade me to drive back up here - he said I was at the point that my aortic valve could fail at any moment and driving was too stressful. He scheduled me for surgery 5 days later so I never got to come home and take care of my stuff. I didn't even have any extra clothes as I was only planning on being away a day.

A lot of stuff "died" including some of the less hardy plants in my garden.  But I had an excellent result.

[rotuts]

I really like your filter.   I had a nylon mesh filter and didn't like it much so gave up.   Im on the hunt now for some granules.

 

why do you rinse the granules w cold water ?

[andiesenji]

2 hours ago, rotuts said:

I really like your filter.   I had a nylon mesh filter and didn't like it much so gave up.   Im on the hunt now for some granules.

 

why do you rinse the granules w cold water ?

I only rinsed them to show what they look like "naked" so people will understand that the "gummy globules" are the good stuff.

 

I have a nylon mesh filter - I use it for yogurt and kefir cheese - in the fridge for 24 hours.  It's too fine for straining the kefir grains out quickly.  

 

I also have this one - it holds a bit more so I use it for larger batches.  

Edited April 22, 2016 by andiesenji (log)

[Jaymes]

I think we're all glad you made it through the surgery. You're a treasure. 

[andiesenji]

I made my "breakfast" drink (smoothie I guess)  with 1 1/2 cups of kefir, 3 tablespoons of blackberry syrup (Torani), a banana and a tablespoon of milled (ground) flaxseed.

The estimate of calories is about 320 and it is very satisfying as a "meal" and hopefully will contribute to my losing a bit of weight.

 

The last time I did the "kefir diet" using approximately this formula - occasionally adding a pasteurized raw egg to the mix - I lost 11 pounds in two weeks, having this for breakfast and lunch.  And I did not get the mid-afternoon munchies, which seem to plague me with eating regular meals.

[Joe Blowe]

Allow me to give a shout-out to the Kefir Lady!  I bought my dried grains from her three years ago -- they reanimated very quickly, and they continue to multiply.  (I just eat the grains I don't need for making kefir.)

 

 

[kayb]

8 hours ago, Joe Blowe said:

Allow me to give a shout-out to the Kefir Lady!  I bought my dried grains from her three years ago -- they reanimated very quickly, and they continue to multiply.  (I just eat the grains I don't need for making kefir.)

 

 

Eat the grains? Interesting. By themselves, or with/in something?

 

[Joe Blowe]

Actually, I drink them down along with some kefir. 

 

In my case, I make kefir daily and only keep 12 grams of active grains on hand (not counting the emergency supply of dried and frozen grains kept on hand).  After a week or so, as Andie illustrated above, the grains multiply.  Since I only need 12 grams to kefir a given quantity of milk, the excess go down the hatch!

 

There's probably more probiotic activity in a couple of kefir grains than a small serving of yogurt...

[lemniscate]

I am reanimating my years old dried kefir grains that I coated in powdered milk, vacuum packed and "lost" in the freezer.

I am on day 2 of startup.  I am rehydrated with distilled water and whole milk for the last couple days.  I watered some plants with the liquid since it didn't have any real food use yet.

[cdh]

I'm trying to revive some water kefir grains I dehydrated a few years ago... and having no luck... the grains themselves have rehydrated, but the the liquid they are sitting in has not lost any sugar content... I think my dehydrator may have killed them.  Need to go hunting for some live ones on ebay or craigslist or some such... 

[lemniscate]

I had to be careful of the water I was using to mix with milk on my grains because tap water is treated.  Ideally I would use a spring/well water, but all I had was distilled in the house. 

 

@cdh  are you using untreated water for the revive?

[cdh]

Well water that gets run through a softener. 

[Smithy]

*bump*

 

I've been making my own kefir from a packet of dry granules (Yogourmet brand Kefir starter) (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) after discovering the product. However, I've become disenchanted with it because of the separation of materials that happens while it's incubating.

 

 

 

(That speck on the right side is something on the outside of the carafe.)

 

It doesn't recombine nicely when I simply shake it. I haven't had access to a whisk until recently. Blending it with a banana is a nice way to improve the texture, but I tired of bananas after a month or so - and I didn't have a blender for a short time. I began branching out to other juices, or fruits, and therein lies the problem: I find the texture unpleasant as it is.

 

I recently began purchasing commerical kefir so I could mix it with mango juice or some other lovely sweet juice that balances the tartness of the kefir as a breakfast drink. Still, it's expensive stuff and I know I can make it on my own...if I can overcome these texture issues. Hence, I'm reviving this topic..

 

I hope @andiesenji drops by to do some explaining. I see, in rereading her tutorial, that she didn't simply do one quart worth of kefir all at once. She started with a small amount and encouraged it to grow by adding milk gradually as the culture developed. It reminds me of the sourdough starter process. My process involves dumping a packet of the dried granules into a quart of milk all at once. 

 

1. What exactly is going on with the separated layers? It looks like I have fluffy materials on the top (the fattier components?) and finer materials settled to the bottom, with only whey in the middle area. I'm curious about the chemistry.

 

2. Is there a way to keep the stuff from separating like that? It makes a mess of the jar when I shake it, because of the clumps that stick to the sides. I may need a different vessel.

 

I don't remember whether this batch was made from 1% or 2% milk. Proably 2%. I've gotten much the same result with every fat content of milk I've used, although I can't remember whether I've tried it with skim milk.

[Smithy]

This is what it looks like this morning. The batch is "completed" in terms of taste; I'm sure it's fermented enough.

 

It's just as separated as before. If I shake it in the carafe it looks a bit more homogenous, but starts to separate quickly.

 

 

I tried pouring it into a mixing bowl and whisking, as my best friend does with hers. I discovered clumps that simply won't whisk; they're too firm. It's like trying to whisk cottage cheese, and these curds are about the firmness and texture of cottage cheese curds.

 

 

My wand blender is elsewhere and I was getting hungry, so I whisked as much as I wished, then poured a glassful with some lovely mango juice to temper the tartness. The sight and texture aren't appealing!

 

 

The flavor is good as long as I ignore the mouthfeel, but I don't want to have to do that over the long haul. My next step will be to try electrical assistance (stick blender) and see if it breaks up those clumps. These may actually be the "grains" that @andiesenji noted above, that she strains out for her next batch. However, my best friend never bothers with that and simply saves some of the whisked batch as a starter for the next batch. I'm trying to keep this as simple as possible, and would prefer not to have to strain the mixture.

 

Thoughts, anyone? Why do the clumps develop? What are they? How can I avoid them, or should I just shrug and plan to use a blender?

[lemniscate]

I make kefir.   The lumps from what I can see are the actual kefir cultures (lumpy brain pale colored material).   I get the separation in my kefir, to me it's normal.   I stir it to a homogeneous consistency with a spoon and then pour through a fine sieve.   What's in the sieve (the grains) I put into a container to make the next batch of kefir.   The sieved liquid is the usable kefir and I mix it with the flavor of the day or just drink it straight.

 

Are you using a new pack of that powder stuff everytime you make kefir?   I've never used that method or product before, my kefir grains are years old right now.

 

The clumps on your whisk resemble the kefir cultures (grains).

[Smithy]

3 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

I make kefir.   The lumps from what I can see are the actual kefir cultures (lumpy brain pale colored material).   I get the separation in my kefir, to me it's normal.   I stir it to a homogeneous consistency with a spoon and then pour through a fine sieve.   What's in the sieve (the grains) I put into a container to make the next batch of kefir.   The sieved liquid is the usable kefir and I mix it with the flavor of the day or just drink it straight.

 

Are you using a new pack of that powder stuff everytime you make kefir?   I've never used that method or product before, my kefir grains are years old right now.

 

The clumps on your whisk resemble the kefir cultures (grains).

 

For the first few months that I was making kefir, I'd save a bit of the old batch to use as a starter culture for the new batch. Consequently a single sachet lasted me through several batches. At some point the kefir would seem to lose its good flavor, and I'd finish that batch and start a fresh batch with a new sachet. 

 

My best friend thinks that I am indeed making cheese, and that I'm leaving it at room temperature too long (3 or 4 days, compared to her 18-24 hours). What you write above is consistent with what @andiesenji reported originally, so those probably are salvageable grains. I'll try saving those grains and starting a new batch, and see how it goes.

 

How long do you incubate your kefir?

[lemniscate]

I am spectacularly lazy about my kefir.   I will use it regularly and then forget it.   BUT, I keep mine in the refrigerator almost exclusively.  It really slows down the culturing so that it harder to get away from you.   It's like the slow cold bread dough method, it's still working but at a much reduced rate.   

Maybe try that for a while and see if it suits you.

 

I think the 3 to 4 days is way too much at room temp.   I never go more that 12-24 hours at room temp before I put it in the fridge.

 

I would suggest to sieve it though, for your preferred consistency.   And try to reuse those grains.  

 

Edited May 13 by lemniscate (log)

[lemniscate]

I just divided my grains and dehydrated half after rinsing thoroughly.   I put the dried ones in a baggie with powdered milk and put in the freezer.   These will be a backup supply in case I lose my working grains in the future.

Edited May 13 by lemniscate (log)

[ElsieD]

11 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

I just divided my grains and dehydrated half after rinsing thoroughly.   I put the dried ones in a baggie with powdered milk and put in the freezer.   These will be a backup supply in case I lose my working grains in the future.

This may be a dumb question but how do you dehydrate the grains?