HEY!
A few weeks ago I received a letter, and in that letter was a pouch full of bacteria.....no this was not an act of bioterroism, it was my new kefir culture arriving by mail from an organic farm in Ontario. :)
I described in a previous post what kefir is, and why I think it's great. So I took it upon myself to actually make my own kefir from my own bacteria....as one would naturally do?
I ordered some of my own little kefir babies online, they arrived in no less than 4 days, and I accepted them in to my home as if they were my own.
They are actually called kefir grains because they look like a little grain, but in fact they are not a grain at all just a cluster of beneficial bacteria. Basically the goal is to keep them alive by providing them with milk and in turn they will transform your milk into a delicious fermented goodness. One of the wonders of the world really! I'm semi-lactose intolerant, so drinking kefir is a great way for me to be able to get some good ole pasture fed milk(raw if/when I can get it) in me without my insides exploding.
(pic on the left: kefir grains)
Here are the steps I used to make my kefir:
1) Rinse the kefir grains with non-chlorinated water, not tap water. I use a Brita filter for this. Chlorine can possibly kill the bacteria, so avoid it. Use a plastic strainer (the slots on this one below are a little too wide), metal or wire strainers can kill the bacteria as well, so plastic only.
2). After your little kefir buddies are clean, get a clean jar, and some room temperature milk.
3) Spoon the kefir grains into the jar, again using a plastic spoon not a metal one (see step 1).
4). Pour in your room temperature milk.
4). Place a cloth over the jar, or just place the lid on loosely depending on the jar you are using. The key here is that you need the the jar to breath (burp?) without completely exposing it to the air, where it could possibly pick up unwanted bacteria.
5) Leave it at room temperature in a dark place (like a cupboard) ensuring it is not exposed to light.Let it sit there for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days or more depending on how sour you want it to taste.
6). After it it has cultured (1-4 days) Strain out the kefir grains through a plastic strainer as in Step 1 and start again. The milk will now have a consistency just slightly more fluid than yogurt.
Place the finished jar in the fridge where it will continue to develop. Best case scenario: you will have one jar fermenting, and one ready to consume in the fridge, and continue on this cycle. If you do not feel like consuming a liter of kefir per week, then you can leave the kefir grains in some water in the fridge for when you need them, change the water(not chlorinated) every couple of weeks, and rinse the kefir grains in the process.
If you have never tried kefir, it is a fizzy sour but slightly sweet tasting milk. Delicious! One thing to remember about fermenting is that the food should still taste good, so if what you just fermented tastes awful, it probably didn't work.
I use kefir to make muesli, or in a smoothie, or in a dressing.
YUM!
A few weeks ago I received a letter, and in that letter was a pouch full of bacteria.....no this was not an act of bioterroism, it was my new kefir culture arriving by mail from an organic farm in Ontario. :)
I described in a previous post what kefir is, and why I think it's great. So I took it upon myself to actually make my own kefir from my own bacteria....as one would naturally do?
I ordered some of my own little kefir babies online, they arrived in no less than 4 days, and I accepted them in to my home as if they were my own.
(pic on the left: kefir grains)
Here are the steps I used to make my kefir:
1) Rinse the kefir grains with non-chlorinated water, not tap water. I use a Brita filter for this. Chlorine can possibly kill the bacteria, so avoid it. Use a plastic strainer (the slots on this one below are a little too wide), metal or wire strainers can kill the bacteria as well, so plastic only.
2). After your little kefir buddies are clean, get a clean jar, and some room temperature milk.
3) Spoon the kefir grains into the jar, again using a plastic spoon not a metal one (see step 1).
4). Pour in your room temperature milk.
4). Place a cloth over the jar, or just place the lid on loosely depending on the jar you are using. The key here is that you need the the jar to breath (burp?) without completely exposing it to the air, where it could possibly pick up unwanted bacteria.
5) Leave it at room temperature in a dark place (like a cupboard) ensuring it is not exposed to light.Let it sit there for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days or more depending on how sour you want it to taste.
6). After it it has cultured (1-4 days) Strain out the kefir grains through a plastic strainer as in Step 1 and start again. The milk will now have a consistency just slightly more fluid than yogurt.
Place the finished jar in the fridge where it will continue to develop. Best case scenario: you will have one jar fermenting, and one ready to consume in the fridge, and continue on this cycle. If you do not feel like consuming a liter of kefir per week, then you can leave the kefir grains in some water in the fridge for when you need them, change the water(not chlorinated) every couple of weeks, and rinse the kefir grains in the process.
If you have never tried kefir, it is a fizzy sour but slightly sweet tasting milk. Delicious! One thing to remember about fermenting is that the food should still taste good, so if what you just fermented tastes awful, it probably didn't work.
I use kefir to make muesli, or in a smoothie, or in a dressing.
YUM!
