How To Make Kefir

Have you ever made something and didn’t even know why you were making it, Matt brought home some mushy little tapioca-looking things in a jar he had procured from someone at work. He said we would use it to make a yogurt-like drink by letting a jar of milk sit out at room temp with these “grains,” as he called them. “Disgusting,” I thought. But I was a newlywed, so I went with it - and I’m glad I did!

We’ve learned so much about kefir (pronounced keh-FEAR) in the past eight years, and want to share a bit of it with you. We’ll keep it basic though, so it doesn’t overwhelm beginners and doesn’t bore all you kefir masters. Kefir is a probiotic-rich drink, much like yogurt, but thinner in consistency. It is produced when you combine milk with kefir grains and let them ferment.

The term grain can be a bit confusing though, since kefir grains are really little lumps of proteins, fats, and polysaccharides - no relation to the grain family at all. I would describe them as looking similar to miniature translucent cauliflower florets. Fermentation of kefir will occur when your mixture of milk and kefir grains are left at room temperature for about 12-48 hours. The more grains you have, the more quickly it will ferment.

Temperature and the amount of time it is left to culture will affect not only the taste, but also the thickness. It will ferment slowly in cooler temperatures, and more quickly if your home is warmer. A thicker kefir is achieved by allowing your mixture to culture for longer periods of time.

You can also add a bit of cream to yield a thicker product. However, the kefir grains need to feed on the milk sugars, so you can not make kefir with cream alone. A finished kefir will taste a bit tart and tangy. Some may describe it as sour, but it should not taste like spoiled milk. Again, the tartness depends on how long it’s allowed to ferment.

Your kefir might even be bubbly or effervescent. Kefir is full of healthy bacterias and yeasts that offer crazy good probiotic power. The particular combination of bacteria in kefir is thought to be more powerful than those found in yogurt. Homemade kefir made with milk kefir grains usually contains around 50 strains of live bacteria and yeast. Compare that with regular store-bought yogurt which usually contains only about 2 major strains. That’s a huge difference. ADHD, or even depression.

In addition to all these possible benefits, many individuals who are lactose intolerant can handle kefir because the bacteria pre-digests the lactose in the milk. Great. Now let’s talk about making your own kefir. It’s simple and doesn’t require a lot of hands-on time, but there are a few things you should know before jumping into this project. Before making kefir at home you will need to obtain milk kefir grains. You can purchase them here or get them from a friend, neighbor, or co-worker who makes kefir.

Kefir grains multiply over time, so there are always kefir-drinkers out there looking to get rid of grains. Kefir will work its magic in any type of milk, but we recommend raw milk or at least an organic non-homogenized milk, preferably from pastured (grass-fed) cows. Keep in mind if using any metal utensils, they should always be a nonreactive metal such as stainless steel. If a reactive metal is introduced to your kefir grains, their delicate balance can be altered.

If you want to stay away from metal altogether when making kefir, choose wooden, plastic, or silicone utensils. 1. Add about 2 Tbsp kefir grains to a clean glass jar. 2. Add about 2 cups of milk to the jar. Stir grains gently using a wooden spoon or spatula. 3. Cover jar with a cloth or lid, and allow to ferment in a warm spot in your kitchen (but out of direct sunlight) for 12-48 hours.

You can taste the kefir to see if it has properly fermented, or watch for the whey (a clear yellowish liquid) to separate at the bottom of your jar. You may have small pockets of whey throughout your kefir. 4. Pour kefir through a small strainer into another clean jar, collecting kefir grains in the strainer.