Making Homemade Kefir



Making your own kefir is so incredibly easy; much easier than making yogurt.  Kefir is very similar to yogurt, but I have read that it is considered to have even better health properties than yogurt.  It is a fermented milk product loaded with beneficial bacteria and healing abilities. 

 

The kefir I currently have I received as many straight strands, which results when kefir grains are split too often.  In time each kefir strand will develop back into a ball, looking a bit like a moist plump cauliflower floret.  I value our kefir and raw milk so much, that I always took my jar of kefir and raw milk along on our homeschool trips around the country.  On our longer trips, I found sources of raw milk to replenish my supplies all across the United States from the state of Washington to Florida to Vermont. 

If handled properly, raw milk will last up to three weeks in the refrigerator before starting to sour.  I transfer my raw milk to sanitized half-gallon wide-mouth glass canning jars when I receive it.  You can see the cream layer that has developed at the top.  This layer helps keep the milk from souring, so I only skim one half gallon at a time.



You only need one kefir grain per jar to make kefir.  I took two bundles of strands from my friend, and have been feeding two jars of strands so that I have lots of extras to share.  Once a kefir grain gets larger than about an inch in diameter you can split it in half and share with a friend (though never cut it with something metal).  The kefir grain shown in the photo above is starting to develop into a ball (it is actually a couple of strands balling up together).  How quickly it grows depends upon how often you use it.

The following is how I take care of my kefir.  I store it is the refrigerator in between uses since I do not use it every day.  If you plan to use your kefir daily, you do not have to ever put it in the refrigerator.  If you are planning to be gone, it does fine for about 3 weeks if left unattended in the refrigerator.  If doing this, pour off the liquid from your kefir jar, refill the jar with fresh milk, and place immediately back in the refrigerator.  The fresh milk is its food. 

If you plan to make your own kefir, be sure to obtain raw milk to feed it.  If you live in the United States, where it is illegal to buy/sell raw milk in most states except from the farm, here is a great website to find raw milk in your area.  If you are interested in learning more about the problems and benefits of raw milk, a great book to read in The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmid. 

I have been drinking raw milk exclusively from a number of different farms since my boys were born.  They have grown up on raw milk.  My family would not drink milk if raw milk was not available because I personally feel homogenized, pasteurized milk is very detrimental to a person's health.  Pasteurization was begun so a known poor quality product could be sold to the general public and homogenization because we became lazy and did not want to deal with the layer of cream that forms on the top of cow's milk.

Back to the subject of kefir:  there is no comparison between homemade raw kefir and store bought kefir.  Store bought kefir is pasteurized and typically loaded with sugar.  Pasteurization kills all the beneficial bacteria, rendering the kefir useless for health benefits.

I use my kefir typically is three ways:

1.  Instead of yogurt in fruit smoothies.  Don't sweeten your kefir with sugar - use only raw, unfiltered honey.

2.  In place of buttermilk in recipes such as pancakes and waffles.

3.  Medicinally when feeling my immune system is low in an elderberry shot (will provide recipe soon).

Making your own kefir:

NEVER USE METAL WITH KEFIR.  If you remember nothing else, remember to never use metal with your kefir.  No metal utensils or containers.  Metal kills a kefir grain. 

1.  Obtain a kefir grain.  (I have several extras right now if you live in the Dallas area and need one - click on the weekly challenge tab above to obtain my email.)

 

2.  Place the grain in a clean glass jar, and fill the jar with milk (I skim the cream off my milk first and reserve to make butter).  I recommend using at least a quart size jar.  I use a canning jar as shown in the photo.

3.  Cover jar with something breathable, such as a paper towel or light clean cloth.  I use a paper towel and the ring of the jar top to keep it in place.

 

 



4.  Let stand at room temperature, not in the sun, for 4 to 12 hours (dependent upon the temperature in your house).  Experiment.  The longer it sits, the stronger the resulting kefir.  Placing it in the refrigerator stops the kefir grain from feeding on proteins in the raw milk.  It is because the kefir grains are partially digesting the milk protein (resulting in the fermenting of the milk) that even persons who are lactose intolerant can typically drink kefir. 

5.  Unless using immediately, place the top on the jar (if you are using the metal sealing lid, be sure you don't turn it over).  Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Using your kefir and making more:



1.  Using a wooden spoon, find your kefir granule in the jar.  Lift up gently or hold to the side.  Pour out all of the liquid into a separate glass container.  If you have some separation of liquid (a whey layer), just gently stir with the wood spoon before lifting up the kefir grain and pouring out liquid.  The liquid can become quite thick like yogurt.  Pour all of this out, just making sure you have found your kefir grain first.  Don't forget - don't use a metal spoon!

2.  Refill your kefir jar with raw milk.

3.  Repeat steps 3 through 5 above:  cover, let sit out, use or place in refrigerator.

Learn what your kefir should smell like - this is a excellent way to know if it is still good if you forget about it and leave it out or in the refrigerator for too long.  Kefir has an odor between that of bread yeast and yogurt.  When I started using kefir about 15 years ago, I used to put it in a new sterilized jar and 'wash' it is filtered water every couple of months.  I no longer do this.  I find that once the kefir is doing well, it is actually unhealthy for it.  If you forget about it and leave it out on your counter for longer, it will start to ferment like alcohol.  You can probably recover it.  Pour off the liquid, and give it fresh raw milk.  Use it two or three days in a row, without placing it in the refrigerator.  (Pouring off the liquid kefir and refilling with fresh raw milk.)  I have lost my kefir grain only once when accidentally baking it in a batch of muffins.  Kefir living on raw milk is extremely hardy and very forgiving.