Kefir | Morsels of Life

Kefir

Morsels of Life - Kefir - Considered by many to be one of the healthiest fermented foods, find out how to make your own kefir! It's surprisingly easy. :)

Kefir's a fermented yogurt drink - similar to a drinkable yogurt, originating from the north Caucasus Mountains. It's one of those things where you think it's all complicated and beyond making at home (or at least I did) until I actually gave it a try. Then I realized - yes, it is a complex process. But it's also totally doable at home. Reason being - you're not the one making the kefir, you just combine milk and kefir grains and then let the kefir grains do the work! No worries if you're on a grain-free diet either. Kefir grains aren't grains in the traditional sense. Instead, they're a combination of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in a symbiotic culture (or SCOBY). These grains resemble cauliflower, ranging in color from white to yellowish. During fermentation, the kefir grains break down the components in milk, making it more tolerable and easily digestible.

Comparing making yogurt at home to making kefir at home, I'd definitely say kefir's much easier. You're not worried about maintaining any particular temperature (aside from ambient), don't need to heat the milk, or any other complicated steps. Simply mix the kefir grains and milk, then allow the grains to do their thing!

Which do you prefer - kefir or yogurt?


Morsels of Life - Kefir - Considered by many to be one of the healthiest fermented foods, find out how to make your own kefir! It's surprisingly easy. :)

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Considered by many to be one of the healthiest fermented foods, find out how to make your own kefir! It's surprisingly easy. :)

Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: variable

Materials:

Mass Weight Volume Number Material Notes
milk I like to use whole milk.
kefir grains


Methods:

Morsels of Life - Kefir Step 1 - Gather all materials. 1. Gather all materials.
Morsels of Life - Kefir Step 2 - Combine all materials. I like to use a glass jar, but anything non-reactive will work. 2. Combine all materials. I like to use a glass jar, but anything non-reactive will work.
Morsels of Life - Kefir Step 3 - Allow kefir grains to do work. I just cover the top with a cloth and let the jar sit at room temperature for about 24 hours. Usually at that point, you will be able to see some whey at the bottom of the jar. You can taste the kefir throughout the fermentation process to determine how tart you like it. 3. Allow kefir grains to do work. I just cover the top with a cloth and let the jar sit at room temperature for about 24 hours. Usually at that point, you will be able to see some whey at the bottom of the jar. You can taste the kefir throughout the fermentation process to determine how tart you like it.
Morsels of Life - Kefir Step 4 - Pour the jar into a strainer. I like to press on the kefir grains a bit to get more kefir out. After straining, I will return the kefir grains to the jar and add more milk. 4. Pour the jar into a strainer. I like to press on the kefir grains a bit to get more kefir out. After straining, I will return the kefir grains to the jar and add more milk.
Morsels of Life - Kefir Step 5 - (optional) Sometimes, we do a secondary fermentation since we find it gives the kefir a better flavor. I'll add some fruit so the kefir will take on some of those flavors. Another option is to make a smoothie. Or you could, of course, also drink it straight. :) 5. (optional) Sometimes, we do a secondary fermentation since we find it gives the kefir a better flavor. I'll add some fruit so the kefir will take on some of those flavors. Another option is to make a smoothie. Or you could, of course, also drink it straight. :)
Morsels of Life - Kefir Step 6 - (optional) Sometimes we add in some chia seeds too. I'd recommend adding chia seeds after the secondary fermentation if you're doing one since they tend to taste quite bitter if you let them go through the secondary fermentation. 6. (optional) Sometimes we add in some chia seeds too. I'd recommend adding chia seeds after the secondary fermentation if you're doing one since they tend to taste quite bitter if you let them go through the secondary fermentation.

Morsels of Life - Kefir - Considered by many to be one of the healthiest fermented foods, find out how to make your own kefir! It's surprisingly easy. :)

14 comments:

  1. What a great topic! Like you, I thought it would be pretty difficult to make. I always tend to be intimidated of making foods that are created by methods I'm unfamiliar with. I might just have to suck it up and try this one out:-)

    I found you on Janice's Mostly Blogging site! So glad I did.

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  2. I'm the same way! I'm glad I got to try making my own kefir - turns out it's really simple. :)

    Glad to have you here! :)

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  3. I made kefir for the first time last year & really enjoyed it! I couldn't keep up with the amount of milk I needed to buy, though, so I had to let it go. My favorite was the batch I flavored with mulling spices. It was delicious poured over a bowl of apple crisp!

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  4. Making some with mulling spices sounds delightful! I'm definitely wanting to try that flavor! :)

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  5. I have been learning about water kefir all week and just love it. This milk version looks wonderful and I especially like the second fermentation. Thank you for sharing at the Recipe Swap.

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  6. The second fermentation really adds a nice flavor! We're enjoying strawberries in the second fermentation currently. :)

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  7. Hi CJ,
    I make my own raw yogurt from raw milk but I have not tried Kefir. I have thought about it but wasn't sure that I could tolerate it - I was under the understand that it was much stronger than yogurt and if your were digestive system was sensitive it could cause you to react to it. It that true or not? This does sound easier than I ever thought. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. PInned & twitted.

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  8. Hi Marla,

    Raw yogurt sounds wonderful! I wish we could get raw milk around here. Kefir does tend to have a higher concentration of probiotics than yogurt, so I can see how a sensitive digestive system might react. I think there may be an acclimation period at the beginning, but after your gut got used to the kefir, you should be ok. It took me a few days, and after that time, the probiotics in the kefir should help to strengthen your digestive system, from what I understand. However, I started off drinking probably too much at once, so maybe if you start with just a bit, you'll be ok. :) Kefir's super easy to make - definitely much easier than yogurt! Hope you enjoy. :)

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  9. Great post! Pinned and tweeted. We truly appreciate you taking the time to be a part of our party. Please stop by and party with us again. The party starts Monday at 7 pm and ends on Friday at 7 pm. Happy Sunday! Lou Lou Girls

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  10. Thanks! I'll try to stop by again. :)

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  11. I have never tried to make this. Thanks for the detailed instructions! :-)

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  12. We just love Kefir and your recipe looks fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday, and hope you have a great day.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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  13. It's pretty simple once you try it, and much more economical than buying kefir by the liter! Let me know how it works for you. :)

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  14. I hope you enjoy it! We like customizing it based on what we like, and it's definitely much more economical than buying as much of it as we do. :)

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