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Homemade Kefir: a forgotten superfood

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a picture of kefir on a table
Kefir, the forgotten superfood and unsung hero of the past, is the future to naturally provide probiotics and rich nutrition for your family. 

In today’s culture, fermentation is limited to beer and sourdough (delicious, I get it), but there is so much more in the world of fermentation!

Fermentation was a way of preserving food for thousands of years and although it was a necessity for our ancestors, it provided them immense health benefits that we have since realized.

Kefir uses a fermentation process which allows good bacteria to eat the sugars and increase healthy cultures. It is a wonderful natural probiotic with amazing gut healing properties— it has been know to improve digestion, heal the gut wall, and packed with vitamin K. It also has a high protein count (over 10 grams per 8 oz glass) making it the perfect healthy snack. Kefir also contains 30%+ of your daily value of calcium and Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) which is found in many anti-aging skin care products. Also, many people who have dairy allergies can tolerate Kefir because of the unique cultures in it which “eats” the lactose within the milk.

Needless to say, we all need more Kefir in our life! Yes, you can find it in most grocery stores now but for a hefty price tag and laden with sugars. But did you know you can make it yourself for a fraction of the cost? It is incredibly easy and can be used for SO MANY things.

Below you will find and easy how-to of making your own at home. Stay tuned for more recipes using Kefir on the blog, and not just for your family, but for your animals too!

Don’t forget to buy your kefir grains first! These are my favorite supplies:
(Buy your mason jars locally- so much cheaper than Amazon!)

Homemade Kefir

Prep Time5 mins
Fermentation1 d
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Keyword: grassfed, healthy, homemade, natural, organic, probiotic, rawmilk, whole30

Equipment

  • mesh strainer
  • ½ Gallon Mason Jar
  • baking spatula

Materials

  • ½ gallon raw or low temp pasteurized milk grass-fed, organic
  • 1-2 tbsp organic kefir grains

Instructions

Fermenting your milk

  • Take your fresh kefir grains and place them into your half gallon jar
  • Pour in your half gallon raw, grass-fed, organic milk
  • Place loose cover on top and let the milk ferment for 24 hours in a warm place in your kitchen (if they are new grains, the first few batches may take 36 hours or if your house is below 70°).
  • You will notice the whey (clear yellow liquid) begin to separate from the milk and grains. This means your milk is fermented.

Straining your grains

  • Place your mesh strainer over a bowl, glass, or blender (for easy smoothie making).
  • Carefully pour your kefir into the strainer gently massaging the grains in the strainer to allow kefir to pass through
  • Continue pouring this method until all kefir is strained and you are left with your kefir grains in your strainer.
  • Take those grains and place them back into the ½ half gallon jar with more milk to make more kefir
    OR
    Carefully rinse your grains with filtered water in your strainer then refrigerate in a sealed container up to a week until ready to make more.

Enjoy plain or mix into your favorite smoothie recipe!

    Notes

    There is great debate on whether using a metal mesh strainer is acceptable with kefir because metal can react with the grains. Through my extensive research, many have used stainless steel strainers for years without any harm to their grains. If you have a nylon strainer use that. If you have a stainless steel mesh strainer, then it should work just as well (I use one!)
    If a half gallon of Kefir is too much, you can always make less. Just be mindful the more kefir grains you have, the quicker your milk will ferment when making less kefir.
    a picture of kefir on a table

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