Homemade Kefir
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 kefirORCarefully 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.