Milk kefir was my very first fermented food that I started out with. I recommend it for anyone who is thinking about adding some gut healthy probiotics into their daily diet. Milk kefir grains are very forgiving!
What is Milk Kefir?
Milk kefir is a fermented dairy product that uses milk (whole, raw, almond, or oat, but not ultra pasteurized milk) and kefir grains. The fermentation process creates tons of probiotics and healthy gut bacteria.
Why?
If you are looking to improve your gut health, boost your immune system, or a cheaper way to take daily live probiotics, you should give this a try.
Milk kefir gets bonus points for being incredibly affordable.
How I make my milk kefir
- Place the kefir grains in a half gallon mason jar and fill the jar close to the top with milk. I loosely cover the jar and set on the counter, far way from any other ferments.
- Allow the jar to sit for anywhere from 12-48 hours. Depending on my patience level, the temperature of the house, and sour tolerance. (the longer it sits the more sour it will be and more probiotics there will be)
- When the milk in the jar changes to a buttermilk consistency or the whey starts to separate, I strain off the kefir grains. I use a non metal spoon to move the grains back and forth in the strainer until all the milk kefir is through and all that is left is the kefir grains.
- I place the kefir grains back into the half gallon jar and cover again with milk, for another ferment.
- I use the milk kefir up!
What I make with milk kefir
Mainly I make smoothies, but we also make salad dressings, sauces, and popsicles.
A few things to keep in mind…
- If you want to take a break from making kefir, place the grains in a glass jar, cover with milk, close with a lid, and place in the refrigerator to slow the fermentation process. (You will need to repeat this every week you don’t want to make any kefir)
- DO NOT ferment on your counters with a tight lid. The fermentation process creates pressure and it will explode.
- Your grains will multiply over times. The more grains to milk ratio the faster the fermentation process will be.
I hope you found this helpful and possibly encourages you to give milk kefir a try. You can purchase milk kefir grains from a variety of places online. Sites like culturesforhealth.com or etsy are a great place to look.
Thank-you so much for taking time out of your day to hang out here!
A few interesting articles on Milk Kefir benefits:
https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/milk-kefir/milk-kefir-grains-composition-bacteria-yeast/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4854945/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180425131909.htm