Laurie4b Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Do you make your own kefir? Is it hard? If not, could you walk me through it step-by-step? Where do you get the grains or powder to start it with? I would like to drink more kefir, but it's expensive to buy the amount I'd like to drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I make my own from grains. My mom gave me the grains when hers grew too big. You can order grains online or see if you can find someone local who will share with you. Mine multiply like crazy and I'm always trying to convince friends to try it so I can pass them on! It's super easy to do. Just put the grains in a jar and pour on milk. Leave the covered jar on the counter for about 24 hours and then strain off the kefir. Add more milk and start over. I've done more time and less and it doesn't seem to matter. It separates if you leave it too long but I just mix it up and we still use it. (I'm guessing that's ok. It's never bothered us.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 You can get dehydrated grains from Cultures for Health (don't order off amazon though sometimes they aren't authentic). It comes with directions on how to rehydrate them and use them and there is a lot of good info on their site. Milk kefir is pretty simple to make thankfully! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasperstone Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I got fresh ones through ebay! They arrived in a pouch sealed well. I had to leave them in the fridge for awhile before starting though, and the first batch tasted a bit funny. But after that they went mad. My kids thought that one day they would drown in the stuff. I ended up going on holidays and putting it in the freezer, but they must have died as they never revived after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 My friend gave me some, but I don't know if I'm doing it right. lol They have not multiplied though I have had them almost a month. I do a second ferment when I strain off the kefir and add some fruit and leave it on the counter covered for another day. It is very sour, and only one of my kids will drink it. I am open to any tips. Time has been limited lately so I have not been able to research it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I had kefir for several months but my grains died during a power outage and I haven't gotten around to getting new ones. I got mine from an organic farm but I have heard good things about Cultures for Health. They have detailed instructions on their website. It is very easy to do. My husband and I loved it. Kids, not so much, though they would use it in smoothies occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 We make it, I asked in a local homeschool group & someone had some to share. My dh is lactose intolerant, but can drink kefir. I also make sour kefir (like sour cream) by using heavy cream instead of milk and if you make kefir & it does separate, you can strain off the whey & make like a ricotta cheese. I make a ranch dressing with either that my dh can have. It's saved us a lot of money making it now. If u are on facebook, a good group to join is Wild Fermentation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I tried brewing milk kefir, but I couldn't get past the sour milk taste. I think I may have been using the wrong type of milk for it to taste good (like store bought). I am now brewing water kefir, which is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I've been making it for about a year. Definitely super easy! I use a large mason jar (I make 5 cups at a time, so I use a 2 quart jar). Put the grains in the jar, pour the milk in and cover the jar with a coffee filter and screw on the metal ring to hold the filter on (fermentation produces gas which needs to escape). Put the jar in a cupboard or somewhere at room temp out of direct sunlight. 24 hours later, strain the kefir through a plastic or stainless strainer (no metal) into a large bowl or pyrex, leaving only the grains in the strainer. Plop the grains back into the mason jar, pour in fresh milk, put on a new coffee filter, and you're done. You don't need to wash the mason jar every time. I wash mine about once a week, usually when I pick out the grains that have gotten too big. Those I either give away, throw out, or blend into a smoothie. The only way ds17 will drink kefir is as a smoothie with strawberries and sugar. Blending in the extra grains makes it quite gelatinous, which he likes for some reason. Keep the smoothie in the fridge and drink within 24 hours, preferably the same day, because the mixture can start to ferment and taste like paint if you keep it too long. Straight kefir will keep in the fridge for a couple of months. I also use kefir in any recipe calling for buttermilk. Pancakes, biscuits, muffins...it's a great way to use up any extra kefir you may end up with. You can leave the grains, covered with fresh milk, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks if you are out of town. They will go dormant and it may take a couple of batches for them to get back to normal. Just don't do this too often, as they can become damaged over repeated refrigeration. The key to maintaining kefir grains is consistency. The process is very simple, and if you stick with it, you'll have yummy kefir all the time :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Easy and worth doing at home. Here is Dom's Kefir website: http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html Can be slightly overwhelming but he has step by step instructions and much more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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