everything about kefir grains, how to make kefir

how to make kefir culture

kefirgrainshowto — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:41:09 +0000

Time and temperature are the two most important factors that affect how your kefir will look and taste. During the summer months, kefir may be ready to drink in 17 to 18 hours. If you let your kefir sit too long at summer temperatures, it will first become thick and eventually start turning into cheese and whey. If your kefir is “lumpy” and too sour, you are definitely leaving it out too long. It should be creamy, slightly thickened and “drinkable”…a little thicker than milk. Taste your kefir to know when it is ready and don’t let it get too tart. When it is just right, shake it well and place it into your refrigerator. Kefir will often thicken a little more in the fridge, since it is continuing to culture, but at a much slower pace. During the colder months of winter, your home will likely be 10 or more degrees cooler. It will take more time for your kefir to culture at these temperatures. Since people live all over the United States and the weather varies so much depending on location, you will need to check each batch until you know what is the best for you. With each batch you make, adjust the time until you get it just the way you like it.

When you make a transfer of a small amount of kefir into fresh milk or fresh juice, the strength of the culture and the amount of kefir you transfer will affect how quickly the new batch is ready. If you transfer too much kefir your product may culture too fast and become too sour for you, so be careful.

article source:http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/category/culturing-products-kefir-culture-starter.php

What is the difference between yogurt and kefir

kefirgrainshowto — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:38:21 +0000

Kefir contains around thirty strains of beneficial yeasts and bacteria. To make kefir, obtain some kefir grains and place them in milk. They look like gelatinous globs which resemble cauliflower.

Yogurt has some bacteria and yeast, but not nearly as much.

Here’s the best site I’ve found about kefir, it’s qualities, how to make kefir, and everything else you want to know.

http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefi…

I went to ebay to get my grains. I bought them from this seller

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Yemoos-Nouri…

I received them within days in excellent condition. You can also check out various websites online. I had no idea ebay listed such items and I was glad I checked it out!

As for the above poster, don’t trust anything on kefir.net or BodyEcology. It’s a site that sells kefir powder which you add to milk. Their product isn’t true kefir. BodyEcology sells a product which consists of some of the strains of yeasts and bacteria which kefir contains, however it’s not a living “grain”.

Kefir grains are a symbiotic relationship between yeasts and bacteria. They help each other out and produce the jelly-like mass which is a kefir grain.

BodyEcology “kefir” doesn’t produce this kefir mass. It’s not true kefir. Kefir grains will last you the rest of your life, provided you give them milk. The powder that BodyEcology sells dies off after a while.

Also about the www.yourkefirsource.com link, don’t trust it either. You are taken to a guy from Germany who sells kefir grains. I bought some from him. They were alive, or rather “it” was alive…. What I received in the mail was an envelope with a small plastic ziplock baggy inside. Within the bag was a FLATTENED piece of kefir culture. Sure, it produced kefir, however it was flat and I only got a total of about a quarter-sized amount!

I’m not trying to push you to buy them from the ebay seller, however I received WHOLE kefir grains from them. They put them in a double plastic baggie inside a foil package inside a box. I put that packet into milk and it produced kefir within 12 hours, I didn’t have to wait 24. They really give you a generous amount.

Michael-Paul Patterson does send you kefir, but only a fraction of what you’d get from other sellers (plus they don’t smoosh it!)

I hate to digress……
Also on Michael Patterson’s site, I saw a video of some “liver/kidney” cleanse in which you drink a half cup of olive oil and lemon juice and then lay down and go to sleep. It’s supposed to “cleanse” your kidneys and stuff. The video showed stuff floating in the toilet bowl. They were supposed to be kidney stones, but they weren’t. According to numerous online sites, those “kidney stones” were soap stones. The acids in your stomach, combined with the fats in the oil and the acidity of the lemon juice actually created soap! Those weren’t stones like he said they were, he is misleading people!

Anyway, enough digressing, buy your grains from someone else, they’ll be healthier and happier!

article source:http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090822174539AAFR8KD

difference between yogurt and kefir

kefirgrainshowto — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:35:38 +0000

Kefir vs Yogurt

Kefir and Yogurt are milk products, which are cultured. Many think Kefir and Yogurt to be the same. Though Kefir and yogurt have similar taste and other similar properties, these two milk products are not the same.

One of the differences that can be seen between Kefir and yogurt is in the fermentation process. While Kefir is fermented with yeast and bacteria, Yogurt is fermented only with bacteria.

Though both Kefir and yogurt contains bacteria, the former contains more friendly bacteria than the other. Yogurt has transient beneficial bacteria, which helps in keeping the digestive system clean. It also provides food to the other friendly bacteria that are present in the digestive system. On the other hand, Kefir helps to colonize intestinal tract, which Yogurt cannot.

Another difference that can be noticed is that Kefir’s yeast and bacteria combination has more nutritional value than Yogurt. Kefir also helps to keep the colon clean and healthy.

Considering the digestion, Kefir is easily digested than Yogurt. As the Kefir curd size is smaller to that of Yogurt, it becomes easier to get digested. This makes it more a favorite dish to the babies and elderly people.

Another difference that can be seen between the two milk products is that Yogurt can be made by ‘inoculating’ fresh milk with another batch of yogurt. On the other hand, this is not possible with Kefir.

Though there are certain similarities between Yogurt and Kefir in taste and texture, Kefir comes much thinner and can be drunk easily.

Both Kefir and Yogurt have Turkish origin. Kefir means “to froth” and Yogurt in Turkish means “dense” or “thick”.

Summary

1. Kefir is fermented with yeast and bacteria. Yogurt is fermented only with bacteria.

2. Kefir has more nutritional values than Yogurt.

3. Though both Kefir and yogurt contains bacteria, the former contains more friendly bacteria than the other.

4. Kefir helps to colonize intestinal tract. Yogurt has transient beneficial bacteria, which keeps digestive system clean. It also provides food to the other friendly bacteria that are present in the digestive system.

5. As the Kefir curd size is smaller to that of Yogurt, it becomes easier to get digested.

6. Yogurt can be made by ‘inoculating’ fresh milk with another batch of yogurt. On the other hand, this is not possible with Kefir.

article source:http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/difference-between-kefir-and-yogurt/

Body Ecology Kefir Starter

kefirgrainshowto — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:32:47 +0000

Kefir has many benefits including better digestion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, and has been known for thousands of years for its anti-aging and immune enhancing properties.

* Kefir is an ancient cultured food rich in amino acids, enzymes, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins. Kefir means “feel good” in Turkish, and that’s just how you’ll feel after drinking a glass in the morning! Easy and fun to make at home, it is superior to commercial yogurt. An absolute must after antibiotic use!

* Unlike yogurt, kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract and is simple and fun to make at home.

article source:http://www.whole-food-vitamins.net/organic.php?product=Body%20Ecology%20Kefir%20Starter

coconut water kefir grains

kefirgrainshowto — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:29:01 +0000

I make young coconut kefir regularly — however I use water (sugar) kefir grains, not milk grains. I think it’s tricky to transition the milk grains, but the water grains do OK, especially if you alternate the grains occasionally to a regular water kefir recipe that will give the grains the nutrition they need to keep growing.

I ferment just the water, so as not to have issues with coconut meat getting mixed up with the grains (been there, done that!). I ferment the meat separately, by blending it with just enough of the coconut kefir to make a nice creamy consistency. Then it ferments very quickly – no grains necessary (don’t overfill this jar for sure — been there, done that too!).

Now I add fresh ginger juice to the coconut water and my water kefir recipes too. Not only does it taste great (a bit like ginger ale or even ginger beer), and the ginger certainly adds health benefits, but the grains seem to like this as well. I think it acts as a natural retardant for some of the less beneficial strains (sometimes I found my coconut kefir becoming a little too yeasty if I left it unrefrigerated for too long).

Oh, also, it’s easy to find the soft-spot on the bottom of the coconut if you take a good serrated knife and slice off a couple of thin layers of the shell off the bottom. You’ll be able to see one or more small rings where the spot is, and the point of the knife can easily penetrate it to make a large enough opening to drain the water.

article source:http://tribes.tribe.net/fabulousfermentation/thread/de42a930-bfea-43d1-8538-92f0f42eb374

how to grow kefir grains and kefir culture grains

kefirgrainshowto — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:22:31 +0000

Production of traditional kefir requires kefir grains which are a gelatinous community of bacteria and yeasts. Kefir grains contain a water soluble polysaccharide known as kefiran that imparts a rope-like texture and feeling in one’s mouth. Kefir grains cannot be produced from scratch, but the grains grow during fermentation, and additional grains are produced. Kefir grains can be bought or donated by other growers. Kefir grains appear white to yellow and are usually the size of a walnut, but may be as small as a grain of rice.

article source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

Drying Kefir Grains

kefirgrainshowto — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:19:02 +0000

Drying Kefir Grains
Kefir grains may be dehydrated for long term storage of up to 12 to 18 months.
To dehydrate fresh kefir grains, rinse the grains with pre-boiled COOLED water. To remove excess moisture, pat-dry the grains between a pre-ironed cooled white terry towel. Place the grains in between two sheets of pre-ironed white cotton or linen cloth. Leave to dry in a well ventilated warm spot, until the grains become quite firm and yellow in colour. Depending on temperature, humidity and size of the grains, drying may take between two to five days for all the grains to completely dehydrate. Place the dry grains in an airtight jar and store in a cool place e.g., in the refrigerator [do not freeze]. I add a little dry milk powder [DMP] with dehydrated kefir grains, adding enough DMP to completely cover the grains in a jar or in a zip lock plastic bag. Dehydrated kefir grains may be stored for up to 18 months. Although I have discovered that my method of adding DMP, dehydrated kefir grains can remain viable for up to 6 years.

article source:http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php?topic=5541.0

Freezing Kefir Grains, storing water kefir grains

kefirgrainshowto — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:16:38 +0000

Freezing Kefir Grains
One method for storing kefir grains for periods of up to 2 months, is by freezing the grains. To freeze kefir grains effectively, wash the grains with pre-boiled then COOLED water, pat them dry between pre-ironed cooled white towel to remove excess moisture. Place the grains in a jar or in a plastic bag, with the addition of dry milk powder [do not add fresh milk or other water based liquids]. Add enough dry milk powder [DMP] to completely cover the grains, seal the jar or the bag and then freeze. DMP is added as a protective agent. Although I’ve found that kefir grains are viable for up to one year when using this method, this length of time may completely remove the yeast component found in healthy kefir grains [when frozen for longer than 2 months, but not specifically]. Because of this potential, freezing kefir grains as explained above, is best performed for a period of no longer than 2 months. If DMP is omitted with the kefir grains, then a period of no longer than 1 month is recommended. Otherwise the yeast component of kefir grains may become damaged, especially so if thawed and frozen due to poor freezing conditions or poor freezer mechanism of the refrigerator or freezer.

article source:http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php?topic=5541.0

kefir health benefits

kefirgrainshowto — Wed, 19 May 2010 02:11:45 +0000

Kefir has antimutagenic and antioxidant properties, and can possibly be used to prevent mutagenic and oxidative damage in the human body. One can change the nutrient content by simply fermenting for shorter or longer periods. Both stages have different health benefits. For instance, kefir over-ripened (which increases the sour taste) significantly increases folic acid content. Kefir also aids in lactose digestion as a catalyst. The kefiran in kefir has been shown to suppress an increase in blood pressure and reduce serum cholesterol levels in rats. This does not necessarily imply the same for humans.

article source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

what is kefir grains and where do kefir grains come from

kefirgrainshowto — Mon, 17 May 2010 02:09:33 +0000

Kefir (alternately kefīrs, keefir, kephir, kewra, talai, mudu kekiya, milkkefir, búlgaros), purportedly from either the Turkish “keyif” (joy/pleasure) or “köpür” ((milk) froth, foam), is a fermented milk drink that originated with shepherds of the Caucasus region, who discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into an effervescent beverage. It is prepared by inoculating cow, goat, or sheep’s milk with kefir grains. Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a doorway; the bag would be knocked by anyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well mixed. Dairy-free alternatives are available, such as coconut milk kefir and soy milk kefir.

Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars. This symbiotic matrix forms “grains” that resemble cauliflower. Many different bacteria and yeasts are found in the kefir grains, which are a complex and highly variable community of micro-organisms.

Traditional kefir is fermented at ambient temperatures, generally overnight. Fermentation of the lactose yields a sour, carbonated, slightly alcoholic beverage, with a consistency similar to thin yoghurt. Kefir fermented by small-scale dairies early in the 20th century achieved alcohol levels between 1 and 2 percent, but kefir made commercially with modern methods of production has less than 1% alcohol, possibly due to reduced fermentation time.

Variations that thrive in various other liquids exist. They may vary markedly from kefir in both appearance and microbial composition. Water kefir (or kefir d’acqua) is grown in water with sugar (sometimes with added dry fruit such as figs, and lemon juice) for a day or more at room temperature.

article source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir