How To: Make your own Kefir!

*NOTE: I will be adding photos to this post during my next batch, so it won't always be empty.*

These instructions are what I follow. I got them from the farm I buy my raw milk from. There are other instructions to be found on the net. They are all very similar to this. What I like about the instructions from "The Family Cow" farm is that it is very 1, 2, 3 -- very step by step which is how I like it. It's a list. I LOVE LISTS!

What you will need:

• Jar or Crock (We prefer a stoneware crock)
• Real Kefir Grains
• Raw Milk (Preferably from Certified Organic Jersey! :) )
• Cloth or towel
• Colander or strainer (holes should be about 1/16th in diameter)
• Bowl
• Wooden spoon or spatula

To start the process:

1. Place the entire contents of "Kefir Starter Grains" into the crock or jar.
2. Pour 1 quart of milk over grains. (Keep down 1" or so from rim as milk will expand)
3. Cover with a cloth or towel to keep flies/dirt out but still let oxygen in.
4. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours to culture. Do not set in sunlight.
5. Stir cultured Kefir to break up the thickness to make it easier to strain. Do not be alarmed at the curdled look of the kefir. Curds are a perfectly normal part of cheese, yogurt, and kefir making.
6. Set the colander on top of the bowl and pour the kefir into it. Use the spoon to help the kefir through. Do not rinse the grains after you strain them. In fact, it would be better to leave a few curds with them.
7. Return the grains to the fermentation crock to be ready for the next batch. After several batches, you'll notice that you have more grains than you started with. When you have 1 cup or more, you may start culturing 1/2 a gallon at a time... or, find a friend who wants some kefir grains. *NOTE: I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I HAVE SOME READY FOR THOSE THAT WANT THEM, AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE*
8. Place the freshly strained Kefir in the refrigerator to chill.
9. Puree your choice of fruit (frozen is best) in a food processor or blender. Then add the chilled kefir along with sugar, maple syrup. (I PREFER HONEY) or other sweetener to suit your taste. It is totally up to you to decide how sweet you like it or what flavors to add. We enjoy banana, peach, strawberry, blueberry, nectarine, orange, apricot or even a blend of several. Your imagination is the limit.

Kefir Smoothie - Honey, Banana and Strawberry. I used the food processor.

(Mothers, try freezing cool pops with Kefir instead of kool-aid. Your children will love them!... or freeze a pan of kefir and then process the frozen Kefir with frozen fruit, and a little extra sugar. (It tastes almost exactly like sherbet.)

To start the next batch: Place the grains in the fermentation jar, refill it with milk and repeat the whole process.

To take a short break from kefir making: Place the grains in a small container, cover with milk, cover container with a paper towel or cloth secured by a rubber band, and refrigerate. The cold temperatures will only allow a very slow fermentation. Important: Change the milk every week so the probiotic bacteria do not starve. The first batch or so will take longer than 24 hours to ferment til the grains get revived from their dormancy.

To take a long break: Rinse the grains with water and lay them on a paper towel to dry. When they are totally dry, place the grains in a container and store in your kitchen cupboard. They have been known to keep up to 2 or 3 years like this. When you are ready to start again, simply place the grains in milk like you would for a normal batch of kefir. The first batch will take longer than 24 hours to ferment til the grains get fully re-hydrated and revived.

To find Kefir grains near you: http://www.torontoadvisors.com/Kefir/kefir-list.php

If you use an antibacterial soap or something like Clorox to wash the container (WHICH IS NOT A GOOD IDEA) you are using for fermenting, be VERY careful to rinse it well as any residuals will KILL the grains. it is actually NOT necessary to wash your fermentation jar every time. The little bit of kefir left on the inside will help start the next batch.

Happy Kefir Making!

Interesting Study: Google "Health/Kefir"

What is it? :: Kefir

What it is?
It is probably one of the most ancient of all cultured milk products. Simply put, it's cultured milk like yogurt or sour cream. Unlike either it is fermented with it's culture. Cow, goat or sheep's milk is used most often. A culture is added, a SCOBY (Symbiotic Cooperation of Bacteria and Yeast), called Kefir Grains. the SCOBY mass looks like grains.

Kefir is made from gelatinous white or yellow particles called “grains.” This makes kefir unique, as no other milk culture forms grains. These grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and complex sugars. They look like pieces of coral or small clumps of cauliflower and range from the size of a grain of wheat to that of a hazelnut. Some of the grains have been known to grow in large flat sheets that can be big enough to cover your hand!. The grains ferment the milk, incorporating their friendly organisms to create the cultured product. The grains are then removed with a strainer before consumption of the kefir and added to a new batch of milk.

Brief History of Kefir:
The shepherds of the Caucasus Region carried milk in leather pouches. The noticed that it occasionally fermented into something that was carbonated and tasty. They would hang these bags on their doors, and people walking by would knock the bag, keeping the culture and milk well mixed.

The drink is world wide. As populations spread out, the new smaller groups kept their food culture.

According to http://www.kefir.biz/history.htm

"Amongst the people of the northern slopes of the Caucasian Mountains there is a legend that Mohammed gave kefir grains to the Orthodox people and taught them how to make kefir. The 'Grains of the Prophet’ were guarded jealously since it was believed that they would lose their strength if the grains were given away and the secret of how to use them became common knowledge.

Kefir grains were regarded as part of the family's and tribe's wealth and they were passed on from generation to generation.
So, for centuries the people of the northern Caucasus enjoyed this food without sharing it with anyone else they came into contact with.
Other peoples occasionally heard strange tales of this unusual beverage which was said to have ‘magical’ properties. Marco Polo mentioned kefir in the chronicles of his travels in the East."

There is a much more detailed and thorough history on the site mentioned above.

Chock full o stuffFull of minerals, vitamins and amino acids

• Contains partially digested proteins which can be used by the body easier.
• Contains tryptophan, calcium and magnesium -- keeping you calmer, less stressed and your nervous system healthy.
• Has phosphorus to help our bodies use carbs, fat and proteins to make cells & energy, and for body maintenance.
• B12, B1m Vitamin K, Biotin. -- Aids in the utilization of other B Vitamins like folic acid, pantothenic acid as well as B12.
• Aids in kidney, liver and nervous system health, relief from skin disorders, increased energy.
• Easily digestable
• Cleans intestines
• Beneficial bacteria and yeast
• Balanced, Complete, Wholesome, and Nourishing food
• Promotes immune system health
• Has been used in the treatment of a multitude of disorders including AIDS, CFS, depression and ADHD.
• May help relieve digestive problems and make your inner ecosystem healthier.
• May also help to relieve cravings for unhealthy foods like sweets.

Sounds odd, I know. I did to me to. I mean really, fermented milk? GROSS! But really, it's not. Cheese, yogurt, sour cream, butter milk... Those are all cultured milk products that we use every day. People have been making and using kefir in their own homes, long before refrigeration and sanitation standards. Even now, the health benefits have reached the world over, and into the local super market. You can find cultures as well as premade kefir drinks in your dairy section of most grocery or health food stores.

I found powdered culture at my natural food store, and kefired a whole quart! I wasn't sure of it at first. It was unfamiliar. I threw in a tablespoon of honey and let it warm up a bit. It was fizzy and sweet from the honey, tangy like yogurt, and thick like a smoothie. YUM! 

It's only been a week and I can't wait to have my next glass in the morning. I'm not sure if I truly feel a difference to write home about, but it doesn't suck. It's a great thing to have in the morning for the pick me up with your coffee.

By the way, it makes a KILLER smoothie, with some fruit and honey.

References:

http://www.kefir.biz
http://www.kefir.net

What is it? :: Kombucha Tea

"Kombucha is an effervescent tea-based beverage that is often consumed for its anecdotal health benefits or medicinalpurposes. Kombucha is available commercially and can be made at home by fermenting tea using a visible, solid mass ofyeast and bacteria which forms the kombucha culture, often referred to as 酵母 (kombo, lit. "yeast mother", see etymology for disambiguation with 昆布, kombu, kelp)."

This bubbly is made by the fermentation of tea.  It has been said to have medicinal properties. For thousands of years cultures around the world understood the value of fermented foods and beverages, but I'll get deeper into fermentation in a different post. This drink is no different.

This drink is ancient. It has been around for thousands of years, was and is still used by many cultures around the world. There are many stories about it's origin... one of which;

"Iit was invented in the Qin Dynasty (220BC) for the Emperor Qinshi Huangdi.  The Chinese are famed for their quest for all manner of longevity elixirs. From Kombucha to Chinese medicine, the Chinese have always looked to nature to cure what ails them. At that time it was called “The Tea of Immortality.”  Chá (茶) is the Chinese word for tea.  In China, Kombucha has been called “Sea Treasure” (海寶), “Stomach Treasure” (胃寶) and “Sea Mushroom”(海蘑菇). Today, it goes by the names hongchajun 红茶菌 (literally “red tea bacteria/fungus/yeast”), hongchagu 红茶菇 (“red tea mushroom”), or chameijun 茶霉菌 (“tea mold”).  During the Cultural Revolution, every household had a pot of Kombucha brewing, but it has fallen out of the daily routine of the modern Chinese lifestyle."

Japan, China, Russia, throughout Eastern Europe, even ancient Egypt... So many countries, so little time. With so many cultures creating Kombucha, there is no doubt that it would have many names...

"* The Remedy of Immortality
* Kombucha Fungus
* Gout Jelly-fish
* Hongo
* Tea Mould
* Indian Tea Fungus
* Japanese Tea Fungus
* Kambotscha
* Koucha kinoko
* Manchu Fungus
* Manchurian Mushroom
* Teekwass Fungus"

To name just a few, *giggles*

Like wine into vinegar, or milk into an aged cheese, it all begins with a culture. This one is made up of both yeast and bacteria. In fact the culture is sometimes referred to as "Mother of Vinegar." As in making vinegar, the culture forms a mass, sometimes called a mushroom. Also known as SCOBY which is an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, can contain several species of yeast and bacteria. The bacteria combats the natural alcohol by product produced by the yeast, which like in beer, gives it, it's effervescence.

Unfortunately, the scientific study on the health benefits is rather limited, however some claim it is a miracle drink. The list of medicinal properties is rather long, but among these is: digestive aid, cancer recovery, sharpens eyesight, and joint recovery.

It's even been said that Kombucha is great for detoxification. The enzyme glucuronic acid is used by the liver to remove toxicity from the body.

"The idea that glucuronic acid is present in kombucha is based on the observation that glucuronic acid conjugates (glucuronic acid waste chemicals) are increased in the urine after consumption. Early chemical analysis of kombucha brew suggested glucuronic acid was the key component, and researchers hypothesized the extra glucuronic acid would assist the liver by supplying more of the substance during detoxification. These analyses were done using gas chromatography to identify the different chemical constituents, but this method relies on having proper chemical standards^{[citation needed]} to match to the unknown chemicals."

Have you ever tried Kombucha? Tell me about your experience with it.

Until next time, kittens.


References:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha
2. http://www.kombuchakamp.com