Help! Kefir Grains?

[Janne]

Wikipedia has a good write-up. Very interesting bacteria/yeast community.

The Better Half discovered that we can indeed buy a Kefir colture here on Island. Freeze dried.
It is called Yogourmet and it is from Canada!

O you can give it a go!

 

[Herbalist1]

Hi folks
My kefir grains have grown so much that I know have more than I can use.
Would rather pass some on than throw some away if anyone is interested.
Kefir is very versatile - as well as a probiotic drink, I've used it to make a soft cheese and to produce a sourdough starter.

 

[Sundowner]

Well, I'd never heard of it up until now, but having to take Omeprazole daily, and suffering IBS sometimes, I think I'll give it a go. Breakfast for me at the moment is kiwi, blueberries, banana, Chia seed, and live yogurt. Sometimes with a handful of granola to keep me going longer.

I'm just researching how it's made and used, and trying to find the right grains to start it off. I see what you mean about sourcing grains, there are a lot of companies out there.

My Polish neighbours had an earthenware pot in the kitchen that they allowed milk to ferment in, I wonder if that's a similar thing?

My dad used to do that milk but called it "stocked milk" . It was eaten ice cold with pasta. In summer of course 😁
I also would like to make soft cheese again but for the last 33 yrs in England I never came across it😕

 

[Sundowner]

We used to make soft cheese with Kefir in Germany when I was young. I particularly liked the paprika and chive flavour on rye thread
Now I'm going to have to find a bit of kefir. See what happens when you read stuff on this forum???

 

[Sundowner]

Hi folks
My kefir grains have grown so much that I know have more than I can use.
Would rather pass some on than throw some away if anyone is interested.
Kefir is very versatile - as well as a probiotic drink, I've used it to make a soft cheese and to produce a sourdough starter.

Whereabouts are you in N.Y.? Do you keep it in milk?

 

[Herbalist1]

Hi Sundowner,
Im in Settle.

Ive dehydrated my excess kefir grains so am happy to pass some on to you if you like. They should re-hydrate nicely. If they don't I'd be happy to pass on some fresh grains when mine have multiplied again. Yes I keep the fresh gains in milk.

Probably be week after next before I can post some out to you (next week is half term hols), but if you pm me your address, I'll get some in the post to you then.
Cheers.

 

[Stew]

Necro thread....

I've seen that Yeo Valley are selling pots of kefir. Might actually get round to trying some now!

 

[Toddy]

Stew, I can't stop the blasted stuff growing. Himself bought a teaspoonful of 'grains' and I duly fed it milk.....I've made gallons of the stuff, I've passed grains onto at least ten other folks. I freeze small batches of them when Himself has had enough (I can't digest dairy well, kefir's a no for me) and re-start it when he fancies it again.
It loves full fat milk, but it'll do fine in skimmed.
The supermarket prices are crazy for what is just fermented milk. It's no harder to make than yoghurt.

M

 

[Janne]

Maybe it has bern said, but you can store kefir grains in a pot of clean water in the fridge for a week or so, until you have eaten up the Kefir you have.

 

[Nice65]

Necro thread....

I've seen that Yeo Valley are selling pots of kefir. Might actually get round to trying some now!

It’s often in the refrigerated Eastern European section of supermarkets along with the sausages and cheeses at much better prices. I’m led to believe mass produced kefir isn’t as good as that from established grains that are kept alive, that it’s brewed in a one off batch using new grains each time.

 

[Stew]

I'm not surprised that brewing your own is better health wise but it's that case of trying before committing, as it were. Haven't got round to acquiring any grains to grow so far so figure it's an easy route to at lest try it.

 

[Toddy]

Maybe it has bern said, but you can store kefir grains in a pot of clean water in the fridge for a week or so, until you have eaten up the Kefir you have.

Got to be worth trying Thank you.

I'm not surprised that brewing your own is better health wise but it's that case of trying before committing, as it were. Haven't got round to acquiring any grains to grow so far so figure it's an easy route to at lest try it.

If you like the stuff, and mind everyone seems to end up growing their own particular take on it, and the supermarket ones all taste slightly different too according to Himself, pm and I'll post you some of the batch that's here.
We reckon that the supermarkets strain it and then homogenise the mix. I just strain/stir it through a kept for the job plastic sieve and store it in a kilner jar in the fridge. It brews in another jar on the worktop.
Both of our sons drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of yoghurt, and yet neither of them is fond of kefir.

 

[Janne]

One way to eat is to drink it. Add water, stir. Amount of water depends on thickness of kefir, and how thin you want the drink.
Add salt in required smoiny, stir.

Excellent to fatty food, truly fantastic to a takeaway kebab!

 

[aris]

Has anyone got some milk kefir grains going spare - happy to pay postage costs. I had some which I put in the freezer, but they do not seem to have come back to life after defrosting

 

[Sundowner]

Love this thread ....

 

[Janne]

Is there a historic British way to sour/ferment milk?