Homemade Kefir: a forgotten superfood
Homemade kefir, a forgotten superfood and unsung hero of the past, is the future to naturally provide probiotics and rich nutrition for your family.
In today’s culture, fermentation is limited to beer and sourdough (delicious, I get it), but there is so much more in the world of fermentation! Enter in Homemade Kefir, a forgotten superfood!
Fermentation was a way of preserving food for thousands of years. Although it was a necessity for our ancestors, fermentation unknowingly provided immense health benefits that we have since realized.
Kefir uses a fermentation process which allows good bacteria to eat the sugars and increase healthy cultures. It is a wonderful natural probiotic with amazing gut healing properties. Kefir has been know to improve digestion, heal the gut wall, and is packed with vitamin K. It also has a high protein count (over 10 grams per 8 oz glass) making it the perfect healthy snack. Kefir also contains 30%+ of your daily value of calcium and Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) which is found in many anti-aging skin care products.
Many people who have dairy allergies can tolerate Kefir because of the unique cultures in it which “eats” the lactose within the milk.
Needless to say, we all need more Kefir in our life! Yes, you can find it in most grocery stores but with a hefty price tag and laden with sugars. Instead, you can make it yourself for a fraction of the cost and with increased health benefits because you control what goes in it (organic, grrass-fed milk, natural sugars, organic fruit, etc.)!
Homemade kefir is incredibly easy and can be used for SO MANY things.
Below you will find an easy how-to of making your own homemade kefir, a forgotten superfood. Stay tuned for more recipes using Kefir on the blog, and not just for your family, but for your animals too!
BUT FIRST – Don’t forget to buy your kefir grains! These are my favorite supplies:
(Buy your mason jars locally- so much cheaper than Amazon!)
Homemade Kefir
Equipment
- mesh strainer
- ½ Gallon Mason Jar
- baking spatula
Materials
- ½ gallon raw or low temp pasteurized milk grass-fed, organic
- 1-2 tbsp organic kefir grains
Instructions
Fermenting your milk
- Take your fresh kefir grains and place them into your half gallon jar
- Pour in your half gallon raw, grass-fed, organic milk
- Place loose cover on top and let the milk ferment for 24 hours in a warm place in your kitchen (if they are new grains, the first few batches may take 36 hours or if your house is below 70°).
- You will notice the whey (clear yellow liquid) begin to separate from the milk and grains. This means your milk is fermented.
Straining your grains
- Place your mesh strainer over a bowl, glass, or blender (for easy smoothie making).
- Carefully pour your kefir into the strainer gently massaging the grains in the strainer to allow kefir to pass through
- Continue pouring this method until all kefir is strained and you are left with your kefir grains in your strainer.
- Take those grains and place them back into the ½ half gallon jar with more milk to make more kefirORCarefully rinse your grains with filtered water in your strainer then refrigerate in a sealed container up to a week until ready to make more.
Enjoy plain or mix into your favorite smoothie recipe!
Notes
