(Originally written Nov 22)
What is kefir?
Kefir is a fermented drink. It has like 8 or so different bacteria and a few kinds of yeast. There is milk kefir and water kefir. Milk kefir is fresh milk with kefir grains placed in it and it sits overnight on your counter. Water kefir is sugar water with water kefir grains put in and it again sits on your counter overnight. Both water and milk grains are strained out and then the liquid left over is kefir. It is very probiotic and way better than yogurt for you. It's good for your gut and we all need that now with all the processed foods out there. The kefir grains last forever if you take care of them right and multiply so you can give them to friends. It is very good for people with diabetes because the grains eat the sugar in the milk and water. It helps in digestion of sugary foods also.
Milk kefir- (if you like buttermilk you will like this)
The first day I got these, I placed them in milk and put it above my microwave..it keeps an even temperature that way. The next day I had a quart jar of product. I strained off the kefir grains and came up with a plan to try many things. I needed to find the best way to use this stuff. I split half into 3 little containers and the mixed one with fresh pineapple, one with banana, and the other with apple. Dustin loved pineapple, Kyle loved apple, and they both loved banana. Let me just say..banana is the bomb! The other half of it I placed it in a coffee filter and let the whey drain off. Then split the left over stuff into two piles. One I let sit in a bowl with plastic wrap on the table overnight. The other I put some powdered ranch flavoring in, mixed, and placed it in the fridge overnight. Both were disgusting. The fridge ranch one would have been good if I had used regular ranch dressing I think. I bought this powdered ranch to use in many recipes and each one I hate..I'm going to throw it away.
Next kefir batch I decided to divide in half again. One half made us some banana smoothies..yum! The other half I put a loose lid on and let it sit out again for another 24 hours. This is suppose to make it less sour..umm..whatever..dont leave it out. Its fluffy, bubbly and tastes really gross. For some reason milk grains really love whole milk and are growing already..good I have a few friends who want them! I have increased my kefir jar size to half gallon. Boy that's a lot of milk! My kids really never drink milk so this is a great way to get them to. The kefir I had that finished today I tried strawberries in...its ok. They are store strawberries and well they aren't as sweet as homegrown.
So results so far:
1. milk kefir only ferments one day..no more or its gross
2. banana is the best by far for fruit in this stuff but strawberry, pineapple, apple are good and will do if I'm out of bananas
3. Kids will try anything if mom asks them nicely lol
4. I need to try other fruits and keep making milk kefir
Water Kefir ( if you cannot process dairy or do not like milk)
The first day I got my water kefir I put it in sugar water. Websites differ on what amount of sugar per quart jar.. 1/2 or 1/4th..so I decided I'd go with 1/3rd lol. They ate good the first day. After it sat for 24 hours I drained the grains and put them in to start a new batch. With the kefir that was made I took some left over apple cider and attempted to flavor it. I took two old plastic mountain dew bottles and split the kefir between the two. Then added apple cider to each until they were 3/4ths the way full. Capped them and put them in the fridge overnight. Now technically it is suppose to become carbonated like pop. In the morning I tasted it..um..it tasted a tad too much like beer for my comfort. I let the kids sip it and they agreed. Do not ask how they know what beer tastes like..I plead the 5th. So we dumped it out and I waited till the next day for the new one to get done. So on this day I went to Aldi's and found 100% grape juice and lemons. I again drained the grains off and started a new batch..this time with 1/4th cup sugar and I placed half a lemon in there after squeezing it in there and cutting it in half. Placed that up on the microwave. I took the kefir water that was finished and again split it into the mountain dew bottles. I put grape juice in to fill it 3/4th the way full and placed it on my counter instead of the fridge. I read it will bubble more on the counter. The other thing is that I am stuck using white sugar until the weekend cause Aldi's broke me (saving for black friday) and if you use organic unrefined sugar it will bubble more. I tasted it this morning and it tastes just like faygo grape soda! I had to let it sit more because it wasn't exactly 24 hours yet and it will be placed in the fridge tonight. The lemons I added to the other batch turned out really yummy also. It was a pain to strain out and try to get the lemon pieces out..so a new plan will have to be developed on the lemon front. I placed it in one mountain dew bottle 3/4ths the way up and capped it. It is now going to sit on my counter over night. I drank the rest after having the kids take a taste. I really like the water kefir lemonade it makes.
Results so far:
1. I love water kefir
2. The flavorings are easier to find then with milk kefir
3. I want to get cranberry juice and also try strawberry purée placed in there.
I am going to make enough of banana milk kefir and grape water kefir for the whole family to try at thanksgiving.
Who knew bacteria and yeast could taste so good!!
What is kefir?
Kefir is a fermented drink. It has like 8 or so different bacteria and a few kinds of yeast. There is milk kefir and water kefir. Milk kefir is fresh milk with kefir grains placed in it and it sits overnight on your counter. Water kefir is sugar water with water kefir grains put in and it again sits on your counter overnight. Both water and milk grains are strained out and then the liquid left over is kefir. It is very probiotic and way better than yogurt for you. It's good for your gut and we all need that now with all the processed foods out there. The kefir grains last forever if you take care of them right and multiply so you can give them to friends. It is very good for people with diabetes because the grains eat the sugar in the milk and water. It helps in digestion of sugary foods also.
Milk kefir- (if you like buttermilk you will like this)
The first day I got these, I placed them in milk and put it above my microwave..it keeps an even temperature that way. The next day I had a quart jar of product. I strained off the kefir grains and came up with a plan to try many things. I needed to find the best way to use this stuff. I split half into 3 little containers and the mixed one with fresh pineapple, one with banana, and the other with apple. Dustin loved pineapple, Kyle loved apple, and they both loved banana. Let me just say..banana is the bomb! The other half of it I placed it in a coffee filter and let the whey drain off. Then split the left over stuff into two piles. One I let sit in a bowl with plastic wrap on the table overnight. The other I put some powdered ranch flavoring in, mixed, and placed it in the fridge overnight. Both were disgusting. The fridge ranch one would have been good if I had used regular ranch dressing I think. I bought this powdered ranch to use in many recipes and each one I hate..I'm going to throw it away.
Next kefir batch I decided to divide in half again. One half made us some banana smoothies..yum! The other half I put a loose lid on and let it sit out again for another 24 hours. This is suppose to make it less sour..umm..whatever..dont leave it out. Its fluffy, bubbly and tastes really gross. For some reason milk grains really love whole milk and are growing already..good I have a few friends who want them! I have increased my kefir jar size to half gallon. Boy that's a lot of milk! My kids really never drink milk so this is a great way to get them to. The kefir I had that finished today I tried strawberries in...its ok. They are store strawberries and well they aren't as sweet as homegrown.
So results so far:
1. milk kefir only ferments one day..no more or its gross
2. banana is the best by far for fruit in this stuff but strawberry, pineapple, apple are good and will do if I'm out of bananas
3. Kids will try anything if mom asks them nicely lol
4. I need to try other fruits and keep making milk kefir
Water Kefir ( if you cannot process dairy or do not like milk)
The first day I got my water kefir I put it in sugar water. Websites differ on what amount of sugar per quart jar.. 1/2 or 1/4th..so I decided I'd go with 1/3rd lol. They ate good the first day. After it sat for 24 hours I drained the grains and put them in to start a new batch. With the kefir that was made I took some left over apple cider and attempted to flavor it. I took two old plastic mountain dew bottles and split the kefir between the two. Then added apple cider to each until they were 3/4ths the way full. Capped them and put them in the fridge overnight. Now technically it is suppose to become carbonated like pop. In the morning I tasted it..um..it tasted a tad too much like beer for my comfort. I let the kids sip it and they agreed. Do not ask how they know what beer tastes like..I plead the 5th. So we dumped it out and I waited till the next day for the new one to get done. So on this day I went to Aldi's and found 100% grape juice and lemons. I again drained the grains off and started a new batch..this time with 1/4th cup sugar and I placed half a lemon in there after squeezing it in there and cutting it in half. Placed that up on the microwave. I took the kefir water that was finished and again split it into the mountain dew bottles. I put grape juice in to fill it 3/4th the way full and placed it on my counter instead of the fridge. I read it will bubble more on the counter. The other thing is that I am stuck using white sugar until the weekend cause Aldi's broke me (saving for black friday) and if you use organic unrefined sugar it will bubble more. I tasted it this morning and it tastes just like faygo grape soda! I had to let it sit more because it wasn't exactly 24 hours yet and it will be placed in the fridge tonight. The lemons I added to the other batch turned out really yummy also. It was a pain to strain out and try to get the lemon pieces out..so a new plan will have to be developed on the lemon front. I placed it in one mountain dew bottle 3/4ths the way up and capped it. It is now going to sit on my counter over night. I drank the rest after having the kids take a taste. I really like the water kefir lemonade it makes.
Results so far:
1. I love water kefir
2. The flavorings are easier to find then with milk kefir
3. I want to get cranberry juice and also try strawberry purée placed in there.
I am going to make enough of banana milk kefir and grape water kefir for the whole family to try at thanksgiving.
Who knew bacteria and yeast could taste so good!!
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