And some resources
I’ve been making dairy kefir since Annie was 2 years old (she’s almost 15) and I realized the other day I don’t talk about it much any more.
So when mentioning it on Instagram, I got tons of interest in the subject and I realized a refresher was in order.
What is dairy kefir?
Basically – fermented milk. It’s a thinner consistency than yogurt but with similar properties. However, you get different strains of bacteria in kefir that you don’t get in any other ferment.
You use kefir grains (colonies of yeast and bacteria), add milk, and let them stand for about 24 hours to ferment and thicken. You strain your mixture with a fine mesh strainer and then kefir is ready to use – and you start over with the same grains.
I aim for 1 tablespoon grains per pint of milk. They will grow and multiply, so you can share with friends!
Why drink/use milk kefir?
The same reasons you take a probiotic or eat yogurt. It’s good bacteria for your digestive tract. Some benefits we have seen: stronger immune system and regularity.
Most sources will tell you that kefir has better probiotics than yogurt, so if you’re looking to up your good bacteria game, kefir is a good choice for you.
Also, it’s easy. If it wasn’t easy, Stacy wouldn’t do it.
You’ll also hear people say it can improve allergy and astham symptoms – which are both concerns here in our house.
What do you do with it?
You can use it just like yogurt. Or as a buttermilk replacement in recipes. Most of the time, we get daily kefir in the form of a smoothie – I’ll put a recipe below.
If a recipe calls for buttermilk, I use kefir.
It’s a REALLY EASY intro into the world of fermenting. If you’ve wanted to dapple in it, this might be the easiest for you.
Where to get grains? You can buy them on Etsy which is what I recommend – I haven’t had good experiences with dehyrated grains.
And now for some resources!
For more on kefir, visit Cultured Food Life.
My kefir video from 9 years ago.
Any questions? Leave them below and I’ll see if I can help!
Soli Deo gloria,
Stacy
Hm…I am lactose intolerant. I wonder if lactose free milk would work.
Some of the resources I linked says it WILL work, but it needs to be fed with dairy kefir ever so often.
https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/dairy-free-kefir-every-kind-you-can-imagine/
Thank you.