So, I’ve been using kefir now for about two years. My love for it has only grown – I’ve shared my love with friends and family members…I’m trying to get everyone on the kefir train! Stacy jumped off the kefir bridge, and I’m trying to get you to jump with me. Everybody’s doing it.
Okay, so not everyone is doing it. And you’ll likely get some strange looks if you start telling people you ferment milk. Kefir is essentially fermented, cultured milk. It’s FULL of probiotics and all sorts of good stuff. It’s very healthy and I try to keep it on my menu regularly since it contributes to a healthy immune system.
Today I want to give you some resources for kefir. If you’ve been making kefir already, you’ll still find this helpful. I’ll link to all my posts on kefir, including recipes, and link to some other resources that you might need or want…or that you might want to pass along.
Posts from me:
What IS Kefir? Here I explain about what kefir is and how to make it yourself.
Using Kefir + Smoothie Base – In this post you’ll see how to use kefir once you make it and I give a quick tutorial on a smoothie base for the fridge.
Peanut Butter Kefir Smoothies – My favorite smoothie of ALL TIME
There are a few ways to acquire grains. You can get them from a friend who has an overabundance…because they multiply like bunnies! Here are two other options:
BrandysFiberFrolic – My friend Brandy sells her grains. They are top notch and this is where I first got my grains. You can be sure they’ve been taken care of…and you won’t buy from someone who you’re not sure about.
Cultures for Health – A more expensive option, but a good one. They do arrive dehydrated instead of live. Make sure you don’t just buy the starter…you want grains. A starter only works for a few batches.
Need or want some recipes? Mine are listed above, but you can basically use kefir in anything that calls for buttermilk.
Cultures for Health offers a FREE eBook on kefir when you sign up to get their emails. It’s a good one…I’ve made a few recipes from there. Yum!
At Tammy’s Recipes you’ll find all sorts of kefir resources! She’s got video tutorials and tons of delicious recipes. All of Tammy’s recipes are kickin’…yum! If you’ve not been there before, allot plenty of time because you’ll get sucked in quickly with all her awesome information. Just go there and search for “kefir” in the search box. We love the maple sweetened kefir!
I’ll leave you with one last gem of information. For anything and EVERYTHING you’ve ever wanted to know about kefir, check out Dom’s Kefir Site. It’s an exhaustive resource for all things kefir. He’s a kefir genius…maybe more than just kefir, but I don’t know him personally – so for now, I’ll just say kefir.
Everybody’s doing it…jump off with us.
I know you said you have 1/4 cup of kefir grains. Is that what I should start with or can I start with less?
Absolutely! Most people will say 1 tablespoon of grains to 1 cup of milk. 🙂
I just started the activation of my grains tonight. In my excitement I forgot that I’ll be gone Tuesday through Thursday next week for Thanksgiving. Will my grains live that long while I’m gone?
Sure! Put them in the fridge and cover them with milk so they will have something to eat while you’re gone. Then, when you bring them back to room temperature it can take up to 48 hours for them to kefir again. Have a good trip!
Thanks for the info & the links.
I ordered grains from the link to Brandy last week. They are making kefir just great!
Hooray!
Thanks so much for posting this! I used to make kefir in HOPES that I would someday like the taste of it (our friends drink it straight from the jar…bleck!)…but eventually gave up. Thanks to all of your different recipes & uses for it, I just ordered a new batch of grains. Thanks again! 🙂
Yeah – I can’t drink it straight. Whew! I like putting some stevia in it and a drop or two of different extracts. 🙂
I’m glad to see this post but it makes me a little sad. We just moved in with my mother in law and my 14 year old brother in law. I had been using kefir for about 6 months before we moved. Actually probably longer. Anyway, we got everything all packed up and ready to go, and i put my kefir in the empty fridge so I would be able to take it with us when we left. I didn’t want it going with the movers of course. I forgot it in that fridge. I felt terrible about it. When we moved her I couldn’t really afford the extra money to go toward kefir until about 5 or 6 months after we moved. I saved up and bought some but I had been hiding it from my in laws because I thought they would think it was weird. My husband sure did. Well one day while I was at work, my husband moved some stuff around where my hiding spot was. He knew what my kefir was, but his inlaws didn’t. Anyway, the next morning when I was getting ready to go to work, ( I always made a kefir smoothie for breakfast) I searched and searched for it but couldn’t find it. I left for work so I wouldn’t be late. When I got home I still couldn’t find it. I asked my husband if he saw it but said he didn’t. I asked my in laws if they saw it but they said they didn’t. I think what happened was my husband moved it while cleaning, but didn’t realize he did. They saw it, and threw it out thinking it was clabbered milk or something. My brother in law acted a little strange when he said he didn’t see it. Well since then I have lost my job, and we are on a fixed income. I can not afford the extra 12 bucks to get more kefir. I’m waiting to see if someone is giving some away on craigslist or something. I have stomach problems that have been acting up since that day my kefir got lost.
If you are able, try to post on Facebook asking for extra grains. 🙂
You are a kefir pusher…and we are the grateful owners of kefir grains because of it! The ones you sent when our youngest was born are going great and have been shared many times. We love our kefir and can’t thank you enough for the grains!
🙂 Yeah well…my sister says I’m bossy.
No way! So does mine 🙂
Just to be clear…she says it about me, not you!
Thank you so much for this post! My sister got me onto kefir a while ago, but I haven’t actually started making my own yet. I’m hoping to find someone here in CO who has grains they can share with me. 🙂 Kefir has been so wonderful for me because most milk products make my skin break out. And while I love the Lifeway smoothies, they get a little pricey when you buy them every week. Thanks for all the resources!!
I’m sure if you asked on FB someone would have some to share!
Hi, I love the idea of trying Kefir and know the health benefits of probiotics. My schedule doesn’t permit me to make it. Do you know of anyone who has a small, home-based business to make and sell it? Farmers Market? Local Health Food Store? Thanks!
I’ve never seen it for sale like that. I have seen it at Ingles and other grocery stores…but most of it’s full of sugar, so try to buy plain and flavor it yourself. However, it’s really a QUICK thing to make. It takes me less than 5 minutes each day to harvest and start a new batch. 🙂
I just ordered some grains from Brandy’s Etsy shop. Excited to try this!
You will love it!!
Just had to chime in: Love Dom! 🙂 He’s great on water kefir too! 🙂 I haven’t compared prices, but happyherbalist.com is another great resource that I’ve used for milk kefir grains, kombucha SCOBYs (and water kefir which they call tibicos, when they aren’t sold out). They ship everything active in starter liquids, and everything I’ve ever gotten from them was extremely healthy and vigorous. (NOT affiliated, just a happy customer 🙂 )
Thanks, Cheryl!