Ode to Kefir
The word on the street is that we are Kefir evangelists, which must be true because I feel like I could write a book about Kefir alone, or at least the benefits of fermented dairy. Kefir is a lot like yogurt in texture and taste. What's unique about Kefir is that it is a probiotic that includes bacteria AND yeast, whereas yogurt only has bacteria cultures. These are all good bacteria and good yeast, ones that we need as a part of our body flora for healthy digestion and immune function.
Lactose intolerant? No problem! The milk lactose is completely broken down by the microbes during the fermentation process such that no lactose is present in the end product.
Our friend Chris is an avid proponent of organic dairy, which until this year I had neglected to include in my mostly organic purchases because of how expensive (especially organic milk) is. She made one very clear, very persuasive point in favor of organic dairy: Dairy contains fat and this fat becomes a part of our body, carrying along with it whatever pesticides or hormones are present in the cow's environment. If you only buy a few things that are organic, dairy should be at the top of this list, because it can't be scrubbed or washed or peeled. Point well taken.
Look for a post soon on the benefits of buying NON-skim milk and dairy products...
Here is a photo of my last Kefir ferment (Zannah and I both do this weekly): I used a half gallon of 2% milk, split it into two glass containers, let it warm to room temp for a few hours, added kefir granules (we've been using the Yogourmet brand Kefir starter found at most co-ops/healthfood stores in the refrigerator section). Because it's winter, I've been putting the Kefir near the radiator for about 30-40 hours. The more time you leave it out (no longer than 48 hours) the thicker the culture will get. Then put the Kefir in the refrigerator and enjoy over pancakes, on dry cereal, blended with frozen fruit in a smoothie, and for sweeter kefir add maple syrup, honey, or your favorite fruit juice. We've tried all of these derivations, but the plain kefir right out of the jar is still our favorite!
Our GOAL is to soon start using Kefir granules (not the Yogourmet powder) that can be used much like bread starter, kept alive and growing, but continually split into new Kefir batches. We just have to find a Kefir source...
Love this!
ReplyDeleteI've been experimenting with making yogurt and kefir at home too. I've found that the Yogourmet yogurt starter, with its live, active cultures, is viable beyond one batch. As the packet instructions indicate, I warm the milk on the stove and then slowly stir in the cultures. But I use 1 quart plus 8-12 ounces of milk. I eat the quart of yogurt, and keep the extra sealed (sterile) until I'm ready to start the next batch. I blend that into the warm milk instead of a packet of cultures, and it becomes yummy yogurt just the same.
I've been experimenting with methods. I started out submerging the container of yogurt in a warm water bath and trying to keep a relatively constant temperature by adding more warm water for about 6 hours until it was the desired consistency & tartness. Recently, I've tried just nestling the jars into an unplugged crockpot lined with towels, cover it, and leave it overnight. That worked just fine. Ditto with kefir. For that, I used a small bottle of peach-flavored kefir from the store (no unflavored availble in the 8-oz size) as a starter. I think it worked fine.
I'm curious to see what you have to say about using milk with more fat in it. Welcome to the blogging bandwagon! Way to expand your fermentation club via the virtual world.
Steph