How To Make Homemade Kefir (and upgrade your life:)

Kefir grains have been used for thousands of years as a way to preserve milk and keep it safe and free of pathogens so it would be safe to drink without refrigeration. What I have discovered is that this is what kefir does for us. It preserves us, it is loaded with nutrients and detoxifies our bodies. There is actually not much to making kefir because the microbes do all the work, you just have to feed them. When I first started making kefir myself, I started using the Easy Kefir packets. These are GREAT if you are traveling or are just starting to make kefir. On a daily basis, however, when I'm home I use my real live kefir grains. You can get these from a friend who is also making it or you can get them here on my "Cultures" tab. I just recommend you get them from a trusted source. The way the grains have been cared for is important for their health, microbial diversity and potency. If you find some cheap ones on line, they may not be the best quality from using an unhealthy milk or not feeding them regularly. It costs money to feed your grains the best nutrients using a good quality milk, so just be aware of this. That being said, once you purchase or get your grains from someone, you should never have to replace them! They will multiply and grow as long as you take care of them.

Equipment and items you will need:

Glass Quart Jar

Catch Bowl

Strainer (nylon is ideal)

Rubber or plastic spatula

A glass container/bottle to store your kefir in

Organic whole milk (preferably grass-fed)

Live kefir grains

1. Add the kefir grains to a 1 quart glass jar. The basic ratio is 2 T of grains per one quart of milk.

2. Pour fresh milk over them. It is ok if it is cold milk from the fridge. Stir gently, handle them with care. They are alive, teeming with millions of beneficial microbes on them and ready to take care of you!

3. Cover the jar with a plastic lid. If all you have is a metal lid, that's fine, just put a paper coffee filter over the jar first so that the metal does not interrupt the beneficial bacteria.

4. Set the jar on your kitchen counter out of direct sunlight. It is a good idea to put it where you can keep an eye on it. For the first couple of batches, it would help to make a note of the time you started it. This will give you an idea of how long it takes to ferment in your kitchen. It will take between 12-24 hours. The temperature in your kitchen will determine how long it takes to ferment. The colder it is, the longer it will take. You will know it is done when you start to see a clear liquid start to form on the bottom.

I wait until I see some "cracking" at the bottom of the thickened kefir. It will continue to solidify and eventually separate into kefir and kefir whey at the bottom which will dramatically increase when it is left too long. If this happens to you (and believe me it will) it is still fine to drink! Don't throw it away! It will be a little more tart but it is completely safe to consume.

5. When it's ready open the lid and smell it. You will notice the grains have risen to the top. It should smell pleasantly tart and yeasty like bread dough. With your strainer over your catch bowl, pour the contents of the jar into the strainer. (nylon is preferred but stainless steel is fine). The kefir will fall through the strainer or you can help it along gently with a rubber or plastic spatula. Once it's strained put it in another jar and put in your refrigerator to chill.

6. Once you have separated out the grains from the liquid kefir you are ready to start your next batch.

Place the kefir grains from the strainer back in the jar you just used for the previous batch. You can also use a clean glass jar if you prefer. I use the same jar (unwashed) for up to 3 or 4 batches. I believe that what remains in the jar will make the next batch even stronger. This contains many live beneficial microbes which I hate to destroy. There does come a point however, when you will open the jar and it will smell very yeasty or sour. This is when I would wash out the jar with a mild soap and warm water.