A simple drink using kefir grains and raw milk to help your digestive system, plus a host of other benefits.
A couple years ago, Lowell purchased some kefir grains and we began the trek down fermenting food in my kitchen. It was one of those things that I was hesitant to promise I would do forever. I mean, hey . . . I struggle with keeping houseplants alive. How would I keep food alive?! So I’m learning to test things out a bit without making too many rash promises and decisions. And this is one that we’ve managed to keep going – in spite of my mistakes. And without killing anything too badly.
Kefir is a fermented drink. Some people make it with milk – this can be cow’s milk, goat’s milk, or coconut milk. Some make it with water, including coconut water, but we have not tried that one yet. We like to make this with raw milk, but pasteurized would work, too. Raw milk contains enzymes beneficial to what our bodies need. Good article: 10 Reasons to Drink your Milk Raw.
Dr. Axe published a lengthy and informational article on the history, benefits, and usages of kefir – whether milk or water kefir. You may read it here: 7 Kefir Benefits and Nutrition Facts That Boost Immunity & Heal the Gut. He recommends different ways to use kefir that I had never even thought of . . .
Beyond just drinking milk kefir, there are other ways to cleverly use it in recipes. Milk kefir can make a great base for soups and stews that would otherwise call for regular buttermilk, sour cream, heavy cream or yogurt. You can substitute plain or flavored kefir for any of these in ingredients in your favorite recipes for baked goods, mashed potatoes, soups and more in order to boost the nutrient content and get all the wonderful kefir benefits. (source)
You will need kefir grains to begin making your kefir. If you have a friend who has extra kefir grains, they might be willing to give you some. It’s important to put them into milk as soon as possible to keep them growing.
*Note: Check with your grain source on how to activate. I read that to activate you may have to use pasteurized milk, not raw. It’s been so long ago, that I forget what we did!
We purchased ours on Amazon and the seller had great instructions on how to get the grains growing. Here are some places to purchase kefir grains:
- Cultures for Health – Kefir Grains
- Active Organic Milk Kefir Grains & Ebook: “Milk Kefir Unleashed” By Thomas Egbert
- Kefir Grains – Living Probiotic Enriched
Once you have your grains growing well and producing kefir, it is time to begin.
Making Homemade Milk Kefir
I begin by separating the kefir grains from the kefir itself. The first picture in this post is what my kefir looks like when it is ready and ripe to use. You can separate your grains out by straining the kefir through a plastic strainer. OR . . . you can do like my husband and put the grains into a cheesecloth (tied shut) so that you don’t accidentally miss the grains and blend them in the blender. Yep. True story. And I was the one who done did it. Now I like the extra security of knowing I only have to grab one clump in each jar and the grains come with it. Once the grains grow big enough, you can divide them up and start a new jar of kefir or give them away.
After separating my grains from my kefir, I then pour fresh raw milk on top of the grains 3/4 the way up the jar, reserving the kefir for later. This gives them room to grow until I need them again. Then they are on the shelf and we watch them quietly do their bubbly thing.
Now that the grains are happily in their new milk, I take the kefir we had left from straining, and I pour it into the blender. Here is where we add the yummy stuff to make it edible!
We like our kefir sweet with some fruit – mostly strawberries – blended into it. In fact, our whole family loves strawberries so much I purchase them at Costco in the great big bags. Organic is best, but they don’t always have them on hand. Throw in as many strawberries as you think you’ll want. You can always add more after tasting it.
I have used both raw honey and plain sugar to sweeten our kefir. I haven’t always had raw honey on hand, plus sometimes sugar is quicker to grab. But I am trying to move towards using all honey in our kefir. We eat too much white sugar as it is, but feel welcome to add in whatever sweetener your family enjoys. Here is a good article on the benefits of raw honey: The Top 6 Raw Honey Benefits.
Then give your blender a great big whir until the kefir is frothy.
After I blended this and tasted it, I realized it needed more strawberries and honey. I like my food to where I will actually enjoy it!
So I added more strawberries and honey and it turned out the color I like – more of a deep pink. And sweeter! There will be a bit of a zip to this drink . . . and I like that. Sometimes it’s like I’m drinking a fizzy milk shake! I honestly like this even more once it has sat in the refrigerator for about twelve hours.
That’s really all there is to it. I didn’t even make this a recipe because there are no amounts. Your taste buds will have to let you know what amounts suit you.
If you want a thicker shake drink, add in more frozen fruit. We do this as an afternoon snack or on movie nights with popcorn. We like to add more sweetener and lots of frozen strawberries – or even the frozen tropical fruit mix from Costco!
Kefir really is simple. Yes, you will have to keep it alive, but that doesn’t take much time either.
All you need is:
- Kefir with grains
- Fruit
- Sweetener
So have fun and enjoy!!
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