Culturing my Life- How to make your own Kefir

I discovered Kefir about a year ago, and absolutely love it.  It's referred to as the "champagne" of yogurt.  It isn't for everyone- the Laird isn't a big fan.  But I on the other hand, really love the sour-yet-sweet taste of this yogurt-like drink.  It is a probiotic drink, that adds beneficial bacteria to your system.  When taking antibiotics, it is important to also take probiotics to re-build the healthy bacteria throughout your digestive system that is depleted by the antibiotics.

Cultures for Health is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in pursuing healthy eating habits.  It is extremely informative and has articles, recipes, a shop and sections about Fermentation, Cultures, Cheese Making, Soy Cultures, & Sprouting.  The articles guide you through each process in detail, basically giving you everything you need to learn any of these practices/ topics.  Hours upon hours of reading material for any interested.  I hadn't ever really heard about Culturing or Fermenting, nor the health benefits associated with cultured foods prior to finding this website.

TOOLS:  Canning jar, plastic strainer, coffee filter

Cultured foods are good for our bodies because they add healthy bacteria to our systems & the nutrients in fermented foods are more readily available for use by our bodies.  It's an ancient method of food preservation, that actually preserves food in a living state.  The canning process of food preservation heats the food to temperatures that kill not only the bad bacteria that can grow in the food, but also the living properties in food as well.

All of it sounds so interesting, and I want to try to learn how to make Kefir... and yogurt... and ferment my vegetables....  But I am going to start small, and depending on how things go, we can expand from there.  

The Kefir grains are mailed in a freeze dried state and have to be activated for a number of days before they are ready to start making kefir.  To activate Kefir grains:  Add kefir grains to 1 cup of of milk.  Cover with coffee filter & secure with rubber band.  Allow to sit on counter for 24 hours at room temperature.  Strain grains and discard milk.  Repeat process every 24 hours for 3-7 days, until the grains are activated.  Activated grains will produce a batch of Kefir, with a buttermilk thickness, within 24 hours.  The Kefir grains look like little cauliflowers when activated.

We are currently activating our grains, and will hopefully be making Kefir within the week.  When a batch of Kefir is completed, strain off grains and store Kefir in refrigerator.  Then add milk to grains and start a new batch.  Kefir is can be enjoyed as a drink, in addition to many other recipes- Kefir cheese, ice cream, smoothies, dips....  I hear the options are endless.  The Kefir can be sweetened with fresh fruit too.  I like eating it over granola.  In time the Kefir grains will grow and multiply, so they can be shared with other people too.  One amazing thing about these grains, is that they can be used indefinitely to make your own Kefir!  

If this is something that you're interested in then check out Cultures for Health!