Homemade Kefir / Kefir casero

 Homemade Kefir

This ancient fermented drink is capable of boosting your immune system and helping your digestion, regulating your cholesterol, help your insomnia and stress. Can also increase your bone mass and contains more probiotics than normal yogurt.

It is very simple to produce kefir at home with only 2 ingredients: kefir grains and milk. 

The Kefir grain's origins are from the North Caucasus Mountains, think about it when you make it for the first time that the kefir grains you may use come from Ancient Russia!!

Once you have started and you get used to making it on a regular basis at home, you will notice the good effects on your daily digestion.

So let's start with this new recipe!

What do you need?

✅1 glass jar, mason jar or Pyrex measuring cup

✅1 bowl

✅1 mesh strainer

✅1 muslin cloth

✅1 saucepan

✅1 food thermometer

✅ 1 rubber or silicone spatula

✅ 1 funnel

Ingredients

✔Organic kefir grains

✔250ml whole milk (although you can use semi-skimmed milk too or another type of vegetarian milk)

Method

The first thing you need is to buy is the kefir grains, I would recommend you to get organic ones, there is plenty of places where you can buy them online - just type kefir online and I am sure you can find a good supplier.

Kefir grains

It is important that you have your utensils and hands very clean when you do this process as it is a natural ingredient and it is alive.

• Heat the milk and with a food thermometer control till it reaches 25-30ºC. Remove from the heat.

Heat milk and control the temperature till max 30ºC

• Add your kefir grains into the jar and the milk and stir with a spoon.

Kefir grains into the jar

Adding milk to the jar with kefir grains

• Cover the jar with a Muslim cloth or a lid and find a dark cupboard or leave it in your pantry to rest for at least 24 hours or for a few days.
• Make sure you leave space in the jar for the kefir to grow.

Milk with the kefir grains

Cover the jar 

• The kefir grains will culture the milk and this is how it will look like.

Milk cultured with kefir grains

• Check the jar after 24 hours and see how it starts to get thick and clumpy. It is possible that you see some liquid at the bottom and with lots of clumps, this means it is PERFECT and ready!!! 
• The first time you make it it can take a few days, and with time you will see that the grains multiply and they get a bit bigger.
• When it is ready add all the content into another glass jar using the mesh strainer.

• Discard the liquid. 

Discard the liquid

• With the spatula gently pass all the kefir through the strainer again until you are left only with the grains and all the kefir is in the container.

Gently pass the kefir into a glass container

• Pass the kefir to the clean glass jar with a funnel and close with the lid.

Pass the kefir into a glass jar

• Put your grains back into the first jar with some more milk (you can reuse this jar in between batches) and keep it in the fridge till next time. 

Jar container with the fresh kefir

• The next time you make it you can gradually add more milk so you can do more portions or jars at a time.

I hope you can try it, notice the benefits as it is a joy to make your own!!

The Kefir ready to drink!!