KEFIR - EASY AND INEXPENSIVE TO MAKE

     Kefir is easier and less expensive to make than yogourt -- it is less demanding and the quality is consistent from batch to batch. I prefer it to yogourt but always found it rather pricey-- up to six dollars for a litre container.
     Determined to find a way of making it at home, I was delighted to find that there is a simple method.  Having purchased a home-made style kefir (from Kimberly General Store), I strained the 'grains' (small curd-like bits) from the kefir and used them to make my first batch of kefir from organic milk. It turned out great! Before the jar of kefir went into the 'fridge, I once again strained the grains. So far I have made a lot of kefir and the grains continue to do the job. Just remember not to drink the kefir before you have saved the grains!
     I just happen to have a very nice yogourt/cheese-maker (a German-made SEB) that I had bought at a garage sale years ago... it maintains the milk at a consistent temperature and accelerates the process. Mixing the grains into the milk carton also works. I generally leave it for two days -- I like it strong.

 

      A local health-food store often has a 50% discount on their slightly dated organic milk -- quite perfect for kefir. So my delicious and healthy kefir costs a fraction of the store price!

NOTE: The above method will result in a yogourt-like kefir -- to get the slightly alcoholic effervescence the incubation container needs to be tightly sealed.

photo: Kefir just out of the incubator, about to be stirred and strained. My mother's enamel strainer brought from Sweden sixty years ago does the job perfectly. A vintage Crown mason jar stands by to receive the kefir.