What are Kefir grains?
Kefir grains are a type of probiotic made from milk, water, and grains of yeast and bacteria. They are used to make water kefir, which is a fermented drink that contains probiotics and is often compared to kombucha because it has similar health benefits.
Types of Kefir grains
There are several types of kefir: milk kefir, coconut milk kefir and water kefir. They all have the same basic ingredients—kefir grains, sugar and milk—but the way you prepare each type varies slightly. For example, if you’re making milk kefir, you’ll need cow’s milk; if it’s coconut milk kefir (my personal favorite), you’ll need coconut milk.
Water kefir Grains :
Water kefir is a probiotic beverage that can be made with water kefir grains. Water kefir grains are actually a combination of bacteria and yeast, which help to break down sugars into lactic acid. They are used to make water kefir, which has a unique taste and texture.
Water kefir can be made with sugar or Stevie, but it’s recommended that you use sugar if you’re just starting out. Water kefir grains are very fragile and sensitive to changes in temperature and pH levels, so they need to be kept at room temperature. The process takes between three and five days.
How to make water Kefir:
1) Add 2 tablespoons of sugar (or other sweetener) per cup of water and stir until the sugar has dissolved completely.
2) Add 1/4 cup of water kefir grains to the sweetened water and stir gently until they’re completely submerged under the liquid. (If you don’t have enough room in your jar for the grains to float freely, you can use cheesecloth or another fine mesh strainer.) Cap the jar and leave it at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 24 hours—don’t shake it!
3) After 24 hours, strain out excess liquid from the top into another container through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or coffee filters; discard solids left
Milk kefir Grains:
Milk kefir grains are small pieces of gelatinous material that look kind of like cauliflower florets or corncobs. They’re basically just little bits of curdled dairy product that contain live cultures (bacteria and yeasts) as well as enzymes and proteins that help digest lactose in foods like yogurt or cheese products like cottage cheese or ricotta cheese which contain no lactose at all!
- Put 2 cups of milk in a glass jar. Add 1/2 cup of kefir grains and stir well.
- Cover the jar with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band or string.
- Let it sit at room temperature for 24-48 hours, until the milk is bubbly and sour-smelling (the longer you let it ferment, the tangier the resulting kefir will be).
- Refrigerate your kefir in an airtight container for up to 7 days. The grains will continue to ferment for an additional 3 days in the fridge, after which they will lose their potency and should be discarded
Bottom Line:
All of the steps shown above can be used in making kefir with any kind of milk product, whether it be cow’s milk, goat’s milk, or a mixture. If you also want to get more information about the kefir grain and kombucha recipes, visit us at Kombucha Kamp now.
