How to make KEFIR at home?
- Viki Soh
- May 7, 2018
- 2 min read
Kefir is tangy, about as thick (and creamy!) as a smoothie, and full of those good-for-you robotics we hear so much about. Think of milk kefir as drinkable, pourable yogurt. Even better, you can skip the grocery store and make it yourself right on your kitchen counter. However, it is not easy to get Kefir in Malaysia. Fortunately I have a friend who likes Kefir too. She taught me how to make Kefir and gave the Kefir Grain to me for free (usually RM50 for just merely 15-20 gm). I really appreciate what she did for me.
Milk kefir is a fermented dairy product similar in many ways to yogurt and buttermilk. It's how kefir is cultured that makes it really unique — instead of heating the milk, adding a culture, and keeping it warm as you do with yogurt, all you need to make milk kefir are kefir grains.
Kefir grains are not really grains at all (don't worry, gluten-free folks!). These "grains" are actually tiny, rubbery, knobby-looking cell structures that are home to the bacteria and yeast that ferment the kefir. These grains are the milk kefir equivalent to the scoby used to make kombucha.
Firstly, prepare a proper, cleaned jar (made of glass) to make the kefir. No steel made and the top is too narrow.
This is the active kefir grains and transfer it into a cleaned jar with fresh milk. (roughly 3-4 cup of fresh milk, it depends on how much of the kefir grains).
And the cover with a coffee filter or butter muslin secured by a rubber band or jar ring. Place in a warm spot, 68°-85°F, to culture/ferment.
Culture/fermenting until milk is slightly thickened and aroma is pleasant. This generally takes 24 hours, but can take less time in warmer temperatures, so keep an eye on your grains.
After the milk changes texture and culturing is complete, separate the kefir grains from the finished kefir.
Store the finished kefir in the refrigerator, and the filtered kefir grains you may ferment another kefir again.
Place the kefir grains in a new batch of milk.
Comments