Caring for Kefir Grains!

There is an extended family joke about kefir around here.  Whenever family is visiting and eating with us, they pause before their first bite/sip of anything and ask, "Is there kefir in this?!"

We love our kefir grains.  I started making my own kefir about 5 years ago, when my midwife suggested I drink kefir during one of my pregnancies.  I found some kefir grains from a local acquaintance (what a blessing that I actually found someone close by that was so willing to generously share with me!) and started on the kefir making journey of a lifetime.

There is so much information to share on kefir.  Google around a bit for an in-depth study.  I will keep it brief and simple, sharing why we use kefir, what we do with our kefir, and how we care for our kefir grains.


Why kefir?  Do a quick search of kefir and you will find a wealth of information on this popularity-gaining drink.  It is a powerhouse probiotic with immense health benefits. In a nutshell, like yogurt, kefir helps feed the "good" gut flora.  In addition to that, it wipes out the "bad' gut flora.

What do you do with your kefir?  Smoothies!  Most of our kefir is used as the base for daily smoothies.  It has a tangy flavor somewhere between a plain yogurt and sour cream.  The texture is smooth and creamy.

We also use kefir in place of buttermilk with delicious results. Kefir can be used in pancakes, waffles, breads, muffins and just about any other baked good that you would use buttermilk in.  Kefir is GREAT in homemade ranch dressing.  I've also done "buttermilk" chicken that turns out amazing!

Three years ago, my husband got in on the kefir making fun.  He likes to get creative and has even branched out into making ginger drinks and apple "cider" etc. with kefir grains.

I digress!

On to kefir-care.




How do you care for your kefir grains?


Supplies:  kefir grains, milk, glass jar, light lid (or something to cover the opening of the jar), plastic/nylon or stainless steel strainer with small openings or a mesh weave, bowl to catch kefir drink, wooden spoon

Storing grains:I store my grains in a glass jar (Mason jar or similar) covered in milk.  I rest a light lid on top, just to keep dust, bugs or random things from falling in to the jar.  I store this jar at room temperature.  Sometimes on my kitchen counter, but usually inside a cupboard  In old kitchens we've had, an out of the way spot on the counter top was perfect.  My current kitchen is very warm and sunny. This was causing my kefir to "kefirize" much more quickly than I preferred.  Storing the jar in a cabinet where it is a bit darker and cooler brought things to the perfect speed.

Here is a picture of kefir after about 24 hours after giving it fresh milk.   It is just starting to separate.

I like to stir it up a bit before straining.  This is not necessary.  I do it because it helps straining go a bit quicker.

Putting my strainer on the bowl.

Pouring my kefire into the strainer. See the little lumps? Those are kefir grains!

Stirring the kefir around a it to help speed the process. It is thick!

Once the kefir has strained, I am left with the grains.

Close up of the happy little kefir grains.

Close up of the jar that was holding the kefir.  See the sides? Little lines and rivers along the glass. That's a sign of some good kefir!

Next I scoop the grains up with my wooden spoon and place them back in the jar. Using the same jar is fine and helps to facilitate the kefir process for the next batch.  If my jar is starting to get crusty, I will use a new, clean, DRY jar.  

Fill up with milk.

Rest a lid on top. Store in an out of the way spot for 24 hours while the kefir grains work their magic. Then I will strain and begin again.

This is the part, on your first batch, that you might have a lot of questions.  Feel free to ask, I will try to get to them with time.  My blogging window of time is very limited and it will probably take me a long time to get back to you-but I will eventually try my best to answer questions.

Here is a close up of the strained kefir in the bowl.

I either use this immediately, or put a cover on and stick in the fridge until I am ready to use it.  I've stored it in the refrigerator for a week without any problems.  

UPDATE:  I recently purchased a new strainer on Amazon that has been AWESOME for making kefir.
It has also been the best thing I have found for straining small grains like quinoa, etc.  I use the 7 inch one with the white/blue Ikea bowl show above.  The 3 inch strainer fits perfectly in a wide mouthed mason jar.

Cornmeal Mush and Cakes

First, use your handy-dandy grinder and lovely assistant to grind dried corn (not popcorn!) into cornmeal.

Cook in double the water. (It cooks up fast...why it was America's version of "Hasty Pudding"!)

Serve with butter and honey.

Enjoy the smiles!

Pour the leftovers into mini-loaf pan, stick in fridge.

For a mid-morning snack, you can slice them up and fry in a dab of butter a la' Laura Ingalls! (Minus the salt pork drippings.)

These were gobbled up faster than I could click my camera!

Crockpot Chicken Stock

I finally did it!  I have been dying to try the easy-peasy method of crockpot stock. Now there is no going back!

Have you done this before? If not, here are my simple instructions.

1. Save chicken bones and discards in the freezer.   (over the course of a month--we don't eat a ton of meat, so you might accumulate this much quicker-- we added to a zippered bag in the freezer: the carcass from a rotisserie chicken, leftovers from bbq chicken, various scraps,etc.)
2. Put scraps in the crockpot, fill with water until chicken and bones are covered. Add a handful each of chopped onion, carrots and celery.
3. Set to low and let it do it's thing for a day. I went almost a full 24 hours.  

At this point I let it cool, then put in a glass container to store until we used it to make soup the next day.  It formed a perfect gel!

I added salt, pepper and herbs to taste after heating to reuse.

Another cool thing that happens?  The bones practically disintegrate after all that long, slow cooking.  Marrow and goodness all leeched into my wonderful, delicious, nutrient-rich stock!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Thanks to MommyLife writer, Barbara Curtis, this is one of my family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions!  So fun! So EASY! SO DELICIOUS!

HB stirring, while NoJo looks on, waiting for the berries to start POPPING!

Kitchen Time Saver: My Freezer!

I am slightly obsessed with my freezer.  It is a HUGE time and money saver for me.  Some day we will save up for an extra freezer in the garage.  But for now, I use our little freezer space to save meal prep time (and money on prepacked or prepared items) by freezing up batches of cooked brown rice, chopped fresh herbs, chopped onion, minced garlic (I make my own cubes, a la Trader Joes!), and any other fresh fruit or veggie that I find a good deal on.  

Funny Things My Kids Love to Eat

We have a house of pretty good eaters.  They are not afraid of strong flavors.  Even the "baby"  (she is a officially a toddler now, but I am in denial)  likes medium-hot salsa!  We are heavy on the garlic at our house and sauerkraut is a treat!

This was a REQUESTED meal from the girls.   Since it was a COLD fall day, I relented.  I didn't think twice about making it, until I realized that most of my kids' picky friends wouldn't touch this meal with a 10 foot pole!

Steamed brussel sprouts, sauted in garlic butter and lightly sprinkled with grated, fresh parmesan.  Served alongside German casserole (a jar of Bubbies sauerkraut, topped by cooked, ground meat -I believe it was turkey with steak seasoning this time, topped with mashed potatoes and covered with cheese (cheddar, this time).

Whole Wheat Gnocci's?

Heidi and I wanted to make some homemade gnocci's for my sweet sister-in-law's birthday.  Just as we were delving into the process I realized I was out of flour (I rarely purchase flour as we use our wheat grinder for EVERYTHING)  We decided to just go for it and make some extra wholesome, "rustic" gnocci's.  They turned out just fine.  The flavor was definitely less potato-y.  I con in my opinion.  If we do it again, I will use a milder grain.  Probably a mix of hard and soft white wheat.

The recipe we use is from an old neighbor of ours.  A VERY Italian, Argentine lady who shared her precious gnocci and empanada recipes with me while we lived close by.  Time spent in her kitchen was always a treat!

Heidi has the rolling down, pat!  Look at those perfect little gnocci's!