Fresh Kefir Grains
Kefir is a traditional fermented food made from milk, full of beneficial probiotic bacteria and yeast. It’s similar to yogurt, but usually more tangy, and sometimes slightly effervescent. Kefir is not only far more beneficial than yogurt, but much easier to make. Unlike yogurt, kefir can actually colonize your gut with the beneficial micro-organisms you need to have a healthy immune system and well-functioning digestive system. While high-quality yogurt contains a few of the beneficial gut bacteria, kefir contains a much larger number of beneficial bacteria, as well as beneficial yeasts.
Kefir is great eaten by itself or with fruit, in smoothies, on muesli and granola, in salad dressings, made into cheese or even tasty fruit flavored popsicles that kids will love.
Ingredients
1 cup milk (raw, organic milk is the best if you can get it. Check out the Organic Consumers Association for finding raw milk in your area)
1 tablespoon fresh kefir grains * see below for where to source kefir grains
Instructions
These instructions may look long and involved, but kefir is one of the quickest, simplest and easiest of all the fermented foods to make. Like many things though, explaining how to do it may require a lot of words. But trust me, once you do it the first time and get the hang of it you’ll see, it’s very easy.
You can make any amount of kefir you like per batch, but the ratio of 1 cup milk to 1 tablespoon of kefir grains is a good rule of thumb for fermenting a batch in 24-48 hours. So if you have 4 tablespoons of grains you can make 1 litre (1 quart) of kefir in 24-48 hours. The amount of time you ferment the milk for depends on the temperature and how tart you like your kefir to be. So be prepared to experiment and taste test to see what works best for you.
Put the kefir grains and milk into a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and fasten the lid on.
Using a lid will increase the slight effervescent quality of the kefir. There is an alternative you can try if you don’t like that slight effervescence or you don’t have a jar with a lid available. Just use a clean piece of muslin, or other clean cloth, in place of the lid to keep out foreign objects and curious insects. Make sure the cloth is large enough to completely cover the opening of the jar, and then some. Use a rubber band or piece of string to fasten the cloth into place over the opening of the jar.
Leave to ferment 24-48 hours
Leave the jar with the milk and kefir grains out on your kitchen counter top for 24-48 hours. Just make sure it’s not in direct sunlight. I like keeping my batch of fermenting kefir on top of the fridge. Every time I go to the fridge to get something out I see the jar of fermenting kefir and remember to give it a gentle shake. Gently shake or rock the jar throughout the day wherever you think about it. Once the kefir starts fermenting the milk you may notice your ‘brew’ separating into curds and whey. This is normal. Just give the jar a gentle shake to mix everything back together.
Taste testing
At the point where the kefir starts separating it has definitely fermented. If you are just starting out making your own kefir, this is a good time to start doing some taste tests until you get an idea of how fermented you like your kefir to be. Go with what tastes good to you, and keep in mind that your tastes may change over time. This is especially true if you eat a lot of sweet foods and tart or sour foods don’t appeal to you. As you introduce more fermented foods into your diet and start restoring your inner ecosystem and overall health, you will find that you don’t crave as many sweet foods, and you enjoy more tart/sour flavors.
How to tell kefir grains from curds in the kefir
The kefir grains look like little cauliflower florets, and are quite rubbery. When the milk has started fermenting and turning to kefir it will probably contain some curds which can resemble the kefir grains. The way to tell the difference is that when you squeeze the curds they will break up and disappear, the kefir grains will not. You can squeeze them out like a sponge, and they will retain their shape.
Separate the kefir from the grains and start the next batch
Once the kefir is finished fermenting pour the contents of the jar into a wide mouth container. A glass measuring jug is ideal, but a glass or ceramic bowl will do. Make sure whatever container you use is large enough to hold all the kefir and then some. Wash the glass jar out, so you can use it to make the next batch. Now some people like to use a strainer to separate the kefir grains out, but what I have found works the best for me is this… with clean hands trawl through the kefir using your fingers like a net to catch the kefir grains. Once you catch some grains, remove your hand from the liquid and squeeze the grains, just like you would a sponge to squeeze out most of the kefir they contain.
As you retrieve the grains, put them into the jar, and trawl through the kefir liquid searching for more grains until you think you’ve got them all. Then add the milk, put the lid on and start the next batch.
Over time you’ll find that your grains increase, and grow in size. So even if you start with only one tablespoon of grains, soon you’ll have 2 tablespoons and will be able to ferment 2 cups of milk per batch, and within a month or two you’ll have enough to ferment 4 cups of kefir at a time. You can eat any excess grains – they remind me of sour gummy bears, I really like them, or feed them to your dogs (they will love them). Excess kefir liquid can be used in your bath (like a milk bath, but better), or used as a natural moisturizing cleanser. Rub it on your face, leave for a few minutes, then rinse off with warm water. I also feed my dogs the kefir liquid, they love it and people comment on how beautiful and shiny their coats are… it’s the kefir that makes the difference.
How to increase the beneficial effects of kefir
Two things help to maximize the beneficial effect of the kefir. One is the technique of squeezing the grains that’s described above. You’ll notice that after you squeeze the grains, when you open your hand there will be little clear, sticky strands attached between your fingers and the grains. Reminds me of the stuff Spiderman shoots out to form webs. The squeezing stimulates the kefir grains to produce a substance called kefiran, which has additional health benefits. I’ve noticed that it also causes my grains to grow faster, and stronger. If you squeeze the grains every time before you start a new batch, you may notice that the batches of kefir start to thicken slightly.
The second technique for increasing the health benefits of the kefir is to simply leave it sit for another 24 hours, in the fridge after removing the grains.
Where to get kefir grains *
Finding your kefir grains to start with may be the hardest part of the process. Ideally you should try to find fresh kefir grains locally. If you don’t know anyone who is already making kefir and can sell or share some grains with you, the internet makes the job of finding kefir grains so much easier than it would have been previously.
If you live in New Zealand, I sell kefir grains from my online store and ship locally to anywhere in New Zealand. So if you’re looking to buy kefir grains in NZ I’ve got you covered. If you live elsewhere, try searching Google using any one of these keywords phrases (without the quotes) “kefir grains location” or “buy kefir grains location” or “kefir starter location” – where you replace ‘location’ with your location, for example the city or town you live in. If that doesn’t turn up any good leads, try using your state or even your country for your location. Starting out with your more exact location and then getting more general if that doesn’t work should turn up something in your area. You might find people selling on local auctions sites, forums or internet groups or mailing lists specializing in healthy eating, fermented foods, those following the Weston Price philosophy of eating.
Where to get kefir starter in the USA
There is another excellent alternative for making your own kefir if you live in the USA. Even though it’s not fresh kefir grains, the Body Ecology site has excellent probiotic starter cultures for making a variety of fermented foods, including a Kefir Starter Culture. Each packet of the Body Ecology kefir starter can be used to make kefir about 7 times. Follow the instructions that come with the kefir starter, it’s a different technique than what you use for the live kefir grains.
So unlike the live kefir grains you can’t use them to make kefir indefinitely. However, the advantage of the Body Ecology starters is that they are guaranteed to contain a number of specific beneficial strains of bacteria. When you are using ‘wild’ kefir grains the strains of bacteria may vary somewhat depending on their growing environment.
In my opinion the ideal would be to use both the Body Ecology products (so you know that at least you have those strains of bacteria that are listed for each product) and to make your own kefir from fresh kefir grains. You want to try to get the greatest diversity of beneficial gut bacteria that you can for maximum health benefits, and in my opinion combining both the traditional live cultures and the excellent Body Ecology products is the way to maximize the diversity of your inner ecosystem.
The benefits of probiotic foods are amazing, they are crucial for good health and people are catching on to that fact. The demand is great enough that big money can be made in the probiotic supplement market, and unfortunately this kind of ‘opportunity’ attracts all kinds of companies whose ethics and quality standards are less than stellar. Many of the probiotic supplements that have been tested don’t even contain the strains of bacteria that they claim they do. In the probiotic arena, I really only trust real probiotic foods, i.e. those I make myself, and the Body Ecology products.
Recipes using kefir
You can substitute kefir for yogurt in most recipes. Here are some recipes using kefir, and I’ll be adding more over time.
Kefir is great added to smoothies. Use kefir and fruit to make smoothies that taste like the Indian sweet lassi drink, mango and peach work especially well for this. Adding kefir to any green smoothie recipe helps to mellow out the sometimes bitter ‘green’ taste of the leafy greens.
Kefir Plum Popsicle
In the warmer months a nice treat is to make healthy frozen ‘kefirsicles’ by blending kefir and fruit, pouring the mixture into Popsicle molds and putting them in the freezer until they have set.
One year I picked a bounty of plums off a friend’s tree. I blended up some kefir, honey and the pitted plums and some rosewater (optional but a delicious twist – rosewater for cooking can be found in stores that stock Middle Eastern foods) and made these sweet-tart, tasty frozen treats.
Berries would work really well instead of the plums in this recipe too. This is a great, quick way to use any soft fruit you find in season, where you can get large volumes for cheaply, or for free if you have fruit trees, or know someone who does.
Kefir is also a great base for a quick, creamy salad dressing. These are just some ideas to get you started. But use your imagination, and experiment. Let me know what delicious ways you come up with to use kefir by leaving a comment below.
This is a really well written article. I have made milk kefir for a while now, but had never considered making it into ice lollies for the kids. I am going to do this TODAY using blended mixed berries from my freezer. I wonder if the kids will like it?
Thank you Babs! I was just sitting here a moment ago wondering if it was too long and if it would be better if I broke it down into separate articles. What do you think?
Let me know what you (and the kids) think of the kefir-pops. I just finished a beautiful herb and walnut kefir cheese I made a couple days ago, I should have the recipe for that up in a couple of days (I need to finish the basic kefir cheese recipe first), so keep an eye out for that one. In fact, I was inspired to add the walnuts because of that beautiful walnut cheese you brought us! It turned out so well I’m straining today’s batch of kefir to make more herb kefir cheese.
I have to say Donna I love reading your atricles, they are very well written because you love and believe in the things that you do. I stummbled on your site after looking for a recipie for Apple Cider Vinegar and I am so happy that I did! You have great information and I thank you so much for letting others know how to make these things too! Now I just have to find a source here in Ontario, Canada for Kefir grains!
Kara, thank you for your kind words. It makes my day! I was wondering if this article was too long, if I should split it into a couple articles, but I’ve gotten really good feedback on it so far. I do love spreading the word on things like this, helping people get back to basics and make their own food as much as possible, rather than relying on others. Food is so important, and I think most of us in Western societies take it for granted because we seem to have such an abundance. The ironic thing of course, is that while we have an abundance of things to eat, to fill our stomachs so many people are malnourished because they have come to rely on others making food for them. Food that has no nutritional benefit other than calories.
I may be able to help you with the kefir grains… sending you an email
Very timely article for me as I have just got my first lot of kefir grains and stumbling about with my kefir making. I think I might have let my first couple of brews ferment for too long. Had to really dig through the curds to find my poor wee kefir grains! I’ll watch this next one more closely.
I’m loving making it and looking forward to getting to the point where I can use it as a base for dressings and smoothies.
You made the transition from powders to live grains SO much easier. Thank you. don’t change a thing in this article. Just add some more ideas to sneek kiefer into our diets. The kiefer pops are a great idea!
Thank you Taheena! I’m so grateful I could help. I will certainly be adding more ideas and articles about kefir :>
I’m really interested to hear that eating more fermented foods can correct a ‘sugar craving’ as I have a terribly sweet tooth, I know it is no good for me, so will watch to see how the kefir helps with this. You’ve inspired me to look into incorporating more fermented foods into my diet in general. Thanks for the great info
I know how it is, I have a terrible sweet tooth too. I also had a soda habit a few years back. I hadn’t had soda for a couple of decades. Then I went to University (as a mature student) and started drinking coke and those caffeinated sodas so I could stay up till all hours and work on my assignments. After that it was just too easy to continue the habit at my jobs. One of them even supplied free coke! But I just quit, without even trying, when I started drinking kombucha (that was my first fermented drink). I stopped drinking alcohol too. I never drank much, but I just found I didn’t feel like having it, ever. Now the water kefir I have every day is so much better than any soda, and my body knows it’s better for me. I still have sugar cravings sometimes, but not nearly as bad as it was. I have read stories of the same happening to others when they started consuming fermented foods.
It’s great you’re getting excited about the fermented foods. I’m totally enthusiastic about them too, especially after hearing what probiotics expert Donna Gates has to say about them. It just blew me away what the beneficial micro-organisms can do. Go get her audio recordings and listen to them, you’ll learn so much more about them. They are free, just go to the Body Ecology website and click the big purple button to sign up for her mailing list. You’ll get the audio recordings for free, and it’s easy to unsubscribe from the list later if you want.
Hi, a friend of mine just gave me some kefir grains so I can make my own kefir, and I found your site when looking for tips on making it. Great write-up – informative and very clear! Thank you.
I was interested to hear you no longer drink sodas. I have somehow become “addicted” to coke (cola drinks, not the other!) – I call it an addiction because honestly, it feels like one. I don’t have lots of it, but I want at least one a day of it — and I actually feel grumpy if I don’t have it! This is very perplexing to me, because while I’m not perfect, I have very many healthy eating habits and am health-aware, but I can’t seem to stop drinking cola.
I know the kefir will be great for me in so many ways… I’m hoping it will help me to feel no further cravings for Coke, too!!!
Thanks again for your article.
It’s great that you got hold of some kefir grains! Are they the milk kefir grains, the white ones? The clear ones are water kefir grains. The water kefir is like soda, only good for you. I think fermented foods are the best thing, they are like the antidote to sugar in all it’s forms. So many of the healthy eating experts I listen to say the one thing you can do that will make the most radical change in your health is to stop consuming sugar. Some just bluntly put it more like this, sugar is poison, it’s the worst thing you can possibly do to your body as far as your diet. So I think anything that helps us deal with those sugar addictions is awesome. I’m using stevia a lot more now, and it really does seem to help too. I make smoothies with milk kefir and add stevia, blueberries, 1-2 frozen bananas, vanilla extract – it’s almost like having ice cream! I’d be interested to hear your experience with kefir. Let me know if it does help with your Coke cravings.
I can relate completely about the coke cola addiction. That’s exactly what happened to me. I used to drink sodas as a kid, but stopped when I was about 17 I guess, and got out on my own. I had total control over my diet and things in my environment that might tempt me. I didn’t drink sodas until I went back to university as a mature student when I was 39. I started drinking sodas and caffeinated soft drinks. Wow, I got so addicted. I too had to have a coke a day (if not two). I managed to cut back, but had a hard time actually quitting. I still had to have something every day or I felt the withdrawals. The first fermented drink culture I got hold of was kombucha. Before I knew it, I had just stopped drinking any kind of soda. No withdrawals, no cravings, so trying. It was great!
I was still drinking alcohol socially. Often wine which I have never really liked that much. In the summer I really looked forward to a cold bottle of Smirnoff’s Black Ice (or two). That started feeling like a habit for sure, bordering on addiction because I would crave them when I didn’t have them. I know many people who are much more addicted than that and would never even consider it an addiction, but if they were really honest, it is. I consider something an addiction if it’s not healthy for you but you consume it regularly and would have a hard time not consuming it for an extended period. Then I got some water kefir grains and before I knew it, I just stopped drinking alcohol completely. I have no craving for it and it makes me feel kind of sick just thinking about drinking it – it’s like my body is reminding me what it was like. I also think the milk and water kefir both really help me manage my chocolate cravings (and sugar cravings in general).
Hi Donna,
Thanks for your reply. I received milk kefir grains. I have my first batch sitting atop the water heater right now… giving it the occasional gentle shake.
Interesting, so the water kefir makes a sort of fizzy drink, that you feel helped you give up alcohol? That might be something I would like to try at some point too.
I think I have a generally addictive personality — there are all kinds of things I currently like, or have consumed in the past, that I know are not good for me, yet I wanted to keep having them. Anything that can help with this is welcome!
I hope to post again at some point with the news that I no longer crave, and am no longer drinking, cola. Let us see…
Yes the water kefir is kind of fizzy, or can be if you ferment it in a sealed jar. And I’ve not tried it but if you do a secondary ferment, where you bottle the fermented kefir after you remove the grains, adding a bit more sugar, usually in the form of fruit juice and then seal it up really tight then it does get really fizzy. Just like soda.
I’d be interested in knowing, if you don’t mind saying that is, the foods that you are addicted too… do they all have sugar content? That would include fruit, fruit juice, alcohol, in addition to the more obvious sodas, candies, desserts and chocolate. An addiction to sugar is very commonly due to candida overgrowth. And from what I have read and heard it seems like almost everyone, at least in Western cultures, has a candida problem. The other thing that seems to happen quite often is that people get addicted to foods and substances that they are allergic too. Which seems counter-intuitive to me, but apparently is quite common.
Absolutely get ahold of kombucha and it will kill your cravings. It can be fermented to be bubbly like pop and is so much better than the chemicals in normal soft drinks.
I have been using water kefer for awhile and have two bottles of grains left over. Can these grains be used in place of the milk grains?
Hi Roberta, that’s a good question, thank you for asking. The water kefir grains can’t be used for fermenting milk, and vice versa. The water kefir grains can be used for coconut water and coconut milk kefir. But you need to get milk kefir grains to use with mammal milk (such as cow, goat, etc).
I have a kefir video but looking to update because of the complaints of me straining with metal. I want to try to make actual kefir with cheesecloth or Linen. Thats what I was looking for when I happened upon you website. Although you use your fingers I did see that you used the cheesecloth actually making the cheese (which sounds yummy by the way). I make smoothies and have even tried to make a hair conditioner with kefir. I made something the other day that looked exactly like yogurt. I’m gonna keep going with it. I have to experiment with the cheesecloth for kefir and (kefir) yogurt. Fingers crossed for great results. Great tips!
Hi Donna,
A friend of mine gave me some Kefir grains, I now use it where I used yogert before. I wonder if the beneficial attributes of the Kefir is in any way diminished by using it in a cooking process such as makng muffins etc.
I also use the Kefir in a dessert by making flavoured (low cal)jelly with little water and when very cold and still liquid, mixing it with a few cups of kefir. It makes a sort of mousse which served with some fruit is quite delicious.
I think I now really want to experiment with making cheese. It might not replace my favourite roquefort but who knows!!!
Hi Iya, your fruit mousse sounds delicious! I don’t eat gelatin, but I’m wondering if I can make something similar using chia seeds. i think it’s definitely worth experimenting with! To answer your question, yes the temperatures used in baking will kill the beneficial microorganisms in the kefir. However, because the microorganisms have already processed the lactose for to turn the milk into kefir it may help those who have a lactose intolerance to digest it better.
Hi, I am reading Eat Fat, Lose Fat for the third time trying to re-educate myself re fats! Kefir grains are recommended, I was thrilled to find your site here in little ole NZ!! I am buying BioFarm yogurt, separating for whey and curd, making cheese, sour cream etc and wondering about a cheaper alternative. Am so thrilled that Kefir grains not only supplies this cost effective alternative but is also better for us!! Any new recipes I come up with I will be sure to let you all know. Cheers.
Hi Donna, I just found your site and am enjoying it immensely . I have my first batch of kefir brewing and will be able to try some later today. A friend of mine told me about kefir. I went online and researched it. About 3 years ago I became very sick with ‘pneumonia’. I ended up on 3 courses each of antibiotics and steroids over a period of 4 months. As it turned out I had a fungal not a viral infection in my lungs from my very sick house. I have not been able to get myself off of sugar since. I am very excited to be trying kefir. This really sounds like the ticket I’ve been looking for. I can’t wait until I can try all of your recipes.
Hi, I wanted to purchase some Kefir grains but your links don’t go anywhere – are you not selling them now? it appears from your Store link at the top of the page there is nothing for sale. Please could you clarify for me? Thanks, Catherine.
Hi Catherine. Yes, I’m sorry, I am no longer selling the kefir grains.
Quest a quick question, please.
I have made kefir smoothies and cheese, but now I want to make yogurt. Your article was well written and easy to follow. Thanks for that. Judging from what I read it seems like the way to make cheese is the way to make yogurt. Is this right? I adore kefir and am using it in everything!
Hi Lisa, thank you for the compliments. I’m glad you enjoyed the article and found it easy to follow. I use kefir to make my cheese. Kefir is even healthier than yogurt and much easier to make as long as you have the kefir grains. I’ve never used yogurt to make cheese, but it would work as well using the same process. And if you start with really good quality, healthy yogurt with live acidophilus cultures it would be healthier than normal cheese.
Great information on kefir making. I got some grains from Cultures for Health that I rehydrated and having been using for about 1 month. It was a little slow to start, but everything seems to be going well, but the grains are not multiplying much. I started with about 1 teaspoon and that is what I still have. I noticed you said to squeeze them and that might help. How long does it usually take for grains to multiply and what’s the most that you would put with 1 quart of raw milk? Thanks,
Nancy
Hi Nancy. I think the grains that have been dehydrated take much longer to start growing, I have done some experimenting with drying them and had some that never actually started growing again. But someone said to me that it can take 6 weeks for them to start growing. Usually the ratio is 1 tablespoon grains to 1 cup of milk. If you have more grains than that, say like for a quart of milk if you have more than 4 tablespoons they will just ferment the milk faster. So you can have quite a lot of grains per quart, you just need to change the milk more often. You can also store them in the fridge in either yogurt, milk or a half and half yogurt/milk mixture for a while if you have extras and you don’t want to make that much more kefir. Thanks for your question!
hello, I ordered my first batch of kefir grains online and am excited to start. My mom used to make kefir for a while when I was little. I grew up in Belgium, we called them yoghurt flowers
. She said if you can’t use the grains for a while, you can just freeze them, is this true?
Yogurt flowers, that’s beautiful, and fitting for them. Yes I have heard from a few people that you can freeze them, I’ve never done it myself though. What I read is that you pack them in a plastic bag or something with powdered milk all around them. Make sure when you prepare them that you pat them dry as much as possible, then pack them with powdered milk, and you can keep them frozen for up to 3 months I think.
When I need to let me Kefir rest I put unflavored yogurt in a tupperware..place kefir in and top with more unflavored yougurt. Works every time!
This was a great article. I do have a couple questions however. After you make the yogurt, rather than immediately starting another batch is it ok to just put the grains in the frig with some milk over them. I’ve been doing this but it seems the grains aren’t growing, but as long as they are viable, I’m find with that. I just don’t eat enough to be making it quite that often. Another question would be if I’m not using raw organic milk but rather just organic whole milk from the store I was told that I should heat the milk to 170, then let cool and pour over the kefir grains. Do you agree?
Hi Becky, it is okay to put them in the fridge with milk, or yogurt if you’re ‘resting’ them for a while, or a 50/50 mix of milk and yogurt. If your grains ever get too sour this is a good way to bring them back into balance. When you take them out and start using them again it can take a little while for them to start growing. It’s like they have been in suspended animation and they need some time to warm up and get going again.
I don’t agree, and I’ve never read anywhere that you need to heat the milk if you’re using store bought. The pasteurization process kills everything anyway, I don’t see any advantage in heating it, and if the milk is too warm it can kill the kefir grains. Although I know with yogurt making you do have to heat the milk a bit, so maybe the people who told you that were confused about the difference between yogurt and kefir. It’s good that you are using organic milk at any rate, even if you can’t get it raw. Thanks for you questions!