Recipe of the Week: Fruity Kefir! | Fitness News | Fitness Newspaper ...

Published on November 16, 2012 by FASTERSally ????? No Comments

This is actually more of a ?how-to guide? rather than a ?recipe?, and it explains what you need to do to make your own probiotic (in this case, Kefir) at home.

Kefir is basically a fermented milk drink which is made from adding Kefir ?grains? to milk and leaving the milk to ferment for about 12-24hours. Kefir is a very potent probiotic (containing many more of the beneficial gut bacteria than the store-bought probiotics like Yakult and Actimel), and it is believed to have a number of health benefits including, but not limited to:

- Improved gut health (great for people with gut disorders like IBS and Colitis)

- Improved bone health

- Improved skin (great for anyone suffering from skin condition like acne and eczema)

- Improved Immune System

Now, the idea of drinking fermented milk might sound a tad off-putting but, despite what you might think, it actually doesn?t taste anything like ?off milk?! It does, however, have quite an unusual, yeasty taste, which can take some getting used to! Therefore, today we?re going to outline how to make your own Kefir and also how to flavour your Kefir with berries to make it taste fruit and refreshing!

How to Make Your Own Kefir

1. Buy some milk kefir grains from a source in your country (the grain are live organisms that need fresh milk regulalrly to stay alive so they don?t travel well!), or see if you can find a friend who?s already making their own Kefir and ask if they can give you some of their grains (the grains grow very quickly and can double in size in just a few weeks so anyone who makes Kefir regularly will usually be more than happy to spread the probiotic joy!)

(Note: When you buy the grains online, they will usually come with instructions on how best to use the grains to ferment your milk ? reading through these instructions, or even looking for more advice online is a good idea. But the steps outlined below should be enough to help you get started!)

If you?re in the UK, this online shop is a good place to buy your milk kefir grains (you?ll need to get the ?milk kefir starter? grains)

2. Place your kefir grains in a clean glass container and cover then with about 400ml of milk.

3. Cover the jar with a piece of kitchen towel or a loose-fitting lid (don?t seal the jar as the Kefir produces gas as it ferments the milk and this can cause the jar to crack) and leave at room temperature for 12-24hours, stirring occasionally (if possibly).

4. After about 12 hours the milk will start to look quite lumpy and may have started to separate into milk and a watery looking substance. At this point, just give the milk a stir with a wooden or plastic spoon (DON?T use metal as this can kill the Kefir grains) and place the container in the fridge for another 12 hours or more.

5. Once the kefir had been in the fridge for at least 12 hours, use a plastic strainer (again, DON?T use metal) to separate the kefir grains from the milk.

6. Place the kefir grains back in the clean, dry jar, add about 40ml of the old milk (that you just strained off) and top up with fresh milk and repeat the process!

7. Meanwhile, add a handful of frozen berries to the fermented milk and leave in the fridge for a few hours until the berries have thawed. Then stir the milk and berries (you can use a metal spoon now if you like!) until it turns a lovely shade of pink and enjoy your first glass of Fruity Kefir!

Tips

1. You will need to play around with the amount of milk to see what amount works best ? if the milk ferments too quickly and is very yeasty or ?fizzy?, try adding a little more milk. Alternatively, if the milk doesn?t thicken at all over 12 hours, try adding a little less milk. (As the kefir grains grow, you will need to add a little more milk or you can just throw away any excess grains -or give them to a friend!)

2. Never let the kefir grains come into contact with anything metal as this can kill them (you?ll know if your grains have died as any milk you add to them will fail to ferment and thicken).

3. Don?t let the kefir grains or milk come into contact with any other bacteria or chlorinated water- so always use clean, dry hands and utensils)

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Source: http://www.fitnessnewspaper.com/2012/11/16/recipe-of-the-week-fruity-kefir/

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