Milk Kefir Does Your Body Good Recipes

Steps:

• Place milk kefir grains in the bottom of a clean mason jar. Cover with 1 quart fresh milk.
• Very loosely, place the lid and band on the mason jar. You do not want to tighten it because, as with all fermentation, carbon dioxide is created and needs to escape. Culture for 24 - 48 hours at room temperature. For a for a thin, mild kefir you can culture for 12 hours.
• Once culturing is complete, strain milk kefir into a new mason jar, cap and refrigerate. Begin re-culturing a new batch of kefir, if desired or allow your kefir grains to rest in water in the refrigerator for a few days until you're ready to make kefir again.
• "Cultures for Health suggests that it may take a batch or two for the milk kefir grains to adapt)" and for the grains to grow.
• Optional second ferment:.
• After the first 24 hours I strain and add a half an organic lemon to it and let it set for an other 24 hours. Then chill.
• Or I add a bunch of organic fresh or frozen berries and let sit for 24 hours then chill.
• You can combine the lemon and berries or add whatever fruit u most enjoy.
• But it must be organic.
• If you desire a smooth texture you can blend it. Yes the lemon rind at all!

Steps:

• Put ½ tsp kefir grains in the jar. Add the milk, leaving about 2cm head room if using a clip top jar, or at least 5cm for a cloth-covered jar.
• Set aside at room temperature for 18-24 hrs to ferment. It's turned to kefir when the milk has thickened. It may have set and separated, with pockets of whey forming - this is quite normal.
• If you can't strain it straight away, put it in the fridge to stop it fermenting further, the flavour can get quite strong - you can strain it anytime over the next 48 hrs.
• Strain the kefir through the sieve or straining funnel into the jug or bottle. The grains are quite robust and will withstand gentle stirring.
• You can drink it straight away, flavour and refrigerate it (a slice of lemon peel or a drop of lemon oil add a delicious fresh taste), or leave it at room temperature for a few hours to make it taste stronger. Storing it in the fridge will slow down the fermentation by the microbes and it should remain pleasantly useable for 7-10 days.
• In order to make some more kefir, rinse out the jar, return the grains (don't wash them, there's no need), and start again from the beginning.