This week I am going to go boldly where no one in my family has gone before. I am going to start using kefir grains. Or is it growing kefir grains? I am so excited and a little overwhelmed by my "natural" decision. My hubby is extremely skeptical to say the least, but he's humoring me at this point.
I have started to look at healthier things to eat and drink and thanks to our very own wonderful Crunchy Bunch Kathy, I have started into looking at eating some things raw. I started drinking kombucha which was an adventure in itself and has taken several tries before finding one that I could almost like. This journey into raw, healthy drinks got me on the road to kefir milk. My son is lactose sensitive and I thought that using kefir milk might work for him as a drink on a daily basis since it acts as a catalyst to help the body digest lactose. Kefir grains can feed, grow, and ferment on the milk of any mammal and even some milk alternatives such as soy milk, rice milk, or coconut milk. I am excited to try making kefir milk from coconut milk since I'm hoping the natural sweetness of the coconut milk will help cut the sour, fermented taste of the kefir milk.
I've read that you can use kefir milk in smoothies or even add flavorings to the milk itself. Some of the additives I want to try are agave nectar, honey, fruits, and maybe some vanilla bean. Several countries sell kefir milk as an all day beverage and it seems to be very popular all over the world. I've also been told that you can eat the grains themselves. These are very good since they have lots of probiotic bacteria. The milk has the same benefits as well.
Do you use kefir grains and/or milk? Do you have any tips or recipes for me to try? I am extremely interested in hearing your stories or recipes so please, please share! Otherwise, wish me luck and I'll keep you updated! Hopefully, soon I'll have enough grains to share with everyone!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
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I did kefir for a while. After a couple of weeks I had enough grains to share with my father-in-law. I don't know whether he's still doing it or not. I got lazy and let mine die (or whatever they do). I was making the kefir milk faster than I could use it, so I didn't have much motivation to stay on top of it. You've got to tend to them every day.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and father-in-law really liked the kefir milk, but it was too sour for me straight. My husband said it tasted kinda like good buttermilk - not what you get at the grocery store, but "real" buttermilk. I made smoothies with kefir milk, bananas, and blueberries or strawberries and enjoyed it that way. I also used it instead of milk in scones and bread.