Milk Kefir – simple instructions
Have you heard of Milk Kefir?
Milk kefir is a tangy, delicious cousin of yogurt that is easy to culture right on your kitchen counter! All you need are kefir grains (pictured above) and milk. The grains themselves are not a grain at all, but a rubbery, white substance that looks a little like cauliflower. It is a whole colony of pro-biotic cultures that when put in milk, digest the milk, turning it into kefir. Because so much of the lactose is digested by the kefir cultures and enzymes added back in, some people who have a hard time digesting milk have no problem with kefir. It is a great source of good bacterias for your gut and a wonderfully complete food, containing lots of vitamins, enzymes as well as protien and good fat. For a good quality sourse of kefir grains, click here.
To make, simply drop the grains in a jar of milk, close the lid and leave on the counter until the milk thickens and sours slightly (usually 24 to 48 hours).
Once it is cultured, the grains are strained out and ready to use in the next batch, or you can put them in the fridge to hibernate until you are ready to use them again. They multiply over time so even if you start with a small amount, they will grow and soon you will be able to share with your friends.
Above is a picture of the milk kefir once cultured. You can see that the cream (I use raw milk, although it will work with pastuerized milk too) has risen to the top and the milk is visibly thicker. If you leave it even longer the whey will begin to separate, which isn’t a problem, although the longer is cultures, the more sour it will become.
Our favorite way to consume the kefir is to add some frozen fruit and stevia or honey and blend it in the blender to make a smoothie. Strawberry smoothies are a big hit here and make a regular appearance at breakfast.
If you enjoyed this information, please share! Or join our conversation on Facebook in my fermented food group!
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
AMAZON DISCLOSURE: The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Any products or techniques mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I am just a mom who shares what works for me!
December 5, 2013 @ 2:46 am
I have a few questions…How much fruit and sweetener do you use?
How much should you drink per day?
How long is it safe to drink after refrigerated?
your mom gave me eggshells and I don’t remember what to do with them??? Lol
thanks for your help with this
December 5, 2013 @ 3:03 am
Here is the recipe I use for making a kefir smoothie
If you have never had it before start with about half a cup a day to let your body get used to all the good bacterias and gradually up your intake to whatever you wish. I drink about a cup a day in the form of a smoothie.
It would probably be good to drink for a week or two, but always refrigerate the kefir before making it into a smoothie, as the smoothies taste best freshly made.
You will have to check with her on the eggshells. Those are for the water kefir, not the milk kefir.
December 5, 2013 @ 3:58 am
Thank you so much!!!
January 21, 2014 @ 4:46 am
Can fat free milk be used?
January 21, 2014 @ 2:13 pm
Yes, any kind of dairy milk can be used (dairy free replacements cannot), although I personally don’t recommend drinking skim milk. Here is an article that explains why: http://www.thankyourbody.com/is-milk-healthy/
How To Completely Prevent Yeast Infections With One Easy Addition To Your Diet
February 3, 2014 @ 4:12 pm
[…] 2. Kefir […]
November 24, 2014 @ 1:20 am
So i just make it and then use it in ny smoothies with fruit or do i need to put fruit in the kefir when making it?
November 24, 2014 @ 5:26 am
Just use it in your smoothies. No need to add fruit while fermenting.
January 17, 2015 @ 6:51 pm
A friend introduced me to kefir milk this week . I am now making it daily and love it. I do have a question, you said you use raw milk. Can you tell me why? Is raw milk a better source for the kefir?
January 22, 2015 @ 9:24 pm
I use raw milk because I believe it healthier and more nutrient dense. Check out this site: http://www.realmilk.com
March 21, 2015 @ 9:37 pm
could you please give me the quantities of milk to kefir? Thank you Denise
March 25, 2015 @ 1:50 pm
I use a TBSP of kefir grains to make anywhere from a cup to a gallon of kefir. You can pick how much you want to make.
September 1, 2015 @ 3:15 am
Hello my milk and grains note that I used a new milk brand, well I left it with lid on 6 fairly hot day’s and there were a few parasite looking tadpole looking and another typy that actually had a bug look in the jar kinda looks like they hatched and tryed to come up to top of jar yuk so what’s what have any idea’s and is it possible that tadpole type may be good for me?
September 2, 2015 @ 9:51 pm
I’m sorry that happened! Personally, I would start over.
October 9, 2015 @ 7:04 pm
i notice you are using a plastic lid in your photo. I have seen this method as well as a breathable lid (such as a paper towel & rubber band). I would rather use the lid if this works for you. Do you tighten it down all the way? Thank you.
October 9, 2015 @ 11:40 pm
Yes, I tighten it and it works very well.
January 21, 2016 @ 4:11 am
What is the process for “hibernating” the grains if I don’t have more milk to immediately begin a new batch? Like, should the grains be rinsed and just put in a jar with lid by themselves and put in fridge? How long can they hibernate before starving?
January 22, 2016 @ 11:56 am
I store them in the fridge in a small amount of milk to keep them moist.
January 22, 2016 @ 11:57 am
If I was completely out of milk I would use water, but get milk on them ASAP. And I have stored them for up to a month. There are long term storage methods like freezing and drying, but I have never personally tried them.
February 22, 2016 @ 12:04 am
You say you use honey in your kefir. Isn’t it so that honey is antibacterial and will kill the good bacteries in the kefir?
February 22, 2016 @ 7:53 pm
If I tried to culture the kefir with honey that might be a problem, but just to sweeten the smoothie, it’s fine. Otherwise, none of us would ever want to eat honey at all, because it would kill the good bacteria in our gut, which certainly isn’t the case!
April 5, 2016 @ 4:52 am
I’m really new to the idea of Kefir, but it intrigues me. My daughters get a lot of colds and I’d love to boost their immune systems naturally. I am newly pregnant. What benefits or side effects would it have for pregnancy? Also, what does it taste like? I mean, do people just drink it plain? It sounds kinda gross to me, lol! (But then again, I also don’t like the taste of kale, cabbage, quinoa, sweet potatoes, etc, so maybe I’m just not made for the healthy stuff!) Thanks!
April 6, 2016 @ 12:40 am
It tastes like yogurt but more sour. When you are first starting with it, you would probably need to sweeten more as your taste buds adjust. It would be VERY good for you to drink while pregnant. So nutritious! Congrats on your pregnancy! I have some other pregnancy posts you are welcome to check out too!
July 3, 2016 @ 2:14 am
How long does the made kefir last in the fridge? If i make a batch and have leftovers or give to family and friends?
July 6, 2016 @ 10:42 pm
as long as yogurt would last… a week or two?
February 3, 2017 @ 6:37 pm
Really nice post!
Where I live it’s much easier to get a hold of ready made kefir in stores than acquiring the grains, would store bought kefir suffice when using it in skin care? Is the home made one a lot more potent?
Thank you!
February 3, 2017 @ 10:55 pm
It’s probably fine if you can find it unsweetened!
May 26, 2019 @ 6:29 am
hello,
I’ve been doing kefir with l low fat milk. I cover it with a cloth for about 4-6 days. my kefir only becomes creamy like and I don’t get large kefir grains like in your photos, just a thick milky consistency
Is this fine or am I doing it wrong?
August 23, 2019 @ 3:13 pm
It’s probably fine, but I can’t really say, since I never use low-fat milk.
February 16, 2020 @ 11:33 pm
This blog about milk kefir has helped me a lot,
is very well written. I used this fat burner
product: https://s96.me/fit and I reached the ideal weight.
Kiss you All!