I am sort of kicking myself for not preparing cultured foods sooner, like 6+ years ago when we started eating “healthfully”! But thinking like this is counter-productive so I try not to indulge it.
Now, kefir, we are really enjoying. In particular, I love it! It brings back many memories for me that reminisce on the Middle Eastern flavors that were part of my growing up. I can’t say I’ve had kefir before (have I, Mom?). Its fresh and a little sour taste reminds me of plain yogurt, which is a staple in ME cooking. A side benefit (that I didn’t expect) of having cultured foods around – foods that satisfy me and replace my cravings for sweeteners. Kefir fits the bill!
I got milk kefir grains (see my Resources page for sources). They came in a little baggie with some organic milk. By the time I used them, the milk had cultured and separated into curds and whey. That is fine. There is an expiration date on the package. So be aware, if you order the grains, you must be prepared to use them almost right away, but perhaps up to a week or two.
Those grains (drained with wood, bamboo or plastic, not metal) I stirred in with 1 cup of my raw goat milk. After 24 hours, the kefir had gone beyond thickened and created curds. That’s okay. It tasted a little more sour and was not smooth for drinking, but nothing was ruined. The point of this initial culturing was to get the kefir grains acclimated to our milk.
Kefir Grains v. Kefir Curds
I strained out the kefir grains, and right away, got the education I needed to tell what was the kefir grains and what was the curds.
In the above picture, on the left you can see the kefir grains clump. It is rubbery, somewhat translucent whitish/yellowish, and shaped like a cauliflower. It is only about 1 or 2 centimeters, at this point. According to Donna Gates of The Body Ecology Diet (quoted in Nourishing Traditions on page 86), the kefir grain clumps range in size from a grain of wheat to a hazelnut.
Donna Gates also writes, “Kefir is made from gelatinous white or yellow particles called “grains.” The grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and polysaccharides (complex sugars). ”
On the right are the kefir curds, which as you can see, don’t hang together like the rubbery kefir grains. Kefir is considered “done” when the grains spread their friendly organisms through milk, culturing it and thickening it. Ideally, it should be a thickened milk with the consistency of a thin, drinkable yogurt. If it cultures longer, it will separate into curds and whey, and also will develop a more sour flavor. This is okay, but perhaps not as fun to drink.
I repeated the process of acclimating the grains to our raw goat milk about 2 more times. The kefir thickened nicely and tasted great, so I think it is all good!
My Kefir Routine
I’ve developed a nice routine for having fresh kefir available every day. Kefir takes about 24 hours to develop the tart flavor and thick, smooth consistency – at current summer/warm temperatures. I start a new batch each morning with one quart of fresh, warm, raw goat’s milk from that AM’s milking. I put the warm milk it in a quart size jar and mix in the kefir grains. I cover the jar with a thin towel and secure it to the jar with a rubber band. I leave that on the counter in the kitchen, several feet away from Kombucha or yogurt or any other culturing food.
By the next morning, a taste test and a gentle rocking of the jar will tell me if the kefir is done. I am looking for thick milk (thicker than buttermilk but thinner than yogurt) and a fresh, slightly sour flavor. I strain out the kefir grains, and put the finished kefir in the fridge to chill until dinnertime. Then I use another quart of fresh milk (from the AM milking) and repeat the process with the kefir grains just strained out of the finished batch.
So far, Jeff and I have a larger serving than the kids. They are adjusting to the taste. For anything like this that takes an adjustment, I will serve the kids just a bit of it for many days. In most cases, they end up liking the food. When they start drinking more of the kefir (we are almost there), I think I will make one and a half quarts of kefir each day. But, maybe more – then we can use it for other things.
Keeping reading to the benefits below… and you will see why I think it is important for each of us to consume kefir of this every day. If only I could figure out how to get my goats to drink it every day – they would be the healthiest around! (Any suggestions?)
What’s So Great About Kefir?
Quoting again from Donna Gates,
Kefir is a cultured an microbial-rich food that helps restore the inner ecology. It contains strains of beneficial yeast and beneficial bacteria (in a symbiotic relationship) that give kefir antibiotic properties. A natural antibiotic – and it is made from milk! The finished product is not unlike that of a drink-style yogurt, but kefir has a more tart, refreshing taste and contains completely different micro-organisms… kefir does not feed yeast, and it usually doesn’t even bother people who are lactose intolerant. That’s because the friendly bacteria and the beneficial yeast growing in the kefir consume most of the lactose and provide very efficient enzymes (lactase) for consuming whatever lactose is still left after the culturing process… kefir is mucous-forming, but… the slightly mucous-forming quality is exactly what makes kefir work for us. The mucous has “clean” quality to is that coats the lining of the digestive tract, creating a sort of nest where beneficial bacteria can settle and colonize…
Awesome! So, to sum up those benefits, kefir:
- is a natural antibiotic
- does not feed yeast
- doesn’t bother those who are lactose intolerant, because the beneficial microorganisms consume most of the lactose
- provides enzyme lactase, to digest remaining lactose
- coats the lining of the digestive tract, creating a nest for beneficial bacteria to colonize
Kefir’s Other Uses?
I think I need some help here. I know that I can use kefir in smoothies (but I have not done it yet). I also think it could be part of salad dressings or dips, such as those that call for yogurt or buttermilk. To maintain its benefits, I think it should only be part of raw recipes.
Do you have any ideas? Any recipes? What other uses are there?
You can freeze any leftover kefir smoothie to make popsicles – freezing does not destroy the friendly bacteria. My little guy drank some of his caterpillar soup that he made with liquid from the bird bath and many live green caterpillars and has been unable to keep dairy down.
BUT I made him some healthy smoothie from kefir and froze it – he’s been keeping those down no problem! Which is great because it was the only thing he would put in his mouth (aside from the caterpillar soup, that is.)
He is doing better now but I was so happy to have kefir around to help nourish his body back to health.
Sustainable Eats – Oh, my! I read your comment five times before I got it! I was like… caterpillar soup? What an interesting recipe – what does it stand for? Then I realized it really was CATERPILLAR SOUP! Poor kid. I love your suggestion to make the popsicles with kefir-smoothies! I’m really glad that the kefir has helped your little guy so much. What a story! What an adventure!
Wardeh,
The kefir sounds great! I have had it before and it is good, refreshing comes to mind. I don’t have any excuse as to why I have never made any myself. I guess I need to!
This is totally un-related but I have a question. I recently bought some evaporated cane juice crystals from Azure and was VERY disappointed when I recieved it. It looks like slightly tinted sugar. In the past I have always purchased rapadura. Which is very brown and granule looking. Do you know if there is a nutritional difference? I looked it up on-line but didn’t really get any GOOD answers. Just thought you might know.
Thanks in advance.
love,
Tiffany
Tiffany – I had the same experience recently. I admit to a general confusion regarding Rapadura/Sucanat and evaporated cane juice. Rapadura is supposed to be evaporated cane juice but what I gather is that not all “evaporated cane juice” is Rapadura. Here’s a chart with nutrtitional information of the different types.
http://mccaffrey.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=2200607
Yes, for real. Here is another caterpillar soup recipe: http://www.sustainableeats.com/?p=35. We’ve had our fair share of caterpillar run-ins lately.
Thank you so much for the chart!!! I knew that the stuff I recieved was not as good as rapadura, just by looking at it!!
Love,
tiffany
Sustainable Eats – Oh, that was too funny (and a little gross)! What a great post! Your poor husband. It is good you can write and laugh about it!
You may know kefir by the name lebni or labneh. It is one of my favorite ME side dishes! The way I prepare it for my family is with a spice mix called zaatar (mixture of thyme, oregano, roasted sesame seeds, sumac, salt) sprinkled all over the top of the kefir and then olive oil poured over that. We have a particular kind of flatbread that we dip in it. I like to make it with saffron rice, and a lovely stew called Murag that is made with meat, okra, green beans, tomato and a spice mix called baharat.
Now I am getting hungry! Thanks for sharing this helpful post. I think I might try my hand at making my own kefir soon! And eating lots of it!
Kimbrah – I love zaatar! The way you serve kefir sounds sooo amazing. But I did not know kefir was known as lebani, because the way my family has always made lebani is from yogurt (leban) which is put in a bag so the whey can drip out, at which point it becomes lebani. And the leban is a yogurt from a Greek-style yogurt culture, while the kefir is cultured via kefir grains. Are we talking about the same thing? Your spelling is a little different, but I would say the words the same way. Regardless, you’re making me hungry, too! Is your Murag recipe online somewhere – it sounds so much like a green bean stew (name is escaping me) that we make. But we don’t add a spice mix called baharat. Would you tell me more about that, please? And do you mix up your zaatar yourself? I would love to see a recipe for that, too (my zataar comes ready-made from my mom picking it up at a market). Oh, the fun in talking about ME dishes – I don’t get them enough – and wish I’d paid more attention when I was growing up.
Wardeh-
I have a recipe blog that I have kind of abandoned (its kind of embarrassing actually. I had such great plans for that blog!) I plan on moving some of the recipes over to our new family blog eventually, but here’s the link for the Murag- http://felicitasrecipes.lifewithchrist.org/permalink/24574.html and the baharat recipe is linked within that post. I also have a great cookbook called The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos. It has recipes organized by region. Very thorough and it even includes desserts like baklava!
We lived in an area in San Diego that had a large Kurdish and a large Chaldean population. Luckily, a few of them took me under their wings and taught me how to cook.
We also have friends that moved to the Middle East a few years ago and they keep me supplied with REAL saffron when they visit. Unfortunately, I cannot find a middle eastern market here in the town we live in now (lots of Indian markets, but its just not the same) so when we go down to San Diego to visit I always stop by my favorite market there and stock up on zaatar, tea, and other things I can’t find here. I have even been known to hit up friends to send me stuff when I run out and can’t manage a visit. 
I think you are right that kefir is different and that what I am thinking of is more of a Greek style yogurt. Hmmm. But it seems like it would still be good to eat like lebni. I had always heard that kefir and lebni were the same thing. I guess I stand corrected.
I just enjoy finding someone else besides my immediate family that enjoys Middle Eastern food! Too bad we don’t live closer or you could borrow my cookbook!
Kimbrah – It is so fun to talk about this with you – I’ll keep an eye out for that cookbook. I have one that was compiled by a group of Arabic women – it is called “Sahtein”. You are blessed to have such good friends to teach you and keep you in supply.
The other reason I know that kefir is different from lebani is that kefir is drinkable (thinner than yogurt) and lebani is yogurt cheese, very thick. (Leban would have a similar consistency though, just a bit thicker.) Then there is the difference in culturing. But the funny thing is, they taste so similar to me!
So perhaps that is why people told you they were the same.
Thank you for the link to the recipe (by the way, love your recipe site!). It is similar to the recipe of which it reminds me, except for using tomato paste instead of (your) tomatoes and then the inclusion of baharat. I’ve got to ask my mom if she ever uses that.
Great talking to you about this! Thanks.
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HI Wardeh,
I looked up kefir grains on your site because I’m trying to figure out where to get my next batch. The farm I bought my last batch from is an hour away and I am having a hard time finding time to go.
I also realized reading your post that I was using a metal strainer so maybe this is something that contributed to them dying?
Also, do the curds go into the batch of kefir or do you strain them with the grains?
Can’t wait to get back to making it!
Sarah
Sarah Schatz – menu planners for limited diets´s last blog post… A week at the beach, our gluten-free and dairy-free menu plan and some kid-friendly tips
Sarah – I hope you find time to go to that farm!
It is possible that using a metal strainer contributed to their demise. What metal was it? I am not convinced that 100% stainless steel harms the grains. But other metals certainly should be avoided. All could be avoided to stay on the safe side.
What curds do you mean? The curds that come with the first batch of grains or subsequent batches? In any case, when I strain my grains each morning from a finished batch of kefir, I am not that careful to get all the curds off. Some go into the next batch. I *think* it gives the next batch a stronger starter – which we like because we end up with yogurt-thickness. I think it is flexible and you should play around with it to get your desired consistency.
Have fun!
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Wardeh, are the kefir grains made originally from pasturized cow’s milk? What would happen if you didn’t acclimate the kefir grains to your raw goats milk? You mentioned the strainer should not be metal, what is yours made of?
Thanks!
Marg´s last blog post… More winter prep
Marg, I think the biggest danger is that your grain could die. I don’t know how likely that is to happen, but to be safe, you start acclimating with a small batch. My first grain was grown on organic cow’s milk (probably pasteurized, but I’m not sure). It acclimated within one batch to goat’s milk. I am not convinced that stainless steel will harm the grains, but I take that risk myself – so most of the time I use a stainless steel fork to retrieve my grains. I was using a locally-handmade wooden fork, but it started growing something right away – got all these dark stains on it. So I’m not using that anymore, for the kefir. I don’t mind using it for cooking, but if it has some other bacteria on it, I don’t want to introduce it to the kefir. I also have a little plastic strainer – the kind that is meant to strain tuna out of the can (it is the same size). Sometimes I use a plastic or wooden spoon, retrieve the grains, and then place them in this strainer. That’s if I want to drain them more fully – but usually I just transfer them with everything that come with into the new jar of milk. Hope this helps you!
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