Don’t like plain kefir, even though you know it’s good for you? Well, I have some people like you in my family. 
So I’ve been on a mission, since we begun making it, to come up with fun and yummy ways to eat it. I hope that you will help me build up this list. First, though, let’s recap why kefir is so good for you (see the original Kefir post for more). 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
Now, onto the yummy ways we’ve been eating – and loving – kefir.
- Kefir Cheese – This is much like yogurt cheese, where the whey has dripped out, leaving a thicker consistency that is spreadable like cream cheese. You can season it with herbed seasoning salt, herbs, or anything else you fancy, and then spread it on bread, biscuits, etc. (See directions here – steps 1 and 2 of probiotic potato salad.)
- Probiotic Potato Salad – The secret to this probiotic potato salad is the kefir cheese used in the dressing. It is a tangy, delicious potato salad that everyone in my family loves!
- Salad Dressings – Use in place of yogurt in yogurt-based salad dressings. Experiment with adding it to other salad dressings.
- Veggie Dip – Season up the kefir cheese (from the probiotic potato salad) and make a dip out of it. Just some homemade herbed seasoning salt is all it takes.
- Ice Cream – I’ll be sharing a recipe for this soon! Kefir ice cream tastes much like frozen yogurt, with a little bit of a tang. It is so yummy! Edit: Here’s a recipe for Probiotic Chocolate Ice Cream, featuring – you guessed it – kefir!
- Smoothies – Try my chocolate kefir smoothie or summer fruit smoothie.
- Popsicles – Use the kefir smoothie (#6) mix to make popsicles (tip from Annette of Sustainable Eats). My friend Amy suggests using an ice cube tray and toothpicks if you don’t have an official popsicle tray.
- NEW! Parfait – Make a kefir parfait, using kefir as you would yogurt and top it with soaked/dehydrated nuts and seeds, soaked/dehydrated oats, dried fruit, cinnamon, fresh fruit, and a drizzle of raw honey or maple syrup. Yumm for a snack, as a salad, or as breakfast!
That’s what I’ve got – what about you? What fun ways have you found to use kefir?
This post is part of Fight Back Fridays! hosted by FoodRenegade.
About Wardeh
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Take the guesswork out of what to fix, what to buy and what to prepare. This week:
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 Yummy Ways to Eat Kefir){kind=link}
The popsicle idea is great. This summer I have been using small paper cups when making popsicles. I cut straws in half and use that for the handle, or you could us popsicle sticks. You can’t re-use the paper cups, so that is somewhat of a waste, but the popsicles turn out to be just the right size.
Great idea, Tiffany! Thanks!
Saw your link on Food Renegade – I’m so excited about trying the probiotic potato salad! I don’t have kefir cheese, but I have some yogurt cheese in the fridge. My husband loves potato salad but I haven’t made any lately as my first attempt at homemade mayo did not turn out so good (too runny, too much coconut taste). Thanks!
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
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Hi, Mary Ellen – Hope you and your husband like the potato salad – it is not like the typical potato salad, but really good!
I also use the dixie cups for our freezerpops. For the handle I use plastic spoons. I use the spoons over and over. Most popsicle containers are too big, so I like the dixie cups. I have seen another set, I’d like to try. Just need to order it. It uses the wooden sticks, which I like too.
The chocolate kefir smoothie sounds oh so yummy!
.-= Michelle´s last blog post… Crime Doesn’t Pay =-.
I have only made smoothies with kefir but they are oh so yummy!
thanks for all the great ideas!
.-= Sarah Schatz – menus for limited diets´s last blog post… Tuesday Twister: Our weekly gluten-free, dairy-free, legume-free menu plan and the miracles of our garden =-.
I’ve tried the kefir cheese, kefir ice cream and the kefir salad dressings.. But i have to admit I’ve never tried the kefir potato salad. hehe
the picture looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it out myself.
Thanks for giving me ideas! : )
.-= kefir grains girl´s last blog post… Benefits Of Wheatgrass For Your Pets =-.
The potato salad sounds delicious, and I’d like to try the ice cream!
Wardeh,
This question is totally unrelated to Kefir, but I need some advice.
I made sprouted wheat over the weekend. I usually make about half as much as I made this time. So my baking sheets that I put the grain on to dehydrate in my oven are very full and about 1- 1 1/2 inches deep. Well, for some reason the grain smells really bad! My kids say that it smells like stinky feet. I don’t know if I didn’t rinse them good enough before spreading it out in my pans, or what? Do you have any suggestions? Has that ever happened to you?
I did sprout a little bit differently this time. I usually keep the grain submerged in water the whole time. This time I soaked in water overnight then just kept them damp for about another day.
I don’t think I can let anyone in my house today it smells so bad, it kept waking me up last night. Bleck!! My son just walked past talking to himself, “ugh, I hate that smell!!” Poor kid:)
Thanks,
tiffany
Tiffany – if they smell bad, I think you should toss them. However, is it a sweet smell? My grains most often will give off that a sweet smell – just like if you sprout barley to make diastatic malt. If it is sweet, I wouldn’t worry about it. But if it is off, I would. Why do you sprout submerged in water the whole time? I would think you’d risk drowning your seeds that way – and would recommend you soak only overnight and then sprout while damp for about a day to a day and a half. Did you rinse at least every 12 hours while they were out of the water but damp? If the temp is warm, three times a day rinse is almost mandatory to prevent spoiling. I’m off for the day, so won’t be back here until this evening, in case you have other questions.
Thanks, I knew you would have the answer for me. I don’t really know why I was sprouting submerged in water. I am pretty sure I didn’t rinse the grains enough, as it was hot. Ugh!! I lost about 12-16 cups of wheat. Bummer, but a good lesson learned anyway.
Thanks again,
Tiffany
Thank you for this! I’m on a quest to find *some* way to consume kefir. I hope to try your potato salad recipe soon!
.-= Mindy´s last blog post… Do-It-Yourself…? =-.
Wardeh, Do you have a kefir ice cream recipe ready yet? I am very lactose intolerant and have GI problems which seem undiagnosable. I have been culturing kefir with kefir grains to supply the probiotics my gastroenterologist wanted me to take in (very expensive) pill form. I am able to tolerate it…thus getting much needed calcium, protein, and calories as well as the probiotics. I would love to make myself some kefir ice cream in various flavors. Do you think it would supply the probiotics in frozen form? Please respond to my email, if you don’t mind. Thank you, Janice
These are awesome ideas. I love drinking homemade kefir daily – and so beyond adding some to a smoothie and putting it in breads , I have not done much with besides drink it straight up! But some of these recipes are making me want to venture out a bit more!
What a wonderful site you have here!
Hope this helps!
Re: kefir ice cream: My husband and I like to make ice cream for family get-togethers. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are lactose-intolerant, so for this Memorial Day we got the idea to try frozen kefir instead of falling back on buying Rice Dream or soy ice cream.
Our ice cream maker is a Sunbeam model 4744. The recipes that came with it were very simple: 2 cups heavy whipping cream to 2 cups whole milk, plus whatever flavoring we wished (fruit, chocolate syrup, raisins, etc.). The rule is to fill the ice cream maker to about half its capacity or a little more (too much and it will overflow). So we kept it simple and just threw 4 cups of raspberry kefir in the ice cream maker, didn’t add anything else to it, and it came out like a very nice and tangy sherbet. Everyone liked it, not only the lactose-intolerant folks.
Mary – Great info! Thanks for sharing what you did. So you didn’t use any sweetener beyond the sweetness of the raspberries? Sounds delicious.
Thanks — glad you liked it! Nope, no sweetener necessary, though I might try adding some next time just to see how much of a difference it makes.
I mean is it possible that we eat Kefir grains? and if so is it useful or not?
Sam – Yes, you can eat them! Most people don’t like them because of the texture, but I quite like them. Like a sour gummy bear.
They’re really good for you — all the organisms of the kefir in a high concentration.
Thank you so much, I appreciat your honest effort
I have found that Kefir really helps with Calcium absorption. Sometimes I just stir some molasses and drink it (molasses also a good source of Ca). Before I go to bed I drink a cup of kefir — straight up.
My older but still very active mother also enjoys Kefir very much (great drink for a senior citizen) she says she has more energy, or maybe she just feels more alive! When I first set her up with the Kefir in a mason jar — she told me she needed more curd grains because she had very little curds left…..
I said, “Mom you ate all the curds — were suppose to save the keifr grains curds as a starter….”
LOL….It is okay to eat the grains but – it is important to reserve some to continue the keifr cycle.
I had to get more Kefir grains for her and give her step by step instructions:
1) Add the kefir grains/curds to the jar
2) Add milk to jar,about 1-1/4 to 2 cups.
3) Cover with loose lid or papertowel secured with rubber band
4) Let sit 24 (longer if needed or desired is OK)
5) When kefir milk is ready,stir & then pour milk & grains slowly into a strainer or colander over a bowl, gently separate the grains from the kefir milk — do not smash grains.
6) TO START OVER: Go back to step (1)
Give the straight stuff a chance. It grows on you. It’s important to let it ferment without the grains for an additional day or two. That changes the taste a fair bit and the texture. It becomes much thinner, less fatty, more nutritious, and sparkily. Very similar to sparkiling lemonade, but much more satisfyling. The other thought is to just dump some over fresh fruit. Mango, or berries go great with kefir.
Anyone have any recipes for getting rid of my extra kefir grains? I know it would be better to eat them than throw them out and don’t have the fridge space (or money) to keep them all going. Growing so fast! Any ideas would be great i can’t find any recipes but ones using kefir liquid. Thanks
Emily — You can just toss them in a smoothie or salad dressing or anything else you’re blending and puree them up.