Homemade No-Fail Kefir

If you've read my post on Kefir under the HEALTH tab, you know it's a cultured food that is really good for you. You can buy Kefir in the store, but it costs about $3.50 for 32 ounces, and it only has a few different strains of beneficial bacteria in it.

However, if you get your own Kefir grains, you can make Kefir at home for pennies, and it has about 50 different strains of beneficial bacteria!

I've tried several different ways of making my Kefir, and here is my recipe for No-Fail Kefir that is perfect every time! This recipe produces the fattest, lushest Kefir grains ever, and a thick, delicious Kefir that is almost like drinking a milkshake!



Homemade No-Fail Milk Kefir

Mason jar
Plastic strainer
Plastic spatula
1 - 2 Tbls Kefir grains (get from a friend, or order from Cultures for Health website)
*1 1/3 Cups Instant Dry Milk
*3 Cups Water

*Read the instructions for mixing a quart of dry milk; amounts vary by brand. I use the Walmart brand of dry milk, and reduce the 3 3/4 C water to 3 C water. This makes just the right amount to fill my quart jar. In the summer when it's hot and the kefir cultures faster, I reduce the amount of water and leave more space in the jar to keep it from bubbling over.

Directions
Place Kefir grains (culture) in a Mason jar. In a bowl, mix water and instant dry milk. Pour milk mixture into jar with Kefir grains and stir lightly with a plastic spatula. Don't get the jar too full, because this mixture of Kefir will expand more than if you use regular whole milk. Cover jar with a coffee filter secured with a rubber band and set on counter for 12-24 hours to culture. In the summer, it cultures faster than in cool temperatures.

A clear liquid (whey) will form at the bottom of the jar when the Kefir is ready. Now it's time to take out some culture to make another batch, and put your finished Kefir in the fridge.

Reserve some culture for a new batch of Kefir:
If you have nice fat cultures at the top of the jar of finished Kefir (mine resemble cottage cheese), use a plastic spatula to lift out 1 to 2 tablespoons of the culture and put it in a clean Mason jar. Or, if you prefer, you can place a large plastic strainer over a bowl, and strain the Kefir into the bowl. You will need to tap the strainer and probably stir the Kefir a little to get it to strain because it will be nice and thick. Leave about 1 to 2 tablespoons of grains in the strainer. Put the culture from the strainer into a clean Mason jar. Prepare a batch of water and instant dry milk and add to the reserved culture. Cover with a coffee filter and set on the cabinet to make a new batch.

Finished Kefir:
Stir the finished Kefir with a spatula or wire whip to mix it. Pour it into the Mason jar you removed it from, cap it, and refrigerate.

Do this once per day - and don't forget to drink your Kefir and use it in delicious recipes!



NOTE: If you want to increase the amount of Kefir you are making each day, just reserve more culture grains when you process your finished Kefir; 1 to 2 T per Mason jar. Believe me, with the huge grains that instant dry milk produces, you'll have plenty to make more Kefir or to share with friends!