Raw milk kefir
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons (2 T are around 35 g) milk kefir grains
- 500 ml or 2 cups milk – preferably raw whole milk can be cow, sheep or goat milk. Any level of pasteurization is okay
Instructions
FIRST FERMENT
- Place 2 tablespoons of grains in a clean glass jar with a lid.
- Add the milk. (The beverage will expand slightly, so be careful it doesn’t get too full and spill over.)
- Cover with a coffee filter, or small towel, and secure with a rubber band. You could also cover with a loose jar lid.
- Let the milk kefir sit out on the counter out of direct sunlight and between 65°F to 85°F (18°C to 29°C) until the desired thickness and sourness is reached. Anywhere from 12-36 hours.
- After 12 hours, check the kefir to see if it has thickened. If it has thickened, taste it. If the taste is to your liking, place a small mesh strainer over a clean glass jar and strain the milk kefir into the jar, using the strainer to catch the grains. (When making kefir, the milk may separate into curds and whey, but that’s normal. After straining, you can mix it all together again.)
- If you prefer a more acidic flavor, place the lid back on the jar and allow to ferment for another 12 to 24 hours, checking the kefir every 12 hours, until the flavor is to your liking. Strain as instructed.
SECOND FERMENT
- Rather than drinking the first ferment, you can use the strained kefir to make a second ferment. This second ferment will be made without the kefir grains and will further reduce the amount of lactose in the kefir. (The second ferment does not need to be strained.)
- For this, leave the strained kefir at room temperature for a second fermentation, up to 24 hours.
- After either the first or second ferment, enjoy immediately or place the milk kefir in the fridge, with a lid, for up to two weeks.
- Now you can start another batch of milk kefir or store the grains between batches in the refrigerator in a glass jar covered with milk for up to 3 weeks.
- To store the grains when not in use, you can refrigerate the grains in some milk in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3 weeks.
Dehydrate grains for long-term storage
- You can dehydrate the grains and store them in the freezer. To do this, rinse them in filtered, chlorine-free water and then dehydrate them in an electric dehydrator set at a temperature no higher than 85°F (29°C). Alternatively, lay the grains on a clean, dry surface and allow them to air dry. (This may take as long as 5 days.) Once the grains are dry, toss them with a bit of powdered milk and store them in a freezerproof bag.
Notes
- It is totally normal for the whey to start separating from the milk.
- You don’t want to add too many kefir grains to your milk or it will ferment way too fast.
- Use for smoothies and instead of buttermilk in cornbread and pancakes/waffles