Kefir is a probiotic beverage made of a culture of yeast and bacteria which exist in a symbiotic relationship. There are two types of kefir: Milk Kefir (aka Dairy Kefir) and Water Kefir (aka Sugar Kefir). Milk kefir is made by placing either kefir grains or a powdered kefir starter culture in either cow, goat or coconut milk for 12-48 hours until the milk thickens and turns to kefir. The culture consumes the lactose and converts the milk to a probiotic beverage. Water kefir is made by placing kefir grains in sugar water, fruit juice or coconut juice where the culture consumes the sugar and converts the liquid to a probiotic beverage. There are two types of kefir cultures: Kefir Grains are a reusable culture which with care, can last indefinitely. Powdered kefir starter culture is also available and it can be used a few times before being discarded. Kefir grains are not actual "grains" such as wheat, spelt, rye, etc. but rather are a mixture of yeast and bacteria living in a symbiotic relationship. The term "grains" likely refers to the shape of the culture. In the case of the milk kefir variety, the grains look like cauliflower or a thin net or mushroom (depending on the variety). In the water kefir variety, the grains are individual transparent crystal looking pieces.
While the cultures for milk kefir and water kefir do require different liquids to culture properly, the kefir which results is very similar regardless of which type of kefir you culture. Generally speaking, water kefir is less concentrated in terms of probiotics than is milk kefir but with it's water base, it is much easier for the average person to consume larger amounts of water kefir than dairy kefir and most individuals find there is no difference in the benefits derived from drinking either variety.
Our kefir grains are grown in only organic ingredients. More specifically, our milk kefir grains contain certified organic whole milk and are packaged in organic dry powdered milk. Our water kefir grains contain organic sugars including organic molasses. Neither milk kefir or water kefir grains contains any gluten. Water kefir grains do not contain dairy and are vegan (please note, all of our starter cultures are processed in a shared facility so there is a small chance of trace amounts of gluten, dairy, nuts or soy being present in any of our cultures).
There are two types of kefir: milk kefir and water kefir. Both milk kefir and water kefir are probiotic beverages which can be flavored. There are several key differences:
- Milk kefir is generally made with cow milk or goat milk but milk kefir grains can also be used to culture coconut milk. Water kefir is made from sugar water, juice or coconut water.
- Milk kefir is more concentrated than water kefir but has the same basic probiotic qualities. Because of it's water base, its easier to drink more water kefir than milk kefir which makes up for the less concentrated form.
- Milk kefir can be used in place of yogurt and buttermilk in recipes. Milk kefir makes wonderful probiotic smoothies. Just replace all or part of the yogurt from your favorite smoothie recipe or click here for smoothie recipes. Water kefir can be used as the liquid base in smoothie recipes.
- The taste of milk kefir is dependent on a few factors including the level of fermentation. Fermentation is influenced by both the ambient temperature and the length of the fermentation period. Generally speaking, milk kefir is similar to other cultured milk products (i.e. yogurt, buttermilk, etc.) in that it has a sour taste but milk kefir is also known for having an effervescent texture. It is known in some circles as the champagne of milk for this bubbly texture. Many people consume milk kefir plain but you can also flavor it with fruit (fresh or frozen) or flavor extracts (e.g. vanilla extract) and sweeten it with honey, stevia, agave or sugar. The taste of water kefir is dependent on the specific flavoring used--we do not recommend consuming water kefir without flavoring as it is not terribly pleasant tasting. Water kefir is actually quite sweet and can stand up to strong flavors such as lemon juice (a very pleasant tasting lemonade beverage can be made by adding 1/4 cup lemon juice to each quart of water kefir made with white sugar).
- Milk kefir is generally made with cow or goat milk although coconut milk can also be used. No other ingredients are required (unless you desire flavorings which should be added only after the culturing process is complete). Water kefir is typically made with sugar water although fruit juice or coconut water can also be used. Sugar water can be made using a ratio of 1/4 cup sugar (white sugar, rapadura or sucanat are all good choices) per quart of filtered water.
- Milk kefir can be flavored by blending it with fresh or frozen fruit or by adding flavor extracts such as vanilla extract. Milk kefir can be sweetened using honey, agave, stevia or sugar. Water kefir is naturally sweet as it contains fructose (20% of the sugar used to make the kefir remains but virtually all of it has been converted to fructose from it's original glucose-fructose state). We strongly suggest flavoring water kefir before consuming. Water kefir can be flavored using fruit juice or flavor extracts (e.g. vanilla extract). Some customers prefer to flavor water kefir while it is culturing by adding fresh or dried fruit. If you choose this method be sure to separate the kefir grains from the fruit (a cotton muslin bag works well for this) and to change fresh fruit out daily.
- Each packet of milk kefir grains contains enough grains to culture up to one quart of milk kefir. Each packet of water kefir grains contains enough grains to culture up to three quarts of water kefir.
- Milk kefir grains can be used to culture cream to make a sour cream type condiment. Milk kefir can also be strained through cheesecloth or a tight-weave towel. Straining the kefir yields kefir cheese which can be mixed with herbs (makes a wonderful soft cheese for crackers, bread or dipping vegetables). The whey which is drained from the kefir can be used for soaking grains or to culture vegetables.
There are three primary differences between kefir grains and the powdered kefir starter culture:
- Kefir grains are reusable in the long term. With care, kefir grains should be available to produce batch after batch of kefir for many years. The powdered kefir starter culture can generally be used several times before a new packet must be obtained.
- Kefir made from grains contains more probiotic strains than does kefir made with the powdered starter culture. Kefir grains generally contain about 30 strains of probiotics where the powdered culture has closer to 8 strains.
- Kefir grains are a naturally occurring culture that has been passed down through the generations; the powdered starter culture was created in a laboratory.
- The initial investment in the powdered kefir starter culture is less costly than buying a set of kefir grains but in the long run, kefir grain are less costly.
- The powdered kefir starter culture is an excellent choice for individuals who want to make kefir on a periodic rather than continual basis. While kefir grains can be kept in hibernation (in the refrigerator) from time to time, in the long run, they are healthier and happier culturing batch after batch of kefir.
Generally speaking, we recommend kefir grains over the kefir starter cultures (more economical, more strains of probiotics, etc.). However, there are certain circumstances under which a kefir starter culture might be a better option. If you are looking to make kefir for only a short period of time or infrequently, kefir starter is a better choice than the grains. If you are going to be traveling, kefir starter can easily be packed in a suitcase whereas grains would be problematic (probably not the best thing to try to take through airport security!).
- Milk Kefir: Add the kefir culture to cow, goat or coconut milk, cover the container with a towel, paper towel, coffee filter, etc. and secure with a rubber band (allows the culture to breathe and gas to escape while keeping bugs out). Allow the milk to culture for 12-48 hours until the milk thickens and turns to kefir. If using kefir grains, remove the grains and add them to a new batch of milk while you consume the batch you just made. If using the powdered starter culture, reserve a small amount of the batch to use as a starter culture for making the next batch. Complete instructions will be included with your order. Kefir can also be made with raw milk using the same process.
- Water Kefir: Add the kefir culture to sugar water, fruit juice or coconut water, cover the container with a towel, paper towel, coffee filter, etc. (allows the culture to breathe and gas to escape while keeping the bugs out). Allow the liquid to culture for 24-48 hours. Remove the grains and place them in a new jar of sugar water, fruit juice or coconut water while you consume the batch you just made. Complete instructions will be included with your order.
Milk Kefir: Milk kefir grains can be used with animal milk (cow or goat) or coconut milk. When choosing a milk to use for making kefir, be sure to avoid UHT (ultra-high temperature aka ultra pasteurized) milk which has been heated to an extremely high temperature and doesn't generally kefir well or properly feed the grains. Milk kefir can be made with whole or low fat milk, homogenized or non-homogenized milk and pasteurized or raw milk. We do recommend using organic milk if possible to minimize the number of chemicals the kefir grains are exposed to.
Water Kefir: Water kefir can be made with sugar water, fruit juice or coconut water. If using sugar water, a couple of factors should be kept in mind when choosing a sugar type and water source:
- We recommend using either an organic white sugar (aka Evaporated Cane Crystals) or a whole/less processed sugar such as Rapadura or Sucanat which contains molasses. White sugar produces a mild tasting water kefir which is a good background for flavorings such as fruit juice. A less processed sugar like Rapadura or Sucanat produces a much stronger tasting kefir but contains more minerals which promotes the long term health of the kefir grains. Ultimately, choose the sugar type which yields the kefir you most enjoy drinking.
- Water kefir grains thrive on minerals and so the higher the mineral level of the water, the better it will be for the long term health of the kefir grains. Well water or spring water are the best choices. It is important to avoid water which has limited mineral content such as water processed through a carbon-activated filter. If using tap water which contains chlorine, either aerate the water (you can use a blender or set the water out overnight) or boil the water to neutralize the chlorine before using the water to make kefir.
If using fruit juice, be sure to use 100% fruit juice with no additives. Organic juice is preferable to reduce the amount of chemicals present which may potentially damage the culture. Apple juice and grape juice are the most popular choices for making fruit juice kefir but other juices often work well too. Do not dilute the juice when making kefir! Diluting the juice will throw off the sugar ratio and potentially damage the grains (by starving them).
Coconut water can be found in fresh coconuts or canned at your local health food store. Try to find a brand without additives. Coconut water should not be diluted when used to make kefir.
Milk Kefir: Milk kefir can be flavored using fresh or frozen fruit, flavor extracts (e.g. vanilla extract), etc. and can be sweetened with raw honey, agave, stevia or sugar. Click here for recipes for flavoring milk kefir.
Water Kefir: Water kefir can be flavored using fresh, frozen or dried fruit, flavor extracts (e.g. vanilla extract) or fruit juice. While, water kefir can be flavored during the fermentation process by adding fresh, frozen or dried fruit to the culturing kefir, we do recommend whenever possible, waiting until the culturing process is complete and the grains are removed before adding anything to the mix. Adding fruit often works okay but you do run the risk of contaminating the grains. If you decide to add the fruit during the culturing process be sure to separate the fruit from the kefir grains (a cotton muslin bag works well for this) to avoid having to remove tiny pieces of fruit (it tends to disintegrate into tiny pieces) from the kefir grain. Just place either the grains or the fruit in the bag. If using fresh or frozen fruit, be sure to change the fruit out daily. If using dried fruit, the fruit can stay in the liquid for the entire culturing process. To flavor the kefir after removing the grains (recommended), just add fruit, fruit juice and/or a flavor extract (e.g. vanilla extract). If using juice or a flavor extract, the kefir can be consumed immediately if desired. Use 1/4 - 1/2 cup juice per quart of water kefir (less juice for stronger flavors like lemon juice; more juice for lighter flavors like pomegranate juice). Generally 1/2 -1 tablespoon of flavor extract is sufficient for each quart of water kefir. If adding fruit, we recommend waiting a few days to allow the flavors to infuse the kefir (fresh fruit must be changed out daily; dried fruit can be left in the kefir for up to a week).
Because of their small size, kefir grains can be difficult to remove from finished kefir but there are several methods which make this easier:
- Our favorite method is to use a fine mesh plastic strainer set. For water kefir, simply pour the kefir through the strainer to capture your the grains. For milk kefir, you may need to use your fingers to gently work the kefir through the strainer set. Using this method for milk kefir has the added benefit of improving the consistency of the kefir as it moves through the strainer.
- Another great option is to use a cotton muslin bag to contain the grains (water kefir or milk kefir). Be sure to secure the bag at the top so the grains don't escape! Using this method, you can simply remove the bag from the finished kefir and place it in the next batch. The only caveat is to be sure you are using a bag large enough to accommodate some growth from the grains. They should be able to move around freely within the bag.
- As your milk kefir grains grow, you may be able to remove them with your hand. Just be sure to wash and rinse your hands thoroughly before attempting this method.
If you are going on vacation or simply need to take a break from making kefir, here are the instructions for doing so:
- Milk Kefir: Place the kefir grains in fresh milk (at least one pint of milk), cover with a tight fitting lid and place the container in the refrigerator (preferably the coldest part of the refrigerator but we don't recommend allowing them to freeze). Provide the grains fresh milk at least every three weeks.
- Water Kefir: Place the kefir grains in fresh sugar water (1/4 cup sugar per quart of water), cover with a tight fitting lid and place the container in the refrigerator. Provide the grains fresh sugar water at least every two weeks.
Kefir is incredibly versatile! Besides drinking it, kefir can be used in a number of recipes. Generally speaking, milk kefir can be used in place of milk, yogurt or buttermilk in recipes and of course kefir makes a wonderful addition to your favorite smoothie recipe (replace all or part of the yogurt called for in the recipe with kefir). Water kefir can be used as a liquid base in your favorite smoothie or to make a wonderful soda-type beverage. Click here for more information on making a probitoic type of soda pop using water kefir.
Here are a few of the many recipes for using kefir:
