Homemade Kefir With Probiotics • Step-by-Step Recipe

Preparing homemade kefir with probiotics is simple. Below I show how I prepared a batch of kefir turned out better than expected because tried a cheap, simple starter.

Homemade kefir contains probiotics and yeast that have a beneficial effect on the gut. Yogurt and kefir are similar but contain different strains of bacteria and yeast. Of the two, kefir is a clear winner.

It takes 15 minutes to prepare a batch that turns into kefir

Two ingredients to make kefir

• Milk. Raw milk is a good choice (as I do here) But commercial goats or cows milk can also be used. The raw milk here contains 4.3% fat making the kefir creamier.

• A culture starter (like kefir grains). There are many culture starters around. The one I wanted to try here is an inexpensive starter called Yogourmet Kefir Starter. But a better alternative is Body Ecology as they make really good culture starters.

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Warm the milk slowly in a pan until it reaches skin temperature. It means that when dipping your (clean) knuckle or finger into the milk, it should not feel warm or cold.

NOTE: Don’t overheat the milk and use only instruments thoroughly cleaned in hot water.

Stir gently with a clean instrument. It will take just a few minutes until the milk reaches skin temperature.

Tip: Avoid heating raw milk in the microwave oven as it’s really hard to control the temperature.

Step 2: Pour the milk into a bowl and empty the culture starter into the milk. Raw milk contains natural bacteria and will ferment without a culture starter. But a starter adds more bacteria and yeast and this raises the quality and taste of the kefir.

The starter culture instructions recommend using 5 grams of Kefir starter for one quart of milk (one liter). When I tried this earlier the result was Okay. But I still felt something was wanting and therefore, this time, I added 10 grams of Kefir starter to about 1.5 quarts of milk (1.5 liters). The result was much better; the kefir became thicker and creamier.

Tip: This kefir starter was not the best one I’ve tried, but it was the cheapest. More on starter cultures.

Step 3: Stir the milk gently to dissolve the culture starter. The bacteria will wake up, become active, and start consuming sugars in the milk (lactose). This initiates the fermentation process.

You need to dissolve the starter culture completely by gently whisking the milk until there are no lumps left.

Step 4: Put the bowl aside for 18 to 24 hours, depending on the room temperature.

Step 5: After 24 hours refrigerate the Kefir. Cooling the Kefir will calm down the fermentation process. Now taste your batch.

• Kefir contains friendly bacteria not found in yogurt

For example Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species. It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces Kefir and Torula Kefir, which help balance the intestinal flora, including promotion of beneficial yeast in the body by penetrating the mucosal lining.

These bacteria and yeast form a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and helps strengthen the intestines. Kefir’s active yeast and bacteria may provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy. The curd size of Kefir is smaller than yogurt, so it’s also easier to digest, making it an ideal food for babies, the elderly, and anyone with digestive health concerns.

Homemade kefir FAQ

What are the microorganisms in kefir

Common bacteria species in kefir grains include acidophilus, bulgaricus, lactobacillus Caucasus, leuconostoc, acetobacter, and streptococcus. Yeasts strains include saccharomyces, kluyveromyces, kazachstania.

How long to keep the Kefir in the fridge

Five to seven days should be okay.. If you keep the Kefir in an air-tight container it will prevent it from being affected by other strong-smelling foods in you fridge and it will stay fresh much longer. In addition, it helps if you keep the temperature a bit lower in the fridge.

Can I make a new batch using an earlier batch?

Yes, this works very well with kefir grains and yogurt but is trickier with vegetables. I’ve done this many times and what seems to work well is to take about 6 tablespoons of the old batch and mix it with the new one. Then the process is the same as above; lets it stand at room temperature for 18-24 hours, then put it in the fridge. But some people have had problems with this.

ProblemS with using earlier batches

Some people have complained that it does not work and the end product has a poor taste. Please remember that preparing Kefir is not an exact rocket science; you’re dealing with live culture and controlling all factors involved in fermentation demands being careful. Most people fail because of neglecting something in the process.

• For example, if you transfer too much Kefir to the new batch, you risk accelerating fermentation too much and the Kefir might taste too sour.
• In addition, keeping the Kefir too long in room temperature can ruin the batch; the higher the temperature, the faster your Kefir will be ready. But if you wait too long you might end up with a too sour, tangy and lumpy kefir.

Kefir should be a little thicker than milk and this process talks between 18-24 hours depending on your room temperature.

When you do it correct, you can make as many as seven such “transfers” from one starter culture packet, and each batch will last for 5-7 days when refrigerated.

Don’t be afraid to experiment a little until you get it all right and the product meets your demands and satisfies your taste buds.

Homemade kefir with probiotics and yeast is a clear winner.