The first thing to know about milk kefir is that you need a culture (kefir grains) to make it and that getting a culture is well worth it, even if you have to buy it. We have a lot to give away for FREE, so give us a shout and we’ll be happy to give you some.

Although they’re usually called grains, these little guys are actually SCOBYs or symbiotic communities of bacteria and yeast.

HOW TO MAKE MILK KEFIR

• Get the grains.
• Place your kefir grains into a jar, with 3/4 of chosen milk. You can make milk kefir from just about any kind of milk. We like to use full-fat milk.
• Cover with a cloth and a rubber band to keep it safe from pests. The kefir likes to breathe and to be in the open air.
• Let your jar sit at room temperature away from direct sunlight for 24 hours.

(pic above, shows kefir already fermented and ready to be strained after 24 hrs).

• Strain kefir (as pic pics bellow) into a jar through a fine-mesh strainer. You should see the kefir curds drop into the bowl and the grains remain in the strainer.

When kefir has been fermented for a while, it begins to separate.  The clear liquid is kefir whey, a magical substance that you can use to ferment other things that may not readily ferment (fruit chutneys, condiments, etc).   If you want it to get back to a drinking consistency, simply stir it up using a non-metal implement.  We use a chopstick.

• Save the grains and place them into a new jar (pic below). Cover in milk (last pic) and repeat the process above. Your kefir grains will multiply with every batch so Share with your friends.
• With the strained liquid in the bowl, transfer it to a clean jar and enjoy it or store it in the refrigerator until use.

STORING GRAINS

If you need to take a break, put the grains into a jar of cold milk and place it in the fridge for up to a week or so. They will hibernate without suffering any damage. When you’re ready for more kefir, reintroduce them to new milk at room temp and resume the process.