Research Update

So I have not officially started making kefir just yet, but I have spent some time doing some research to find the best recipes for making kefir. I am currently drawn to the idea of making water kefir. It is a dairy free probiotic-rich drink that contains over 450 strains of beneficial yeast and bacteria. This process seems quite simple, but there are some supplies I will need to get before I start. Sugar is a necessary ingredient in this process; I am going to use organic evaporated cane sugar. Any sugar will do, but I would like to find the best sugar for my product. Honey will not work in this process because honey is antibacterial in nature so it will kill off those beneficial bacteria we are trying to produce. Other things I will need is warm and cold water, a quart mason jar, a strainer, and of course the kefir grains. Before I order the kefir grains online I am going to stop by Healthy Living in South Burlington on Dorest Street to see if they have what I need. I should be able to pick up my sugar there as well.

For those of you who haven't been to Healthy Living I strongly recommend it. It is the best organic/local food store in the area and the staff is also very helpful.

I am planning on starting this process this following week. I think I will start with an attempt to make water kefir and than move on to milk kefir. The possibilities are endless! So stay tuned for further updates and pictures.

Since my eyes have been opened up to fermenting my own food, I am in a constant search for new and exciting recipes. I make homemade yogurt about twice a week; it took me a couple tries to get it down but now its so easy!

For this fermentation project I want to explore making my own kefir. Kefir is becoming more popular as people search for healthy ways to receive vitamins and minerals, it is also packed full of probiotic organisms. I have found that there are a bunch of different types of kefir; water kefir, milk kefir, coconut milk kefir, and even goat milk kefir. I am guessing that the milk kefir process is similar to the yogurt making process and since I am familiar with this, it will be the one I start with first. One website I found states that kefir generally takes 12 to 48 hours to form, but the time will vary depending on a couple environmental factors; the most important one being, temperature.

I will probably get started on this project this weekend, seeing how I have the time. I am very excited!