Kefir is full of good bacteria for your gut. It originated from the people of the Caucus Mountain region, Russia. Kefir is milky looking grains that ferment cow, goat or sheep milk and help it become more easily digested.
So what’s the difference between kefir and yoghurt?
Normal natural yoghurt only contains a few strains of beneficial bacteria. Kefir – what I call ‘Golden Yoghurt’ contains at least 30 strains of the good stuff. Its superior to even Greek yoghurt and the good news is that you can make it at home.
As the store-bought kefir has been pasteurised, you will find that home-made kefir not only tastes better, but is made of kefir grains that multiply and grow in any kind of milk you put it in. Except for UHT Long Life milk.
How Do You Make Kefir?
Very easily;
- Buy a tablespoon of kefir grains online.
- On receiving the grains, place them in 100ml of room temperature milk.
- The milk and grains are best placed in a thick glass jar and covered with a loose lid.
- Leave on the kitchen counter in a dry slightly warm place.
- The next day, check your grains. If your room is warm, the grains would have begun to ferment the milk.
- Another 24 hours later, check your milk again. It will get thicker every 24 hours.
- On the 3rd or 4th day, you will notice the milk turning into curds and whey.
- Taste the milk. It should be slightly sour and even a bit fizzy as milk alcohol is produced by the grains. You heard right – ‘milk alcohol’. Don’t worry, it’s not strong enough to get drunk on.
- Pour the milk into a cup leaving the grains in the first jar.
- Repeat the process using the first jar.
You will notice the grains start to grow and multiply….You can slow down the growth of the grains by putting the milky substance in the fridge.
Personally, when I had half a Pyrex bowl of kefir grains, I started given away the grains to my friends. They all loved it and one of my friends even put on some much needed weight.
Where You Can Get Ready-made Kefir Milk
I used to buy Kefir made from goats milk from Chuckling Goat, in the UK.
An alternative supplier is The Live Kefir Company. They are highly recommended and you can get fresh kefir made from goats milk from them on Amazon.
And if You’re Lactose Intolerant?
Do not worry. The longer the milk ferments, the more the protein is broken down by enzymes. It becomes more protein and full of Vitamin B-complex.
As a result, the kefir is easily digested by eczema sufferers. I used to have a litre in the morning for my breakfast as I found it to be so delicious. My skin tone came back and I looked really healthy.
Regarding the benefits of kefir, the Eastern Europeans use it for weaning babies off breastmilk, prevent themselves from landing in hospital, and also use it for the elderly to keep them healthy and strong.
Here is a breakfast recipe you might want to try:
You will need oats, kefir milk, bananas and raisins
Method:
- Place half a bowl of warm porridge onto a firm table.
- Chop up 1 large banana on top of the porridge.
- Add a handful of raisins
- Then add the kefir milk as a topping.
Eat and enjoy!
Hello and thanks for sharing. What I find so interesting about yogurts is that they have good bacteria that can be of good benefit to your body. This is truly a good way to help your body along the way. Your post is well detailed and has a ton of good information.
Thank you very much – I agree with you!
Very interesting to see how kefir milk can be made! Does it hurt to had a little sweetener? Maybe some honey to help with the sour taste? Also, does heat kill the good stuff in the kefir? You said you can put it on oatmeal, so I think maybe the heat doesn’t bother it as it does with some probiotics.
Thanks again for the healthy tips!
Hi Kat,
I normally have my oats cold! If you treat it like yoghurt, then you can’t go far wrong. Put fruit or honey in it as you desire. It is very tasty.
I also drink my kefir just as it is by the litre. I actually like the tangy taste it has. I am not sure whether heat affects the probiotic nature of kefir though. I suppose lukewarm should be fine.
Very good post and great info!
Never knew Kefir existed, here you only know and hear the things about how good yoghurt is, but knowing this now, I’m having a very good dessert for my wife!
She is struggling with her stomach for a bit now and I know yoghurt helps, but reading this, 30 strains of the good stuff, well, I don’t doubt about it!
It also looks easy to prepare, which for me is a huge advantage.
Now one question, if she can’t go to the big toilet, does this help?
Hi Emmanuel!
Chop up a banana into big chunks and eat it with the kefir. This should help your wife go.
She should also increase her water intake to 8 cups a day; 2 cups on rising, 2 cups after breakfast, 2 cups after lunch and 2 cups after dinner.
Hi Stella,
I am quiet intriuegd by the idea of helping with my eczema and like the sound of making my own yoghurt alternative. I must ask tho, How long would a ready made batch generally keep for? does this stuff have an expiry date? Would be great to know. Look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
Jarrin
Hi Jannin,
Just make a litre batch of kefir at a time. Each batch lasts for a week when put in your fridge. Kefir turns from kefir milk to yoghurt to cheese. This could take up to 2 weeks depending on how warm or cold your kitchen is.
The best way to keep your skin looking fresh is to eat and prepare your food freshly every day. Only use your fridge to keep unopened and opened packets of vegetables.
As kefir is a fermented food, you slow down the fermenting process by putting it in your fridge. Only up to a week!
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.
Thanks for the very interesting information about Kefir Milk. I love the process of an easily digested protein of Golden Yoghurt. This is something different where milk nutrition is protected through this process. It will really help our body fit and energetic. This is practically a natural method with one banana which covers necessary vitamin level.
Lol! I am glad you enjoyed reading about Kefir…Very beneficial!
I love oats and its my number one breakfast meal any day. Its usually with skimmed milk, chopped banana or raisins from time to time. I have never had kefir milk or the yoghurt but after reading this, i think i will order some and give it a trial. The process you described doesn’t look like its difficult so it should come easy for me. I hope to share my experience with you soon, thanks for the enlightenment.
That’s good Samson,
I am pleased to be of service.
Hello Stella. Thank you for sharing this information about Kefir – Golden Yoghurt. Full of bacteria? I thought bacteria are harmful… Oh, I guess I was ignorant.
The truth is I never had indebt knowledge about Kefir. Seems like Kefir is a catalyst that helps speed up milk fermentation for easy digestion.
I agree it is better to use home made Kefir. Food related factories these days are not getting any better. The steps are easy to follow
Farewell.
Hello Barry,
Beneficial bacteria is necessary for us! Kefir is chockful of it and very easy to make. Once you get started, take it easy as it can lead to weight gain..
Since I really don’t eat yogurt, I never heard of kefir. The only thing I knew you could grow in the kitchen was sour dough Although I have not tried to do that. . You explained it in very good detail. I will share this with my wife. I like your recipe at the end. Your pictures tell a lot. I can imagine myself trying to make this. I drink goats milk so all I need is the kefir grains. You also Informed me on where I can get the grains. Thank you very much
My pleasure Jon!
I hope you both enjoy your kefir making journey….
Kefir is delicious and excellent for you. I’m excited to try out this recipe–I have never made it myself before, but I am always up for new challenges and I know that homemade anything is almost always better than store-bought. Kefir would be a great choice for people that seem to have eczema that flairs from dairy. This may be a dairy product they can enjoy!
Hi Holly,
Actually store bought Kefir from Lithuanian shops taste like the home made stuff! I just found that out and the price is cheaper than store bought milk!
You cannot tell the difference between the taste of Lithunian kefir and store bought as the kefir grains are included..
Enjoy!
Wow. I didn’t know that Kefir is much better. Pricewise, is it the same as the normal yogurt? I am willing to spend money on healthy foods but I want to make sure that I am not overpaying. And what are the good stuffs I can receive when I try this kefir yogurt?
Hi Vincent,
Kefir is better because of the many strains of friendly bacteria it contains. If you are near Lithuanian shops, they sell it for prices cheaper than milk or cream.
I just found that out and the kefir made by Lithuanians contains the kefir grains mentioned in my post. Absolutely delicious, like the real thing.
The grains are blended in, so it is smooth, mind you.
You can mix fruit, nuts and oats into kefir and it will taste delicious, especially with berries, walnuts, etc…
Nice strategy. Though this looks like a process, it’s not complicated; just takes a few days and contains just simple ingredients, which is another plus. It also would make a great breakfast or even an awesome snack, especially when fruit and oats are added, which really packs a punch. When this yogurt is fully ready to eat, does it still contain the sour taste or has the sourness evaporate?
Hi Todd,
Kefir fermentation is very much like fermenting milk to turn into cheese.
The longer you leave it to ferment, the sour it gets until it actually does turn into Kefir Cheese. Check out Dom’s Kefir Site which really goes into great detail about all the things you can do with kefir…
All the best,
Stella
I find the microbiome highly interesting. I’m not familiar with Kefir, but it looks easy to make. I’d never heard of milk alcohol either! How long does a batch last for? I like that this can help with skin tone. I will definitely give the breakfast recipe a try, thanks for sharing.
I learned about the microbiome from a company called Synergy Worldwide.
It is basically very important to us and once our own personal set of friendly bacteria is compromised, we start to have varying symptoms of ill health.
I will be buying more of their products as I want to do a biome reset every year..It is great and keeps my skin in tip top condition when combined with a liver flush. One set of products put my skin into glow mode for almost 2 years.
All natural and it is not thousands of pounds. I am still sensitive to cosmetics, but I would rather have youthful skin!
We still have to eat though, so kefir makes for a tasty topping with fruit of your choice.
Enjoy!
Hello Stella! I first came to your site searching for information about aloe vera. But I have continued reading some of your other posts and must say you really have useful content. And I greatly appreciate you have written this post concerning Kefir.
Thank you for not only telling us but also showing us how to make Kefir at home!
Thanks for the compliment Henry,
I learnt a lot from all my nutrition books and research. Conventional medicine wasn’t cutting it for me and I was desperate to get healed.
At least the information is appreciated!
Hello, Stella and thank you for this delicious post.
I like eating yogurt and occasionally even put it in my breakfast smoothies. I prefer plain and unsweetened Greek but I have never tried the Kefir yogurt.
I like the idea of being able to make it at home. One could probably save a little change dong it that way. Watching the fermentation process would be interesting to me as well.
I will have to check it out. Here in Canada, I know that Walmart sells a liquid variety. Trouble is… it’s strawberry flavored and that usually means extra sugar as well. I wonder if I could find the Kefir Grains at my local health food store? Might be worth a try.
Thanks for giving us another option,
Wayne
Hi Wayne,
You can find kefir grains at Timelesshealth.net. If you have a Lithuanica near you, they should stock the drink. They use actual grains and it tastes like the homemade version. Forget about the sweet version. Just add fruit of your choice to make it taste nice. Although it really just tastes like yoghurt.
You can also buy kefir starter culture from Nourish Kefir. Not too sure if they ship to the US though.
You can find Nourish on Amazon. It is fun to make and absolutely yummy just on its ownsome.
This looks really good to try. I can’t tolerate much dairy but can eat fetta as long as it’s made with goat milk. I will try this due to your explaining how the milk gets broken down and is more tolerable. Is it safe to leave the milk out? Where do you get the kefir grains? Now does this recipe help with eczema? I have psorisis so I’m wondering about that too. Thanks, Judy
Judy,
My whole site is dedicated to people with eczema and poor skin. Which psoriasis is.
I have not only used all the methods on here over the course of 20 years, but I have more than 20 books on various aspects of nutrition. “Research Lady” is my middle name!
Learn about detoxing and read Eczema Cleansers and Eczema Foods. These are found in the top menu of the site.
Do let me know how you get on.
When I tried to leave a comment, your site wanted me to log in. I tried my WA logins and they did not work. You may want to turn that off in your dashboard.
Here is my comment:
Stella,
I enjoy making things like this from scratch. I will be bookmarking your site for future reading.
I have searched for an affordable yogurt that is plentiful in beneficial flora for years. Now I know I don’t have to buy the store bought, oversweetened stuff anymore!
Taking straight probiotics can be a shock to the system, especially for someone who already has poor gut flora to begin with.
Thank you so much for this info.
I will be back!
Gwendolyn J
Hi Gwendolyn,
This is really touching to know. I appreciate it.
Have a great week!
Stella
I haven’t tasted kefir milk before and I think it’s availability is limited in our country. However, I’ll try to get kefir grains and process it. I think it will be good with oats. I would probably mix it with my kids’ cereal and add a bit more everyday until they get used to it. I love incorporating healthier options in our meal. Oh by the way, I’m from a tropical country. Would it matter doing the process in a hot climate? Do you have any suggestion? it’s usually 37-39 degrees in here.
Thank you for sharing this. I was taught that the best milks would be full cream and whey. I’m glad I came across to your blog.
Hi Missus,
If you put your kefir in the fridge once you get the ferment stage you like the taste of, it will last at least 4 more days fermenting at a much slower rate.
It grows though, so you can give it to friends and family. Oh yes, make sure you give the fridge batch of grains half a cup of milk to sit in and continue to grow. Cover with a glass plate.
You can buy kefir grains online from Timelesshealth.net..
If you have would like any help, please leave a comment here.
Hello,
I have not heard of Kefir before. It sounds quite interesting.
I also have not considered making my own yogurt. It appears to be quite simple actually.
I may try your recipe with one exception, I’m not a raisin fan. I wonder what a handful of chocolate chips would do.
Thanks again,
Scott
Hi Scott,
Whatever floats your boat..
Hi Stella. My mom loved preparing kefir when I was small, so I can still remember its taste. It was one of my favorite foods back then – and it’s still today, because it reminds me of my childhood. But since I went living in a different country, I never had any kefir again. I tried having the one read-prepared from the shops, but it never tasted the same. It was actually so different that I felt like it ruined my idea of what kefir means… Now that I read your article, I actually plan to try the recipe in the next days – you made me remember how much I’ve been missing this food. Do you think I could find kefir grains in a local store as well? Or is it more rare in the US?
Hi Ashley,
You can make buy Nourish Kefir Starter Culture from Amazon. It is made with kefir grains and tastes like the real thing. Or you can buy grains online.
I do not know any shops that supply the actual grains.
Maybe one day…!
This looks so healthy. It reminds me of rice pudding, just to look at of course. So many of today’s yoghurts that you buy off the shelf are really expensive for what you get.
For the cost of a small amount of grain you can make the ‘real deal’ for a fraction of the cost and it has so many more health benefits. It’s a really simple recipe, so easy to follow, you could make a fresh batch every few days and have an endless supply.
Awesome.
Definitely!
Hi Stella,
Thank you for sharing an excellent healthy recipe. I found an easy process to make kefir of your recipe. We know that there is a lot of useful elements for health in the curd. However, these Golden Yoghurt contains 30 strains of the good stuff are good for health. From now, I will take this homemade golden Yoghurt at my breakfast every day. I will assure my friends to take it.
Good for you Irin!