Ingredients/Equipment:
Kefir grains (ours were from La Levadura's Premium Oregon Street Supply)
Milk (full-fat, non-homogenized preferable)
1-Liter jars with lids
Sieve
Cheesecloth
Large bowls
Spatula
Warm, dark spot in the kitchen
Process:
After an impromptu Monday night invitation, we began by straining out La Levadura's previously cultured kefir into a sieve, to separate the grains from the milk and begin a new batch. Straining yielded about a half cup of grains, which are a "symbiotic relationship between bacteria and yeast suspended in a matrix of fats, proteins, and sugars" and supply beneficial probiotics to the finished drink.
They resemble cauliflower heads or translucent cottage cheese:
We put some of the grains (a couple tablespoons) into a fresh, sanitized jar,
added milk,
left the lid partially unscrewed, and set the baby kefir in a nice cool spot, where it will sit for at least 12 hours and happily ferment.
Straining also yielded finished kefir, which had been fermenting for about a week. This drink resembles thin yogurt or buttermilk, and has a tangy taste and thicker texture than regular milk. It can be consumed straight, combined into smoothies, or incorporated into recipes calling for sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, milk, or cream. Personally, I like a small glass in the morning.
Because the kefir grains feed on the lactose sugars in milk, the lactose content of the drink is very low, making it ideal for people who have a hard time digesting dairy (which, in reality, is most of us, since we lack the intestinal flora required to break down lactose after we are weaned off Mom). In addition to being easy to digest, consuming kefir re-introduces those necessary bacteria back into our digestive tract, which theoretically would make it easier for us to digest regular dairy. Regardless, kefir is full of yummy probiotics, fat, calcium, and B-vitamins, which makes it exceptionally nutritious.
Ordinarily, the kefir-making process would end here, with a couple batches brewing, and a couple finished. However, since La Levadura had several batches that needed transferring, we also strained one to separate the milk fats/solids from the whey. This is best done with batches that have been fermenting for over a week, since it usually begins to separate naturally by that time.
Some of the whey went on to be incorporated into All-Natural Root Beer, and the rest of it will keep for up to six months.
The thick, cream-cheese-like milk solids left on the top of the cheesecloth make an excellent dip or spread (which was also consumed with pita chips at the following Root Beer project meeting), and have a mild tang.
Overall, this was a simple, yet interesting, process that could be easily repeated by any novice fermenter. Grains are best obtained from your fellow kefir-makers, and will grow as long as they are fed. They can also be refrigerated for months in a dormant stage, and will easily re-activate with the addition of fresh milk. And speaking of milk, in keeping with the localvore aspect of Ferment Del Norte, we used Borges Family Creamery whole milk out of Smith River, and may do another batch soon with some Ocean Air Farms goat milk. Stay tuned for future transfers and variations!
-Kefir Queen
Also a special thanks to the Alexandre Dairy for initially providing the kefir starter years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment