Is there anyone here who has experience making this at home?
Thanks, Debbie.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Yes, I make it all the time. I add Garden of Life Super Seed and vanilla whey protein when I drink it. It's very good for the gut and homemade has a lot more beneficial strains than store bought.
I'm moving this to general support.
Posted by abigail (Member # 14936) on :
Gosh that was quick! Thank you! That is exactly where I am thinking about getting my grains! Thanks Sixy lol!
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
I bought the powdered starter from iHerb, and I'm making Kefir with it.
This got good reviews at Amazon, including a woman who grew up drinking Kefir in Russia.
It's very easy, as you don't have to strain the grains out of the finished Kefir. I don't even scald the milk first, as I'm using pasteurized milk.
Sixgoofy, have you tried adding anything to the milk BEFORE you culture it with the Kefir grains?
Carol
Posted by abigail (Member # 14936) on :
Looks a lot easier than dealing with the seeds. Thanks very much for this too. Will have to decide.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
No, I add the stuff afterward.
I have used the powder. It's as different from kefir made with grains as kefir is from yogurt.
I can see how you could add stuff before it's made with the powder, but you can't with the grains.
With grains you don't heat the milk, but you do strain the grains.
Posted by abigail (Member # 14936) on :
I opted for the grains since it will be easier on my pocketbook in the future. Thanks so much for your help. I love this place.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Be prepared to have to throw the first batch away. Be sure you make it the day you get them, then if the batch tastes bad, just throw it out. For some reason, that happens sometimes.
Have fun with it!
My kids add frozen fruit so it's like a smoothie.
Posted by abigail (Member # 14936) on :
Yum. That sounds good. I have fresh blueberries. Yum.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
The powdered starter makes Kefir that tastes like the cultured buttermilk that I buy at the store.
Is the flavor different when you make it with the grains? Or the texture? From what I understand, it has the same good bacterias.
One packet of starter is supposed to make one quart of Kefir, but I used one half packet and had excellent results. I warm up the milk in the microwave first, to the suggested 77 degrees. I use a quart jar, cover it loosely, and put it in the cupboard to sit for 24 hours.
I also tried starting a new quart of Kefir with one cup of the batch I had just made, adding three cups of milk. This worked well, but the flavor wasn't quite the same.
The reviews for the powdered starter at iHerb and at Amazon have lots of good tips, for anyone who is interested in trying this.
I have noticed an improvement in digestion. Carol
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Kefir grains has many, many more strains of bacteria than kefir powder. Even the kefir you buy in the store has fewer strains than kefir grains. The stuff in the store has 10 strains, so the powder may be similar to that.
The flavor and texture is different. It is much more sour and is thicker, depending on how long it ferments.
The powder is good, don't get me wrong ..... but you do get more strains in the grains and you don't have to buy more as they keep multiplying. However, it IS a lot more work, so it also depends on what you're up to.
When my daughter was in college, she'd use the powder because the grains were too much work.