Kefir making as alternative to yoghurt making.

shykins

do a google search for kefir grains uk and there are various people offering grains.. u can buy them but with luck u can get some free or for the price ofpostage.

the websites also tell u how to prepare them.. basically add them to milk then strain when it has thickened

as for helping crohns.. well my belief is that it cant hurt and it may well help but i would definitely do some research first or check with yr dr....

good luck

leonie_2

Bargainqueen thank you for taking the time to post that.

I shall give some of them a go. :A

Kazonline

I've been telling a friend all about Kefir today, but all I got was some strange looks. She seems to think I've lost the plot as was telling her about the joys of kefir while dragging her around garden centers and Lidles to find seed to plant veggies, LOL.
I'm glad someone mentioned that they found the yahoo site difficult to negotiate - only managed to find the beginning of the thread after a few hours. I'm still not sure that I'm using it correctly - so if I do anything wrong can you please let me know? Also tried to email someone about some Kefir grains for postage but haven't heared anything yet - are your details on there yeat leonie or are you still busy getting friends and family started.
Lol at the post on being chased around the garden with spoons of it - think that'll be me trying to persuade my friend to try it!

bargainqueen_2

From what my book says Kefir is completely harmless unless you overdo it - this just means that eg if you have a lactose intolerance you need to be careful. I have heard from a lot of people that Kefir can make mild IBS virtually disappear, and stronger symptoms get much better, but of course I don';t have a medical background and can't give advice - just pass on what I have been told. No harm in trying. More recipes later..

shykins

apparently yahoo and its sites were in a right state yesterday so anything that u posted may not have been (if us ee what i mean) .. u may need to repost

thanks bargainfor the recipes... got any cookin ones?? .. i have been adding half kefir half cream to my creamy sauce i add to veg and its lovely gives it a slightly moer piquant taste

i reckon it would be good in dips too
h
xx

bargainqueen_2

Sorry Shykins no recipes in this book, but if you heat Kefir up the bacteria dies and so isn't quite as beneficial (saying that all the minerals and vitamins are still there). Apparently it is awesome in bread (half kefir half milk in home baked bread). I make a nice salad dressing with it with some sesame oil, herbs, onion and a bit of garlic. Also its good as the basis for tzatziki instead of yoghurt.

shykins

thanks for that bargainqueen

i kinda thought heating would have an affect but it tastes great

i also made a sort of cheesecake with it ,, mixing cream, kefir, flavoured syryp sweetener and a few nuts.. was VERY nice

i shall keep experimenting and dips are definitely next on the list

x

Kazonline

Mmm, all sounds so lovely - and so much more appealing than going for a costly c/irrigation ;-)
I found this online earlier and would be interested to hear if those of you allready eating and drinking kefir would be inclined to agree?

Some people have remarked upon how 'relaxed' they feel after drinking Kefir. we believe this is due to the abundance of the essential amino acid Trptophan, which has a relaxing effect on the nervous system, this makes it a great bed time drink for those who have sleep problems.
It is also said to help eliminate unhealthy food cravings again by balancing the digestive system and by its supply of vitamins and mineralsTaken from
http://www.synergy-health.co.uk/supplements/kefir_culture_kit.html?fr=overturek1&OVRAW=kefir&OVKEY=kefir&OVMTC=standard

1sttimer_2

Sorry I've not read all the posts so hope I don't repeat any older posts - but these kefir grains sounds too good to be true. My OH drinks all those pro-biotic drinks (only buys them when they are BOGOF) and wants me to look into this a bit more. I will have to look back to find out where you can buy them and check these out.

What exactly are they? By reading some of the posts you appear to 'grow' them in milk - is that right? Do you re-use the same over and over again - or can they be used for a while before being replaced? My mum had a ginger beer 'plant' which she added to and then when it was ready, some of the mixture was kept back to start a new 'plant' growing (or something like that) and this Kefir sounds a bit like that to me.

So, are they really good then? I guess they must be as this thread has been going on for while and is still getting looked at and added to.

I will try to find them and have a go and hopefully will become a convert!

Thanks for the info.

leonie_2

Ok, firstly, that website that was shown two posts ago isnt actually selling kefir grains, its a powder that only lasts for a few litres. I recommend people dont buy these and instead look for proper grains.

As for the feeling relaxed, not me, im off to the loo within an hour lol! I feel its helping me so will use it as an everyday drink. I feel 'healthier' but I cant say for definate that its the kefir as i've also started making my own flour and incorporating loads of whole grains into my diet. (and no its not that making me visit the loo as its always shortly after kefir drinking)

As to how it works, the grains feed off the sugars and whatever else it needs from the milk. It then pees out bacteria laden wee into the drink! Well you did ask lol!!:A

It continues to grow bigger or splits off into little bits. If you continue to use the same amount of milk, then the grains will convert it quicker so you need to keep reducing the amount of grains by either eating some :eek: or giving them away!