Kefir making as alternative to yoghurt making.

Angelina-M

maddiemay wrote: »

By yesterday evening my witches brew was looking interesting, having looked at photos on line I deduced that it was ready to be strained off and added to some fresh milk.

The instructions that came with it made no mention of throwing early batches away so I popped it into a covered glass jug in the fridge. I gave a small amount to my dog and she kept coming up to me as if she wanted more, but I thought that I should start all of us with small amounts.

Needing to be out and about for most of today I put off trying it in case of any urgent visits to the bathroom:D So OH and I have now had a smoothie made up of 1/4 cup measure each of kefir, 1.1/2 tsp banana milkshake powder and half a banana whizzed up with enough almond milk to make 4oz glass each. I will use less milk shake powder next time, but we could not discern a kefir taste at all. Dog had her 1/4 cup too. So far so good:D, sorry if TMI, but having to take both iron tablets and co-codamol I would welcome some digestive changes:)

I am thinking that Scotch pancakes may well be on the menu tomorrow:D

Oooh sounds like they are good strong grains and working well. I use mine more for cooking/baking at the moment than as a smoothie and it is nice to have the and use in place of yogurt.

moneyistooshorttomention

I laughed at that comment about "urgent visits to the loo" maybe being necessary on starting to try drinking kefir for the first time:rotfl:.

A visitor asked to sample a bit one time and I gave them some. Next thing I knew was = they had dived for the loo fast:rotfl:

I had rather forgotten that might be an initial reaction to this:o

On a different tack and I guess it was an obvious one next - ie after sourdough bread and fermenting vegetables taking off as popular ideas and that being making "real cheese". That is = making it from natural cultures.

Errrm...this is where I confess I still haven't got round to making standard type cheese yet...ahem. But I am planning on having my first go at it finally this weekend (courtesy of a very easy-looking book specifically about making quick cheeses I've just bought).

But - there is a book now on making these "real cheeses" - "The art of natural cheesemaking" by David Asher. I have just started reading my way through my copy of it. To date - I have picked up that he rejects buying in artificially-made cultures to start cheese off and instead believes in using your own natural culture. He talks about using kefir, for instance, as a natural culture (particularly as a way to counteract the fact that its virtually impossible to buy raw milk currently and many of us are having to use pasteurised/homogenised milk instead).

Has anyone tried using kefir as a starter culture to make their own cheese?

Angelina-M

Quick reply as i'm nipping out but no I haven't tried cheese as I don't eat it.
I love this lady's bread though... http://zebbakes.com/2013/03/11/cecilias-amazing-kefir-bread-did-i-doubt-her/ definitely worth a look

maddiemay

moneyis............
Sorry no experience with cheese here either. Not tried sourdough bread either yet. Having tested negative for coeliac disease yet again, but still having problems, the medics suggested that I might be gluten intolerant and to try a GF diet so trying to make it is not on the cards ATM :(

Flummaxed

Can anyone kindly point me in the right direction as after reading all your lovely posts about the benefits of kefir I'd really love to try some. My poor mum has been diagnosed with several problems with her gut, including diverticulitis and other associated conditions. The benefits of fermented and cultured foods sounds like the natural way to try to help restore some balance to help her, so I'd like to try to make her some pro biotic drink so I can regulate the amount of sugar and other nastys in them. She has been buying supermarket yoghurt and pro biotic drinks, but she's borderline diabetic now too, so I'm trying to help keep sugar content down. I'd also love to try to be a bit more proactive with my own diet and kefir really does sound so beneficial.

Where would the best place be to buy some cultures? We do have quite a few Polish shops around, so I will see if they might have some, but other than that can anyone recommend a good source for quality grains that they've had success with please? Or if anyone is in SE London and would be willing to sell some, I could pick them up.

Thank you all in the meantime for sharing so much useful information about your own experience and knowledge.

Wishing everyone great health in the future. I've come to realise it's the most important thing we have!

Flummaxed

Have just seen that Thriftwizard got theirs online so I might give them a go. Thanks

Flummaxed

Sorry, me again! Just seen kefir shop also does ginger beer cuiltures too. I LOVE ginger beer. Has anyone made it? I don't mean to hijack the kefir thread, but just a very quick aside, I try to avoid shop bought cos it's probably just full of chemicals and sugar.

Thanks again

Too late, I've gone ahead and ordered the Kefir starter grains and the ginger beer culture. Will let you know how I get on. Apparently the ginger beer stuff just grows and grows, so I hope to be back on here soon offering ginger beer cultures if they do as well as has been promised!
Thanks

Alisha2008

Flummaxed, you can buy them online, on ebay there are hundreds of sellers selling them.


I got 2 batches, one was given by a colleague and another one I bought on ebay. They look completely different (the one from ebay keeps growing membranes..) but the kefir they produce is the same. I now gave the original batch to my mum who also has digestive problems and I've kept the membranes one, will see how it goes..


Has anyone seen this membranes before? I can't find anything online..

Caterina

Flummaxed I have PMd you but then saw that you have already ordered. Looking forward to hearing your adventures in ginger beer making!

Flummaxed

Hi Caterina and Alisha

Thank you for your replies. My kefir and ginger beer cultures arrived promptly about a week ago but I haven't had the time to do anything with them yet so they're both sitting in my fridge til I find the time to begin the adventure! I found some ready made Polish kefir in my local Turkish shop, so for 79p, I can buy 1 litre of ready made, which I've started making smoothies with. Will let you know how the ginger beer making goes too and may be able to offer some excess 'plant' to others as it apparently multiplies, quite exciting!

Caterina, sorry but I'm not techy enough to have figured out how to look at the pm you kindly sent me as it wouldn't let me open it. Not sure why, but thank you.

Best wishes to all.