Kefir Success

Mmmm! Can you taste it? The sweet taste of success! Kefir is actually very simple to make...but somehow I botched the first batch. I left it sit out too long and it separated into curds and whey, which is still drinkable according to my dealer. But I was unhappy with it. I want my kefir to be smooth like runny yogurt.
My method: I poured 1 pint of milk over 1 tbsp. kefir grains in a 1 litter glass jar with lid. I found the jar by chance at a yard sale for $1 the previous weekend. I used skim milk because it was all they had left at the greener grocer last weekend. (I hear it works well with any milk.) I sat the jar on a shelf in my basement for just about 24 hours. The basement is good because the temperature stays very regulated...not too warm, not chilly. I checked it at 12 or 14 hours and it was just getting into the slimy phase. So I left it there over night and by morning it was ready to go! I blend 4 to 5 oz. of kefir with a frozen banana, some honey and a bit of fresh peach slices. Delicious breakfast!



My kefir dealer gave me this website on her instruction sheet. It's helpful, but I must say this guy is a bit more kefir-crazed than I am.

Kefir!

It's mid-August and the summer should be winding down. Kids are headed back to school soon...but my summer is only getting busier as autumn approaches!

Saturday, I'm stopping by the Clintonville farmer's market to pick up some *free* kefir grains from a girl who has spent her summer working at Flying J farm. I tried out some store-bought kefir last week and really enjoyed it as a base for a fruit smoothie! Just add 4 to 6 oz. of kefir with a frozen banana and any other bits of fruit you may have sitting around. Blend and Enjoy!!

What is kefir? you ask...well kefir is basically fermented milk. The kefir grains are a mixture of good bacteria and yeasts.

Just add kefir grains to some milk and let it sit out in a nice, warm place for 12 to 24 hours. And ta-da! Kefir!!


Aside from my great kefir experiment, I am also in the process of contacting the farmers in Maine that I have applied to work for through MOFGA. My plan is to go to work on a dairy goat farm in April, 2009 - September/October, 2009. I've turned in my MOFGA application and had it forwarded to 4 dairy goat farms in Maine. Later in September, I'm planning a vacation/road trip to Maine in order to meet some of these farmers and do a little camping at Acadia. I'll keep it posted ...my little dairy goat adventure!