Anyone into Kefir?

[Muse]

I've read about, heard about the health benefits of kefir, seen it for sale in the stores, usually flavored. It's supposed to be very beneficial in terms of replenishing/restoring bacteria in your digestive tract. Lately, I've been using it in smoothies.

Being a DIY kind of guy and on a tight budget, I've taken to making my own from packets of starter. I got a good deal on starter online, and my experience is that kefir starter in factory sealed packets keeps great regardless of the expiration date. I have a batch going right now, and I'll make my next quart by using ~3 TBSP of my current quart to make the next quart. Besides the starter, I use tap water, non-fat dry milk powder and a clean bottle, keep at room temperature for a day or so and refrigerate. In my experience, this works for a few successive quarts and then I have to use starter for a new run. I'm wondering if the result is as beneficial as the kind of kefir that's produced from kefir grains. Kefir grains are used to make each successive batch in "traditional" kefir, and are obtainable from some sources. Is anyone into kefir?

 

[gevorg]

I love kefir.

 

[StageLeft]

Never heard of it. Just did a quick wiki and it seems too weird.

 

[Redfraggle]

I love it, but I just buy it in the store. I use it often to soak a dry mix of Bob's Mill muesli cereal. I am not sure about making it myself. I am a DIY kinda girl with such things, but I think I'll probably stick with buying it. Does it save you a lot to make it yourself? Does it taste better? FYI, I wouldn't use tap water, use filtered water. I'm not sure what effect the chlorine (meant to kill bacteria) will have upon the cultures.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Never heard of it. Just did a quick wiki and it seems too weird.

Well, then, stick to ice cream.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Redfraggle
I love it, but I just buy it in the store. I use it often to soak a dry mix of Bob's Mill muesli cereal. I am not sure about making it myself. I am a DIY kinda girl with such things, but I think I'll probably stick with buying it. Does it save you a lot to make it yourself? Does it taste better? FYI, I wouldn't use tap water, use filtered water. I'm not sure what effect the chlorine (meant to kill bacteria) will have upon the cultures.

It saves me a ton of money to make it myself. The starter packs cost me $2.50 each online and each pack has six 5 gram starter packets. So, for less than $0.50 (+ the cost of the milk, which for me is $0.60 for non-fat dry milk) I can make a quart of kefir and you can make more kefir from using ~3 tablespoons of the last batch instead of the starter granules. Eventually you have to start from scratch (another packet). If you do it regularly, you can go for several quarts. I'm on about my 4th quart from a batch I started a few weeks ago. The current one tastes quite good, better maybe than the initial one.

I am using tap water, have never gotten around to installing a filtration system. However, I'm getting excellent results. I have also done a very similar thing with yogurt, buying plain yogurt in a 6 oz. container and making subsequent batches just like I do kefir. Similar caveats.

If I want, I can mix fruit with the kefir. For example, I make my own wild blackberry (picked myself!), plum (backyard trees), and strawberry jams. Mixed with my homemade kefir I figure it's as good or better than the fruity kefirs they sell in the markets. I don't know if I've ever bought that stuff, though. Maybe once.

 

[wheresmybacon]

I just looked @ the wiki and it's...scary.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: hungfarover
I just looked @ the wiki and it's...scary.

Link? What's "the wiki?" Surely you aren't referring to Wikipedia's treatment, where it says "Today, kefir is becoming increasingly popular due to new research into its health benefits." And, "Kefir has antimutagenic and antioxidant properties, and can possibly be used to prevent mutagenic and oxidative damage in the human body." Or at www.kefir.com where it says "More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins." Just what has you scared? That it isn't on the menu at McDonalds?

 

[joesmoke]

never heard of it, sounds cool. will try.

 

[Kipper]

Where are you buying the starter from? I'd like to give it a shot.

Usually buy the Lifeway stuff at Whole Foods (Trader Joe's Kefir is disgusting) but ~$3 a bottle is a bit too steep, and I don't particularly like the fact they load the flavored stuff with sugar.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Kipper
Where are you buying the starter from? I'd like to give it a shot.

Usually buy the Lifeway stuff at Whole Foods (Trader Joe's Kefir is disgusting) but ~$3 a bottle is a bit too steep, and I don't particularly like the fact they load the flavored stuff with sugar.

Kefir Culture Starter 30 grams at www.azurestandard.com


They make you register to see the price, but I'll just post it here:

Price: $5.50
Code: DP009
Size: 1 pk.
Shipping Weight: 0.03 lbs.


Price: $30.05
Code: DP046
Size: 6 x 1 pk.
Shipping Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Each pack has 6 packets of starter. The price has gone up. Was $3.05 in 2004, now $5.50. There may be cheaper sources of starter online now.

I had a pack with expiration date 1996 that made a batch that seemed fine in 2004, was just stored in a kitchen cabinet, so I'm not worried about the stuff going bad. I bought 10 packs (each containing 6 packets) in 2004.

Edit: Looks like Azure Standard's price might be hard to beat. I just looked around and realize I still have 9 1/2 boxes of 6 packets each! The exp date is 2005, but I'm sure it's still good. 6 are in the refrigerator, anyway. I'm set for a while! Thing is, it doesn't keep really well in the refrigerator once cultured with the milk. It's sort of like milk that way. Of course, once it starts to go bad, your next batch from it won't be too good. But, if you are consuming it regularly (I have been for almost a month), subsequent batches are quite good. I should keep records to keep track of it. Haven't so far. I really like smoothies made with kefir. Just got into them.

 

[matas]

I had it. Taste kinda like the butter milk.