Kefir

Tania · February 15, 2012

I bought my kefir grains from Cultures For Health, and have been making kefir every day since last week. It is so easy!

Needless to say I am so hooked! Cannot do without my cup of kefir in the morning and at the end of day. It appeared a great substitution for milk with bran cereal, and I am no longer craving sugar.

Now, the 'tough' part. What do I do with all the leftover kefir? Sometimes my kids would drink it all, but sometimes they 'forget', so I need to figure out a good way of turning it into other goodies.

The simplest thing I figured out so far is straining it through a linen or cotton towel for a few hours to make sour cream (smetana). So fresh, creamy, and tasty!

I am thinking I can also make some ricotta or cottage cheese from it.

Any other ideas? What else do you use your kefir for?

jennifer28 · February 15, 2012

Tania,

I LOVE kefir. I responded to your other post about it. I don't make my own though. Maybe when I am off from work this summer I will try it. I actually cook and bake with leftover kefir.

This is from the wiki cookbook online, it describes it better than i could:
Kefir as leavening agent
Kefir can be used as a leavening agent when baking bread, because it contains active yeasts and bacteria. It can be used directly in a recipe, by replacing the yeast and half the water with kefir. Recipes that specify buttermilk or yoghurt can be made just as well (or better!) with kefir.
Alternatively, kefir can be used to create a sourdough starter. Add ½ teaspoonful of kefir to ½ cup flour and ½ cup water, mix well, and set aside to ferment for 12 - 24 hours.

I also use kefir in muffin mix. You can google "kefir muffin recipe" for some good ideas.

And here is a link with some good cooking with kefir recipes, I tried the raspberry coffee cake one and it is good:
http://www.royalkefir.com/cooking-and-baking

Tania · February 15, 2012

Here is some useful tips, I am going to try it: http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/...ese.html#leban

Tracydr · March 7, 2012

Use it to marinate meat, bake bread. Make ranch dressing.

Tracydr · March 7, 2012

I put my grains in heavy cream instead of milk once to culture. Sweetened with powdered sugar. Heaven as a strawberry dip!

puttgirl · March 8, 2012

Someone offered to send me some on another forum a while ago-I wish I would've taken them up on it. I still don't know all that much about it, though. I pretty do more research.

February 15, 2012	#1
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Kefir I bought my kefir grains from Cultures For Health, and have been making kefir every day since last week. It is so easy! Needless to say I am so hooked! Cannot do without my cup of kefir in the morning and at the end of day. It appeared a great substitution for milk with bran cereal, and I am no longer craving sugar. Now, the 'tough' part. What do I do with all the leftover kefir? Sometimes my kids would drink it all, but sometimes they 'forget', so I need to figure out a good way of turning it into other goodies. The simplest thing I figured out so far is straining it through a linen or cotton towel for a few hours to make sour cream (smetana). So fresh, creamy, and tasty! I am thinking I can also make some ricotta or cottage cheese from it. Any other ideas? What else do you use your kefir for? __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

February 15, 2012	#3
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Here is some useful tips, I am going to try it: http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/...ese.html#leban __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

February 15, 2012	#2
jennifer28 Two-faced Drama Queen Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital Posts: 955	Tania, I LOVE kefir. I responded to your other post about it. I don't make my own though. Maybe when I am off from work this summer I will try it. I actually cook and bake with leftover kefir. This is from the wiki cookbook online, it describes it better than i could: Kefir as leavening agent Kefir can be used as a leavening agent when baking bread, because it contains active yeasts and bacteria. It can be used directly in a recipe, by replacing the yeast and half the water with kefir. Recipes that specify buttermilk or yoghurt can be made just as well (or better!) with kefir. Alternatively, kefir can be used to create a sourdough starter. Add ½ teaspoonful of kefir to ½ cup flour and ½ cup water, mix well, and set aside to ferment for 12 - 24 hours. I also use kefir in muffin mix. You can google "kefir muffin recipe" for some good ideas. And here is a link with some good cooking with kefir recipes, I tried the raspberry coffee cake one and it is good: http://www.royalkefir.com/cooking-and-baking

March 7, 2012	#4
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	Use it to marinate meat, bake bread. Make ranch dressing.

March 8, 2012	#6
puttgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: SW PA Posts: 281	Someone offered to send me some on another forum a while ago-I wish I would've taken them up on it. I still don't know all that much about it, though. I pretty do more research.