What if I told you to pour a glass of milk, add some yeast and bacteria, leave it at room temperature for 12-24 hrs, then drink it?
“Hell no!”, would be a reasonable response.
Well…that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. And no, I’m not trying to kill you. I’m introducing you to the fascinating, health promoting, slightly unconventional culture of kefir.
If you aren’t already aware (i.e. in the cool kids fermentation club), kefir is a lacto-fermented (‘lacto-’ refers to lactic acid, not lactose found in dairy) dairy-based product that is cultured by microbial ‘grains’ (symbiotic granules of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria and yeast) also known as SCOBY . These microbes feed-on and break-down the lactose sugars in dairy, resulting in the colonisation of 30-50 diverse probiotic strains and increased bioavailability of nutrients.
The fermentation process thickens and sours the milk over time, continuing even once the grains have been strained out. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, 12-24hrs on the bench will result in a creamy, tangy product, great for drinking straight or adding to smoothies, adding to recipes that require milk (e.g. pancakes, coleslaw, overnight oats, soups) and marinating meat. With the kefir grains removed, you can even do a second fermentation by adding fruits, vegetables, honey and even tea. This is a great option for adding flavour and disguising the unique taste of kefir (although over time I bet you’ll learn to crave its delicious tartness).
Allow the first fermentation to continue after 24hrs and you’ll notice the milk solids starting to separate…this is curbs and whey (think Little Miss Muffet). This is a really exciting occurrence that unlocks so many more uses for kefir milk. Straining the liquid from the solids enables you to use the curbs as yogurt, in dip recipes, and cheesemaking!
The whey (otherwise know as liquid gold) is equally useful. You can drink it straight (high in vitamins), use it to ferment basically anything (e.g. fruit, sauerkraut, grains), brew kefir soda (my favourite!) and use as a facial toner.
It really is one of the most versatile cultures, and I am absolutely in love with it!
A Little Bit of History…
If you’ve decided to acquire some kefir grains you’ll soon realise they can be hard to find. Unlike sourdough, you can’t just create a mother culture at home, or grow a scoby from an existing fermentation like you can with kombucha. Kefir grains can’t even be synthesised in a laboratory. They can only be grown from existing grains. This means that you either have to buy fresh or dehydrated grains on the internet, or be given grains from a generous fellow kefir lover.
The passing of kefir knowledge from one person to another was historically guarded for many generations; the grains being regarded as family heirlooms. Although the exact origin is unknown, people in the Northern Caucasus mountain region were know for their longevity due to this ‘miracle’ drink. This sparked the interested of Russian scientists who sent a beautiful spy to obtain the grains from a Karachai Prince. The mission initially failed; but after kidnapping, rescue and compensation, the kefir grains were handed over and brought to the modern world in 1908.
The Health Benefits
Kefir grains are living organisms and differ in composition depending on their origin, environment and care, as well as the type and quality of dairy used during the fermentation process. Despite the inability to standardise kefir, research has uncovered a variety of health promoting actions due to its microbial composition.
Best known for its probiotic content, kefir contains a large variety of beneficial yeasts and bacteria that colonise the gastrointestinal system whilst simultaneously decreasing harmful microbial species. This probiotic effect along with the breakdown of lactose sugars can improve digestion and tolerance of dairy in those with lactose sensitivity
Its broad anti-microbial action is mainly due to kefiran (exopolysaccharide), lactic acid (organic acid) and bioactive peptides.
Kefir also has significant anti-tumor activity against multiple cancer cell types, increasing anti-proliferation and anti-mutagenic actions through increased immune cell populations and recruitment.
Kefir has shown to modulate imbalanced Th1/Th2 cell ratio, leading to a lowed IgE response, resulting in preventative anti-allergenic mechanisms that maintain tolerance and suppression of unnecessary inflammatory immune responses.
Gels made from the kefir grains have shown to be more effective in wound healing by reducing wound size, quicker healing time and clearing of infection than traditional silver sulfadiazine treatment.
There are many more scientific studies highlighting the diverse actions and benefits of kefir consumption. I encourage you to use Google Scholar and have a read through some of them.
What’s the Difference Between Milk & Water Kefir?
Although both granular symbiotic cultures of yeast and bacteria, milk and water kefir grains are not as closely related as you might think. They are of different origins, require different substates for fermentation and have vastly different yeast compositions.
Water kefir grains (also known at Tibicos and Tibetan mushrooms) seem to have originated from the leaves of the Mexico Opunita cactus. As per their name, instead of using lactose as their food source and fermentation medium, water kefir grains feeds off the carbon source (i.e. sugar) and nitrogen source (i.e. dried and fresh fruit) added to water.
Water kefir contains 10-15 probiotic strains, compare to that of the …..strains found in milk kefir. Research favours milk kefir over water kefir for its health promoting benefits. However for those avoid dairy-based products (e.g. vegan, dairy allergy) water kefir presents a fantastic alternative.
Curds and Whey (bits and bobs)
The king of Kefir cheesemaking + his insta
Why people fight over kefir
Get creative with kefir
More inspiration
+ what my Substack neighbours have to say about Kefir
What Kefir is not, benefits & production BowTiedOctopod
How-to & myth busting BowTiedOctopod
A personal experience Neil Scott
A personal review of the scientific literature D Heeney
Milk industrialisation, homemade kefir, care & feeding The Spartan Diet
SCOBY is just another name for community
I’m absolutely frothing the fermentation life at the moment! I’ve got my sourdough and kefir working daily, my kombucha brewing silently in the corner and I’m quickly eating my way through some homemade sauerkraut. I’m still hungry to learn more though! I’m still experimenting with kefir soda, having tried different flavourings (tea and juices), sugars (white, brown and honey) and fermentation lengths. Next on the list is trying my hand at kefir cheeses (I’m half excited, half scared).
Question: What new fermentation process are you excited to learn?