A Twenty-Four Hour Kefir Experiment: Part I

There's a science experiment going on in my kitchen.  Are you ready to watch it with me??

My friend, Katey, brought me a cool surprise at church yesterday - kefir grains!  Yes, I get excited about things like that because it's one more thing I can learn to make on my own, and it's another healthy food we can try out.  Kefir is a Middle Eastern drink that is similar to yogurt but loaded with probiotics - almost twice that of yogurt.  Probiotics are essential to digestive health, especially if you've been on antibiotics, which kill the bad bacteria that make you sick as well and the good bacteria that support your digestive tract.

I did make kefir once a few years ago, and I admit it's an acquired taste.  Katy said she's been using it in smoothies, and I've heard of others doing the same and will try that approach with my kids. 

You can see some of the clumpy kefir grains on the spoon.  Some were bigger, but I flaked on getting a snapshot of them before mixing them with the milk.

And apparently that's all you do - mix the grains with a pint of milk and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.  The milk has to be strained and the grains saved for the next batch...

I'm not sure of all the ins and outs of making kefir yet, but I'm excited to see if I can keep this going!  I'm going to check the results around 2:00 this afternoon, so be sure to check back! (Done!  Click here to read Part II.)  And if you have any kefir-making advice, do tell!

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