Milk kefir
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Milk and kefir grains left at room temperature for a day turn into tangy, drinkable kefir. Strain out the grains and repeat.
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk (cow, goat or sheep)
- 2 Tbsp of kefir grains
Equipment
- mason jars
- fine sieve
Directions
- Put the milk and kefir grains together in a glass jar or pitcher.
- Top with a loose lid, a cloth, or a paper towel; it should not be airtight, because the kefir will carbonate.
- Leave it at room temperature for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, depending on how strong you like it (6 to 8 hours is a good middle). The longer it sits, the fizzier and more sour it gets.
- Refrigerate it to slow the fermenting. When you are ready to drink it, lift out the grains and drop them into fresh milk to culture again.
- Keep the finished kefir in the refrigerator.
Notes
Keeps fermenting in the fridge and may separate if not used within a few days. Grains usually float after about 8 hours and can be scooped out; strain tiny grains. Too many grains or too long out can curdle the milk; curdled kefir is still safe and can be made into kefir cheese. Coconut-milk (vegan) kefir needs a different recipe. Allergy: dairy. Discard if moldy or it smells rotten rather than sour.