Homemade Recipe for Kefir

Homemade Recipe for Kefir

We have received several requests for this recipe which appeared in our blog “Colombe’s Smoothie”. So we decided to publish it separately by adding all the health benefits of this grain.

There are two kinds of kefir, one made with milk and one with water and fruit. I prefer the latter. The consumption of this drink is intended to improve our health. The result obtained from this recipe is used for preventive and curative purposes. It has been known to:

1. relieve rheumatism and muscle pain,
2. offer protection from headaches and migraines,
3. improve liver function and eliminate gallbladder problems,
4. soothe and alleviate heart disease,
5. relieve muscle tension and relax the neck muscles,
6. solve problems of insomnia and dizziness,
7. fight against obesity by eliminating fat and improving the thyroid function,
8. maintain the natural color of hair and prevent baldness,
9. cure bronchitis, asthma and coughing,
10. cure kidney problems by improving the quality of the urine and eliminating kidney stones,
11. reduce cholesterol, soften veins and arteries, diminish hemorrhoids,
12. cure certain types of diabetes,
13. fight hypertension,
14. regularize the temperature of the organism,
15. maintain a good mood, …

Recipe for Kefir:

Ingredients and preparation:

1. 1 x 1 liter glass, food grade plastic or ceramic container
2. 3 tablespoons of sugar (organic cane sugar);
3. 3 tablespoons of kefir grains
4. 1 liter of water (source or filtered);
5. 2 dried figs or 3 dates (or apricots, raisins or other dried fruit);
6. ½ organic lemon

Combine everything in the container, mix well and cover with a cloth. Kefir should breathe during fermentation. Keep in a cabinet for 48 hours. Filter and press to remove as much lemon juice as possible. Keep the kefir and a little water in a jar and put it in the fridge for the next batch.

If you do not consume the kefir within a week, you should “feed” the mixture with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar per week.

 Notes: Do not use any metallic instrument in the preparation

You can adapt this recipe to your own taste and preferences. You can also add a portion to your smoothie, that’s what I tend to do.

Replace the yellow lemon with a half-citrus preferably organic and washed thoroughly, cut into quarters or slices.

The choice of lime, tangerine, orange or grapefruit, or even kiwi and pineapple, helps the kefir proliferate in an acidic environment. Put the equivalent amount  of a half a lemon. Peel the fruits that are not organic!

To vary, consider one or two kinds of dried fruits that are naturally sweet, without preservatives, or preferably organic. Put a piece of dried fruit or several small fruits in the mixture, it’s really more for a touch of sweetness rather than for the taste, because it will not have a significant impact: either 10 raisins, 10 dried organic cranberries, apricots, pears or dried apples, dried goji berries, cherries or dried blackcurrant, prunes or dates or very sweet fresh fruits: melon, peach in large pieces (otherwise they disintegrate, it’s good but it does give a particular smell), prickly pear, or, if you have a surplus of kefir grains (as they tend to multiply) , you can set aside a portion and put them in fruit juices eg. red fruit juice, kiwi juice …

However, be aware that the fruits often leave a deposit in the container after disintegration.

In order not to lose the kefir grains in the jar, you can place them in a chessecloth closed by a small knot or small netting, made with a fabric similar to a “wedding veil”. The sachet must be spacious enough to allow the grains to multiply. Or … conserve the fruit and not the grains, you will avoid the loss of the fig seeds or other fruit residue in the middle of the kefir grains as in the picture below.

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy!

To your good health,

Colombe N.D.