Kefir
I gotta hand this one to my husband, who has maintained making kefir around three times a week since it was featured in Sample 81. We use it as a base in smoothies around here, in place of bio yogurt. Kefir is made by fermenting milk in a glass jar overnight using kefir grains. Kefir consumers report amazing health benefits, including improved digestion, high amounts of probiotics (higher than and different from yogurt), and even better mental acumen. To make kefir, you’re going to have to find kosher kefir grains first. Whoever makes kefir on a regular basis probably has grains for you; they slowly grow in size as they ferment, providing more grains for sharing. Simply place the grains and milk in a jar and cover with a breathable cloth. The ideal ratio of grains to milk is roughly 1 teaspoon of grains for every 2 cups of milk, but I’ve seen many variations of this number, so don’t worry if you don’t follow it precisely. Fasten the cloth to the neck of the jar with a rubber band. Leave the jar in a cabinet at room temperature for 15–24 hours, and even longer in cold weather. If the kefir separates, that’s your sign that it has fermented for too long (although you can totally eat it that way). Once it’s been fermented, refrigerate the kefir. To start again, remove the grains from the kefir and add fresh milk to the jar. You can constantly reuse the same grains. The kefir can be enjoyed on its own if you like its sour taste, as a smoothie base, or with fruit for breakfast. For more detailed instructions and for multiple uses for kefir, see Sample 81. Note: Recently, there has been a shortage of kosher kefir grains in the Tristate area. Therefore, if you have kefir grains to share in the New York/New Jersey area, please contact me so we can help other readers get started. (If you’re located in Eretz Yisrael, feel free to reach out to me for grains.)
WELLSPRING / AV 5783
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