Making Milk Kefir: Favorite Cultures & Equipment

We started making milk kefir again and I think everyone is happy about it. Annabelle is crazy about straight milk kefir, for some reason, and pretty much drinks it as fast as I can make it. So when Susan asked if I wanted some milk kefir grains, I happily said yes and within a couple of days those grains she dehydrated were churning out probiotic milk kefir on a daily basis.

The longer I work with cultures, the more I am convinced of two things: First, cultures are really resilient. I have killed my fair share of cultures when I have been full on negligent, don’t get me wrong. But when someone is diligent in caring for them, for the most part, and just misses a day or two here and there in the feeding schedule, the cultures usually bounce right back with no ill effects.

Secondly, cultures vary widely depending on the source. One of the reasons is simply because cultures pick up microbes from whatever are they are in. So my milk kefir grains might have differing strains from someone up in Iowa after just a few weeks of culturing, even though we both purchased them from the same place. Another factor of importance is whether you purchase dried or fresh cultures. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but from what I can tell dehydrating cultures is mostly done when cultures are sold on a larger scale. And I do believe there is some compromise to the culture in the process.

Then again, the dehydrated grains Susan gave me seem to be culturing and multiplying readily so perhaps it has more to do with the scale of the operation than the dehydration. Dehydrated cultures might also be something those of us in warmer climates consider, especially if we are ordering in the heat of summer. Shipping means the culture isn’t fed for a number of days and while this can be only a minor stress on the culture in cooler times, it can kill the culture rapidly in warmer temperatures.

Kefir Creme Fraiche from Traditionally Fermented Foods

With all of that, here are my two favorite sources for grains, dehydrated or fresh:

Dehydrated – When I am looking to purchase dehydrated grains, Cultures for Health is generally my choice. I have worked with them before and while they don’t always multiply as rapidly as the fresh grains, they do a great job of culturing good kefir. When things get crazy, like when we have a new baby, I have also used their powdered kefir culture since I know I’d probably forget about the grains and kill them in no time.

Fresh – Strangely enough, Amazon is where I found my favorite fresh milk kefir grains through a seller called Mr. and Mrs. Kefir. I think I ordered these when I was working on Traditionally Fermented Foods recipe-testing and I needed fresh grains fast. I may be remembering this incorrectly, but I think I gave some of these grains to Susan who was able to grow out many extra grains and dehydrate them. And these are the grains that she gave to me that I am using today!

As for equipment, I really just use quart jars with paper towels or coffee filters fastened with canning rings. The one thing I use every day with my kefir that I really find useful is this mesh strainer. It fits right into a canning funnel and I can stir or tap the kefir through and easily collect the grains for the next batch.

As for what I do with all of that kefir? Most of our family’s common kefir recipes are found in Traditionally Fermented Foods:

• Kefir Buckwheat Muesli
• Using Kefir as a Cheese Culture
• Kefir-Cultured Creme Fraiche
• Smooth-Sipping Second Ferment Kefir
• Kefir Pancake Syrup
• Fermenting Grains with Kefir
• Okroshka
• Kefir Salad Dressings

Do you make milk kefir? How do you make it and use it?