Home made Yogurt

[Nana]

Ralph-n-Bev You don’t get a lot for the effort. Lol

 

[namwaldog]

Thanks for the images of the cheese recipes. Hopefully I will try them if and when my Kefir is ready.
Taking advantage of our Kindle Unlimited offer,
I have just ordered 2 books using Kefir and recipes.
Thanks for the heads up for the Food Unwrapped programme tonight too set it to record, maybe for future reference.
Margaret.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

The fact you’ve made it and it has all those fabulous pro/prebiotics in it must make it worth it though.
I’ve screenshot the book pages . Thanks Nana

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Bacteria in your GUT 'affects Covid-19 severity'

A review study from South Korea and a real-world study from China determined the gut microbiome plays a role in coronavirus disease severity.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I know it’s the daily mail but this is interesting and another for kefir kombucha etc

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

This makes even more interesting reading.
Kefir is brilliant stuff. Better and more beneficial if home made.
Broken Link Removed

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[namwaldog]

Well, just had my first "tentitive" taste, errm... sip of first milk Kerfir and then water Kerfir. Sounds a bit daft but I'm a little bit scared of it! Why? I think it's because it is "live" and going to put it into my body! All sorts of thoughts, will I be sick? will I need the toilet rapido? Will I get cramps/pain etc, etc. Silly really. Anyway, braved it out and I went for it.

I liked the water Kefir (above pic) when natural, though a bit sweet for me , that is now decanted and in the fridge flavoured with lemon juice and a tight lid on. This has to be released periodically I've read.

The milk Kerfir is more yogurty than milky. OK for taste, not too thick yet and a tiny bit fizzy!
Think it needs a bit longer fermentation?
I did mash a banana into it and that was like a good smoothy. Yummy!
I have replenished my milk and water Kerfir and going to use the first ones in recipes and drinks trying different flavours.
I used a little amount of milk Kerfir in an omelette for last night's dinner. I did sleep well with no effects from it. Lol.

The "scoby" , jelly like one,
is still "in progress" and takes longer, 10-14 days to develop.
I used green tea for that.
Have had a little sip, as per instructions and it tastes like a sweet green tea atm.

So all good and thanks very much again for introducing Kefir and for all the helpful advice everyone has given me.
I have always tried to cook and eat healthily for us and the family, using lots of fruit and natural fresh ingredients. I have even been vegetarian for years, though only periodically now.
It has given me a whole new genre /way of healthy cooking and am so looking forward to experimenting and tasting.
A good way to spend lockdown too, trying the recipes out both cooking and eating. Lol. Margaret.

 

[namwaldog]

This makes even more interesting reading

Thanks very much for this read, this is very interesting and informative, in-depth and updated information.
The more info we all gain can only be beneficial, individually, we each take out what we want from it.
Feel like I am studying again, lol,
so learning, exacting and doing something new is a great way to use this extra time (lockdown) we now seem to have.
Margaret.

 

[nigglynelly]

I've never made water kefir. Please could you tell me what starter culture you used and was the method the same as the dairy kefir?

 

[namwaldog]

Ordered 3 types they arrived like this, no labels on any though. Had to sort out which was which. Milk one obvious and others from detail
included in package.I

Thought the price was good.
Fingers crossed that they all culture well.
So far so good here.
Hope this helps, sorry about the scrumpled paper images, and my scribbles too. This is how they arrived in the post. Hope you can read it all.
Good luck with yours too.
If at first etc... Novice here, will keep trying though
Margaret. J

 

[nigglynelly]

Brilliant. Thank you

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[bellabee]

I've been following this thread with interest.

My milk kefir grains arrived today.

I've mixed them in a jar, with a litre of organic whole milk, and am excitedly awaiting the outcome

I'm hoping to soak my breakfast oats overnight in the result .

I'd also like to try to make the blue cheese kefir.

Will let you know what happens.

 

[Oscar]

Will it work OK with full fat longlife milk? We have to drive to shops, so would be good if it would

Thanks
Elaine

 

[namwaldog]

Hello Elaine,
I have just started with Kefir, so cannot give much practical or experienced advice ....
Hope this may help you.

I am using this Kindle book as guidance...

From Kefir.. With Love
by Whitney Wilson

We buy milk and freeze it because same as you we have to drive to shops. So far I have only used Semi skimmed which has given a good taste and fluid consistency.
Now, I have some full fat milk and separate cream which apparently makes a more creamier, thicker Kefir.
I think it is probably all a matter of individual taste and am enjoying the experimenting atm.
Water Kafir....
I have made ginger and lemon water Kafir drink, which I find too sweet for me so add water. It tastes lovely and refreshing.
The green tea Kombucha is not ready yet, it is still fermenting as it takes longer than the milk or water Kefir.
Margaret.

 

[Stonemags76]

I’ve just bought a Lakeland yoghurt maker as a result of this thread! I have today mixed UHT semi skimmed milk & Yeo Valley kefir yoghurt. I look forward to the result later! As far as I can tell, if you use UHT milk, as long as it is at room temperature to start with, there is no need to boil & cool it, as it has been sterilised already. We shall see!

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

I'm hoping to soak my breakfast oats overnight in the result .

I like this (don’t warm it up though or you’ll kill all the good bacteria) you can pop some frozen raspberries or blueberries on top to leave overnight too. I do 2 parts kefir 1 part oats.
I also like to add chia seeds to kefir and leave overnight. It’s like sago. Remember that ? Commonly known as frogspawn at school
Both very filling and will set you up for the day.

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[namwaldog]

Just out of the oven....

Top : Cauliflower, cheese, Kefir and chive muffin.
Bottom : Kefir omega seeded bread.
Decided to try some kafir baking today because it has snowed all day, (didn't want to do my daily exercise outside, too slippy! ) so, thought it would be a good baking trial!? These are the results, they smell really good. I usually use buttermilk for the bread but it is in the freezer, so thought I'd try Kefir milk, I had plenty ready.

So pleased with the kafir and now getting more used to producing and using it daily.
I find it a good learning curve complimented by the enjoyment of eating it.
On to Sauces and Dips next hopefully.
There does seem to be lots of nice sounding recipes to choose from and even Kefir facial and skin care.
I am very interested and will have a go at them and hope for continued successes.
Good luck everyone too. It's good to read how others are doing.
Hopefully, I can still continue with making Kefir, if and when, we get back to motorhoming.
Margaret.

 

[Nana]

Oscar I haven’t tried UHT milk I use full cream milk . The 1 litre Jersey cream bottles. The book I have been using advises not to use UHT milk the more natural the better. I think UHT treated milk might slow or prevent natural fermentation. I watch with interest to see how everyones turn out using UHT.

 

[Nana]

 

[Stonemags76]

Just had breakfast - my kefir yoghurt! It tasted lovely, but a bit thin, so I am straining it for a while. Am going to try full fat UHT next week (after grocery delivery), but so far so good. The only issue I have, is that it takes 10 hours, & I don’t want to mess in the evening, so have to put it on first thing & just put it in the fridge later. Will keep you posted!

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Just had breakfast - my kefir yoghurt! It tasted lovely, but a bit thin, so I am straining it for a while. Am going to try full fat UHT next week (after grocery delivery), but so far so good. The only issue I have, is that it takes 10 hours, & I don’t want to mess in the evening, so have to put it on first thing & just put it in the fridge later. Will keep you posted!

Make it with FF milk it’s much nicer. I just use supermarket blue top. Then every now and then get veg it a treat with a splash of cream or a bottle of gold top.
I find if you make it on a morning then leave it till the following morning or even the next morning it’s easier.
If it’s thin it’s not been left to brew long enough, or it’s not in a warm enough spot to ferment or there’s too much milk in the jar for the amount of grains.
It thickens it’s ready. If it’s too thin you won’t get the benefits of the good bacteria in there. Instead of straining it put the kefir back in and leave it longer in a warmer place and it will thicken up.

This is ready to strain.

My kefir grains

Literally takes a few mins to strain and prep.
Note I use a SS sieve to strain and fork to mix. Always have it causes no harm .

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[namwaldog]

Really, really pleased with my milk Kerfir now, the grains seem to have grown somewhat since I first started on Monday 11th Jan.
Maybe there is something in "change of enviroment and travel disruption" theory, to them settling down and starting to reproduce. I did have visions of being overrun with the grains at first. Lol. Lots of jokes abounded among us. Just something new I guess or maybe just me/us and a very vivid imagination!?! and warped sense of humour or even lockdown syndrome!

I am really enjoying the water Kefir drink, there are rising bubbles in it now, in the jar, with added freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh grated ginger. Nice and refreshing after my daily exercises.

The green tea 'scoby' is still fermenting, I have just sipped it, and keep releasing the build up of gases too as per instructions. However I find the floating "jelly fish" slightly weird but it looks, smells and tastes like a sweetened green tea, atm?!?!
I would like to ask please if anyone knows whether cooking with Kerfir alters the properties and reduces some of the goodness.? I'm thinking it might so would appreciate any replies.
Thanks in advance.
Margaret.

 

[Nana]

namwaldog I have use kefir in pancakes, anything that requires milk/liquid in the recipe. Seems there are lots of good things in kefir that you don’t lose in cooking.
I am just trying a batch with UHT milk for the first time, something I thought wouldn’t work but after 24 hours at room temperature it’s looking fine. I think I will leave it a little longer to see how it progresses I will post my results later.
http://kefirguru.com/kefir-grains-will-heat-kill-kefir-benefits/

Best kefir recipes

Use this gut-friendly, fermented drink in our recipes, from berry smoothies to salad dressings and chocolate cake

www.olivemagazine.com

Toni

 

[namwaldog]

This morning I decided to try some water Kefir fruit flavoured drinks. I added:
Freshly squeezed orange which didn't need any sweetening.

Mixed summer fruit berries, again no sweetening required.
The water Kefir keeps some of the sweetness from the fermentation.

I also used milk Kefir, which was thicker when made with full fat milk. The berries were frozen, blitzed, then passed through a sieve, to remove the seeds, then sweetened with honey.
The berries being frozen acts a bit like ice cubes.
I freeze fruit of all kinds especially if I have a glut from the garden or any bought to pop into G & T, again instead of ice cubes.
Mixed melon balls are very nice too.

I've found an answer to my question about cooking with kefir by looking at "cooking with probiotics" on the Internet.
Yes, some of the probiotics are lost with heating.
Apparently it is best to swirl Kefir, yoghurt etc into cooked food when it has cooled or as a side at the table.
Still a learning curve for me and enjoying finding out more about Kefir almost daily, both in taste and information.
Margaret

 

[namwaldog]

Well... This morning I thought I'd try an all natural face mask....(.he, he,) don't laugh yet!
Author quote (seems so weird putting food on your face and call it a good idea. However I wouldn't tell you to try this if it didn't feel amazing. ) unquote,
Recipe taken from book "Kefir with love"

Using simple ingredients this recipe will keep your skin hydrated, refreshed, balanced and so clear.
Kefir contains 30+ strains of good bacteria to suppliment your natural skin biome.
It contains alpha hydroxy acid (A H A) which restores pH of the skin and also reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
(QuoteTaken from book again.)

I'll take a bucket load then, lol.
Being over 70, I 'll take all the natural help I can get. Lol.
Anyway, back to face mask.

Ingredients
1 tbsp thick Kefir
1 tbsp softened coconut oil
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp lemon juice.

Mix all together at room temperature and spread over face, leave for 10 minutes to 1 hour?!!
You can apply a second coat after the first coat dries.
I did!?!
Rinse and wash, (I used a muslin cloth, gently doing small circular movements in hot water.)
Optional.
I also added 2 tbsps of dry organic oats, the mask is now more messy but oats are good as a facial scrub.

Result.
Face and neck does feel and looks, I think, smoother,
erm... maybe wishful thinking there ?!
I haven't applied any, post face mask, moisturiser either.
I wanted to see and feel if there was any real differences first. Watch this space.


Face mask ingredients

Finished product in jar on the right. I'm putting this in the fridge for future use.
As a note, I massaged my hands with residual face mask mixture. They feel sooo smooth especially after all the hand washing and sanitizer of late. Bonus
I wonder if it will work as a bath soak too.???? Nothing like getting extra value for effort and money in my book. I'll try it tonight and let you know.
Totally in the Kefir zone now and it's only been a week since I started with it! Lol.
Margaret.

 

[Nana]

Great reading everyones Kefir adventures. I really need some full cream milk now, I raided everything I can think of to experiment with. . Verdict on my UHT kefir.
I left it at room temperature for 48 hours.
Turned out very thin but ok for those who like a drinkable yogurt.
I added vanilla it was pleasant to drink.
One and half litres of UHT milk made a litre of drinkable yogurt.
I am not so sure of it’s probiotics value?
I prefer kefir made with full bodied milk even if one and a half litres makes far less.

The UHT thread has inspired me to try coconut yogurt using coconut milk I am awaiting the results. Doesn’t look too promising maybe better to use coconut flavouring. :-(

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[namwaldog]

Nana
Interesting for us the uht milk results because when we are abroad in the mh we tend to use uht for convenience and storage. We always set off with some, usually 2 bricks stored in mh in case we are away from shops or they are closed for holidays etc. .
I know we can and do buy fresh milk, cow, goat, sheep etc usually when we are settled in one place for a few days, week, or longer.

The coconut milk Kefir is mentioned in the book I'm reading/ using mentioned in my previous posts, so I will probably, hopefully, try that at sometime too.
I love coconut in any form. Could I please ask what type, ie, tinned or fresh you are using? I do always have tinned in the cupboard for curries etc but don't know if it is going to be suitable for Kerfir?
Thanks
Margaret

 

[Nana]

Nana
Interesting for us the uht milk results because when we are abroad in the mh we tend to use uht for convenience and storage. We always set off with some, usually 2 bricks stored in mh in case we are away from shops or they are closed for holidays etc. .
I know we can and do buy fresh milk, cow, goat, sheep etc usually when we are settled in one place for a few days, week, or longer.

The coconut milk Kefir is mentioned in the book I'm reading/ using mentioned in my previous posts, so I will probably, hopefully, try that at sometime too.
I love coconut in any form. Could I please ask what type, ie, tinned or fresh you are using? I do always have tinned in the cupboard for curries etc but don't know if it is going to be suitable for Kerfir?
Thanks
Margaret

Hi Margaret
I am trying tinned coconut milk. I love coconut in any form too. I don’t use a yogurt maker just room temperature so it might take it for a little longer due to the winter. I might even try standing it in the slow cooker on low to speed it up a bit, need to check what temperature low is.
I just found some alpro hazelnut milk I am considering trying too. I wonder if anyone has tried it with good results?
We always carry a few emergency cartons of uht milk too.
I hadn’t thought of goats milk, I love goats cheese, you have inspired me more. I will post a photo of my full cream milk kefir when I am able to shop. I don’t have much luck with online shopping they always replace it with skimmed milk.
Take care and happy experimenting
Toni

 

[namwaldog]

I have been "brewing" a green tea kombucha (jelly fish) Kefir since 12th Jan at room temperature. I've kept looking at it and having a sip, it tasted fruity, nice, and a bit like flat apple juice and looked cloudy. This should happen.

This I decanted into a bottle and then into the fridge.

The instructions say that it is all a matter of individual taste and palette, as to "? when?" you think it is ready for drinking and that it will keep and not go off if kept in the fridge. It should also get fizzer the longer you keep it.

I like it not fizzy and it is quite refreshing and a pleasant change from the ordinary tea with milk I drink regularly.

Ready to drink kombucha green tea.

Also I keep trying to drink straight green tea , and also have it with lemon and or honey.

The kombucha cold drink I like better.
I have stared another batch too.
Margaret.

 

[namwaldog]

Today's offering,
Beetroot and fennel soup.
Recipe from The Kefir cookbook I downloaded from kindle.

Ingredients :
Olive oil to soften
chopped onion and fennel bulb (I substituted celery)
Add cooked and chopped beetroot (I used ready cooked)
Chicken stock cube (I used vegetable)
Plain milk Kefir to stir in at the end.
Grated fresh ginger steeped in boiled water. (I drink this as a "tea" either hot or cold, and lastly after a few refills, usually about 3, use the water and ginger for cooking. )
A sprinkle of Dried tarragon.
Salt and pepper.
Method
Gently cook all ingredients together and liquidise.
Just before serving add milk Kefir and whisk slightly.

It looked like it was going to curdle (white specks) but the whisking combined everything together nicely.
The colour will depend on your available ingredients, I think?
Ours was a bit muddy colour!!

However the taste was lovely and warming especially on a bitter cold day like today. It was thick, quite peppery, very tasty and refreshing but not cloying.
We really enjoyed it with some of my multigrained Kefir bread I made the other day.
Nice result.

I actually had to tweek the recipe, changing some ingredients with some I already had. I will try it with the fennel if I can get it with our next grocery home delivery.
Margaret.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Well, just had my first "tentitive" taste, errm... sip of first milk Kerfir and then water Kerfir. Sounds a bit daft but I'm a little bit scared of it! Why? I think it's because it is "live" and going to put it into my body! All sorts of thoughts, will I be sick? will I need the toilet rapido? Will I get cramps/pain etc, etc. Silly really. Anyway, braved it out and I went for it.

View attachment 455966

I liked the water Kefir (above pic) when natural, though a bit sweet for me , that is now decanted and in the fridge flavoured with lemon juice and a tight lid on. This has to be released periodically I've read.

View attachment 455964

View attachment 455965

View attachment 455968
The milk Kerfir is more yogurty than milky. OK for taste, not too thick yet and a tiny bit fizzy!
Think it needs a bit longer fermentation?
I did mash a banana into it and that was like a good smoothy. Yummy!
I have replenished my milk and water Kerfir and going to use the first ones in recipes and drinks trying different flavours.
I used a little amount of milk Kerfir in an omelette for last night's dinner. I did sleep well with no effects from it. Lol.

The "scoby" , jelly like one,
is still "in progress" and takes longer, 10-14 days to develop.
I used green tea for that.
Have had a little sip, as per instructions and it tastes like a sweet green tea atm.

So all good and thanks very much again for introducing Kefir and for all the helpful advice everyone has given me.
I have always tried to cook and eat healthily for us and the family, using lots of fruit and natural fresh ingredients. I have even been vegetarian for years, though only periodically now.
It has given me a whole new genre /way of healthy cooking and am so looking forward to experimenting and tasting.
A good way to spend lockdown too, trying the recipes out both cooking and eating. Lol. Margaret.

Just been to the doctors for some more bloods.
Guess what?
Nurse wants to try some of my milk and water kefir as the practice had been looking at this process on their alternative medicine route.
Seems it's getting some rightful coverage as to its potential benefits.
I must say, over the last 2 weeks I have started to feel in a better mood and generally overall with the water and milk kefir, and all thanks to Ralph n Bev initially.
A well chuffed Captain Yoghurtpot.

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