KEFIR
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Greenwich Mean Time
KEFIR
Something like ten thousand years ago on the northern slopes of the Caucasian mountains and the Great Steppes, a change was taking place among the hunter-gatherer population. The emphasis of their civilization was slowy metamorphasizing into a more mobile, nomadic way of life based upon the needs of their domesticated flocks of goats, sheep and a new mobility enabled by the horse.
The herds themselves were supported by free grazing and since the soil of the steppes was not particularly fertile, herding animals was synonymous with continued mobility in order to exploit fresh grazing for the flocks which were the lifes blood of the people. Food, clothing, shelter and utensils were all the by products of the herds themselves, plus the availability of milk, from sheep, goats and mares. Of course, the logical addition of cheeses to their diet was of itself a gift from the Gods, but there was one more thing, they discovered. Fermentation. This is where our story really begins.
The herds themselves were supported by free grazing and since the soil of the steppes was not particularly fertile, herding animals was synonymous with continued mobility in order to exploit fresh grazing for the flocks which were the lifes blood of the people. Food, clothing, shelter and utensils were all the by products of the herds themselves, plus the availability of milk, from sheep, goats and mares. Of course, the logical addition of cheeses to their diet was of itself a gift from the Gods, but there was one more thing, they discovered. Fermentation. This is where our story really begins.
It was not intentional nor by design but someone, somewhere, accidentally inoculated a container of milk with some rather interesting bacteria ( most probably Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria were among them) and the end result was they discovered a rather pleasant dietry addition. Something like an effervescent, creamy, and slightly alcoholic yogurt. It wasn't yogurt of course, but after lot of experimentation they were able to improve upon and finally, duplicate the process at will. This didn't happen all at once, but then time itself had little meaning to the nomads.
Thus Kefir (pronounced Keefer) came into being and has survived down the millenia to our own time with little, if any change. A substance with broad antitumoral, antibacterial and antifungal properties used to treat a long and apparantly unrelated number of diseases and illnesses. It also has the enviable reputation of enhancing longevity! Not too bad for a bunch of bacteria and yeasts originally viewed only as a pleasant drink!
Kefir is very simple to make. Basically, a tablespoon full of Kefir 'grains' is added to a couple of cups of milk in a glass jar. The top of the jar is covered with either a paper towel or a piece of closely woven cloth secured in position with rubber band, then left to ferment on a quiet corner of your kitchen counter for the next twenty four hours. You can gently stir it a couple of times during this period, or even gently swirl the glass container around. Saves taking the cover off and risking fruit flies or whatever.
By now, the contents of the jar will have a thickish creamy consistancy. Pour the total contents of the jar through a plastic strainer into a separate dish. This separates the grains from the Kefir. Now pour a further couple of cups of milk into the washed jar, drop the grains back into the milk and re-cover. That's tomorrows batch! That's it. It takes about five minutes a day for a constant supply of the Queen of Fermented Milks.
Fermentation temperature? Well, Kefir will ferment at temperatures as low as 50F. However, a temperature of 72-86 degrees Farenheit is ideal. I use an electric pad sold for keeping seedling plants warm and I have one of those strip thermometers that are used on the side of aquariums stuck to the side of the container so I can keep an eye on it. It usually goes ten degrees higher than the ambient air temperature. I live in a warm climate but this still comes in handy.
Bearing in mind that this is a website page, and it just isn't possible to give much more than an overview of the subject. Here, you can check out the basics but you will undoubtedly need more information and in greater depth. So, here are two URL's of websites that will give you so much more information than I can:-
http://users.chariot.net.au/%7Edna/kefir-faq.html
The above site is owned and maintained by a man called 'Dom' by almost everyone. His real name is Dominic N. Anfiteatro and he operates a world class Kefir site. If there is a finer Kefir resource on the entire Internet, I don't know about it! Clicking on his URL will open up a directory of content that will amaze you.
The other site is offered in complete contrast:-
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kefir_making/
A small, chatty List stressing assistance to newcomers, it is one of the better sources of learning. I highly recommmend that you become a member.
http://users.chariot.net.au/%7Edna/kefir-faq.html
The above site is owned and maintained by a man called 'Dom' by almost everyone. His real name is Dominic N. Anfiteatro and he operates a world class Kefir site. If there is a finer Kefir resource on the entire Internet, I don't know about it! Clicking on his URL will open up a directory of content that will amaze you.
The other site is offered in complete contrast:-
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kefir_making/
A small, chatty List stressing assistance to newcomers, it is one of the better sources of learning. I highly recommmend that you become a member.
The usual method of acquiring genuine Kefir grains is by an appeal to list members who can usually spare a starter culture from their own resources. Don't even bother trying to buy cultures from the average health shop. True, there are some health stores who carry the real thing (you can find them on the net via Google) but the other outlets will usually offer you a package of dried culture that has been tampered with in order to produce a cheaper, easier to use product.
These cultures do not develop into genuine Kefir. For the most part they only contain a limited variety of microflora and although you get something that looks like Kefir, it owes more to yogurt than anything else and will usually fail to propagate after a few generations, necessitating another purchase! So much for progress and profit making.
These cultures do not develop into genuine Kefir. For the most part they only contain a limited variety of microflora and although you get something that looks like Kefir, it owes more to yogurt than anything else and will usually fail to propagate after a few generations, necessitating another purchase! So much for progress and profit making.
In my humble opinion, the very best Kefire is made by first fermenting on the kitchen counter for 24 hours or so, then straining off the Kefir from the grains. The grains are immediately used to inoculate a further batch of milk while the newly strained Kefir is covered and placed in the refrigerator. This allows the Kefir to mature for another twelve to twenty four hours according to taste. It does continue to ferment, although at a very much reduced level but this still helps to produce the maximum effect. Trust me. It's both delicious and effective in replacing the missing or damaged flora in your gastrointestinal tract!
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The sands are running out.
Nomads of the Steppes.
Here is a sample of fresh Kefir 'grains' to give you an idea what to look for and what you can reasonably expect to receive when and if you buy them. They aren't really grains of course, as a matter of fact, they most closely resemble cauliflower florets.
Finis.