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The way to simply take away reside grains from a recent batch of do-it-yourself kefir with out making a large number or dropping a few of the tradition down the sink.
A good friend of mine just lately began making dairy kefir at house for the very first time.
He fermented his first few batches utilizing natural pasteurized milk.
He had been beneath the (false) impression that the probiotics in uncooked milk “would compete” with the reside kefir grains and impede fermentation.
Sadly, this delusion continues to flow into within the various well being neighborhood.
After we talked about why this was a delusion and the advantages of uncooked grassfed milk, he switched to creating it with fresh-from-the-cow as an alternative.
And wow! He has actually been having fun with the massive improve in well being advantages in addition to the improved texture and style!
The dietary content material of uncooked kefir is way higher than pasteurized too. Not less than half the Vitamin C and all of the helpful enzymes (like lactase) are destroyed throughout processing, amongst different issues.
Stay Starter is ALWAYS Finest
The principle good thing about utilizing reside kefir grains over powdered starter is that the kefir incorporates roughly three dozen probiotics together with helpful yeast strains.
This compares to the handful of strains from inferior powdered starter or improperly fermented industrial kefir.
The reside grains final for many years too. It’s the most frugal method in addition to the healthiest.
You’ll be able to even move them on to your youngsters (I’m critical).
Eradicating Kefir Grains is a Problem
The one draw back of utilizing a residing tradition to ferment kefir is fishing out the gummy-like grains from every batch.
The method is tedious and messy.
Worse, it will probably typically lead to some treasured grains getting washed down the sink by chance as you rinse the picket strainer (like this one).
It’s best to by no means use metallic because it weakens the residing kefir tradition. Plastic is appropriate, however who needs to make use of a nonsustainable materials if avoidable?
You can even use your fingers to fish them out a number of at a time. That is tremendous messy although.
Is there a neater approach that’s protected for the grains and received’t weaken them?
Sure, there may be!
Best Option to Take away Grains from Kefir (with out harming them)
Over time, I’ve refined my methodology for eradicating kefir grains from every batch with out harming or dropping them!
By far, the only approach to accomplish that is through the use of small muslin drawstring luggage made with 100% cotton. These are the unbleached luggage I exploit.
Do NOT use the plastic or metallic cage strainers some websites misguidedly advocate.
Bear in mind that cotton muslin luggage are available a wide range of sizes.
I recommend sticking with the small ones. My hunch is that bigger luggage could inhibit fermentation ultimately.
All it’s a must to do is fastidiously put your kefir grains in one of many luggage.
I recommend washing the bag with filtered water and gentle unscented Castile cleaning soap first. Rinse effectively in filtered water earlier than utilizing (chlorine in faucet water harms the grains). No have to dry the bag first.
After putting the grains inside one of many luggage, gently decrease the bag into the mason jar containing the milk you plan to ferment.
Shut the lid of the jar with the sting of the drawstrings over the facet of the rim. This retains the bag from sinking to the underside of the jar.
After 24-hour fermentation is full, fastidiously unscrew the lid and catch maintain of the drawstrings together with your fingers or a spoon.
Fastidiously pull the bag out of the recent batch of kefir and place it in a clear bowl.
No have to rinse the bag or take away/rinse the grains between batches!
Merely decrease the bag of kefir grains right into a recent mason jar of milk to start out your subsequent batch!
Straightforward peasy 🙂
Every muslin bag will final a number of months. To offer you some thought, we make a recent batch of kefir nearly daily, and we use a few half dozen cotton luggage annually.
Whereas the luggage usually are not costly, you probably have one or two mates who additionally make kefir, it’s most frugal to separate a bigger order of baggage amongst the group.
