Does anyone have kefir grains?

[Angie]

Hi there!

I am fairly new to all of this and would like to try making kefir with
my raw milk. I paid way too much for something I thought was kefir
grains at Harvest Health and it didn't even seem to work.

If someone has some extra that you could share and leave in the fridge
where the milk is kept on the farm, that would be wonderful!

Also, one more question: how long will butter from raw milk keep in
the fridge?



Thanks!
Angie

[Mina, GR]

Angie,
If you rinse your butter really well and salt it, it should last a
couple of weeks, at least. If you are wondering, just smell it.
Did you get some kefir grains? I could leave you some Monday if you
still need some. It won't be a lot, but it grows over time. I've
never tried the starter stuff from the store.

Mina

[Angela Walters]

Thanks, Mina, I appreciate the butter advice.

I would still like some kefir grains. I pick up on Tuesday, so if you were able to leave some in the fridge when you go, that would be wonderful! Then, do I just leave them in the fridge in a bit of milk for a bit to let them grow?

Thanks again,
Angie

Angie Walters, MA, PCD (DONA)
Co-Founder, Volunteer Coordinator
616-447-9788
www.momsbloom.org

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[Jennifer]

I've had my kefir grains for months now and what I do is put the grains in a quart canning jar.  Add the raw milk somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of the jar and then put a piece of paper towel (I fold mine into quarters) and screw on a canning ring.  I put it in my cupboard and then every few days I pour everything into a strainer w/a bowl underneath.  The liquid in the bowl is your kefir--I use it like buttermilk--biscuits, pancakes...anything like that, in addition to using it for fruit smoothies.  After you've stirred all the liquid out of the strainer, you're left w/more kefir grains and then you start all over again.

As I said, I've been making kefir for a few years and I've only gotten new grains 1 time.  And that was because I let them sit too long when I went on vacation and they looked funny, so I tossed them.  The refrigerator slows the growing process and I'll put them in there in the summer sometimes when the grains are multiplying too fast.  Other than that, I always leave them in my cupboard.

Hope this helps,
Jennifer

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From: Angela Walters <an...@momsbloom.org>
To: milka...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Fri, October 29, 2010 4:57:18 PM
Subject: Re: Does anyone have kefir grains?

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[3bells]

Jennifer, I made kefir for about a year and when the grains seemed to look funny and I threw them out I didn't replace them. We are moving into a new home and I'm hoping to get some grains and start making it again. I have been using the store powdered starter, but it has a lot less live culture variety from what I read.

I also read that if the raw milk wasn't heated the enzymes would eventually overtake the kefir culture and you would end up with clabbered milk. Does that sound right to you?

Hopefully someone will have a few grains to share when I'm ready to start making it again.

Peggy

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[Jennifer]

I've not really had that problem, but good to know.  Thanks.

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From: 3bells <bellr...@gmail.com>
To: milka...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sun, October 31, 2010 7:11:02 AM

[Angela Walters]

Hi Mina~

I'm not sure if you've been out to the farm yet, but if you could leave some grains for me sometime, that would be great!

Thanks so much,
Angie

Angie Walters, MA, PCD (DONA)
Co-Founder, Volunteer Coordinator
616-447-9788
www.momsbloom.org