Kefir is a fermented milk drink popular in the Middle East. It can be made at home with kefir culture, fresh milk, and a clean jar. The fermentation process can take 12-48 hours and produces a sour, tangy, and thick drink. It can be flavored with fruit and stored in the refrigerator. If it goes bad, it should be thrown away.
Kefir is a popular fermented milk drink in many parts of the Middle East. It’s often available in large markets and can even be made at home, if you’re good at sterilizing containers and maintaining a clean workspace. Many people enjoy consuming kefir because they believe the living culture used to make it has health benefits and because they enjoy the slightly acidic, rich, creamy flavor. Natural kefir is not sweet, although it can be sweetened or flavored with fruit if desired.
To make kefir, you will need kefir culture. Health food stores sometimes sell kefir grains, and you can also order a kefir appetizer through various Internet retailers. You will also need a large clean jar and some fresh milk. Ideally, you should boil the jar before using, to make sure it’s as clean as possible before you start making the kefir.
Start by pouring the kefir grains into the jar, then filling the jar about 2/3 of the way full. He reminds that as you make kefir, it will expand, so resist the urge to fill it even higher. Cover the jar with a clean cloth or use a burping lid to allow gas and pressure to escape. If you don’t use a burping lid, the kefir jar could potentially explode as the milk ferments!
Traditional kefir is fermented at room temperature and depending on the room temperature this will take 12-48 hours. A short fermentation produces a thinner, less acidic kefir, while a long fermentation creates a rich, very thick and acidic kefir. If you leave kefir out even longer, it can become fizzy and intensely acidic; it’s perfectly safe to drink, but the strong flavor may put some people off. You can also encourage slower fermentation by storing your kefir in the refrigerator.
After making kefir to taste, it must be strained to remove the culture so that fermentation stops. Pour the kefir through a strainer or cheesecloth into another clean jar and refrigerate until used. The starter can be moved to a fresh jar so that a fresh batch of kefir can be fermented. You can also store the kefir starter in the refrigerator, if you want to slow down the fermentation process to stagger your kefir batches.
The natural flavor of kefir is sour, tangy and thick. However, fermented dairy products can go wrong; if you have the slightest doubt after making kefir, throw it away, because you don’t want to get sick from harmful bacteria. Signs that your kefir has gone bad include any mold, discoloration spots, or strong, sharp odors.
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