Homemade Kefir
Creamy, tangy and packed with probiotics, homemade kefir is amazing. It’s so simple to make and can be enjoyed as a drink or used in countless recipes.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 24 hours
- Total Time: 24 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 1/2 gallon 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- half gallon whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon milk kefir grains
Instructions
- First, pour your milk into a clean glass jar. I use a half gallon size.
- Then, add the kefir grains to the milk and mix to combine.
- I like to add the kefir to a small cup and mix it up separately with some of the milk and then pour it into the jar with the rest of the milk. It’s easier to mix it better this way.
- Cover the jar. I use a vented lid that is great for kefir or sourdough starter. You can use a paper towel, a thin kitchen towel or cheesecloth and put a rubber band over it to keep it in place. You want the kefir to be open to air.
- Here’s where the magic happens! Leave the mixture at room temperature for 24-48 hours. The kefir grains will ferment the milk. The milk will get thicker and set, similar to yogurt and you can see curds and whey separating.
- The time will depend on how cold your milk was to begin with and also the temperature of your house. The warmer your house, the faster the kefir will be ready.
- Strain the kefir through a fine mesh strainer (non metal) or a nut milk bag. Remove all the kefir grains and store in the refrigerator or start a new batch of kefir.
- Transfer the kefir to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator.