Kefir article

[Guest guest]

" How to Culture Dairy, Grains, Nuts, Seeds, Vegetables and Beverages

With Real Kefir Grains "

 

http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/kefir/riln14.php

 

ORIGINS OF KEFIR GRAINS

 

Some people say real Kefir grains look like pieces of cauliflower. If

you wash a piece under the tap you will discover something that looks

like a convoluted fungi, the result of a symbiotic relationship

between approximately thirty bacteria and yeasts.

 

There are records of Kefir being used for a few thousand years. No one

seems to no where they came from. My feeling is they originated at the

same time mankind began milking animals.

 

Real kefir grains have traditionally been shared amongst neighbours

and used to culture different substrates so there must have been many

opportunities for cross culturing. An analysis of Kefir grains from

different parts of the world would probably show many similarities in

types of bacteria and yeasts but with some differences unique to the

location and the substrate.

 

Unlike yogurt which requires sterile conditions, Kefir is typically

used in non sterile substrates with no ill effects (that the author

has heard of), apparently Kefir has a mechanism which resists

contamination from harmful organisms. The microflora of Kefir in a

milk substrate produce vitamins A, B and C, lactic acid and other

compounds. They also produce antibiotics, antiviral agents and anti

cancer agents.

 

Traditional societies have successfully used real Kefir for thousands

of years to culture milk products in a primitive environment that

lacked the technology of modern societies. (In a goats stomach hung in

a doorway, for example), Having said that however, and armed with the

knowledge that science now provides, you would be well advised to

educate your self on all aspects of fermentation, and use sterile

technique in all your ferments. In the rare event that your Kefir

culture, or any other culture goes off, then you should discard it and

obtain a fresh one from a reliable source. That is someone with a

thorough understanding of the processes involved in fermentation and

traditional methods of food preparation.

 

Fermented products contain live organisms (bacteria and yeasts), and

as with any perishable food item, there is always the potential for

contamination by pathogenic organisms. In addition the conditions

under which you prepare your ferment will most likely be very

different to those of a traditional group in a different part of the

world hundreds of years ago. Your politically correct belief systems

may also cause you to leave out a vital step or ingredient. You may

believe that low salt is better when in fact it may be essential to

the recipe.

 

You are advised to read widely on the topic of both traditional and

modern methods of fermentation. Start at the beginning and master the

art of grain, vegetable and dairy ferments before experimenting with

olives, meat and fish. Substrates that have a high oil content such as

nuts, peanuts, olives and coconut may provide a suitable environment

for fungi that produce carcinogens (aflatoxins).

 

You may wish to enroll in a course in microbiology, but a tour of a

bakery, dairy or olive farm would probably provide sufficient

tutelage. In addition nothing beats experimentation to build a skill

set so feel free to share both your failures and successes with the

community at the rejoiceinlife newsgroup.

 

 

 

DEFINITIONS

 

1. Kefir grain is the actual culture with which you culture milk.

It is not a grain like wheat but a slimy culture that resembles

cauliflower florets.

2. Kefir is the term for milk that has been fermented with Kefir

grains.

3. Kefir whey is the thin liquid you get from straining Kefir

through linen. The other component is curd or cream cheese.

4. Kefir cream is cream that has been cultured using Kefir or

Kefir grains.

5. Kefir butter is butter that has been cultured from cream using

Kefir.

6. Kefir is quite different to yogurt and does not require the

same precision in culturing it.

7. Note: There is a big difference in the amount of cream between

supermarket milk and milk from Jersey or Guernsey cows.

 

 

 

USES FOR KEFIR GRAINS AND KEFIR

 

Kefir may be used to sour cream, make cheese, sourdough bread and

cakes. Kefir whey may be used to culture sourdough bread and cakes,

and vegetables such as sauerkraut; to marinate meat and fish, brew

ginger beer type beverages, and to provide organisms for starter

cultures.

 

You will find that Kefir has a sour taste, not unlike unsweetened

yogurt, the sourness being imparted by lactic acid produced by the

Lactobacillus bacteria.

 

Even though fermenting extends the shelf life of most products,

commercially grown ingredients that lack the full complement of

nutrients or were harvested too early, may give disappointing results.

Vegetables and fruit should be fresh, free from disease, preferably

free of chemicals and grown on good soil.

 

Avoid powdered, skim, low fat, homogenised and UHT milk; ultra

pasteurised cream, or any product that contains those ingredients.

Where possible buy milk and cream from a dairy that uses pasture fed

principles of farming. If a product claims to be certified organic you

may find it useful for your own piece of mind, to phone the certifying

organisation as well as the producer for background information. You

may be in for some surprises, as not all organic certification bodies

use the same criteria. Where possible look for a share in a cow so

that you may obtain raw milk, butter and cream.

 

Ideally grains, seeds and nuts should be freshly ground in a grain

mill just before use as some oils may go rancid quite quickly after

milling. Grains, nuts and seeds may also be sprouted, then dehydrated

or roasted before milling.

 

Soy is not recommended as it takes many months to remove the

antinutrients.

 

 

 

HOW TO CULTURE KEFIR

 

Put Kefir grains into a clean glass jar. Add milk and gently stir with

a soft edged spoon, so as not to break up the Kefir grains. Lightly

screw on a plastic lid (one which won't rust) without the cardboard

insert, which could harbour the growth of unwanted organisms. Leave

the lid loose enough, to allow carbon dioxide produced in the

fermentation process to escape from the jar. (Unless you want a fizzy

Kefir that is.) Store the culture out of direct sunlight in a cupboard

or on top of the refrigerator for about 24 hours, giving it a gentle

stir or shake two or three times during that period.

 

As fermentation is dependent on temperature, time, quantity, the

activity of the culture, and the type of substrate then only

experience will teach you the optimum culturing conditions. As a

general guide Kefir will ferment twice as fast at 30 degrees Celsius

as at 20 degrees. Fresh milk will thicken at first into a consistency

much like a smooth yogurt, then with longer fermentation it will

separate into a layer of thick curd floating on top of a greenish

whey. Homogenised and pasteurised milk will give a different result to

that from raw milk.

 

Once the Kefir has cultured to your liking, strain it through a sieve

using a fork to separate the curd from the grains. Pour the curd back

into its jar and put the Kefir grains into a clean jar with fresh milk

and repeat the process. If you don't have time to sieve the Kefir,

just hook the grains out with a fork. Some sources claim the Kefir

grains shouldn't come into contact with metal but I don't think it

makes any difference. In fact there was a commercial operation in

Australia in 2000 that used to culture Kefir with real Kefir grains in

200 litre stainless steel drums.

 

If you need a rest from consuming cultured milk, then the Kefir grains

should survive a few months in the refrigerator. I generally store

excess Kefir grains in a small amount of milk in a jar in the fridge,

so that I always have some on hand for a friend. I have heard that

Kefir grains may also be stored with success in filtered water but be

aware that chlorine and other chemicals may kill the culture. I

sometimes culture Kefir on alternate days and leave the Kefir and the

grains in a refrigerator in between times.

 

There is no need to warm the milk when you culture it with Kefir

grains, as you would do with a yogurt culture. In fact I would advise

against doing so. The only times I have received reports of problems

was from people who were trying to treat kefir as if it was yogurt

Kefir grains seem to be quite resilient to changes in temperature.

Just pour cold milk straight from the refrigerator onto the Kefir

grains, or warm from the cow.

 

The Kefir grains should double in quantity every week. One report from

a commercial manufacture, indicates that Kefir grows faster below 28

degrees Celsius. Kefir grains are edible and according to some sources

have documented anticancer properties. Blend them into a banana

smoothie, add them to a raw cheesecake, eat them as they are or share

them with a friend.

 

HOW TO MAKE KEFIR CREAM

 

To make Kefir cream you may use Kefir grains or Kefir as a starter.

Kefir will dilute the cream according to how much you use, while a

disadvantage of Kefir grains is that they tend to get lodged in the

cream. Experience will be your best teacher of how much Kefir or Kefir

grains you need to culture sour cream. I generally add equal parts of

Kefir to 60% fat cream. That is one cup of Kefir and one cup of double

weight cream. Once again the incubation period is dependent on

temperature, quantity and quality of the starter and substrate. Cream

seems to require a longer fermentation period than milk (about double)

and should be gently mixed two or three times in that period.

 

Flavour 2 cups of kefir cream with 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla essence,

then whip until peaks form.

 

HOW TO MAKE A LIGHT CREAM CHEESE

 

A simple cream cheese may be made by straining Kefir through

unbleached linen. (Cheese cloth is not quite fine enough.) Cut a piece

about 45cm square, boil it for about ten minutes to remove pigment and

chemicals, and hang to dry. You may sterilise it with an iron if you

wish.

 

Line a large glass bowl with the linen and pour in the Kefir. Gather

the corners of the linen and tie with a length of string, making a

loop at the end. Find a clean, cardboard box that is tall enough to

hang the bag of cheese with space at the bottom for a glass bowl. Make

a hole in either side of the box at the top, just large enough to fit

the handle of a wooden spoon through. Hang the bag of cheese from the

wooden spoon from the looped string. Close the lid of the box and

cover with a tea-towel to prevent intrusion from insects. Hang the

cheese for about 24 hours, or longer if you prefer a stronger cheese.

If you need to hang a large quantity of cheese try hanging it from a

stick suspended across the backs of two chairs.

 

Once the cream cheese is dry enough scrape it from the linen bag with

a curved scraper and store in a plastic container in the fridge.

Transfer the Kefir whey to a glass jar and refrigerate. Kefir whey

makes a refreshing drink and may be used in a number of recipes (e.g.

Ricotta cheese may be made from whey). Kefir whey may be used as a

starter for sourdough bread and so on.

 

In keeping with the traditional spirit wash the linen with a dilute

solution of lye water (potassium carbonate) available from Asian

grocery stores. Pot ash lye or wood ash lye as it also known may be

made by soaking wood ash in a bucket of water overnight. The resulting

caustic liquid is decanted and filtered before use. The ash may also

be used to scrub bench tops.

 

HOW TO MAKE KEFIR WHEY

 

See the section above entilted 'How to make a light cream cheese'.

 

HOW TO MAKE A RICHER CREAM CHEESE

 

To make a rich cheese use the same procedure as above but add cream to

your initial culture. A good starting ratio is equal parts of milk and

cream, as in kefir cream. You may culture the milk and cream together,

or separately and mix them prior to hanging.

 

There are three basic methods for cheese making. A cultured cheese as

for the above recipe; a rennet cheese made by adding rennet to hot

milk, and a third method of curdling milk by the addition of an acid.

The cheese may then have a new starter culture added, be mixed with a

variety of other ingredients such as chives and spices, before being

pressed into blocks or wrapped in wax, and then left to mature for up

to a year or more.

 

HOW TO MAKE A KEFIR BUTTER

 

Butter is developed by churning cream which causes the fat to separate

from the protein. To make butter, gently churn Kefir cream with the

'paddle' attachment in a food processor at a slow to moderate speed.

After a few minutes the cream should separate into globs of butter and

a watery buttermilk. Wash the butter in cool water to remove traces of

buttermilk then press the butter into a jar or plastic container with

the back of a spoon. Store in a refrigerator.

 

HOW TO MAKE SAUERKRAUT

 

Sauerkraut, sour cabbage, is now a generic name for a type of

fermented vegetable. Around the era of Captain James Cook, sauerkraut

was a key preventative for scurvy by European seafarers.

 

According to William Dufty, author of the Sugar Blues, sauerkraut was

able to counteract the antinutrient properties of dietary refined

sugar. Dufty's contention was that scurvy was not so much caused by

the absence of foods rich in vitamin C, but by the consumption of a

diet high in refined sugar which deplete the body of vitamins and

minerals and thereby contribute to the condition of scurvy.

 

In the book, The Hidden Drug: Dietary Phosphate by Hertha Hafer, the

author makes a very telling point when she writes that, " a spoonful of

apple cider vinegar in a glass of water before bed may ameliorate the

symptoms of ADHD " . She further notes that before the 1900's, those

people living on a traditional diet did not suffer from ADHD.

 

A number of Traditional remedies involve fermented

vegetables and fruits, such as Umboshi plums. Whereas raw cabbage,

that is the ubiquitous coleslaw served at salad bars and fast food

outlets, may lead to depressed thyroid functioning, fermented cabbage

and other vegetables provide many health benefits and should not be

under estimated for their healing powers.

 

Sally Fallon in her book, Nourishing Traditions, provides some

excellent instructions on the fermentation of vegetables and fruits,

in addition to grains, nuts, seeds, fish and meat.

 

Basic Recipe for Sauerkraut

 

* 1 litre glass jar with plastic lid

* Cabbage

* Beetroot

* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

* 2 tablespoons of Kefir whey

 

Our forbearers would have chopped the ingredients and pounded them

with a wooden mortar in a large crock to bruise the cell walls but

graters and food processors make the task much easier.

 

Grate beetroot and cabbage with a hand grater or process in a food

processor, then mix roughly equal quantities of each in a large bowl

with the salt and Kefir whey. If you wish you may add a teaspoon of

ground Juniper berries, a sprig of sweet basil or dill, or other herbs

for additional flavour and nutrients. Keep your recipes simple at

first, so that you may learn about the smells and tastes of fermented

foods. Once you have some experience, you may wish to incorporate

vegetables and fruits such as onions, green papaya, capsicum, Chile's,

parsley, pineapple, and so on.

 

Press the mixture into a clean glass jar using a wooden spoon to

remove all air bubbles. If you push the kraut to the bottom of the jar

with a spoon then the juice should rise to the top and cover the

mixture. Leave at least one inch or more of space at the top of the

jar to allow for expansion. Screw on a plastic lid tightly and place

the jar on a saucer, in case the fermentation process causes the juice

to overflow.

 

Store the jar in a cupboard for 3-5 days (depending on the ambient

temperature) before transferring to the refrigerator. Keep an eye on

the sauerkraut because the mixture needs to be kept wet with its

juice, otherwise the top layer may dry out and go off. If any mould

develops on the surface (which it shouldn't in a lactic acid

environment) just scrape it off. If it smells putrid or you have any

doubts about the quality, then discard the sauerkraut and start again.

The sauerkraut may be consumed after a couple of weeks, though if you

allow the fermentation process to continue for a month or so in the

refrigerator you will be well rewarded with a most delicious flavour

(and probably never eat commercially made coleslaw or sauerkraut ever

again).

 

HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH BREAD AND CAKE

 

Kefir whey provides an excellent source of microorganisms to make a

sourdough bread starter which can be used to make sourdough bread and

cakes. Please visit http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes for a range

of recipes.

 

HOW TO MAKE LACTO FERMENTED BEVERAGES

 

Visit this page for information on how to brew lacto fermented

beverages and this page for specific recipes on how to ferment

lacto-fermented beverages such as ginger beer, wheatgrass ginger beer,

beetroot ginger beer, pineapple ginger beer, and for information on

how to obtain probiotic starter cultures such as B.E. Grainfields

liquid and Effective Microbes (EM).

 

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REFERENCES

Dufty, William. The Sugar Blues.

Hertha, Hafer. The Hidden Drug: Dietary Phosphate - Causes of

behavioural problems, learning difficulties and juvenile delinquency.

(Copyright holder: Jane Donlin, 2001 Inquiries to PHOSADD Australia,

112 Amethyst Crescent, Armadale 6112, Western Australia,

www.phosadd.com)

Fallon, Sally with Enig, Mary. Nourishing Traditions, The cookbook

that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats.

Second edition. New Trends Publishing, Inc. Washington, DC 20007.

1999-2001.

Mollison, Bill. The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition.

Tagari Publications, Tyalgum Australia,1993. (PO Box 1 Tyalgum, NSW

2484 Australia Ph: 066 793 442)

Microflora of kefir grains plus useful information at Dom's website.

Schmid, Ron, ND with foreward by Sally Fallon. The Untold Story of

Milk: Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy Foods. New Trends

Publishing 4801 W. Street, NW Washington, DC 20007.

 

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

 

Nourishing Traditions: The cookbook that challenges politically

correct nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. By Sally Fallon and Mary

Enig. Read the back cover.

 

The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the fallacy that saturated fat and

cholesterol cause heart disease. By Uffe Ravnskov. Read the back

cover.

 

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. By Dr Weston A Price. Read the

back cover.

The Sugar Blues. By William Dufty, Warner Books, 1975 Read the back

cover.

Enzyme Nutrition. The Food Enzyme Concept. By Dr Edward Howell Find

this book

The Untold Story of Milk. By Ron Schmid, ND with foreward by Sally

Fallon. Read the back cover.