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SAME DAY DISPATCH IF ORDER RECEIVED BEFORE MIDDAY - FIRST CLASS ROYAL MAIL
Purchases after midday Friday will be posted Monday morning, to ensure that they arrive fresh on your doorstep
Healthy, probiotic, live milk kefir grains save you money!
Instead of spending a fortune on probiotics, vitamins and yoghurt every month, kefir grains produce these for you - and all you have to do is feed it milk! What you will receive: You will receive an instruction sheet and 20ml of kefir grains in a little organic milk (to keep it nourished en route) in a small resealable plastic bag, inside another resealable plastic bag, inside a padded envelope - enough to make half to a pint of kefir (depending on how strong you like it). If you care for your kefir grains, you could have double or even up to three times the mass of kefir grains after 7 days. 20ml is more than a tablespoon (1 Imperial tablespoon = 17.7581714 millilitres)
Kefir is a refreshing, cultured fermented beverage, somewhat similar to yoghurt, which is rapidly gaining popularity. It has a tart, sparkly flavour and creamy texture, and offers many of the health benefits common to fermented foods (vitamins, minerals, and healthful pro-biotic bacteria). Fortunately, kefir grains are extremely simple to cultivate. A continued probiotic diet, makes you healthier, more alert and saves you money, not least on medications! Kefir originated in the northern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains, believed to date back at least 1,000 years. The tribes-folk of this particular region consumed the nutritious beverage in large quantities and were renowned for health and longevity, with little to no known disease. An active life span of over one hundred years was common for folks living in the region where kefir was cultured and liberally consumed as part of a staple diet. Kefir has a uniform, slightly creamy consistency, a tart, refreshing flavour, with a subtle aroma of fresh yeast (or a very subtle beer-like aroma). Kefir also has a slightest hint of a natural effervescent zesty tang. There is an assortment of some 40 aromatic compounds contributing to the unique flavour and distinctive pleasant aroma of kefir. Rounding this off, kefir contains between 0.08% to 2% alcohol. However, about .08 to .1% alcohol is a realistic figure for 1-day cultured kefir. Whereas kefir stored for a number of days after separating the natural mother-culture, kefir grains (see following), contained up to 2% alcohol, and possibly 3% alcohol, depending on the type of milk and ripening conditions. Strained liquid kefir may either be consumed fresh, refrigerated for later use, or ripened at room temperature over a period of days. The ripening process is not only useful for individuals who wish to reduce lactose in their kefir, it is important to increase some B group vitamins. Ripening improves overall flavour, while increasing vitamins B1, B6 including vitamin B9 or folic acid, and carbon dioxide including alcohol also increase. Kefir grains increase in overall volume, numbers of, and by weight, as the grains are self-perpetuating when continually cultured in fresh milk to prepare kefir (biomass increase). Therefore you will have a limitless supply of pro-biotic kefir, at no further cost! What's so special about kefir? In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also has an abundance of calcium and magnesium, also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves. The abundance of enzymes brings more health benefits, especially to lactose intolerant people, many of whom can tolerate kefir without difficulty, as long as the kefir is raw and not cooked (cooking destroys the enzymes). Because kefir essentially digests the milk into which it is immersed, lactose-intolerant people, who generally lack the digestive enzyme lactase, find that they can drink kefir and experience no ill-effects - whereas they can't tolerate pasteurised milk. The pasteurisation process kills off lactase in the milk. When you get your grains: IMPORTANT: when you get your grains, should you wish to rinse them, don't rinse them in tap water, as it is likely to contain sufficient chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals to harm your grains! Only rinse them in ultra-filtered water (not Brita-filtered, as this doesn't filter out harmful chemicals), spring water, distilled water, or milk. When you get your grains, they may be a little tired and in need of sustenance. Simply place them in a glass or ceramic jar and cover the kefir grains with fresh milk (preferably organic, and at room temperature), for a day, at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. If you can obtain raw, organic, unpasteurised milk, all the better. For best results, place the jar in the airing cupboard.
Every 24 hours, strain your kefir grains using a plastic sieve and spoon, place the strained grains in a clean container and feed them with milk. The strained whey is delicious served cold, so put it in the refrigerator for a few hours, after which you can make a scrumptious smoothie by simply adding fruit juice. Initially, they will be slow to propagate, but after a few days, you should notice that the mass of kefir grains has increased in size. As the mass of kefir grows, increase its milk supply accordingly. After 7 days, your kefir should be very happily propagating, at which time, you can elect to strain it every 48 hours, if you prefer a stronger-tasting, less milky whey. Increase the quantity of milk as the kefir grains multiply. You're welcome to email me should you want guidance through the process.
Cultivating your kefir grains:
Where to get raw milk Loads of farms listed here - most of them sell raw milk, although some will tell you that it's illegal for them to do so. Precautions: As with all cultured foods, maintain a clean environment for your kefir grains, using a freshly washed jar and utensils, and wash your hands before touching anything. This reduces the possibility of introducing any unwanted bacteria into the product. Acidic fermented foods can react with some metal utensils, so the safest bet is to use only non-metallic items such as plastic or wooden spoons and sieves. ____________________________________________________ Visit the net's kefir guru, Dom, for in-depth information on kefir, along with recipes and all the things you can do with kefir! |