Making coconut milk kefir - why? and how to make it
Hello fellow Steemers.
Are you interested in learning how to make kefir, which can help your digestion?
I have been making coconut milk kefir for over a year now. I started with a powered starter which I bought from the local health shop. Instead of cow's milk, I use coconut milk
Here is a pic of the jar of Kefir I am using right now.
Why make kefir?
It is an inexpensive probiotic which works differently to yoghurt. There are more good bacteria in kefir. Yoghurt feeds the bacteria which is within you. Kefir adds new bacteria.
This (below) is copied from from the Nature’s Goodness Kefir culture packet.
“Kefir is a probiotic – a source of beneficial bacteria and yeasts which help maintain a healthy digestive system. These include Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Saccharomyces kefir.
Kefir has been found to help:
• following gastrointestinal disease
• maintain healthy intestinal flora
• people with lactose intolerance”
I began my Kefir with Nature’s goodness Kefir – Turkish Yoghurt Probiotic, which has 5 sachets of powdered Kefir starter. The instructions are to use one starter for 5 batches of Kefir. I did that to start with, then I decided how far I could keep it going. That was about a year ago, and I make one to two batches a week, and the kefir still is good!
I buy coconut milk in cans. I have found that TCC brand is close to natural. Read the labels on different can of coconut milk to see what I mean.
I use a can of light coconut milk (green) and one can of premium coconut milk (blue) and that give a nice creamy texture of kefir.
Here is a link to a page about making kefir, and where you can order kefir grain starters.
http://growyouthful.com/recipes/kefir.php
It is very simple to make coconut milk kefir
Use a 1 litre glass bottle with a lid, clean and dry.
Important: Mix with a plastic, or wooden spoon.
Add two 400 ml cans of coconut milk. Mix in the powdered culture (or Kefir grains)
Put in a place - like under the kitchen/laundry sink for a day or so. Depend on the warmth of the atmosphere.
Kefir has a clean, fresh, tangy taste when it is ready. It separates into whey, with creamy on top. Stir it together with a plastic/wooden spoon. I sometimes give it a couple of stirs during the time, and leave it there another day! It is ready when the Kefir has a smooth consistency (after stirring) similar to thin yoghurt.
Place in the refrigerator when it is ready.
For the powdered culture_
When you need to make the next lot (this is for the powdered kefir starter)
Keep a little of the kefir back, use the same jar, or place in another clean, dry jar. The bacteria does not have any bad bacteria, so to use the same jar again and again is ok.
Add 2 x 400 ml cans of coconut milk, \stir, sit in a dark place.......
Keep the cycle going as above.
I have not used kefir grains starter.
I understand the grains need to be rinsed - but not with water that is chlorinated. Clorinated water can kill the kefir.
Remember, the kefir grains are live bacteria.
Here is a link that tells, with great pictures, about making Kefir with Kefir grains
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-milk-kefir-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202022