Halloween is coming, but there is no need to be scared of bacteria! In fact, bacteria isn’t the bad guy, it’s your ally! It's scarily good (okay we'll stop now...!)
Kefir is a great way of adding probiotics to your diet, but some may be scared of the process of producing kefir at home. Our complete home Kombucha making kit ensures that the often-messy process becomes clean and efficient! It simplifies the procedure of separating the scoby from the sugar water with a built-in, 2-level strainer – one for kombucha or water kefir and one for thicker milk kefir!
"But what's a scoby?" Ok, ok, we hear you! Here is a quick starter guide to help...
What is Kefir?
Made either from milk or sweetened water, kefir has a slightly sour and tangy taste from the bacteria feasting on the sugars. These sugars ferment the milk or water, and a by-product of the fermentation process is the creation of vitamins, and probiotics and prebiotics, both of which are known to be beneficial for a healthy gut.
What are Kefir grains?
Made by the bacteria that make kefir, these vary in size and have a jelly-like texture. The grains contain lactic and acetic acid bacteria, both of which are essential for making a probiotic drink. There are no recognised health benefits from eating the grains directly - these come from drinking the fermented liquid.
How is Kefir made?
Just about any milk can be used to make milk kefir, and it does not matter whether it is full fat or skimmed. However, organic is better, and raw milk is best of all. People who are intolerant to milk can rest assured that the fermentation process eats lactose, meaning you are unlikely to suffer any adverse reaction to kefir. However, if you would rather avoid milk altogether, then coconut water makes a successful and tasty alternative.
What do I need?
You need kefir grains (also known as kefir culture) to make kefir at home. Our fantastic starter kit gives you everything you need to make your own delicious milk kefir. For non-dairy kefir, there’s also a great starter kit available in a variety of colours.
1. Put your kefir grains in milk (or water) and allow them to ferment at room temperature for at least 24 to 48 hours.
2. When your kefir is ready, strain out the grains and put them in fresh milk or water to be used again.
3. Your strained kefir is now ready to drink, or you can bottle it, add flavour, and keep it in the fridge where it will keep improving in both flavour and probiotics.
Oh, a scoby is an acronym for "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast" and is formed after the completion of the fermentation process.