Kefir?

springlering62

A friend just gave me kefir fermenting in milk.

What do you do with this stuff? Calories? I’m not even sure what to ask.

She says it will be ready to use tomorrow.

LukesGreenMilk

It's about 150 calories per cup. Use it the same way you would cheese.

MaltedTea

I'm used to liquid kefir which I drink like milk (although I prefer coconut/non-dairy kefir).

mjbnj0001

Unflavored? Drink it like milk, mix it into smoothies, etc. Marinate chicken breasts in it as you would with yogurt, including whatever seasoning profile you like. Make a salad dressing with it as you would with buttermilk. Add it to dishes where you'd be potentially subbing sour cream or yogurt - for instance Stroganoff-type meals. Etc., etc., etc.

It's typically good stuff. Sounds like you got milk with "kefir kernels" in it. That's neat; typically I get the finished product at the grocery, although I do make my own yogurt now and then.

moonangel12

If it has the Keifer bits in it still, you strain those out first, then drink the thickened milk/yogurt product that’s left, or use it in a recipe like a smoothie or something (and add more milk to make another batch). I would google it or watch some videos on YouTube to better understand the process...

Also, cover it with a tight weave fabric to keep bugs out - I used to have some, but fruit flies got in it... gag me!

amusedmonkey

Kefir is very similar to yogurt nutritionally, but a little bit looser with a creamy texture. It's basically the same thing, different strains of bacteria and yeast. We usually just drink it like milk and it's very satisfying. Calories would be the same as regular yogurt. We also use it in recipes, mainly in things that are made out of batter (try it in pancakes). You can use it in any recipe that uses regular yogurt or buttermilk.

Wait until it's done (it becomes thicker than milk looser than yogurt) and strain out the grains then enjoy the kefir any way you want. The grains can be re-used to make new kefir almost indefinitely, so your friend has given you a kefir factory.

springlering62

Thanks for the posts. This is all fascinating. I’ve made yogurt and butter before, but never even heard of Kefir. I can’t wait to try it!

My friend said it’s possible to make a soft cheese out of it. I’m wondering if this is similar to the soft cheese we were served in Ukraine and Georgia. I’d be over the moon if I could replicate that deliciousness at home.

Something else I never heard of, @mjbnj0001, is marinating chicken in yogurt. I’ll have to check that out.

springlering62

First try is a success, and its much milder than I expected. Very pleasant taste, milder than a plain yogurt. I made a simple smoothie with strawberries, and a dash of vanilla and maple syrup.

I’m going to use the other half of the batch in some cornbread to try to win my husband over.

@just_Tomek I can’t WAIT to have enough to try to make some cheese. I’ve been googling, and it looks pretty easy. The cheese we had in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus was to die for. That trip made me want a cow in the back forty, and a wood fired oven in the kitchen.

springlering62

Btw one website posits that the calorie count is considerably lower than whole milk because the fermentation process uses up the sugars and thus the sugar calories which were in the milk. Interesting. Will research further.

amusedmonkey

springlering62 wrote: »

Btw one website posits that the calorie count is considerably lower than whole milk because the fermentation process uses up the sugars and thus the sugar calories which were in the milk. Interesting. Will research further.

This isn't true. It doesn't remove the sugar calories. You can't really remove energy from something like that unless you burn it off or physically remove it. It just changes the nature of the sugar and converts it to other sugar and non-sugar carbs (or more accurately, carb-like substances) which have calories. Carbs remain roughly the same, so the calories remain the same.

springlering62

amusedmonkey wrote: »

springlering62 wrote: »

Btw one website posits that the calorie count is considerably lower than whole milk because the fermentation process uses up the sugars and thus the sugar calories which were in the milk. Interesting. Will research further.

This isn't true. It doesn't remove the sugar calories. You can't really remove energy from something like that unless you burn it off or physically remove it. It just changes the nature of the sugar and converts it to other sugar and non-sugar carbs (or more accurately, carb-like substances) which have calories. Carbs remain roughly the same, so the calories remain the same.

Well damn. Way to burst my bubble, lol. Thanks for the info.

I made pancakes this morning with kefir, supplemented with lo fat Greek yogurt, since I didn’t have enough. They were so light they practically lifted themselves off the griddle.

Plan to try some cornbread next, followed by a loaf type bread. This is so much fun!