Kefir Culture

(pronounced: keff é-er)

So What is Kefir? A fermented milk drink. Where available, kefir is made with camel milk. The word "kefir" is derived from the Turkish word keif, which loosely translates to; good-feeling, feeling of well-being or feeling-good.

Kefir is a refreshing probiotic cultured-milk beverage, which is believed to originate in the Northern Caucasus Mountains many centuries ago. Kefir has a uniform thick creamy consistency, a slightly sour refreshing taste, with a mild aroma of fresh yeast. Kefir also has a slight naturally carbonated effervescent "zest".

Kefir's tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, but it contains beneficial yeast as well as friendly 'probiotic' bacteria found in yogurt. The naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in kefir combine symbiotically to give superior health benefits when consumed regularly. It is loaded with valuable vitamins and minerals and contains easily digestible complete proteins.

Kefir can be made from any type of milk, cow, goat or sheep. Non-dairy beverages can also be cultured with the grains. We have cultured coconut nectar, homemade juice from the berries in our yard-one of my favorites is cultured currant juice as well as lemonade and fresh fruit.

Kefir is made from gelatinous white or yellow particles called "grains." These grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and complex sugars. They look like pieces of coral or small clumps of cauliflower and range from the size of a grain of wheat to that of a hazelnut. The grains ferment the milk, incorporating their friendly organisms to create the cultured product. The grains are then removed with a strainer before consumption of the kefir and added to a new batch of milk.

The grains we offer are the most active ones we have seen. If fed regularly, like a good sourdough starter they will last for generations to come. We have had great success culturing milk as well as juice and fruits with this culture!! Our milk culture is fed organic raw, farm fresh milk on a regular basis.

1 TBS of grains (plenty to get started) You will receive live active grains with instructions and some of our favorite recipes!!

We will be ending our sales of cultures for the season very soon. We ship on Mondays and Tuesdays, so be aware that your order will be shipped the Monday or Tuesday after you place it. The last ship date will be 5-21-13 but will resume again in September when the weather is cooler and more suitable for shipping live cultures in the mail. To be put on a waiting list for any of our cultures when they become available again please email Linda at rosemarygoddess@moonwiseherbs.com