How to prepare Kefir at home
How to prepare Kefir at home
Kefir or chefir (a word that derives from Turkish and means delight) is a drink rich in lactic ferments obtained from the fermentation of milk. This drink contains about 0.8% lactic acid. It is a drink with a fresh and particularly nutritious taste; in this sheet we will see how to prepare the Kefir at home and the necessary precautions. Kefir is native to the Caucasus and is widely used in the former Soviet Union.
The kefir requires a fermentation of 24 hours or 48 hours, if you want to obtain a more acidic product. The fermentation must take place at room temperature (20 ° C) in a container covered by a lid but not sealed, as the fermentation that takes place during the formation of Kefir requires a certain circulation and air exchange.
For the preparation of Kefir it must be taken into account that, once produced, it can keep well in the fridge for about ten days, so the quantities to be produced should be weighted to its actual consumption.
As for the ferments these are available on-line and are sold in small packs containing a little milk, which should be thrown away and not used. Many of these packs, among other things, contain instructions for making Kefir.
As far as quantities are concerned, an optimal proportion of a tablespoon of granules (16-18 grams) per 250 ml of milk can be used.
As for the necessary tools, these must not be metallic (since Kefir is acid and corrodes some metal parts that would be swallowed); then glass jars and spoons in bone or plastic. In short, the material required is composed of: milk, Kefir granules, 2 glass jars, a plastic strainer and a plastic spoon.
To start the preparation take the Kefir granules (according to the proportions indicated) and place them in a glass jar. The milk is added, according to the pre-established quantity and the lid over the can is placed (not hermetically). At this point it is left to ferment for 24 hours, for 48 hours for those who choose to produce a more acidic Kefir.
After this period of time, the fermentation will be completed (within 24 or 48 hours), which can be noticed because the milk has thickened and the Kefir formed.
At this point we proceed with the filtering; take the second glass jar, place the strainer on it and pour it gradually, gently mixing (to avoid damaging the granules) the Kefir to filter it. The filtered Kefir will fall into the glass jar, while the granules will remain in the strainer. Separate granules are placed in a glass jar, where by adding milk you can repeat the preparation of Kefir.
The ready Kefir should be placed, before consuming it for at least 2-3 hours before consuming it as it takes on a more fragrant flavor as well as fresher.
Remember that kefir obtained in domestic production can have a slight alcohol content (up to 1 degree) while some industrial products do not have this feature thanks to specific production methods.