Kefir

0 Responses to "Kefir"

1. I am retired! I was! Thank you, Donna, for the last two going on three months. I have been fighting to get my health back. During this re cooperation my only alarm on my phone is for your Hay House Radio show. And my Sunday morning emails. So, for the last few months you have been in sync with me.
   Thursday I used my 100%can of pumpkin to make pumpkin bars. Then this morning you give me pumpkin recipes. Your the Best! Thanks again.

   • Awww thank you for hanging out with me! I love the feedback and please call in and talk to me on the radio. I’d love to give you a phone hug. Working on some cultured pumpkin bars myself!

2. Can you use the liquid in the jars as a culture again for the next batch of veggies, or do you have to keep adding new water/starter culture?

   • You can reuse the liquid several times! The fresher the brine is, the more times you can reuse it.

3. The beautiful photo ABOVE “Sodium nitrate and heavy metals” looks like something i might like to make. Can you tell me what it is?

   • Hi Kathy, this is a recipe that is coming out in Donna’s new book next year, so you’ll have to wait! (I’ll give you a hint.. it’s made with kefir cheese and a special raspberry jam)

4. Could you please tell me how this compares as a probiotic source with kombucha? I have been making separately kombucha and a ‘ginger water’ (with apple cider vinegar and powdered ginger)… Maybe this will do for both! Thanks!

   • Both different drinks have different probiotics. They are both beneficial though.

5. Can you make this with honey? I make a drink with honey, kefir whey, ginger, and blended lemon.

   • Yes, you can in the soda part and we’re posting more variations on this recipe in another post soon!

6. Have you tried culturing the thermophilic yogurt in an Instant Pot? I don’t have a yogurt maker, but I recently got a new Instant Pot with a yogurt setting and I’d like to try using it for that. I just wondered whether there were any special precautions or instructions for making yogurt in this appliance.

7. Donna, can any of the above yogurts be made with coconut milk? I can’t do dairy. Thanks

   • Kefir can be made with coconut milk and the vegan yogurt specifies rice milk or soy so I’m not sure it would work with coconut, but kefir works beautifully.https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/dairy-free-kefir-every-kind-you-can-imagine/

8. I am wondering if I can make goat milk kefir using powdered goat milk. I can’t find raw goat milk in my area, so thought I would purchase organic powdered goats milk and then make my kefir from there. Wondering if that is possible. Thanks in advance for your help. Sharon, california

   • Yes, you can use powdered goats milk.

9. Hello Donna,first off I want to tell you all your info has been great,and your video was so helpful.I have been drinking kefir for about 6 months now,which I was buying from a lady.I now have some of my own live grains and have made my own for 3 days now,with great success.My question to you is,I started with whole milk that has the highest fat content and I know it works the best to feed the kefir but the thought of drinking something with such a high fat content doesn’t really appeal that mush to me.I drink milk but it’s 1%.Does the kefir interact to the fat in the whole milk to make it healthier.The lady I was buying the kefir from must have used coconut milk because of the flovour of the kefir,do you recommend coconut milk and refresh the grains in whole milk every so often?In doing this will I take away some of the goodness from the kefir grains.Thanks so much Donna,Sincerely Lynn,Nova Scotia,Canada.

   • You can most certainly use 1 % milk to make kefir and it will work great. You can make coconut milk kefir and I have instructions here.https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/dairy-free-kefir-every-kind-you-can-imagine/

10. Where in wicklow-Dublin can I buy a scoby.I’ve been buying mine from England. And not much success making kabucha. A mould grows after a few days ..can you help thanks

    • Are you sure its not forming a new scoby? Mold is only hairy and fuzzy but you get new ones that often appear to look like mold. Here is a blog to help.https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/help-my-scoby-is-ugly-and-other-common-issues/

11. Is it possible to add the Ocean to kefir? Have you, and had any success with it?

    • I don’t think you would like the taste and it would also make it black in color.

12. Shelley’s recipe looks interesting – but I have not even tasted the cultured veges I refrigerated 3 years ago (still crunchy). I use Himalayan salt with dairy kefir whey as the starter. I have added dried shredded seaweed to some of my jars. A friend’s husband tried some of them and said they were the best he had tasted (my friend almost did not get any!) If I use Himalayan salt and packaged seaweed are the minerals still helpful?

    • You’re getting minerals in the seaweed and Himalayan salt so it’s up to you but either way they will be good!

13. Hi Donna!

    I can’t purchase the Body Ecology Ancient Earth Minerals right now but am wondering if food grade Diatomaceous Earth would be a good substitute, as it’s a mineral and 89 % silica!

    Thanks so much, for all that you do! 🙂

    • I haven’t tried this but I imagine it would be worth a try. Let me know how it turns out if you do make it. Great idea!

14. HI DONNA
    Im really excited about starting kefir – what I really want to do is make it thicker like yogurt.
    Is there a trick to that?
    Sally

    • Here is a blog to help. https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/the-thick-and-thin-of-kefir/

15. Hi; about veggies; do you have “stats” for science-types like my son? Example: actual, tested nutritional value of raw carrots vs. nutritional value of fermented carrots.
    Also, about veggies, do the fermented vegetables have as much or more nutrition than the brine that is left in the jar? If that is the case, I’d like to drink brine shooters instead of eating vegetables.
    Have learned a lot from your books, videos and website. Thanks!!!! xxxx000

16. I thought of another question about the kefir grains, regarding your revised instructions for the amount of grains to use when making a batch, I get that, there are variables that you have to adjust for. What about storing the grains in the fridge, has your recommendation for how much milk per tablespoon of grains for storage been revised as well? I’ve currently got about 3+ tablespoons in a quart of milk and I try to change that weekly.

    • That should be fine. However much milk you use on the counter to make kefir daily is what you should use and should last a week in your fridge. I always add a little extra just to be sure it has enough food.

17. I have your books Donna and have learned so much – THANK YOU!! I was doing Kefir but have switched to fermenting numerous veggies which we enjoy even more – OH the flavors are fabulous and as a long-time ‘canner’ it’s fun to just make 1-2 quarts!! I have shared your books & website with many friends.

18. can too much kefir, kombucha and kraut be consumed in a day? Sometimes I drink a quart of kombucha, a cup or more of milk kefir and about a cup of kraut> My kefir is made from milk that I milk from my Pygmy goat.

    • I do this all the time. You’re a hundred trillion bacteria and its what you’re made of!

19. I was wondering about the yeast growing on top of the vegetables. I guess it’s been too hot. After scooping off the top veg, can I rinse the rest of them off and just store them in fresh water?

    • Just scoop it off and cover them with water. Here’s a blog to help. https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/whats-this-on-my-cultured-vegetables/

20. I am currently have an issue with my Kombucha. I think I waited too long between batches. My scoby came out very thin. I was using rooibos tea. It did ferment after the 10 days so I started a new batch right away with about 4 cups of starter tea, rooibos again. It’s fermentation seems to be going very slowly and the scoby is again very thin. Do I need to try a batch with black tea or do I need to just get a new scoby and starter tea?

    • Try using black tea and see if this helps. Is your home on the cooler side? You might need the tannins in the black tea to help you too.