Learn all about kefir, how to make kefirIve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you, and I appreciate any support. Kefir Probiotics Drink Learn all about kefir, how to make kefir, how to use it along with some great kefir recipes for your insides and your outsides. Kefir Cheese' title='Kefir Cheese' />Lifeway Kefir is a tart and tangy cultured milk smoothie. Its high in protein and calcium and has 12 live and active probiotic kefir cultures. Milk kefir is an easy sell for anyone who loves yogurt, which I most definitely do. Kefir is tangy, about as thick and creamy as a smoothie, and full of those good. You can read more about affiliate links hereKefir Probiotics Drink. If you are new to this amazing, healthy culture and wondering just what is kefir then you are in for a treat. Here you can learn all about kefir health benefits, including how to make kefir probiotics drink and how to use it. Along with some great kefir recipes for your insides and your outsidesAll About Kefir Probiotics Drink. Kefir probiotics drink is basically a type of drinking yogurt but with much more in the way of beneficial organisms to the human body. It can be used to ferment a range of milks, from dairy to soy to increase the nutrients and digestibility. Kefir grains can also be used to make yummy Kefir cheeses that are quick to make and even faster to eat Kefir is one of the easiest ways to improve your health at very little cost. It can taste incredible and the results are usually seen in your body within a very short space of time. It is simple to make, no rocket science here It can also be made in different ways that alter both the taste and texture to suit all palates. Food for thought Probiotic means for life Antibiotic means against lifeHealthy or friendly bacteria are known as probiotics, and these are necessary for the very foundation of a healthy immune system. Like most fermented foods, kefir probiotics drink are a great way to help achieve a healthy digestive system. Regular consumption of correctly prepared cultured foods such as sauerkraut and other cultured vegetables, any cultured dairy products such as yogurt, sour cream and butter, and also ferments like kombucha will replenish and maintain healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. They do this by supplying masses of friendly microflora directly into the gut. Once they are populated in the gut, these beneficial probiotic microbes get to work quickly. They extract and retain many valuable vitamins and minerals for our bodys use. They help to keep our blood alkaline, along with numerous other health benefits. Personally, I have been making and using Kefir probiotics drink since about 1. I would not ever be with out it. I think I have experimented in just about every way possible with this great little culture. And of course I will be sharing what I have learned here. Please, browse around to get a feel for what you can do with this amazing culture. Here, you can learn all about kefir. I have instructions on how to make a delicious kefir probiotics drink at home, free milk kefir and water kefir recipes. What Is Kefir The short answer to what is kefir is that it is a living symbiosis of a family of friendly bacteria and yeasts that form a clumpy structure which look a lot like pieces of a cauliflower florets. Those are the kefir grains. They usually they measure around 13 cm in length, they are lobed and irregularly shaped. The grains are white to yellow white in color and have a slimy but firm texture. These living organisms, which are usually referred to as a culture, ferment milk into a Kefir cultured food product. Dictionary. com defines kefir as a tart tasting drink originally of the Caucasus, made from cows or sometimes goats milk to which the bacteria Streptococcus and Lactobacillus have been added. There are at least three different varieties of kefir cultures, the best known being milk kefir and water kefir which is also known as Tibi or Tibios. For more information about Water Kefir go this page What is Water Kefir. What Is Milk Kefir The most common use for kefir is a milky drink, although it can be made to produce different consistencies, even cheeses, and also different textures depending on how it is made. The milk kefir drink is very much like yoghurt, but a lot more liquid, again depending on the method used to make it. Milk kefir is made by placing the kefir grains, which are a culture of a unique family of microorganisms into milk. Kefir Tips Raw and organic milk from grass fed cows or goats is best to use for making kefir. This is because pasteurization kills all of the beneficial enzymes which are naturally present in milk. The combination of these microscopic organisms living harmoniously together forms a kind of gelatinous granule. Sweet Potato And Chicken Recipe. When these granules are placed into milk they grow rapidly, multiplying billions of milk fermenting lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, while transforming the milk into an extremely healthful food in the process. These microbes change the lactose in milk into lactic acid and milk coagulates. The transformation of the milk prevents it from going bad but in a natural way. It also preserves the excellent nutrients in the milk, in a way that the human body can easily assimilate and benefit from. The chemical changes in the milk caused by the actions of the friendly Kefir microbes make the final kefir probiotics drink much easier to digest. It therefore allows a heightened assimilation of the nutrients present in the milk. The transformation of lactose into lactic aid means that a larger proportion of people can digest milk kefir with ease. This even includes those people who are lactose intolerant. Kefir contains kefiran which are unique polysaccharides or long chain sugars. Many people believe kefiran is responsible for some of the fantastic kefir health benefits. Wikipedia says Kefiran has been shown to exhibit certain medicinal qualities, and it contributes to the organoleptic mouthfeel qualities of kefir. Bacteria that produce kefiran have been identified as Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Some of the benefits of this fermented food is that it is high in calcium, has plentiful vitamins. It is also rich in amino acids from the whey in the kefir. The billions of food digesting, gut friendly bacteria, deserves a much greater appreciation here in the western world where our overly rich but nutrient poor diet is killing us in increasing numbers. What Is Kefir Grains Kefir grains are the culture that is used to change milk into a fermented product. They range in size from extremely small to very big. Some I have grown have almost covered my whole hand, although they remained quite flattish. In appearance, kefir grains look a lot like cauliflower heads. But of course they are not hard, they are soft, spongy and quite slippery when healthy. Kefir grains are kept healthy and viable by transferring them into fresh milk and letting them to grow in it for around 2. During this time, the kefir grains should have in increased in mass by around 2. The culture needs to replicate in this way to retain viability. What Is Kefir CheeseA range of scrumptious, natural cheeses can be made using the kefir grains. They are quick to make in comparison to ordinary cheeses. My favorite is often referred to as Quark. For some more information and also kefir cheese recipes, have a look at my page on how to make kefir cheese. What Is Kefir WheyKefir whey is the liquid part of the fermented milk. See the liquid around the bottom area of the jar in my photo here. When the kefir milk is ready, the grains will congregate at the top of the container, along with the solids and the whey will settle to the bottom of the jar. Kefir whey is a clear, yellowish tinged and rather bitter liquid. It is very good for you, and normally is just stirred or shaken back into the milky part of the kefir. Depending on how long you ferment your kefir, you may not even leave it long enough to see any whey. I remember going to a kefir course about 1. I dont know how long he had been making his kefir probiotics drink, or what was wrong with his grains for him not to know that. It is a very basic part of the process.