Kefir - hvorfor jeg elsker den og hvordan du lett kan få det til selv

If I'm honest, I first started with kefir because I love yogurt but I think it's way too much work to make. It's not exactly complicated to make yogurt either, but yogurt cultures are thermophilic, which means they like it rather hot. The problem with that is that you should preferably keep the temperature steady, which I think is too much trouble. Compared to milk kefir, yogurt is a real diva - in my opinion. Because all that is needed to make kefir is a clean glass, milk and the culture (kefir grains). The rest happens magically by itself. Well, it's actually the bacteria and yeast cultures that work to turn sweet milk into lovely, tasty kefir, but I think also that sounds a bit like magic.
What you see in the picture is the culture called kefir grains, it is what transforms the milk. The kefir has a yoghurt consistency which can be anything from quite runny to creamy and quite firm

how to make it happen

What I do is strain the still warm milk into a clean glass, pick the kefir grains from the glass that is now ready-made kefir, rinse them under cold water and then put them in the glass with the fresh milk and then I leave it on the kitchen counter. Then it's just a matter of time until I think it's perfectly sour (it varies somewhat with the seasons/temperature, but it's usually after 2 days for my taste). And then the ritual begins again.

You can also make kefir when you don't have access to milk straight from the udder. It goes well with pasteurized whole milk from the pack. If you use cold milk, you just have to expect that the fermentation will take some extra time.

If you want more in-depth information about kefir's nutritional value and history, you can read on here on Gry Hammer's website. (in norwegian)
While I think it's great that kefir is also very healthy, I have to admit that I'm usually not convinced by something with just pure common sense. I make kefir mainly because it tastes good, is versatile (on oatmeal, in pancake batter, as a drink with berries, as a starter culture for cheese making and much more), easy to digest and most importantly because it is so easy to make.

how to obtain the starter culture/kefir grains

If the culture thrives, it will multiply. Therefore, it is easy to get hold of kefir grains as the surplus is often given away or sold cheaply. If you can't find any nearby or for other reasons prefer it, Gry Hammer also sells dehydrated kefir grains. I have no experience with these, mine is from finn.no and I am very satisfied. If you come by Lom, it may also be that I have some left to share if you give notice in good time. Just ask 🙂

I will write more about how I use kefir for cheese making (I only make cheese for my own household) in future posts. Let me just say already that I use it as a starter culture in absolutely all the cheeses I make. Then I don't have to buy or care for several cultures. As a person who likes things simple, I therefore think that kefir is just so wonderful!