Rashelle Johnson - Fermenting vol. 3: Milk Kefir

Ferment ing vol. 3: Milk Kefir

by Rashelle Johnson

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2013. All rights reserved.

This information is provided for consumer informational and educational purposes only and may not reflect the most current information available. This book is sold with the understanding the author and/or publisher is not giving medical advice, nor should the information contained in this book replace medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness or other medical condition. Always consult your medical practitioner before making any dietary changes or treating or attempting to treat any medical condition.

This information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects of the topics covered in this book. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay seeking medical advice because of something you may have read in this book. Always consult your doctor before adding herbs to your diet or applying them using any of the methods described herein.

While we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the book or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained book for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

It's important that you use good judgment when it comes to fermented food. Do not consume food you think may have gone bad bad because it looks, smells or tastes bad. The author claims no responsibility for any liability, loss or damage caused as a result of use of the information found in this book.

Dedication:

This book series is dedicated to all those who have discovered the many benefits of fermented food and beverages. I'd like to thank my friends and family, who were kind enough to taste test the recipes for this book. Thanks guys! I couldn't have done it without you.

Contents

Milk kefir is a powerful probiotic beverage made by inoculating milk with kefir cultures and letting the milk ferment at room temperature. The fermentation process usually takes 24 hours or less, provided conditions are right. Milk kefir has a lower pH than regular milk, which aids in the preservation of the milk because it creates an environment in which bad bacteria are less likely to grow.

Animal milk is the most common type of milk used to make milk kefir. Depending on where in the world you're at, kefir can be found that has been made from cow, goat, sheep and even camel milk. Milk alternatives like coconut milk and soy milk can also be used.

Traditional kefir is the consistency of thin yogurt and has a similar tangy flavor. Due to the carbon dioxide created during the fermentation process, kefir is effervescent. The longer it's left to ferment, the more carbonation it tends to have.

Like most drinks that are known throughout the world, milk kefir is known by a number of names, including the following:

Drink of the Prophet.

Grains of the Prophet.

Keefir.

Kefer.

Kefirs.

Kefyras.

Kephir.

Kepi.

Kewra.

Kiaphur.

Kippi.

Knapon.

Snow lotus.

Talai.

Tara.

Tibetan mushrooms.

The cultures used to ferment milk kefir are known as kefir grains . Kefir grains contain lacto-bacteria , which are bacteria that are beneficial to the human body, and yeastsalong with lipids, proteins and sugarsthat act on the milk, partially digesting it and creating lactic acid from much of the lactose contained in the milk. It's the lactic acid that gives kefir its tangy flavor. Because much of the lactose in the milk is processed during fermentation, people who are lactose intolerant are often able to consume milk that's been fermented into kefir.

Milk kefir is classified as a probiotic food , meaning it contains living microorganisms able to survive in the digestive tract once consumed. The term probiotic means "life promoting," which is indicative of the health effects probiotic microorganisms have when consumed. They aid with digestion, bolster the immune system and create enzymes that help the body absorb large amounts of nutrients from all food entering the digestive tract, not just the kefir.

In addition to lactic acid, milk kefir is known to contain the following compounds:

Acetaldehyde.

Acetic acid bacteria.

Acetic acid.

Carbon dioxide.

Diacetyl.

Ethanol.

Polysaccharide.

Folic acid.

Free amino acids.

Kefiran.

Lacto-bacteria.

Lipids.

Milk proteins.

Vitamins and minerals.

Water.

Yeasts.

The exact level of each of these compounds found in an individual batch of kefir varies from batch to batch due to a number of environmental variables. The kefir grains the milk kefir is made from play a role in the final composition of kefir, as does the temperature at which the kefir is fermented, the length of time the kefir is allowed to ferment and the proximity to which fermenting kefir is placed in regards to other fermentations.

Kefir is thought to have originated in the northern region of the Caucasus Mountain range, which is a range of mountains that runs from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea at the border of where Europe and Asia meet. Nomadic shepherds living and working in the Northern part of the range made and consumed kefir as a staple in their diet. They carried bags of kefir with them as they traveled the slopes and kept a watchful eye on their herds.

Legend has it the Islamic prophet Muhammad himself gave the first kefir grains to Orthodox Christians and showed them how to use them to create the first batches of kefir. The grains were revered amongst the tribes that held them and were kept a closely guarded secret. It was believed by some that revealing the secret of the grains handed down from the Prophet would destroy the ability of the grains to make kefir.

Traditionally, kefir was made by placing milk and kefir grains into a bag made of sheepskin and hanging it outside near an entrance to one's home. The bag was left to ferment in the sun during the daytime hours. It was brought inside in the evening and again hung near the door. As people passed the bag when they entered or left the room, they were required to give the bag a squeeze to mix the kefir grains and milk inside. The kefir grains were left inside the bag indefinitely and more milk would be added at the beginning or end of each day to replace the kefir that was consumed.

Kefir grains were treated as family heirlooms and were passed from family member to family member and from generation to generation. While strangers may have been allowed to taste kefir, rare was the stranger who was shown how it was made. It was believed that kefir grains held magical powers and to divulge their secret would somehow diminish that power.

Because the people of Caucasus Mountains were so tight-lipped about kefir, it was hardly known outside of the area for hundreds of years.

While kefir is known to have existed in the Caucasus Mountains for hundreds of years and may have existed for thousands of years, it didn't make its way out of the mountains until the beginning of the 20 th century when a group of Russian physicians interested in the health benefits of kefir hired the Blandov brothers to obtain the grains. They, in turn, hired a beautiful young woman to court the prince of an area that produced kefir in order to get some of his seeds. In a made-for-the-movies plot twist, the prince kidnapped the woman and forced her hand in marriage.