Homemade Milk Kefir

Method

1. Start: put the kefir grains in a clean glass jar and pour over the milk. Cover with a piece of kitchen paper or cloth held on with an elastic band (or a loosely screwed lid).
2. Ferment: leave at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for about 24 hours, until the milk has thickened slightly and smells pleasantly sour. In a warm kitchen it may take only 12–18 hours.
3. Strain: pour through a plastic or stainless steel sieve into a jug, stirring gently to help it through. The grains stay in the sieve.
4. Repeat: put the grains straight into a clean jar with fresh milk to start the next batch. There is no need to rinse them.
5. Enjoy: keep the strained kefir in the fridge and drink within a few days, on its own, over muesli or blended with berries.

Why it's good for you: Kefir is one of the richest probiotic foods there is. Traditional kefir grains are a living colony of dozens of different strains of bacteria and yeasts, far more than the two or three strains in most yoghurts, and fermentation digests much of the milk's lactose, so many people who struggle with milk find kefir easy to digest. Making your own gives you many times more live bacteria, often billions in a single glass, than most shop-bought versions, which are made with a few added strains. It also provides calcium, protein, B vitamins and, especially when made with full-fat milk, a little vitamin K2. Read more in The Master Regulator.

Good to know: New to ferments? Start with a few tablespoons a day and build up over a week or two, as your gut gets used to it. To take a break, put the grains in a jar of fresh milk in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system or are sensitive to histamine, please speak to a qualified practitioner before adding unpasteurised ferments.