Recipes / Dairy

Homemade milk kefir

Milk kefir made with whole milk and milk kefir grains, following The Gut Stuff’s recipe.

Recipe author: The Gut Stuff

24 hours fermenting, or another 24 hours if neededMakes: 1 batch (250 ml milk)
Jump to the stepsIngredients and their stories ↓Download printable PDF
Homemade milk kefir · Serving suggestion
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Instructions

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  1. Prepare the jar

    Wash the jar in hot water with washing-up liquid. Heat in an oven at 100°C for 15–20 minutes, then leave to cool.

  2. Add the grains and milk

    Put the kefir grains in the 500 ml jar and pour in the milk. Stir gently with a clean spoon. Cover with muslin or cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.

  3. Leave to ferment

    Leave for 24 hours at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

  4. Check the kefir

    Stir after 24 hours. The kefir is ready when it has thickened and tastes pleasantly tangy. If it is not ready, cover again and leave for another 24 hours.

  5. Strain and chill

    Strain through a sieve over a bowl to separate the kefir grains. Pour the kefir into a bottle with a lid. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to a week.

  6. Keep the grains

    Keep the grains and the 500 ml jar for the next batch.

Tips

Contains milk. Milk kefir grains and water kefir grains are not interchangeable.

If the milk has not fermented after 48 hours, The Gut Stuff recommends straining out the grains and starting again with fresh milk.

Storage

After straining, transfer to a bottle with a lid. Refrigerate for up to one week.

How to serve

Drink chilled or add to a smoothie just before serving.

Ingredients / history / science

Discover the ingredients and their stories

What goes into the jar? Where does the flavour come from? Open a topic and explore its sources.

About the ingredientsGrains that are not seeds

Kefir grains look like tiny cauliflower florets, but they are not seeds. They are structures made of polysaccharides and proteins, inhabited by bacteria and yeasts. Fermentation produces lactic acid and carbon dioxide, so the drink may be slightly fizzy. Once strained out, the grains serve as the starter for the next batch of milk.

History on a plateFrom the Caucasus, with a living culture

Kefir is associated with the traditions of communities in the Caucasus. Accounts of earlier production describe milk fermenting with grains in animal-skin bags, with the culture transferred to new batches. Kefir’s history includes passing on a living starter as well as a written recipe.

A closer lookBacteria and yeasts share the work

Milk kefir grains contain both bacteria and yeasts. Their fermentation produces acids that give the milk its tang; carbon dioxide can add a gentle fizz. Milk kefir grains are a different culture from water kefir grains, so the two are not interchangeable in this recipe.

Recipe sources

This recipe is based on the sources listed above.

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