How to make MILK KEFIR with plant-based milk

Method

KEFIR plant milk Basics

HOW I MAKE PLANT MILK KEFIR

1. Make plant milk in a high-speed blender using soaked nuts/seeds + filtered water + prebiotic fibre.
2. Strain plant milk in a nut milk bag if you want a smooth texture. I rarely strain mine.
3. Put milk kefir grains in a 3-4 cup clean mason jar – strain the last batch & store as in step 8
4. Pour freshly made plant milk over kefir grains.
5. Put on a fermentation lid.
6. Sit on the bench 24-72 hours –  time depends on room temperature + taste = how sour you like it!!
7. Takes about 36-48 hours; taste after 24hrs – taste at 36 hrs & so on until you like the fermented taste
8. Pour fermented kefir through a strainer into a clean jar and place in the fridge.

REPEAT
1. Make a new batch of plant milk when your kefir is ready & strain milk if you like it that way.
2. Pour plant milk over strained milk kefir grains  
3. Repeat the fermentation process taste after 24 hrs, taste at 36 hrs & so one

STORE milk kefir in the fridge. I usually make 3 cups when I drink 1 cup every morning, so it’s a fluid practice, and I don’t waste any.

Explanations + FAQ” S

Rhythm & planning are required, but it’s an easy routine to get into – I drink my glass of kefir in the morning and taste the new batch, and if it’s nearly ready, soak my nuts/seeds prepared for the new batch – it takes 5 mins – it is a little like sprouting or looking after a chia pet you have to pay attention often. I prefer to make an effort to make my probiotic drinks than buy probiotic pills in a bottle.

WHAT IS KEFIR:  milk or plant milk fermented using kefir grains into a liquid yoghurt-style drink called kefir. Kefir is a healthy probiotic-rich fermented food that can help colonise beneficial bacteria in your intestinal tract. This helps improve your gut and microbiome health, improving your gut, brain, digestive, and immune system health and overall wellness. 

MILK KEFIR AND WATER KEFIR are different; we are talking about Milk kefir.

MILK KEFIR GRAINS are not grains, nor are they made of dairy or milk. Kefir culture grains are a collection of bacteria and yeast forming into a whitish, rubbery little floret bunch structure called a “kefir grain” – a living beneficial bacteria culture.

MILK KEFIR GRAINS are for fermenting either plant-based milk or dairy milk. Dairy milk will develop into a thicker drinkable yoghurt-style texture, whereas plant-milk texture remains similar to the plant milk consistency.

PLANT-BASED MILK KEFIR requires extra love and attention, but it is easy enough. I add 1-2 teaspoons of prebiotic fibre to my plant milk recipe, which helps feed the milk kefir grains, and I can ferment plant milk using this method for months without resting the grains. 

PREBIOTIC FIBRE = green banana flour, cassava flour, acacia fibre powder, tapioca fibre (not starch), chicory root powder, Jerusalem artichoke powder, mesquite powder, baobab powder   Prebiotic fibre passes through the small intestine and into the colon where it feeds our beneficial bacteria and helps colonise our gut. The prebiotic fibre helps with plant milk fermentation.

USE FILTERED WATER or water that is not chlorinated to make plant milk for fermentation. Chlorine, chemicals and antibiotics kill both harmful and beneficial bacteria. We want to grow our beneficial bacteria during the fermentation process. Hence, the water needs to be chemical-free; I use a benchtop Berkey water filter system with a fluoride filter. Drinking and eating food made with chemical-free water is essential to my self-care.

RATIO MILK TO GRAINS you need at least 1 tbsp milk kefir grains per 3-4 cups of milk

KEEP SUBMERGED MILK KEFIR GRAINS in milk at all times, either when fermenting or resting grains. The only time the grains are not in milk is when you are straining and putting them in a clean jar and adding fresh milk; They are a living culture. They will dry out and die if left out of milk for extended amounts of time.

NEVER WASH YOUR GRAINS they wear a coat of beneficial bacteria that helps them grow and feed, washing them would be like washing off our skin layers. Shake but don’t wash.

HOW TO REST MILK KEFIR GRAINS. I rest my grains long-term in dairy milk in the fridge. When I go away or need a break from fermenting, I buy 2 cups of dairy milk to store grains in the refrigerator. I change the dairy milk every month to keep the culture alive and healthy. When ready to ferment again, I strain and shake off the dairy milk and start my plant milk fermentation.

Kefir grains thrive on the lactose in dairy milk; it is much easier, cheaper and better for the grains to rest long-term in dairy milk. I have had the same milk kefir grains for over five years; I only make plant milk kefir; it is a continuous practice. I take breaks, especially in summer, when I switch to making Herbal Water Kefir, a seasonal thing for me and another way to enjoy the bounty of my summer herbal garden and food as medicine.

NOT ALL PLANT MILK tastes TASTE GREAT AS KEFIR; you will have to experiment to see what you like. My favourites; are cashew,  sunflower seed and seed/nut combos.

RECIPES USING KEFIR  drink a glass as part of your morning. Make a low-carb Probiotic Super Seed Cereal for breakfast or a snack. Raspberry Orange Cashew Creme using kefir – any excuse to make this!! Great in fruit smoothies instead of yoghurt; I love to use it in  Blueberry Hemp + Flaxseed Smoothie and Cashew Sour Cream; I do use kefir in baking and cooking with it gives a great sour flavour but be aware when heating or cooking with kefir or any other fermented foods the heat will destroy most of the beneficial bacteria.