NW Ferments Dehydrated Milk Kefir Grains

Make your own gut-healthy milk kefir! Use our live grains to convert cow or goat’s milk into gut healthy milk kefir.  Raised with love and delivered fresh to you! Can be used for repeated batches.

• 1 box contains 1 packet of Milk Kefir Grains
• Non-GMO
• Gluten Free
• If you’re not planning to start your Milk Kefir right away, store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready.

Milk Kefir is a slightly thickened, pleasantly sour and effervescent drink. It is the Superman of dairy cultures, with an even higher bacterial count than yogurt. It contains 30 different types of beneficial microbes, along with: vitamins A, B2, B12, D, K, protein, folic acid, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphate, and iron. Kefir actually colonizes the intestinal tract with good bacteria. It stimulates the immune system, boosts your metabolism, and has antimicrobial properties. 80 percent of your body’s immune system is in your digestive tract. Research has shown that Milk Kefir can suppress the growth of pathogens and inhibit the growth of E coli. Those with lactose intolerance often find that they can tolerate Milk Kefir better than other dairy products. This is because the lactose in the milk is converted by the good bacteria, through fermentation, to lactic acid. Lactic acid soothes and heals the gut lining. The grains basically predigest the lactose for you!

Pro-bacteria found:  Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. kefiranofaciens, Lactobacillus kefiri, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus sake, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida, and Streptococcus thermophilus.

Yeast strains: Candida humilis, Kazachstania unispora, Kazachstania exigua, Kluyveromyces siamensis, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces martiniae, and Saccharomyces unisporus.

NW Ferments provides quality starter cultures for home production. Our goal is to enable people to improve their own health while saving them money. By making our own healthy foods, we help ourselves as well as our planet. While we are from the Pacific NW, we know that we have many kindred spirits worldwide.

For troubleshooting questions please reach out to NW Ferments at info@nwferments.com or by phone at 844-558-2752.

Ingredients

organic whole milk, live active cultures. Contains Milk. Made in a facility that also processes wheat, soy and dairy products.

Directions

Note: You will first rehydrate your grains to wake them up, then you can begin making milk kefir. Pasteurized milk is best for rehydrating grains- once rehydrated, you may introduce raw milk if desired.

You will need:

One quart canning jar or other glass jar, coffee filter, paper towel or cloth to cover jar, elastic band to secure cover, wooden or plastic spoon, fine mesh plastic strainer (no metal) for removing grains, one packet Dehydrated Milk Kefir Grains, cow or goat milk (avoid ultra pasteurized or UHT milk).

Directions:

1. Empty the entire packet of Dehydrated Milk Kefir Grains into 1 cup fresh cold milk in your jar. Cover with coffee filter & secure with elastic band.
2. Allow to culture at room temp- 68 to 78 degrees is ideal. Choose a draft-free place, out of direct sunlight, where your grains won't be disturbed.
3. Check the milk after 12 hours. Finished kefir will have the consistency of heavy cream or buttermilk.  After 24 hours, if the milk has not thickened or separated, strain the grains out.  Put them into 1 cup fresh milk, and reculture (discarding old milk). Continue this process until the milk does thicken within 24 hours.  At this point, your grains are activated. 
4. Now you're ready to make Milk Kefir! Continue to strain out the grains when kefir is ready (stirring gently makes straining easier). Increase the amount of milk used as grains increase in size and quantity.

The goal is to keep the ratio of grains to milk that will produce kefir to your liking.  Longer culturing time and higher temperatures will produce a more sour flavor, shorter culturing time will produce a milder flavor.  As grains increase in quantity, you can make larger batches, share with friends, or use them in smoothies & other recipes to boost your probiotic intake.

Now it's time to Get Fermented!