Kefir has been around for a very long time. Kefir has survived many kitchens that were not super sanitary, it is very hard to harm, and kefir has many wonderful uses.
It wasn't too long ago that most kitchens had kefir fermenting regularly. So, why have we gotten away from using kefir? I can't really answer this question, but we have moved into a world of convenience and having our food altered in factories. Personally, I feel there are many health benefits from using food from our farm.
Kefir is very easy to care for. It's almost like a pet, however you can leave this pet with no hard feelings, and no harm. I started with a small amount of kefir grains. I feed them raw milk. Some grains are water grains, I know very little about them. I have always used milk kefir. Every other day, I strain my kefir from the grains. I pour the kefir into a jar and refrigerate it. The grains get put into another jar with fresh milk to make more kefir. The grains and the fresh milk, sit in the cupboard and ferment at room temperature. The kefir that I put in the fridge gets used up. If you have to take a break making kefir, just put the grains in the fridge with a little bit of milk, and they will keep for quite some time.
I use kefir in a lot of different things. I'm sure there are more options than I know. I like to make yogurt out of kefir, I use kefir in cheese making as a culture, kefir works well in smoothies, it's an incredible probiotic, and I even substitute kefir in recipes. I love using kefir as a substitute for baking powder. When you add both baking soda and kefir to quick breads, they have a nice texture, and they rise beautifully.
If you would like to try kefir someday, come on over and get some, it multiplies quite quickly!
