KEFIR grains-Mind if we give them their own thread?

[TanksHill]

A Week????? I can't wait a week. I want kefir now!!!

Remember I have not explored this whole site. I only looked at the kefir info and watched some of the moms videos of making sour dough bread. I hate to recommend things until I am very informed. http://pocketsofthefuture.com/blog/

But if you want to look.

gina

 

[freemotion]

I just read this whole lengthy thread.
I received my grains from Free and put them in a jar with milk. Ready, set, go! I am so looking forward to drinking homemade kefir and using the whey.
Thanks Free. I am off to pick the bay that I promised you

Yay!!!! Bay!!!!!

It is so nice to have herbs that I am confident are safe, with all the contamination alerts that we are hearing lately for cooking herbs and spices... I will really enjoy each and every leaf.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Free, you're welcome. I picked a coupla "branches", it's a small slow growing tree. I will split it between you and my sis. I rinsed them to remove any dust/dirt and now they are drying between a couple of towels.
I feel so spoiled having this tree in the the neighbors yard, to pick whatever I want, anytime I want. The neighbor didn't even know they had it, til I mentioned it to them. LOL. She goes: help yourself, I don't use it (her mother planted it.)
I didn't realize just what a treasure it is, until I went to NY and talked to Mom about it.

 

[lupinfarm]

My dad started buying Kefir... I guess.. yogurt from his local shop (he lives in the city for work) and LOL it said on the side of the container to have like 2 tablespoons or make it into a drink... so he ate the whole tub.


Sigghhhh, he's addicted to it though.

 

[ORChick]

Free, you're welcome. I picked a coupla "branches", it's a small slow growing tree. I will split it between you and my sis. I rinsed them to remove any dust/dirt and now they are drying between a couple of towels.
I feel so spoiled having this tree in the the neighbors yard, to pick whatever I want, anytime I want. The neighbor didn't even know they had it, til I mentioned it to them. LOL. She goes: help yourself, I don't use it (her mother planted it.)
I didn't realize just what a treasure it is, until I went to NY and talked to Mom about it.

FD, is your tree a "real" noble bay - Laurus nobilis) - or a California bay - Umbellularia Californica? They are different, though used similarly. We always collected the Calif. bay when we went on picnics, and my mother would hang them to dry on the kitchen rafters. If you have the Calif. bay (which is native to the California coastal region, and the extreme SW of Oregon) freemotion should be cautioned that the leaves are both larger, and stronger than the European Noble bay - 1/2 a leaf is usually sufficient, where 1 bay leaf is called for. I have a potted noble bay, which I value, but there is really nothing to compare to walking through a grove of mature Calif. bay trees, and inhaling that fragrance.

 

[pioneergirl]

I GOT MY KEFIR....THANX FREE!!!! I promptly put them in a quart jar, poured in some milk, covered with a coffee filter affixed with a rubberband, and placed it in the cupboard.

Now the question (I have not read all 13 pages here) do I wait 24 hours or a week?

 

[FarmerDenise]

Free, you're welcome. I picked a coupla "branches", it's a small slow growing tree. I will split it between you and my sis. I rinsed them to remove any dust/dirt and now they are drying between a couple of towels.
I feel so spoiled having this tree in the the neighbors yard, to pick whatever I want, anytime I want. The neighbor didn't even know they had it, til I mentioned it to them. LOL. She goes: help yourself, I don't use it (her mother planted it.)
I didn't realize just what a treasure it is, until I went to NY and talked to Mom about it.

FD, is your tree a "real" noble bay - Laurus nobilis) - or a California bay - Umbellularia Californica? They are different, though used similarly. We always collected the Calif. bay when we went on picnics, and my mother would hang them to dry on the kitchen rafters. If you have the Calif. bay (which is native to the California coastal region, and the extreme SW of Oregon) freemotion should be cautioned that the leaves are both larger, and stronger than the European Noble bay - 1/2 a leaf is usually sufficient, where 1 bay leaf is called for. I have a potted noble bay, which I value, but there is really nothing to compare to walking through a grove of mature Calif. bay trees, and inhaling that fragrance.

It is the noble bay. It is a rather small tree. The California bay grows huge in comparison.
I can get the California Bay, it grows all over FIL's place. But since this one is growing right over the fence, I just keep using it.

 

[TanksHill]

I need kefir help!!!! I am Kefir-ly challenged. So this morning was my 3rd time changing my kefir. I stirred and strained though a plastic strainer. I decided to save the milk from today's batch. The grains in the bottom of the starter jar are still tiny. The kefir has an interesting yeast-y smell.

Should I be drinking the kefir this early or am I asking for trouble??

Any advice welcome.

Oh and with the metal thing. Is stainless ok? Or no metal at all? I can't find a plastic strainer with tiny holes.

gina

Ok so I did some reading on Dom's website and I found a source for a plastic strainer. I feel much better now.

 

[Dace]

Crud! I just lost my post!!

Gina your kefir probably needs another few days, you will begin to notice a difference in the smell and texture.

Also you really don't need a
strainer, you grain will plump up nicely and be very easy to fish out with a plastic fork. Mine is usually sitting right on top.

 

[TanksHill]

Ok so "patience grasshopper", that's all you need to say!!!