Our websmaster, who spends a good deal of time in Russia, is a great kefir enthusiast so when Sue Cane (our gluten-free beer expert) offered us some kefir grains to ‘grow our own’ I thought he would be very excited.
For those of you who have never heard of it, kefir is the Superman version of yogurt, a living culture which grows in milk (or water), fermenting the milk to superfood status and, it is said, ensuring for those those who consume it, a long and healthy life… These consumers live mainly in the Northern Caucasus mountain where is believed that the Moslem tribes-people were gifted kefir grains by the Prophet Mohammed.
So what is so big deal about it? Well, to quote from the Seeds of Health website:
Microorganisms present in the grains include lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lb delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lb helveticus, Lb casei subsp. pseudoplantarum and Lb brevis, a variety of yeasts, such as Kluyveromyces, Torulopsis, and Saccharomyces, acetic acid bacteria among others. They give kefir excellent keeping qualities by keeping putrifying bacteria that might otherwise colonise the milk at bay…….. In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D.
Its generous allocation of tryptophan, calcium and magnesium are all thought to calm the nerves while its abundance of enzymes mean that, if taken raw (cooking kills the enzymes) it can be tolerated by those who are normally lactose intolerant. Enthusiasts believe that it will improve almost any health condition, including candidiasis as the beneficial yeasts in its structure will help kill off the harmful yeast, candida albicans.
Kefir grains are remarkably tolerant and very vigorous and, given a decent bowl of milk to live in, will ferment, grow and multiply like good ‘uns. However…. If you live in the UK or any other ‘hygienised’ western country, you will only be able to buy pasteurised milk whereas, if the kefir is to do what the Good Lord (or at least His Prophet) intended it to, it needs the full spectrum of bacteria to be found in fresh, ‘raw’ milk to work on, not the few that remain after the milk has been heated to kill off the bad ones.
Serious kefir enthusiasts might well consider buying a cow; for the rest of us, unless we just happen to live next door to a farm selling green-top to milk, we have made do with an inferior pasteurised version. But, things are looking up. The number of farms selling raw milk is growing fast and some of them are now running mail order services.
The Natural Food Finder site has a very useful page on raw milk suppliers around the country. Even better, a few of the suppliers can deliver across the UK.
One of these is Hook and Son at Langley’s Farm in Hertfordshire. (Feed: grass silage in the winter that has been made from lush spring grass and clover. An organic pea bean and wheat mix is also fed to the cows to supplement their grass diet). You can purchase on line and they will deliver across the UK.
Delivering milk around Suffolk and to designated collection points in London is Espace Farming in Woodbridge (currently farming to organic standards although ‘no longer willing to keep certified due to the ethos of the current organic industry’).
Beaconhill Farm in Herefordshire (no routine use of antibiotics; the farm follows organic farming principles, but does not hold certification) can also deliver nationwide.
Overton Farm in Somerset (Feed: grass-fed in the summer and home-grown silage in the winter. No routine anibiotics or grain feeds used.) delivers via Somerset Local Food Direct.
And, John Scott tells me that you can get raw unpasteurised cow’s and goat’s milk from Hollypark Organics delivered by Red23, ‘specialists in Organic Health Food, Superfoods and Therapeutic Food based Supplements.’
Even if you are not up for making kefir, there are those that believe that raw milk is infinitely more nutritious and easier to tolerate than pasteurised anyhow and that, given the enormous improvement in dairy hygeine etc, pasturisation is no longer necessary. While this may indeed be true for a relatively small farm with good welfare standards, pasteuristation will no doubt remain a necessity for large, intensively farmed herds whose basic health and welfare may always remain in question.
For more on raw milk and raw food in general see Jill Jacobs article, Wise Traditions and a old article on the FoodsMatter website, Unpasteurised and proud of it by Sir Julian Rose, one of the pioneers of green top milk.
You could also sign up to the Campaign for Real Milk:
Over the last few years milk has become more and more denaturised by the supermarkets and large dairies and the public have been left in the dark about what has been going on. The Campaign for Real Milk is here to expose the true facts to you – the consumer – and to let you know where you can buy milk as you used to drink as a child and how you can help to turn back the tide of homogenisation and long life.
You might also be interested to follow the raw milk story States-side where the battle rages a lot more fiercely and where, despite the best endeavours of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) whose position is that ‘raw milk should never be consumed’, the sale of raw milk is legal within 10 states, but not across state borders. The latest standoff has been between the FDA and an Amish farmer in Pennsylvania who has just been taken to court by the FDA, after a year-long sting operation, to prevent him selling his contraband goods to willing customers in the Washington area. Read the report in the Washington Times….
11th July 2011
It has just been brought to my attention that the current UK regulations state that there is, in fat, no restriction on the sale of raw goat, sheep or buffalo milk, or on the sale of raw cow’s milk cream.
Kefir is heaven on earth, real and beautiful for the body we live in….
HI MICHELLE MY KEFIR CAME IN THE POST TODAY, IT SAYS THE NAME JAMES MALLINSON ON THE PAPER, FOODS MATTER……………. YOUR KEFIR…… GOOD LUCK……….. I,M NOT SURE
JUST REPLY, WHEN YOU ARE ABLE…….
REGARDS PAUL
That’s fine, Paul – I was just using up an old envelope…. Saving trees!!
Hi
I have a cows milk intolerance but can tolerate goats milk and goats milk kefir (which I’ve managed to buy in the States). If I want to make my own goats milk kefir, do I need the goats milk kefir grains and, if so, do you know when there will be any available?
Many thanks for any advice.
Wendy
Hi Wendy – I believe that the grains are the same, whichever milk you use. However, I would suggest that you made, but did not, use, several batches of the goat’s milk kefir to make sure that all the residual cow’s milk has gone before you start to use it.
If you email me have your mailing address (to michelle@foodsmatter.com) I will put you on the list for some grains when they are available in the next couple of weeks.
Hi Michelle
Thank you – that’s very helpful and a good idea – I’m sure someone else will be happy to drink my first few batches! I will email you separately.
Hello Michelle, having suffered for years with bloating, gas, fatigue, carb cravings, food sensitivities, rhinitis, aches and pains; I am wondering if Kefir, which sounds like a super food, can help to restore the delicate intestinal bacterial balance that the body needs for good health. I first came across kefir on a site in the States dealing with Leaky Gut(gut permeability), it’s effects and the healing process. Do you know where I can buy a good quality, already fermented drink. I live in somerset
The Natural Food Finder is now dead
Thanks for letting us know.
Kefir was tested against other alternatives on Trust me I’m a Doctor on the BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38800977
Well, that isa very encouraging bit of media intervention! Thanks for the link…
I thought anyone interested in kefir might like to know that I bought kefir recently in Morrisons, it was a Polish version of it. I would expect it to be available in any local Polish shop.
I think it is available in a number of shops – certainly around north London. Of course that is a manufactured version which, according to the BBC link that you gave – is not nearly as good as the home made variety!!
Making at home will certainly save lots of money!!
The Chuckling Goat is one of the best for non-pasteurised goat’s milk. Commercial shop kefir is usually pasteurised and the process kills off the good guys. People with gut problems often can’t tolerate cow’s milk, so sheep or goat’s milk is kinder or even better, coconut milk products.
Hi, can you tell me what exactly is the kefir grains? How did they come about to begin with? Apart from getting them from people who have been using them or purchasing them, can we produce our own kefir grains? And how?
Many thanks.
.
Sorry for taking so long to reply – Take a look at this article on the Foods Matter site and it will tell you all about it.
Thank you. But my question has not been answered. I already knew you could get the grains from other people or buy them , dried or fresh. What I like to find out is what produces the kefir grains in the first place before you can cultivate them or make them into powder and share them out.
We have just been discussing it – and I am afraid none of us know….
Hello, 3 months ago I started making my own milk kefir with raw goats milk and use it daily in a fresh smoothie.
I have a few questions…
1. I was told that leaving kefir overnight at room temperature brings out the best volume of good bacteria. In our current warm weather, is it safe to do that?
2. Am I putting myself at risk with the raw goats milk if I leave it in the warmth overnight?
3. I’ve been advised not to touch the kefir with metal. Does the bacteria in the milk get damaged if I then use a metal blender blade to blend my smoothie?
I would really appreciate some advice on these points.
Last week I had an awful bug and wondered if it was the raw goats milk.
I am afraid taht we are not sufficiently expert to comment really Anna – but there is no doubt that the bacteria would multiply faster in the heat. And while lots of good bacteria is good – I am not sure what would happen if everything got too hot. So I think I would play safe while it remains this hot and maybe chill it off in the fridge overnight.
Yes, I know that one is advised not to use metal and I am not entirely sure why – probably because it damaged the grains rather than the bacteria. In which case there would be no issue about using the kefir to make smoothie in a smoothie make with metal blades as the grains would noted in it. Good luck!