Kefir

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faerywings
faerywings Member Posts: 173

I have a friend who makes her own kefir. I have been reading how is is very healthy and good for cancer and Lyme (which I both have) plus an immune system booster (desperately needed). She lives in CA and I live in NJ so she can give me her extra grains. But have any of you had success getting grains from supermarket kefir or online somewhere?

Also, any good recipes to share or do you just drink it sttraight?

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  • MickeyGallagher
    MickeyGallagher Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2014

    Dear Faerywings,

    I love your name, by the way!

    On the internet, there are many kefir blogs and Yahoo groups
    of people who are really “into” kefir.You
    can check out http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Good_Kefir_Grains/

    Two reliable sources of kefir grains are: www.culturedfoodlife.com   and   www.kefirlady.com    Cost is generally around $30, and
    your grains will reproduce and last forever.

    I’ve
    purchased grains from both of these ladies to give as gifts to friends when I
    didn’t have enough of my own grains to
    share at that particular time, so I can personally vouch for the integrity of
    these two sources.

    Kefir can be consumed plain, blended with fruit or veggies as a
    smoothie, poured on cereal, used as the base of a salad dressing (yummy mixed
    with blue cheese), in scrambled eggs, or in baked goods (the heat of cooking
    will kill the probiotics, though).

    I usually drink my kefir with a bit of stevia or erythritol
    sweetener, a dash of vanilla and/or almond extract, and I frequently add some unsweetened
    cocoa, ground flax, cinnamon, ginger, ground almonds or walnuts, blueberries, raisins,
    bananas, dried plums (aka prunes), whey protein, or good local honey. Sometimes,
    I add ALL those ingredients at once (!!), and sometimes I add just a few...

    Excess kefir grains can be consumed in a shake or blended
    right back into the kefir, itself.

    Some people wait until the kefir has "separated" into
    curds and whey during the process, and they then strain the kefir from the whey
    (and then remove the grains for the next kefir-making), and they use the thickened
    kefir to make cheese. Some people use the whey to ferment veggies (think
    cucumbers, cabbage, beets, and so forth).

    Quite a few people
    give kefir to their dogs; it's been recommended by many vets. My two elderly
    Border Collies each drink about 1/3 cup a day and love it.

    Hope this information helps you!

  • faerywings
    faerywings Member Posts: 173
    edited May 2014

    MG- thank you for the links and info. My hubby saw grains being offered on Craigslist a few times too. Interesting, right?  But I will check out the group and sites.

    I never would have thought about giving it to dogs. My lab mix is 9 and I want to keep her around as long as I can, so that sounds great too.

  • MickeyGallagher
    MickeyGallagher Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2014

    I'm glad you found the info useful. I wish you the very best!

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