May. 31, 2008 - Kefir
We finally have Kefir again, and I wanted to share some info with you about it!
Kefir is a tart and tangy cultured milk drink that originated in Eastern Europe. It’s a mixture of bacteria and yeasts.You can drink kefir straight or you can substitute plain kefir in recipes calling for yogurt or buttermilk. It contains probiotics, B vitamins, amino acids.Similar to yogurt, kefir has many health benefits as it greatly improves digestion.
Kefir vs. Yogurt:
While both Kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products, they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep your digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that already are present. Kefir helps colonize your intestinal tract, a feat yogurt can not match.
Additionally, Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt: Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species. It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces Kefir and Torula Kefir, which help balance the intestinal flora, including promotion of beneficial yeast in the body by penetrating the mucosal lining. They clean and help strengthen the intestine.
Kefir’s active yeast and bacteria may provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy.
Source: Mercola
The kefir you may find in the store is not the same as you would make yourself. Its like store yogurt, loaded with sugar and has most of the nutrients stripped out. Plus it is super cheap to make yourself. Just get some grains from someone you know (I have found all mine online, occasionally I have to pay shipping. Ideally you would only need to aquire them one time, but every time we leave on vacation, or I get put on bedrest and cant keep up with culturing mine die on me, which is highly unusual)
My boys LOVE kefir (I drink it only because I know it is great for me, I dont like the taste much). Here is their favorite way to drink it, but many people add it to smoothies:
Kefir Shake:
1 banana
1 T grade B maple syrup
1 cup Kefir
Blend and drink.
You can see how to culture kefir HERE
No Greater Joy Muffins
Basic muffins
3 cups WW flour
2 c kefir, plain yogurt or buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t salt
¼ c maple syrup
1 mashed banana
2 t baking soda
3 T melted butter
1 t vanilla extract
1 c dried berries (we used some choc chips)
Soak flour in kefir/yogurt/buttermilk for 12-24 hours. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into muffin pans. Bake 325 for about 50 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.
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