Eastern European · drink, breakfast

Milk Kefir from Kefir Grains

Milk Kefir from Kefir Grains — from Clean Food Living's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 20:28

Video by Clean Food Living on YouTube · Open on YouTube

5 min · plus 12–30 hours fermentingMakes 4 × 1 cup (250 ml)149 kcal a portion
  • Carnivore
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Nut-free

Contains: Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

A tangy, lightly fizzy cultured milk with nothing added: a 1-cup glass gives about 8 g protein, a fifth of a day's calcium and almost half a day's vitamin B12.

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Ingredients 2

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Put 1 tbsp (about 20 g) active milk kefir grains in a clean glass jar and pour in 4 cups (950 ml) milk, leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) of space at the top. Any milk with lactose works; not lactose-free milk. 7:44
  2. Put the lid on — loosely for less fizz, tightly for a fizzier kefir (fine for a day) — and leave the jar on the counter for 12–30 hours: as little as 8 hours in summer, up to 24–30 in winter. 8:08
  3. It's ready when the top has curdled and small pockets of whey start to appear. If you leave it longer the whey separates more and the kefir turns sourer and fizzier. 9:24
  4. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer, gently pushing the curds through with a spatula until only the grains are left. Don't rinse the grains. 12:35
  5. Put the grains straight into a jar of fresh milk to start the next batch. Cover the kefir tightly and refrigerate; it keeps 2–3 weeks. 13:42
  6. Throw the grains away if they turn pink, black, grey or blue or smell rotten; a mildly yeasty or sour smell is normal. 17:22

Tip. Makes about 4 cups. In the video she advises against ultra-pasteurised (UHT) milk; she has since said it works. Speed it up with less milk or a warmer spot. The grains double in 1–2 weeks: share them.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion, 1 cup (250 ml), gives you 1 of 4

Energy149 kcal620 kJ
Protein7.8 g16% of a day
Fibre0 g0% of a day
Carbohydrate12 g12 g net · 12 g sugars4% of a day
Fat8.1 g4.6 g saturated10% of a day
Sodium100 mg5% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 32%
  • Protein 21%
  • Fat 47%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin B12 High46%

1.1 µg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Calcium High21%

276 mg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Selenium Source16%

9 µg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin A Source12%

112 µg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Show the other 11
Zinc9%

1 mg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Potassium7%

320 mg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium6%

24 mg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin B66%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Folate3%

12 µg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Omega-33%

0 g a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin D1%

0.2 µg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin E1%

0.2 mg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Vitamin K1%

0.7 µg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Iron0%

0 mg a serve. Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin C0%

0 mg a serve, mostly from active milk kefir grains (100%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Clean Food Living; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.