Kefir: what is it, what is it for and how to prepare it (of milk and water)

The kefir also called Bulgarian yogurt, yoca, pajaritos yogurt, kefirada or Bulgarian milk, is a fermented milk rich in bacteria and probiotic yeasts that improve the intestinal flora, help with immunity and improve intestinal transit, helping to maintain general health of the organism.

Kefir bacteria can be grown safely at home, and the production of the drink is easy and the production of natural yogurt is convenient. Know the types of milk and water kefir. In fact, water kefir and milk contain the same bacteria and yeasts, but adapted to different media, in addition to distinctions between the enzymes present in some and others.

As it is a probiotic food, the main benefits of Kefir are:

1. Decrease the stresssince good bacteria improve digestion and accelerate intestinal transit;
2. Fight intestinal inflammationbecause keeping the flora healthy is the main factor to prevent diseases;
3. Facilitate digestion;
4. lower weightbecause it is rich in proteins and low in calories;
5. fight osteoporosisfor being rich in calcium;
6. Prevent and combat gastritisespecially gastritis caused by bacteria Helicobacter pylori;
7. Strengthen the immune systembecause it maintains healthy intestinal flora, which prevents infection by microorganisms through the intestine.

In addition, kefir balances the intestinal flora and improves the absorption of nutrients, being excellent for those who undergo antibiotic treatment and need to regulate intestinal transit. See what is the best way to use probiotics.

Kefir is a low calorie food and 100 g has only 37 calories, being a good option to use in diets to slim down. It can be used to replace milk or yogurt, being an excellent option for quien sufre de streñimiento.

You can consume it once a day, for breakfast or lunch, for example. To make the flavor more pleasant, you can sweeten it with a little bit of milk or add fruits such as bananas or fresh, in the form of a smoothie.

Kefir helps to flatten the stomach, because it is evacuated more regularly and it is possible to notice that the belly becomes less swollen in the first week, but for the weight loss to last longer, you should follow a diet to lose weight and practice exercise regularly.

See more recipes to finish with the stress.

It is possible to buy kefir grains online, and kefir milk can be purchased in some supermarkets or natural products stores, without embargo, donations between friends or on web pages are very common because grains are grown in liquid environments, Because of what they multiply, a portion must be removed to prevent excessive growth, because when you are at home, you are used to offering them to your family and friends.

The grains of kefir tuvieron originate in the Caucasian, being a very old drink, and they are constituted by different microorganisms that are good to regulate the intestine.

kefir grains

The preparation of the kefir is very simple, being similar to the homemade production of natural yoghurt:

Ingredients

• 100 g of kefir;
• 1 liter of cow or goat milk.

preparation method

Place the kefir grains, fresh milk, pasteurized or not, skimmed, semi-skimmed or complete, in a glass container. The content is left at room temperature for approximately 24 hours. The fermented milk must be glued to separate and recover the grains that are added to more fresh milk, repeating the process.

The liquid kefir is fermented and glued and can be consumed immediately or kept in the fridge for later consumption.

milk kefir

The difference between the kefir of water with respect to the milk is that it does not need lactose in order to produce the fermentation, which is carried out through the addition of sugar or brown sugar, so that those people who are vegetarians and those who have lactose intolerance.

Ingredients

• 100 g of kefir;
• 60 g of brown or brown sugar;
• 1 liter of water.

preparation method

Put the water in a glass container, if you want to give it a better flavor, you can express half a lemon and add the grains of kefir and sugar. Next, cover the bottle with a cloth and an elastic band and shake it, keeping it at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Luego must be glued and if you can drink the continuation or if you can keep it in nevera.

water kefir grains

Darle flavored with water kefir

After fermentation, the water kefir can be mixed with fruit, tea, ginger and dried fruit to add flavor. The fermentation takes place with the drink being slightly carbonated, making it possible to give it flavor to the taste to create a “homemade refreshment”.

Water kefir lasts from 3 days to 1 week in the fridge, and can be consumed at lunch or as an accompaniment to lunch or to the scene. Another option of the fermented drink to accompany the food and improve the health and the kombucha.

See more about the benefits of kombucha and how to prepare it.

There is not enough scientific evidence to indicate what is the maximum amount of kefir that can be ingested per day. However, it is known that in excess it can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, so it is recommended to consume 1 vessel (240 mL) of kefir per day.

To keep the kefir always healthy and productive, the water with sugar must be stored in a container with milk after each fermentation, remembering that metal materials must not be used and the container must be covered with gas or kitchen paper so that do not come into contact with flies or ants. During the hottest days or to delay the fermentation process, the kefir can be stored in the fridge, but if you want to go through the kefir for more days without using the kefir for fermentation, the grains must be stored in a covered and frozen container.

Little by little the kefir grows with the fermentations and creates a kind of gum or thicker liquid, it is necessary to wash the grains in water at least once a week. It is possible to keep part of the grains in the freezer to always have a reserve and what can be donated so that other people can produce their kefir at home, remembering that the grains of the milk kefir must be separated from the water kefir grains .

Is it possible to use milk kefir to prepare water kefir?

If it is possible, without embargo, the process is not easy and can not be successful, so it is ideal not to use all the grains of milk kefir only a part of them.

First of all, it is necessary that the milk kefir is active, having to rehydrate them before converting them into water kefir. Next, follow the steps mentioned in the continuation:

• Dissolve ¼ of a cup of brown sugar in 1 liter of water and add ⅛ of a cup of unrefined marinated salt;
• Adding the active milk kefir grains to the water and sugar solution, letting them ferment for 5 days at room temperature;
• Remove the kefir grains, prepare new water with sugar and place them in this new solution, allowing them to ferment at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours less than the previous batch;
• The previous step must be repeated and the preparation time reduced by 12 to 24 hours between each batch, until the cultivation period is 48 hours or less.

At this point, the grains have been converted into water kefir grains, and the cultivation must continue for 24 to 48 hours per batch.

Kefir is contraindicated in cases of gastrointestinal cancer, it must also be consumed 2 hours before and after taking drugs such as bisphosphonates, fluorides or tetracyclines, to prevent it from interfering with drug absorption. The fermentation of kefir causes a small production of alcohol, which can be harmful to people who have liver diseases.

Excessive intake of kefir can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea, so you should not take more than the recommended amount per day.

Learn more about the benefits of probiotics for health: