Your heart is swinging between your crazy love for soda and your sincere desire to eat healthier? Kefir might not mean anything to you (yet), but this soft, gluten-free, homemade, and full of virtues drink could get you one step closer to a healthy, zero-frustration diet. Come on, tchin (or health, that’s how you prefer)!
What is kefir?
Kefir (fruit or milk) is a drink obtained by fermentation of kefir grains (fruit or milk) in a preparation based on water, sugar, and fruit (see the recipe below) after): it’s fruit kefir; or milk-based: it’s milk kefir.
Composed of yeast and bacteria, kefir grains (from fruit and milk) multiply during fermentation (in a preparation of fruit or milk kefir) and produce a probiotic carbonated drink. In other words, this preparation contains living microorganisms, bacteria, which take care of your intestinal flora.
And do not stop by the gelatinous aspect of the fruit kefir grains, or the popcorn / cauliflower allure of the milk kefir grains, both are full of many benefits (we have you says more about that just below), and have been consumed in the Caucasus since Antiquity… It’s never too late to start!
The benefits of kefir for athletes … and everyone, in fact!
Kefir (from fruits or milk) is known to take care of the immune system , to restore the intestinal flora , and to improve transit , elements which are all the more weakened in sportswomen. Kefir is also draining, in addition to being effective in fighting inflammation of the respiratory tract, gallbladder disease, and skin problems, such as eczema. While both types of kefir (fruit and milk) have these benefits, milk kefir can claim to be able to be consumed by people with lactose intolerance. And yes ! As the fermentation process changes the composition of the milk, the ready-made drink is devoid of lactose. Incredible, right?
How to prepare fruit kefir?
To prepare 2 liters of fruit kefir you need:
- 2 liters of mineral water at room temperature.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons (depending on taste) of cane sugar. Note that sugar is a key ingredient in the recipe since it is the latter that the fruit kefir grains feed on to make the drink.
- 4 tablespoons of fruit kefir grains.
- Half a lemon, or one (half or whole, depending on its size) acidic fruit such as grapefruit, orange, clementine, pineapple, etc.
- Two dried figs, or raisins.
- A large glass container, a cloth, and an elastic (for preparation and fermentation); airtight glass bottles (for storage); and a wooden or plastic utensil for mixing the preparation. Be careful not to use metals: they make kefir temperamental.
The preparation of fruit kefir
Pour the cane sugar into your glass container and dilute it in the 2 liters of mineral water, mixing your preparation with a wooden or plastic utensil.
Add the fruit kefir grains, the half lemon cut into slices (first, remove the seeds), and the two dried figs. Finally, cover your glass container with a cloth that you will secure with a rubber band. Let your drink sit in the shade for 48 hours. Do the figs rise to the surface of the preparation? Your drink is ready to be consumed (within three days).
Before drinking your fruit kefir
Remove the lemon slices and the two dried figs then, using a funnel, pour your kefir (without the fruit kefir grains) into airtight glass or corked bottles, and arrange them in the refrigerator.
What to do with fruit kefir grains?
The fruit kefir grains do not drop and will be used to prepare your next drink. Once your brew has been poured into your airtight glass bottles, collect the kefir grains in your original container with a plastic or nylon strainer, or cheesecloth, and rinse them under room temperature water. If you want to make a new drink straight away, rinse (no cleaning product) and dry your large glass container, and immediately reuse your rinsed fruit kefir grains. If not, you can keep your fruit kefir grains in the refrigerator for two weeks in a little sweetened water to change every 7 days. It is also possible to freeze them for a year, or to dry them in the sun (the operation still requires several days).
What if I want to drink milk kefir?
To prepare a milk kefir, you just have to replace the mineral water with milk (cow, goat, or coconut), add 2 tablespoons of milk kefir grains, and to let the drink stand (in the shade, in a glass container covered with a cloth) for 24 to 48 hours.
An ancestral drink returning to center stage, kefir, with its benefits and the diversity of its flavors, has not finished surprising us. And then, who knows ? Its preparation may (finally) give you the taste of homemade!