Home made Yogurt

Otter Spotter

Otter Spotter

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Hi, Dee SHMO makes her own yogurt with a Lakeland Yogurt maker. To start it she uses about 75 grams of Yeo Valley natural yogurt and the results are great we get around 1 litre of fresh yogurt Each time.
She also likes Kefir and the question is Yeo Valley have brought out a Kefir yogurt so she is thinking of using this Kefir yogurt as a starter, has anyone tried making their own Kefir yogurt ?
 
I have been making my own Kefir for years. Not made Kefir yogurt though. I will have to get myself a yogurt maker and try this.
 
Hi Hazel, she makes normal yogurt that lasts 3 or 4 days and sometimes we strain it into Greek style, that is so thick and creamy I can’t eat too much if it, and it is amazing how small an amount of fruit you need to mix to give the best fruit yogurt. I am not a lover of Kefir but I will try the Yogurt when it’s ready.

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Otter Spotter said:
Hi Hazel, she makes normal yogurt that lasts 3 or 4 days and sometimes we strain it into Greek style, that is so thick and creamy I can’t eat too much if it, and it is amazing how small an amount of fruit you need to mix to give the best fruit yogurt. I am not a lover of Kefir but I will try the Yogurt when it’s ready.
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I've never tried that, but I would.
You never know, you may grow to like it.
 
We do natural yogurt in clay pot. No starter. You can speed the process by adding starter.
 
I cheat and use half of a morrisons greek yogurt to make one and a half ltrs of thick yogurt a week, works out at 40p plus milk a week. ps I use a machine.
 
Hi
I’ve made kefir for years now. Buying shop bought kefir won’t act as a starter and it’s not as good as home made stuff. I make a fresh batch everyday. We both drink it and the dogs.
You need kefir grains , once you’ve purchased those, that’s it. Buy them online , just google, or from this link.
They multiply for ever as long as you look after them.
I’ve still got the same lot (or their babies) as when I started.
They look like cottage cheese.
It’s very very good for you. Lots of health benefits.
happykombucha.co.uk

Happykombucha, Certified Organic. Premium Quality, Live Food Culture

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How To make Milk Kefir

How to make Milk Kefir Put your grains into a clean glass (pint sized) or Glass Jar (1ltr is best) Fill the container with milk (any milk will do) 2/3 full Place in cupboard or other spot out of direct sunlight. Cover jar with a clean dish towel. Let it sit for 24 hours or until it reaches...
happykombucha.co.uk

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Ralph-n-Bev said:
I’ve made kefir for years now
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Ralph-n-Bev Bev, please could I ask if you if you have just used the milk kefir only?
I have used live yogurt fermentation in the past, but would like to try the water kefir grains instead to avoid the dairy element but not sure of the "fizziness" of the end product? Thanks, Margaret
 
Hi Margaret
I’ve not used scobies my self.
I’ve tasted it and it’s quite nice. Even the shop bought stuff tastes nice and it’s better than having regular fizzy pop.
I do know that most who are lactose intolerant find they CAN drink kefir as the kefir grains eat the lactose/sugar to make the drink.
Plus you don’t have to use full fat milk , though I do.

If made right kefir shouldn’t be/smell like “sour milk” it should be thick creamy and very much like drinking thinner proper Greek yogurt.
It’s yummy.
 
Ralph-n-Bev said:
Hi Margaret
I’ve not used scobies my self.
I’ve tasted it and it’s quite nice. Even the shop bought stuff tastes nice and it’s better than having regular fizzy pop.
I do know that most who are lactose intolerant find they CAN drink kefir as the kefir grains eat the lactose/sugar to make the drink.
Plus you don’t have to use full fat milk , though I do.

If made right kefir shouldn’t be/smell like “sour milk” it should be thick creamy and very much like drinking thinner proper Greek yogurt.
It’s yummy.
Click to expand...
Really interested in this and no pun intended with my name, Ralph n Bev!
Would this be good for cleaning a fatty gut and helping with my type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels.
Have heard of kefir but never had time to explore properly.
Now on furlough so am looking at more things that will aid good health, as well as taking exercise again.
I thank you 🤗
 
I was given a milk keffir culture (scobie?) but it smelt a bit like sick to be honest, it grew like mad and was a bit of a burden. It felt wrong to 'kill it'(!) so I advertised it and gave it away.
Instead, I now make milk keffir from a sachet of grains mixed into a bottle of milk, then save a glass full to add to a new bottle of milk and keep it going that way.
I think I've read that my type doesn't have as many good bacteria as the proper culture type, but it is pleasant, almost like a drinking yoghurt and much easier to make than yoghurt as you just leave the bottle at room temperature until it thickens (few hours depending on how warm it is) then pop in the fridge.

So just wondering if the milk keffir experts can tell me:
  • was my scobie culture not right - ie it shouldn't smell horrible (and taste like it smells...)
  • is there any difference eg in the number of bacteria between my type and the scobie type?
TIA

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A scoby is a bacterial culture, rather like a jelly fish that is used to make Kombucha, a fermented tea like drink which can be flavoured with fruit. It requires quite a bit of maintenance and can become contaminated.

Kefir can be made daily using another type of culture which resembles cottage cheese. It produces another type of fermented product, usually a drink made with milk and it's much easier to maintain. Both are said to aid the gut microbiome diversity which is beneficial to overall health.
 
nigglynelly said:
Kefir can be made daily using another type of culture which resembles cottage cheese. It produces another type of fermented product, usually a drink made with milk and it's much easier to maintain.
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Yes that's the one I had, but it just smelt and tasted horrible. Perhaps I was unlucky. I find these dried grains I get in a sachet much easier and I keep reusing the keffir for several weeks or even months before I start again with another sachet of grains :)
 
Thank you very much Bev for your help.
I will try both milk and water kefir eventually , going to order some now.
I don't drink or like fizzy drinks and after a bit of research this morning found it is all down to the sugar and timing as to how fizzy and sweet it is.
Think I got that right?
Thanks everyone else for the helpful snippets of information too. Looking forward to getting started with it all.
Margaret.
 
I make my Kefir with milk grains. They grow quickly as they are re-used every few days in a new batch. Stored in fridge to slow fermentation. Every 6 months I half the Kefir milk grains and pass them on to an interested party. Some of my Kefir is thick but some is runny. Very good for gut health but an acquired taste. I love the tart taste
 
How do I go about starting to make kefir please?
Any dedicated websites or videos to note?
Thanks.

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You need a Kefir starter culture which you can either buy or scrounge some from someone already making kefir. This is the one I bought
Amazon product ASIN B06XYJGGG1
If you look after it you can keep it going for ages.

Equipment
2 glass jars with lids (I use two large empty gherkin jars)
Plastic sieve
Milk - I use organic full cream but others also work

Method
  1. Clean and sterilise the jars. Pour boiling water to the brim of the jar, leave it for a few minutes then pour it away and allow it to cool.
  2. Add the grains to the jar.
  3. Pour some milk over the grains, loosely cover with a lid or muslin and elastic band and leave for 24 hours at room temperature.
  4. The next day strain the mix through a plastic sieve to separate the kefir grains from the milk. Usually shaking the sieve is enough to do this. Don't use metal sieves or spoons as it's detrimental to culture but I'm not sure why. The grains look like gooey cauliflower grains at this stage. Over several cycles of making kefir they will increase in size so either eat the spare grains or give them away.
  5. Drink or refrigerate the kefir, it has a slightly fizzy sour taste but it's not unpleasant.
  6. Transfer the grains to a new clean sterilised jar and cover with more fresh milk and incubate for 24 hours at room temperature.
Repeat daily

If you need to take a break from making kefir refrigerate the grains in some fresh milk and they will be happy for a couple of weeks.
 
I freeze my Kefir grains into cubes I just take one out of the freezer to start my kefir. I make kefir mascarpone and blue cheese. I used all my windfall apples and made cider vinegar using a Scoby. Also made Kombucha using so by, fruit and green tea. My daughter gave me a book on cheese making and fermenting as a present which gave me the interest.
 
Hi Guys,
Kefir yogurt makers here!
1 litre of Kefir yogurt made from 3 table spoons of Yeo valley Kefir yogurt as starter and 1 litre of UHT full fat milk 90p.
took 9 hour setting and it tastes smoother and thicker than a normal yogurt and less sharp, but not thick enough to call it ‘Greek style’. I think we will be doing this again.
86116042-565F-4D4E-BAFC-FAB775FE1F67.jpeg
0AAC5DE3-863D-4487-9859-7379DBE23953.jpeg
 
Just received my Kefir today. Have 'set it off' following all the instuctions that came with it. Have to wait now for the Kefir to 'rest', after travelling, then multiply and develop, hopefully. Quite hopeful to see what happens over the next day or so. Have to say my stomach churned a tad at the 'jelly fish' topping of the tea making kedir. Have read that this is quite normal though.
Reminded me of some of my nursing days in 60s and 70s. Doing all the sterilising etc.
Fingers crossed that I like it.

Margaret
 
I make kefir as in the post by nigglynelly In glass jars or a rum toff. When my kefir is ready I add vanilla for flavour. Garlic for savoury use. For a thicker Greek style I leave it a little longer, drain the whey off, whip it until smooth adding any flavour or fruit you like. Mike likes maple syrup with a dash of vanilla. I can’t remember the last time I purchased yogurt. I have used the left over whey to make preserved lemons, you can add it to soups sauces etc. We also have a septic tank the whey helps in keeping the bacteria working in it if I end up with too much.
 
Ralph-n-Bev To make the mascarpone I use milk and cream add the kefir grains. Leave it in the glass jar until it separates. Drain the whey then I whip it in a ninja add vanilla. For the blue cheese I whip and add a small piece of blue cheese then put it in musli cloth and a cheese mold turning every day. When dry enough I add salt and vac pac and let it mature. The added blue cheese grow whilst maturing. The book I have is called The art of natural cheese making. By David Asher. The only problem I have is shopping for the milk in lockdown! Hope that helps.
 
Nana
Thanks very much. I’ll have a go making the mascarpone for definite. 👍
I’ve still got blue cheese left from Xmas 😀
 
Channel 4 tonight at 8pm (oops a bit late so check it out on 4+1) there is a program on called Food Unwrapped’s Healthy Hacks. One of the things they are looking at is the health claims of Kefir. Might be worth having a look at.

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