Home made kefir

[Angep]

Hi everyone, I'd like to make my own kefir but I use hemp milk as I don't tolerate cows milk too well. My question is do you think this would still work and which starter cultures are best to use? By the way the hemp milk I buy from the super market it's nothing dodgy !!! Thanks for any help.

[cure]

Hemp milk....that is interesting....what is it actually??? Milk of poppy seeds??

[Angep in reply to cure]

I'm not really sure, holland and Barrett sell it but it's cheaper in the super markets. They all sell it. I get mine from Asda they keep it with the almond milk etc in the fridge. I love it!!! It tastes creamy I love it with my porridge. It' really is lovely 😁

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to cure]

Hemp milk, cure may be made from the hemp seeds. Very good in salads. The hemp seeds have some protein in them.

[cure in reply to Activity2004]

as i was looking for more information on hemp seed came across this..

foodrenegade.com/hemp-oil-h...

i am bit confused with hemp seeds and poppy seeds..

traditionally here in this part of world we grow both...and it is legal...guess in USA it is not.

we use lots of poppy seeds..in form of milk or whole...never use hemp seeds

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to cure]

Hemp seeds and poppyseed are legal, but poppyseed should not be used before certain tests done by the doctor.

[Morganadk2 in reply to cure]

I have kefir grains, and from the basic research I've done , you can use pretty much any milk. If you can find some grains give it a try. I bought my grain on Amazon, don't get the powder one. You want grains..

[Angep in reply to Morganadk2]

Thankyou, I will do that. I did look on Amazon and thought I need some advice so Thankyou for your help.

[Tibblington in reply to cure]

It's a disgrace to even call it milk. I have just investigated and find that it's poppy seeds cooked in water then blended and strained. You can make it at home very easily, if you really must. You are probably paying through the nose for it in the shops.

I wouldn't even look at it.

[cure in reply to Tibblington]

Poppy seeds milk is intoxicating if consumed more...

Traditionally, it is used in 'Thandai' a poppy seed milk based drink...which is further added with 'Bhang' (a edible form of cannabis )

The drink is very intoxicating. It has got religious sanctity and also legal in north Indian states.

However,poppy seeds in small quantity are not harmful.

Poppy seeds milk is very easy to make at home... soak them over night..next morning strain them and throw away the water and then paste them with help of good grinder.

[Tibblington in reply to cure]

Thanks for that cure, we learn something every day.

[cure in reply to Tibblington]

Yes sure I am learning lot from this forum ....

here is one nice youtube clip

youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9HDEt...(Not working as expected?)

[cure in reply to cure]

However,the poppy seeds shown in the clip are not similar to poppy seeds which we get here...

These black seeds look like processed further after harvesting..

Poppy seeds are called here as 'Khus khus' because they sound khus khus in side the dry poppy fruit when shaken.

What we get here are raw seeds..directly take out of poppy fruit. They look cream color.. kidney shaped...very tiny and has got nutty flavor .

[Tibblington in reply to cure]

Thanks Cure That was really interesting and useful. I hope some others watch it too. What are these shops doing selling this stuff? Perhaps they don't even realise the dangers.

[BadHare in reply to cure]

Hemp is what cannabis comes from, also rope. Good for healthy oils, but no tetra cannabinoids. Poppy seeds produce heroin.

[Tibblington]

Hello Angep. You say that you don't tolerate cows milk too well. Are you buying your milk from the supermarket? If yes, I can understand your problem; it's been tampered with, pasteurised, homogenised and goodness knows what else. See if you can find a supplier of raw milk near you; there is a list on the Internet. You'll notice the difference in the flavour and doubtless you won't be bothered by it either.

[Angep in reply to Tibblington]

Thankyou I shall look into that, yes I was buying it from supermarkets but totally avoid it now. I have Crohn's disease and milk made me very bloated. i did try soya milk then I got a lot of bad feedback about that. I then used almond milk until I found the hemp milk which I prefer. I shall look into the raw milk as you suggested. Though Thankyou.

[cure in reply to Angep]

We in India get buffalo milk and cow milk...both raw and processed...

again both varieties of cow milk (a1 and a2) are available...

Ayurveda always praised cow milk..(ofcoz Zebu cow)..

But buffalo milk is more tasty...even Ghee or butter from buffalo milk is more tasty and satisfying..

[BadHare in reply to cure]

Italian buffalo mozzarella is superior to that from ordinary cows.

We have Jersey & some other breeds of cows which produce a higher fat yield.

[BadHare in reply to Angep]

Soya's one to avoid if you have any hormonal issues. It plays havoc with thyroid hormone production & absorption. I find milk replacements very expensive for little nutrition, thiugh they're pennys to make if you have time.

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

Coconut milk can be a good option with coffee

[BadHare in reply to Hidden]

So is almond or hazelnut milk. I find commercial nut milks are stupidly expensive for virtually no nutrition, so I no longer buy them. In this weather, I let my espresso cool & add it to kefir which also like a fix of caffeine.

[BadHare]

Reposting this from another thread re kefir:

The issue for most people who are dairy intolerant is lactose, the sugar found in milk, rather than the protein, casein. Kefir is made up of a symbiosis of yeasts & lactobacillus which use lactose as their food source, so some milk intolerant people can eat it without a reaction due to the lactose being consumed by the kefirans.

I drink kefir every day, & have found it beneficial to my digestion, as well as my nutrient intake. I started making it from commercial kefir, then progressed to kefir powder, then kefir grains which look like tiny cauliflower florets. The latter should last indefinitely if cared for, ie, fed with a suitable substrate for it to grow, & kept at an ambient temperature. It takes about the same time to make as a pot of tea, so is very easy & not time consuming. I have always used fresh unhomogenised organic wholemilk for the grains, as homogenisation alters casein molecules, & antibiotics in non-organic milk will kill the grains.

I've kept mine happy enough to grow from 10g 2-3mm to 200g 5-10mm with countless tiny grains, as they especially like gold top milk with extra fat. They can be kept alive in lower fat milk, or nut milks, even watered juice, bit they won't reproduce as well, or have the same nutritional value, especially protein, K2 & B12. I also do a daily batch of drained kefir & add some chopped organic apple, lemon, or grapefruit for a second fermentation. It's not fruity as the kefir eats this as well, but makes the kefirans reproduce so rapidly, the carbon dioxide makes it slightly fizzy. If it's left long enough, it can be made into cheese, similar in texture & taste to cottage cheese. They whey should be drunk as this contains the water soluble B vitamins.

I've posted these articles several times:

chriskresser.com/kefir-the-...

chriskresser.com/vitamin-k2...

chriskresser.com/how-to-res...

chriskresser.com/heal-your-...

Also of interest: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/250...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/242...

There are thousands of articles available on the internet regarding the health benefits & how to grow your own kefir. I've not read anything negative about kefir, but you need to try it yourself, & perhaps every day for several months to feel the benefit. What it won't do is make up for a poor diet, so it's not a quick fix.

If you really want a dairy free probiotic, try kombucha. It's just as easy to grow.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to BadHare]

Thank you so much, BadHare for the very interesting information related to kefir and lactose. I'm going to look at the links very soon when I have a free minute. These will come in handy! From the recipe for the kefir, it sounds like how to make some breads. Can the kefir be used for bread making?

[BadHare in reply to Activity2004]

Kefir's not a recipe, rather a continuous fermentation. It can be used as a sourdough starter.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to BadHare]

Oh! Thank you for letting me know that.

[BadHare in reply to Activity2004]

It would need a day or two to ferment with just a little flour, then another day to prove before baking. Sourdough is good for slightly gluten intollerent people, as the yeasts & lactobacillus have more time to break down the gluten so it's easier on both digestion & the immune system. I like it made with half dark rye & half Italian 00 flour. It's tasty & light in texture.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to BadHare]

Sounds good! Will try sometime later.

[Angep in reply to BadHare]

Well I've managed to make some and finally tried some today!!! I was frightened of it at first!!! I kept making it then throwing it away and making more. I mixed it with some fruit and made it into yoghurt consistency and I really enjoyed it. I've put it in the fridge otherwise it starts to seperate. My friend has made water keifer which in my ignorance didn't realise you could do!! I'm hoping to try some tommorow. I used organic cows milk in the end. Can't get raw milk where I am. Went with semi skimmed because full fat really dosnt agree with me so I'm watching to see if my tummys ok. Do you find this gives you more energy? My illness gives me crohnic fatigue so I'd love some more energy.

[BadHare]

You're frightened of what?

My post above explains it can be made from other substrates, also that the kefir grains eat the fat as they grow, so whole milk is better.

If you're very fatigued, try getting your thyroid hormones tested, & avoid unfermented soya.

ps How did you make your kefir? It takes a good few hours to ferment, & much longer to separate. It isn't usually as thick as yoghurt. The whey contains the water soluble B vitamins, so it just needs a gentle stir if it's been left too long.

[Angep]

I was frightened of how it smelled!! I'm paranoid about it upsetting my stomach as I have Crohn's.i bought the keifer grains off Amazon. I don't touch soya as I read it's not good for you. I recently had every test under the sun including my thyroid which they say is ok. I did get copies of my results. I made the keifer in a glass jar using the grains and organic milk. I left the lid resting on the top. I didn't use any metal at all. Each time I made it I left it 23to 24 hours at room temp till it looked ready. I did drain it and throw it away each time till today..