For some time now, we have discovered kefir, which is always a hit at aperitif time, especially when it is home-made!
In short, kefir is a drink made by fermenting sweetened fruit juice or milk and kefir grains, which are a leavening of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. Many people praise its health benefits as a probiotic, particularly as it contributes to good digestion, strengthens the immune system and provides vitamins, minerals and complete proteins.
But we are particularly interested in the taste of kefir! For the occasion, we made a ginger kefir (fruit kefir). On the nose, it presents milky notes, yeast and lemon zest. On the palate, you can smell lactic acid, sweet yoghurt notes, lemon (citric acid), a buttery side with notes of very ripe fruit, as well as buttery notes. The ginger in our case brings earthy notes without being pungent. On the finish, the yeast remains quite persistent.
Like the kombucha we talked about last week, this is a rather typical drink that can be divisive: you either like it or you don’t… In any case, you can’t remain indifferent!
And how does it work at home? There are two aspects to take into account: the recipe of the drink, and the maintenance of the kefir grains to maintain a constant supply in your fridge!
Special thanks to Nico, our kefir chef 🙂
Our recipe
For 1L of drink (over 72h)
Ingredients: 25g kefir grains, 25g sugar, 1 organic dried fig, 1 organic lemon slice, seasoning of your choice.
Day D: mix all the ingredients except the seasoning in a closed but not airtight jar (this is important so that it does not explode during fermentation), which remains at room temperature for 48 hours.
Day 2: filter, collect your kefir grains (weigh them, you’ll see that your 25g has become 30g!), throw away the fig and the lemon slice, add the seasoning (for example: 1 lemon cut into slices, 1 piece of ginger cut into slices, a sprig of mint, … be creative!), and pour the whole into a sealed bottle that will stay in the fridge for 24 hours.
Day D+3: degas slowly (be careful, the quantity of gas can be surprising…) and enjoy!
Grain care
Your kefir grains can be used over and over again! Keep them in a solution of water and sugar (for 100g of kefir, a 250ml jar of water and 3 teaspoons of sugar). Every two to three weeks, soak the index finger, if it is no longer sweet add more sugar!
Gradually your quantity of kefir will increase, if you make drinks often. Don’t hesitate to give the surplus to your friends 😉