Making Cultured Buttermilk, Kefir and Sour Cream
ByWanna know how EASY it is to make cultured buttermilk, kefir and sour cream? Yeah, it takes about 30 seconds of your time. (Don’t tell anyone that though…they think it’s impressive when you make your own.) :)
I buy my buttermilk and sour cream (also known as kreme fresh) starter from Cultures for Health.
Then…
To Make Kefir:
I begin with just under a half gallon of raw milk in a glass jar. (You can make this with pasturized milk too as far as I know.) I pour the packet of kefir starter into the milk…shake it up…and put a lid on it. Then, I set the jar in the cabinet above my refrigerator for about 24 hours (in the winter, it takes a little longer in my COLD kitchen!). You’ll know it is done “culturing” when it is thick and has some bubbly looking bubbles all through it. And when you tip your jar over…it kind of…glops. (see how helpful I am?)
**UPDATE** A friend of mine sent me some Kefir Grains, which I now use to make kefir. MUCH less expensive because you use the kefir grain over and over forever. You can find kefir grains at Cultures for Health. Simply strain out your kefir grains after each use to use them in a new batch!!
To Make Buttermilk:
Follow the same instructions as for the Kefir…only use the Buttermilk Culture Starter.
To Make Sour Cream (aka kreme fresh):
Use the Buttermilk Culture Starter with one pint of cream. Follow the same directions as above.
Now…to make more batches of each of these…
Save about a cup each of kefir or buttermilk (or about a third cup of sour cream) from your initial batch.
Use this remaining kefir, buttermilk or sour cream to shake into more raw milk or cream (1/2 gallon of milk…or 1 pint of cream) to begin a fresh batch. Just put it in, shake it up, and let it sit out for 24 hours or so. (Until you’ve got the glop thing going on.) You can do this up to eight times before you need to begin with a new starter package. (I’ve continued it more than eight times when I’m feeling rebellious. It still works.)
Here’s the tail end of one jar of buttermilk,
ready to be poured into a fresh 1/2 gallon jar of milk.
Here’s a jar of milk with a cup of buttermilk shaken into it…
ready to begin the culturing process.
(Yes, I know it looks like a plain ol’ jar of milk.
You’ll have to humor me and act like you can tell .)
(Nod and say, oh…very nice.)
And here is my milk turning into buttermilk in the cabinet above my fridge. (With my Chrismas dishes.) I’ve been advised that this spot is the best one in my kitchen to culture things because it has a fairly consistent temperature.
Oh, and when I do put my culturing dairy products in this cabinet…I LEAVE THE CABINET DOOR OPEN so that I can see it. It’s a bad idea to forget you have buttermilk or kefir or sour cream culturing in a cabinet. A bad, bad idea.
Now you have really, really healthy kefir for smoothies…and really, really healthy sour cream for your tacos, etc…and really, really healthy buttermilk for drinking or for soaking your grains.
See how easy it is?! :)
And no…we aren’t brave enough to drink the buttermilk straight. It’s a lovely idea…and it shore does smell good…but mostly I use it for soaking/baking, or for Creamy Orange Cooler!
A more frugal route is using kefir grains for kefir. It is just as easy and you can find free kefir grains online here.
They reproduce themselves too so you should never have to get them again.
I wrote about how to make it yourself here, if any one is interested.
God bless,
Lindsay
[Reply]
JAN Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
HI LINDSAY,
I’M INTERESTED…AND WOULD LIKE SOME GRAINS….!
BEST REGARDS,
JAN
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
You can get some kefir grains by following this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZTG4UG?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000ZTG4UG
[Reply]
Thank you so much for posting this! I’ve been wanting to try making my own kefir…hopefully I can try it soon! :-)
[Reply]
That sounds super easy. I will have to give it a try. Do you know how long the buttermilk, kefir, and sour cream keep in the fridge after you’ve made them?
Thanks for the info!
[Reply]
Where do you get your jars?
[Reply]
I’m excited about the sour cream. My husband and I eat a lot of it. I would imagine that it’s not very thick made this way? I wonder if it tastes like the Russian variety we enjoyed so much while over seas.
Although I haven’t tried these three things, I have made yogurt using a bit of already made yogurt as a starter. I used my crockpot filled with warm water to hold the jars of yogurt during the incubation time. Yogurt is a lot more touchy than some other things though.
I also made cream cheese two different ways. On one batch I used a tiny bit of rennet, but the cheese became too firm and wasn’t very spreadable. The other way was leaving the raw milk out for three days, carefully covered. Then I strained it through a towel for another day or so until all the whey was out of it. What amazed me was that the cream cheese was sweet and all the sour stayed in the whey! It was the perfect consistancy too. I felt like such the domestic diva! ;)
Thanks for these suggestions and resources. A gallon of milk a week is usually too much for my husband and I, and it would be good to know what to do with the extra.
[Reply]
Thanks so much for posting this…I’ve been buying my kefir and it’s so expensive! :)
[Reply]
What other products do you recommend getting from Wilderness Naturals if one doesn’t have access to Azure or another food coop. I Love your blog. Thanks for all the wonderful information!
[Reply]
We have also started to make our own yogurt. We love being able to make our own dairy products.
Thank you for all that you have taught me over the past year. I have grown so much and I have you to thank.
[Reply]
Wow! What a wonderful idea! I never knew that could be made at home!
A friend of mine told me that kefir was so healthy for us to eat, but I never found a way to squeeze it into our diets (she did recommend kefir in smoothies, now that my brain gears are working.)
I do wonder what another commenter had pondered, and that is how thick the sour cream gets.
You have a lovely blog, by the way! I loved your ideas on homeschooling!
[Reply]
What exactly is kefir? My mother called and asked me this yesterday…. I have never heard of it… I have also been wanting to ask you a question about rapadora.. do you exchange it in equal amounts for recipes that call for white sugar… Thanks Erika
[Reply]
I have to repeat the question asked in another comment: Where DO you get your lovely jars (I love jars!)
[Reply]
Wow thank you, i’m learning from your website. Well there is other website that i very recommend, check it out:
http://www.howtomakekefir.com
[Reply]
You can get some eally pretty, inexpensive jars at Walmart and Garden Ridge. If there is no Garden Ridge near you, any home furnishing specialty store should have an imaginitive collection of glass jars.
And now, a question. What happens if I put the kefir grains into buttermilk? What about a combination of milk and buttermilk ? Since I started playing with the grains, my kitchen has turned into more of a lab. In honor of Frank Zappa, we call it the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen. I feel like a kid again, with kefir science projects everywhere.
[Reply]
I just found this thread about Kefir. I made my first batch day before yesterday (only a Qt.) and I’m already culturing my second! I have been making smoothies with fresh berries – strawberry and/or blueberry and since I’m on a no sugar diet, I add a bit of stevia to slightly sweeten! They are awesome.
I have a question about the many uses of kefir. Basically, it seems that you could use it in any fashion you would buttermilk. Is that reasonable?
[Reply]
started kefir after a friend gave me some to try. fell in love with it ever since. : )
glad to see kefir is gaining popularity now a days. i’ve found this site to have lots of recipes and info about kefir and kefir grains, yogurt too. http://www.yourkefirsource.com
just might want to check it out!
[Reply]
Can you start your own batch of buttermilk using a cup of store bought buttermilk?
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Yes, I believe you can. It’s worth a try anyway!
[Reply]
Jean Reply:
February 22nd, 2011 at 1:50 pm
You actually can use as little as 2 Tablespoons of buttermilk to make one quart. I usually use 1/4 cup of Buttermilk in the bottom of a clean quart canning jar and fill it up with fresh raw milk. It works really well and it keeps in the refrigerator for quite a long time, I mean like weeks or even more than a month. It will begin to separate, so I shake it when I want to use it. When it separates it doesn’t seem to effect the recipe I’m using it in, not even ranch dressing.
[Reply]
About how long do you think these things are good for (in the fridge, of course). I want to have these on hand for soaking grains, making cheese, mixing in smoothies or whatever, but I don’ want to “waste” my milk by doing something that will cause my milk to go bad while I am not using it. Any general rule of thumb (since we aren’t dealing with expiration dates)? Thank you!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:56 am
I’ve had mine in the fridge as long as a month before and it’s done just fine!
[Reply]
Andrea Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 10:59 am
Thanks so much! I think I’ll make some Kefir today!
[Reply]
I am curious about the keep time as well. We usually drink our raw milk within 2 days of getting it, but our conventional buttermilk sits in our fridge a bit longer than that. Also, what is the difference between the two kefir starters as one seems to be regular and the other talks about being for drinking…is it just a one time use?
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:58 am
I’ve had mine in the fridge as long as a month before and it’s done just fine!
As far as kefir goes, I use it for both soaking and drinking.
[Reply]
Wow, kefir is so easy. I really may try this.
[Reply]
I’ve always made my buttermilk by pouring a bit of cultured buttermilk into my mason jar and filling the rest of the jar with milk and allowing it to sit out for 24 hours. I’ve never used a vege culture starter. Do you know if what I’ve been doing is not really buttermilk? As soon as my jar is mostly empty, I just add more milk and set it out again (usually at least once a week). It thickens up and seems to have that buttermilk smell/taste. Just curious.
I’ve also just ordered some kefir starter cultures so I can start making my own kefir. Yeah!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
April 29th, 2010 at 9:58 am
No, that’s just FINE what you’ve been doing. That’s what I do too, once I’ve used the culture starter to make the first batch!
[Reply]
Hmmm, I would like to try this!
[Reply]
I am confused on how to make the Buttermilk. I use only milk and rennet to make buttermilk? Please get back with me as soon as you could. I really would like to make this right away!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
September 5th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
No rennet, just the packet of buttermilk starter (which is cultured veggie starter). Since you already put the rennet in, I THINK it will be okay. I HOPE it will!!
[Reply]
Okay, I am confused now. I put some raw milk and rennet into a canning jar. I did not realize that the rennet was different then the starter! What are my options? I don’t want to waste the milk! jhall80@stny.rr.com
[Reply]
Hi Laura,
I’ve been attempting homemade buttermilk. I had
store bought cultured whole buttermilk. I added
2 quarts of milk to 1 cup of buttermilk starter and have
left it out for 24 hours, it is starting to smell like
buttermilk, but it’s not thick. Should I leave it out
until it gets thick and just keep a check on it? Do I need
to put it in a warmer area, like my oven with the light on?
Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks.
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
November 4th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Sorry I’m so delayed in replying. (Did it turn into buttermilk after all this time?!) :)
Yes, if it hasn’t thickened in 24 hours time, it just needs a little bit more time. During the colder months, I have to leave it out for a day and a half or even longer before it’s done.
[Reply]
Have you looked into CulturesforHealth.com? You can get a buttermilk starter there that you NEVER have to buy again. Just save some from one batch and make some more every 7 days. They have a mesophilic yogurt culture (room temp) that you do the same with. I’m saving my money and going in with a friend to get going on those!!!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
November 20th, 2010 at 8:58 am
Yes, they are a great source! I’m hoping to look at their site more very soon and share it with everyone here at HHM!
[Reply]
Some comments:
Without Kefir grains, you cannot keep making kefir from former batches. It will eventually lose potency. You’d have to either buy the powdered starter again after a batch or two; or get the kefir grains. They grow and you will have to share them eventually. Go to Dom’s kefir site to get the best information about making kefir. It’s an ancient custom and you should really learn the right way so it can be healthy and tasty.You should not use ultra pasteurized milk and organic would be best.
My friend’s mother from Poland said to make sour cream, you can just take three tablespoons of
pure commercial sour cream – mix it into about 8 ounces of good milk (fat content up to you and I would suggest not using lactose free nor ultra pasturized) – and within 24 hours, the whole glass is sour cream. It probably gets thicker the more you leave it on the counter, but I don’t leave it for more than 24 hours. Sometimes even 12 hours or between 12 and 24 works depending on your conditions. (heat.)
For both, no need to boil milk. I also just started making my own Caspian Sea Yogurt which I bought a starter for (live culture) and it doesn’t have to be heated like the yogurt we make here. Just add the starter to about 2 cups of milk and voila – yogurt within 24 hours.
I’m still working on the timing and flavor and there are a lot of sites that explain the how to and how not to. Good luck! It’s great for your digestion.
[Reply]
Tiffany Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Hi Diane,
I’m excited to read about the sour cream recipe you posted…have you tried it??
Also, can you use 3T of that sour cream to make another batch & so on??
Thank you so much!!!
Tiffany
This morning I made butter & I have yogurt “processing” right now…my husband asked about sour cream this morning as I was making the other. He’ll be happy as well!!
blessings!
[Reply]
P.S.
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html
For Dom’s kefir site.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
[Reply]
I have a quick question or two. I would like to make kefir with both the raw goat milk and cow milk I buy from week to week. I ordered the kefir grains you recommended. When you wrote about making batches using leftovers from the last batch, how old can the last batch be? Is there a limit to how old you can let your old kefir get before using it to start a new batch? Also, can you use your old goat kefir to start a cow milk kefir batch, or are those best kept separate from eachother?
Thanks in advance! I love your blog and am so thankful for a friend who recommended it to me!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
You actually use the kefir grains over and over to make a fresh batch (I’ve learned some of this since posting originally and should probably go edit my post to explain better). It’s okay to use your old batch of kefir to make a new batch with fresh milk, even if the kefir is several weeks old. I’ve never used goats milk but I would imagine you could put the goat kefir with cows milk??
[Reply]
Hi Laura
Would you please recommend a source where I can research raw milk, in regard to safety? Thank you.
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Realmilk.com is a great source!
[Reply]
Check out realmilk.com
[Reply]
I was looking into the veggie culture starter for buttermilk/sour cream/butter (from the Wilderness website listed)… So if using the starter in heavy cream will produce sour cream… and you can churn/mix it to produce 1/2# butter and 1 cup buttermilk… Can that 1 cup buttermilk then be used in 1/2 gallon milk to make more buttermilk, or would a new starter be needed? Thanks for your advice!
I am really digging your website! Even though I haven’t acted on your words of wisdom yet, I feel very domestic just reading them!! :) I’m undertaking a lot of change in my life, first starting with healthy living. Hoping to be digging up some potatoes from a trash can next summer! :)
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
December 9th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I THINK a regular buttermilk starter would be needed to begin the buttermilk, as the “buttermilk” that comes off the butter making process is a little bit different that the buttermilk we’re used to cooking with.
Did that answer the question correctly, or am I misunderstanding?! :)
[Reply]
Ok, so if I purchase Keifer grains from amazon I use them to grow a plant? Is that a stupid question?
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
No, kefir grains are super weird. :) You put them into your milk and after 24 hours or so, your milk turns to kefir. You strain out your kefir grains and store them in the fridge (in a tiny bit of milk), then reuse them to make more kefir. The grains reproduce on their own.
[Reply]
Hello,
I made the buttermilk here but had a question as to why mine came out really really thick… maybe you could help!
thanks~
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
December 18th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Mine is always quite a bit thicker than store bought buttermilk. I’m guessing you didn’t do anything wrong, I bet it’s just right!
[Reply]
darialauren Reply:
December 19th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
thanks! that’s encouraging to hear! i was concerned it was incorrect :)
[Reply]
Thanks for your quick reply! I do wish I could just chat
with you a bit in person as I have so many questions!
I do have my flour and milk with vinegar soaking now (for
your pancake recipe in the morning); however, I may just
add some lemon juice to it, too, in case the vingar in the
milk doesn’t produce “cultured buttermilk”. Would one
TB of the lemon juice work to break down the phytates?
Also, would regular kiefer or water kiefer work to do this
same thing instead of the buttermilk? And, how much would
I use (1 TB?) Hmmmmmmm
By the way, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by some other
“healthy websites” that I’ve found as they’ve seemed really
out of my league; however, yours seems “do able” & I
appreciate your basic recipes, too. Thanks again for
helping this mom out who was in a RUT & is trying to learn
to do things the “healthy way”!! I’m encouraged,too, as my
family LOVES your recipes so I’m telling more people about
you!! ;o)
Blessings!
Amy
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
January 16th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Thank you so much for your encouragement about my site!!! What you described is exactly what I try to do!
Yes, I think one Tablespoon is great to add. Or regular Kefit (I’d just substitute it one for one with buttermilk, or maybe add 1/2 cup at least, and then the rest regular milk. Just enough to add something cultured.
I don’t have experience with water kefir, that’s on my list of things to try!
[Reply]
Okay, my family thinks I’m going a little overboard, but
I currently have my beans soaking (with lemon juice) for the
first time ever (I always just used canned beans before), &
I have your pancake batter soaking, along with some organic
wheat flour (in lemon juice)! My 5 yr. old daughter keeps
asking: “Mommy, what ARE you doing?” As soon as I know,
I’ll begin to teach her!! ‘o) Anyway, I don’t have a
grainmill as of yet, but after being inspired by YOU,
it’s on my “wishlist” for our 20th anniversary coming up! ;o)
So, in the meantime, I’m buying some local, organic
whole, white wheat flour from our healthfood store here. I was
told that the white/wheat combo is as healthy as the whole
wheat, would you agree? And, if I’m just using regular
white flour from the store (for baking), would I be able
to break down the phytates by soaking them as well (even
though the nutritional value is way less, I know). My
family just isn’t used to the taste of whole wheat yet
for cookies(I’m hoping that a Nutrimill would make the
flour more fine, not so grainy, & that they’ll like it better
then). However, I realize that I need to make these changes
slowly (especially since our 2 boys, ages 13 & 16) sometimes
frown on my “healthy baking” as they’re so used to the
other. sigh
Also, switching gears………..in response to my
last question tonight about using lemon juice vs. buttermilk
to break down phytates in flours/beans………..I’m
a bit confused as to what is best: the lemon juice from
concentrate says that it has 2 different preservatives
added(ahhhhhh….I’m trying to stay away from those!) However,
the little lemon squirt bottle lists water as it’s first
ingre. & then has lemon juice (not from concentrate) listed
2nd, as only 30% though. It also has lemon oil. It’s all
organic, but out of date (has been sitting in the little
PLASTIC bottle all this time. ;o( Soooooo, what would
you recommend that I do? Since the white vinegar and milk might not make “cultured buttermilk”, I feel that this other
route is better, but is the little lemon squirt bottle
enough “acid” at only 30% lemon juice to break down those
phytates? And, my bread recipe calls for water, sooooooo
I was hoping that the water would do (along with the lemon
juice)vs. using buttermilk in creating these benefits. It’s
the acid content that breaks them down, right? Sorry for the rambling!! I promise and I won’t “hound you” with anymore questions, tonight, at least!! ;o) Thanks again for your
patience!!!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
January 16th, 2011 at 9:23 pm
Oh wow, I’m shocked that the lemon juice has preservatives. GRR. I’ll have to go look at my bottle to see what it says!!
Yes, it’s the acid content that breaks down the phytates…I’d use water with lemon juice for your bread.
And I’d just use whichever lemon juice is the lesser of the evils! :) TOUGH decision! Maybe look into making buttermilk with a culture starter soon if possible? I’ll be doing a post explaining more about this soon(ish).
[Reply]
D. Reply:
February 15th, 2011 at 10:27 am
Santa Cruz makes organic lemon juice and organic lime juice. Should be at a HFS or regular grocery with an organic section. If not, why not just buy real organic lemons??? They can be frozen. Just let them thaw on the counter a little bit before using, poke a hole in the bottom and squeeze, or when you first buy them, squeeze the juice out and freeze it in ice cube trays. I prefer real organic lemons to the purchased juice.
It’s been my experience, after 35+ years of kitchening that most homemade buttermilks are not thick. Sometimes it thickens up a little after being in the fridge, but not always. The consistency will always be different. The way to make cultured buttermilk is to take whole raw cow milk and add a couple of TBSP of store-purchased cultured buttermilk and leave it on the kitchen counter in a warm spot, for about 12-24 hours. You can leave it longer if it doesn’t seem soured enough. A lot of the “culturing” part will depend on the temperature in your kitchen.
Also, goat milk and cow milk should NOT be interchanged in kefir and yogurt, etc. They contain different enzymes and therefore will produce two different products. If they are mixed, it will create something weird because goat milk is naturally homogenized.
[Reply]
OMg wow I am completely lost. Lol I dont even know what Kefir is. And what would i need to use it for..And if i dont have the means to make my own buttermilk yet (hubby getting on me cause we have small apartment for the 3 of us) Is there any cultured buttermilk i can buy??
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
February 10th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
Kefir is similar to yogurt…but runnier (more like a drinkable yogurt). And yes, most buttermilks you can buy are cultured…the carton should say if it is or not.
[Reply]
Hi Laura! I don’t know if anyone mentioned trying http://www.craigslist.com for kefir grains, but thought I would just in case. I was able to get some free, fresh and locally.
Your enthusiasm about kefir has sparked mine and I’m excited to try. God bless!
[Reply]
Question: My kefir grains refuse to “grow”. Suggestions on what I might do to make that happen??
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
I had trouble getting my kefir grains to grow once too. They still make my milk turn to kefir, but they never grew…weird! Finally they quit working at all and now I’m starting over with new grains!
[Reply]
D. Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Yeah, mine still make kefir, too, but I’m afraid the same thing will happen to mine as what happened to yours — they’ll quit working altogether! Well, if I hafta buy new grains that’s all right but I don’t want the same thing to happen to them. I wonder if it was something I did wrong or if it’s just the quality of the grains I bought? I bought from a reputible seller (Happy Herbalist). Oh well, I guess I’ll just keep going with the little bit I have and see what happens. I usually make small batches anyway, so it might turn out to be okay after all.
Thanks for responding!
[Reply]
I buy more raw milk than we can consume in a week. Can I make good kefir out of raw milk that has started to turn bad? And if so, can it be done when the milk is really bad tasting or just when it’s on the edge of turning?
Thanks!
Susan
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
If it’s already smelling/tasting bad, it won’t work for good tasting kefir. If it’s just slightly souring, it should be okay.
[Reply]
Laura…Do you use the direct-set culture or the starter cuHealth. They say that you cannot reculture the milk made from the direct-set, but the starter culture can be recultured indefinately. You said you reculture yours only 8 times, so I’m not sure which one you use. I think if the direct-set can only make 8 small batches, the $6 + $4 s/h is way too costly, but they say there are extra steps involved for using raw milk with the starter culture. Also, do you skim the cream off yours before culturing? Last question (I promise)….is it better to use fresh raw milk, or is it ok to use week-old milk? Many thanks in advance and God bless.
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
I had been using the one you can only re-use 8 times…but since there’s a starter that can be used indefinately, I’ll go with that one next time for sure! I leave the cream on my milk before culturing. Sometimes I shake in the cultured cream…sometimes I skim it off and use it for “sour cream”. It’s fine to use the milk that’s already a week old.
If you purchase cultures from Cultures for Health, be sure to use the coupon code: HH2011 for a Heavenly Homemakers 10% discount!!
[Reply]
My dehydrated sugar water kefir grains revived very well and are growing nicely. My dehydrated milk kefir grains were puny from the start. They only rehydrated to about half a teaspoon and were making a pint of yogurt every 12 hours. Yes, yogurt. I used to make yogurt 30 years ago, and I know the taste and consistency very well. We have had no yogurt in the house for years, so the problem had to have been with the culture. Either it was contaminated at the producer, or it was so feeble that spores floating around in the kitchen, possibly from my sourdough culture, overwhelmed it. Either way, it wasn’t making kefir.
I kept searching the Internet for a solution to my problem and finally found a place that sells active cultures in the USA. I ordered some active milk kefir from them, and what a difference! The second day under milk, one tablespoon of active culture has made one cup of yeasty and slightly sour beverage in 24 hours just as promised. The active culture itself smells yeasty and slightly sour. The rehydrated dried one that was making yogurt smelled slightly cheesy. The active culture from Yemoos cost the same as the dehydrated that I bought elsewhere and is much, much better.
So, anyone in the USA having trouble getting dehydrated kefir cultures to revive and work properly, as I did with some dehydrated milk kefir grains, should try ordering an active culture from Yemoos at http://www.yemoos.com/index.html . The cultures each come with cute little adoption certificates, too.
[Reply]
Sandra Reply:
March 12th, 2011 at 7:33 am
Re-reading the above, I see that I did not make it clear that the active cultures are grains. They are grains, just not dried ones. They are awake and are shipped by Priority Mail every Tuesday, in a little milk (or whatever medium is appropriate for the type of grains). The grains are sealed in a sturdy plastic pouch, which is well-wrapped in some light foil paper, and then sealed in a second plastic pouch along with their adoption certificates which show the date they were sent. There seems little chance for leakage during transit.
[Reply]
I ordered buttermilk and kefir water cultures from Cultures for Health!! Thanks for the discount!! When I was reading about starting the buttermilk with raw milk, it says you need to heat the raw milk…is this something you do? I was a little confused about the directions. Thanks!! I absolutely love your website!!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
March 12th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
No, I just use it fresh and cold. I’m lazy about it, plus I want to keep it raw. It works for me!
[Reply]
Kim McDonald Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 7:33 am
One more thing…I did purchase the heirloom buttermilk culture. Is this the one you started with as well? Thanks!!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Yes, that’s the one I use!
Hi…I do not mean to bother you again about the buttermilk starter, but I am a little confused. I am trying to follow your directions, but when I read the directions that came with my culture, it has a special section for “raw milk”. I noticed you said you could use it up to 8 times, but if you look on the Cultures for Health website there are 2 buttermilk starters…one is buttermilk/sour cream direct set which you can use up to 8 times and the other is an heirloom buttermilk culture which can be perpetuated over and over. There is a difference in price for these cultures. I purchased the heirloom for $11.99. I believe the other is $5.99. It says in the directions if you do not heat the milk, it will eventually ruin the culture and it won’t be able to perpetuate. I would rather not have to heat it, but I guess I will have to. I didn’t know if anyone else had this question. Again…Thanks!!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
April 5th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Oh wow…this would be me not reading the fine print. I guess the one I’ve been using is NOT the heirloom. Maybe next time I’ll get the heirloom so I don’t have to purchase over and over (although I’ve found that I can make more than 8 batches and it comes out fine.)
[Reply]
Thank you for sharing these recipes with us cannot wait to try them. I see you have plastic lids on your jars in the picture, do I have to use a plastic lid? Where do you even buy them at?(plastic lids for mason jars)
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
April 5th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
I can usually find them at Walmart in the canning section during gardening season!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
April 5th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
But no, you don’t have to use a plastic lid. I just like them better for things like this!
[Reply]
Jill Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 8:40 am
I have found that the plastic lids on small peanut buttef jars fit a typical small mouth canning jar well. I’ve been saving and washing mine.
[Reply]
Hi, I have a couple of questions about the kefir. I read on another site that it can be up to 2% alcohol. Is that safe to give to my kiddos? I’m totally clueless so I hope that isn’t a dumb question. I can just see us showing up to church with drunk kids and getting CPS called on the weird homeschoolers lol!
I am getting my kefir grains tomorrow from someone who has been culturing them and is sharing with me. Do you know if I can use them in regular, store-bought milk? Just skim milk? Raw milk is pretty expensive around here, but I guess I could buy a gallon of organic every now and then if I needed too. It’s just really hard for me to justify that expense.
Also, besides smoothies, what else do you use kefir for? Those of you who drink it, do you just drink it plain?
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
April 5th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Oh wow…I’ve never heard that. It must be because it’s fermented milk – that’s what kefir is…the culturing actually is a fermentation process. I don’t think you have to worry about getting your kids drunk!!
Yes, you can use them in regular store-bought milk. I would suggest whole milk instead of skim or the kefir will be pretty thin.
I really just use it to make smoothies. Sometimes I drink it plain, but I don’t really prefer it that way!
[Reply]
When baking with cultured buttermilk or yogurt, are the cultures destroyed? Or is there a certain temperature that destroys them? I am wondering if it’s worth the extra money to bake with cultured buttermilk or if I should just use regular buttermilk? I looked for info about this online, but couldn’t find much. Thanks!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
April 27th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
Yes, when baking the cultures would be destroyed. But, if you’re going to be soaking your grains using the cultured products, THAT’s where this would be useful in baking.
[Reply]
Just ordered my starters for yogurt and for buttermilk and sour cream! So excited and can not wait to start.
Thanks!!!
[Reply]
what do I do with my grains after I have used them?
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 11:18 am
Put them in a small jar with a little bit of milk until you’re ready to make kefir again.
[Reply]
I got my culture packets in yesterday. The packet for sour cream says to use light cream. I use raw milk so is that what you get after making butter with the heavy cream?
Confused.
[Reply]
D. Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 10:36 am
No. That is watery, sorta like a cross between whey and skim milk – which is essentially what it is! What’s left after you make butter is uncultured buttermilk. You can use it to bake with, so don’t throw it out.
Just use your regular cream. Why would anyone use light cream to make sour cream? Sour cream is supposed to be thick and you won’t get thick using a light cream. Not logical. Did you get the sour cream “recipe” from a low-fat enthusiast site?
[Reply]
So the uncultured buttermilk you get after making butter you would use to make like buttermilk biscuits and pancakes?
On the back of the buttermilk/sourcream culture packet I baught from Healthy Cultures says to heat light cream to 145 degrees for making sourcream. But on the front it says to use milk or cream. Confusing I know. I will just use the heavy cream. Thanks!
I have my yogurt sitting in a cooler as we speak! Can’t wait to make frozen yogurt for my hubby tonight. That is the only yogurt he will eat.
i truesly appreciate all of your help and advice. My goal is to make as much of my own food as possable and your website is great and has helped a ton!
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 11:19 am
That is confusing! I just use heavy cream, and I don’t heat it. I just mix the culture in and go with it. I want my cream to stay raw!
[Reply]
Lena Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 11:30 am
OH!!!! Okay! I want mine to stay raw as well. So, Do you heat the milk for the yogurt?
Sorry for so many questions. I just want to make sure I do this right and don’t waist my money.
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 11:36 am
For my yogurt, I heat it to about 99 degrees before I make it. It stays raw this way!