How To Make Creamy Coconut Milk Kefir

Kefir pronounced kef-EER is an enzyme, beneficial yeast and probiotic rich fermented beverage that has been around for centuries.  This beverage has so many healthy benefits for whole body health but especially helpful in healing the gut. It has a tangy, creamy yet slightly sour taste, which tastes like whipped fluffy coconut heaven.

Coconut Milk Kefir Health Benefits

• It’s rich in medium chain fatty acids
• It’s a good source of calcium and magnesium
• Active and live beneficial yeast and probiotic cultures
• Proven antiviral, antibacterial, and fungal properties that support natural immunity
• Helps to heal and seal the gut
• Helps to improve allergies
• Improves asthma
• Improve digestion function
• Helps the body detox
• Support the liver
• Increase energy
• Helps rid the body of pathogenic bacteria and yeast
• Improves mood
• Act as an all natural multivitamin due to the probiotic activity

How To Use Coconut Milk Kefir

• Whipped cream
• Cream for your coffee/tea
• To make ice cream
• Frozen yogurt
• Add to smoothies
• To top off fruit/desserts
• Eat it just like yogurt!

How To Get  Milk Kefir Grains

• If you attend your local Weston A Price foundation's meetings, chances are someone there will have some kefir grains extra to pass on to you for free if they have extra or perhaps for a small fee.
• Order your kefir grains from a reputable source online. Cultures for Health has trusted starter kits for all your ferments. This link is for live grains, which means you can start making your kefir immediately, no rehydrating necessary. Remember this recipe is for milk (or coconut milk) kefir not water kefir.

How to Make Coconut Milk Kefir

How To Make Creamy Coconut Milk Kefir

 

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Author: Melissa Malinowski, ND

Recipe type: Ferments

Ingredients

• 1 pint sized very clean glass jar
• 1-2 teaspoons milk kefir grains
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (. This one is BPA free and contains no preservative, but has a grainy texture.) This organic brandcontains guar gum, but is very smooth and creamy.
• Coffee filter, flour sack or paper towel
• Rubber band

Instructions

1. Be sure your hands are clean.
2. Place your milk kefir grains in the glass jar.
3. Pour the coconut milk in a separate bowl first and hand mix or use an immersion blender to blend well. I only suggest this because canned coconut milk tends to separate and the fat tends to harden and it's real hard to mix this and the grains in a little jar.
4. Then pour your well mixed coconut milk in the jar with your kefir grains.
5. Cover the top of the jar with a coffee filter or paper towel and secure with a rubber band.
6. Let it ferment on the counter for 24 hours undisturbed.
7. Be sure if you have other ferments on the counter to place them a few feet apart to avoid cross-contamination.
8. After ~24 hours your kefir should be fermented and done. Note: the longer you let it sit and ferment the tangier/sour the taste and it continues to get thicker, which makes removing the grains for future use more difficult. I personally love the taste and consistency of a 24 hour ferment.
9. Once the coconut kefir is to your taste, strain the kefir through a fine mesh plastic strainer using a wooden or plastic spoon/spatula, gently moving the kefir over the strainer. Be sure to have a plastic or glass bowl underneath to hold the kefir.
10. You will be left with your milk kefir grains to use again and again for future batches.
11. Store your kefir grains in a glass jar with some of the kefir milk in the fridge in between batches, if you are taking a break. If you are not taking a break, put the grains in a clean glass jar and pour your dairy milk or coconut milk over them and leave out for your 24 hour ferment cycle.
12. Place a lid over your finished coconut milk kefir and store in fridge. It will thicken up in the refrigerator which makes it perfect for whipped cream, cream for your coffee/tea, to make ice cream, frozen yogurt, smoothies, to top off fruit/desserts or eat it just like yogurt!

Notes

Milk kefir grains can be cultured in coconut milk regularly but must be allowed to culture in cow or goat milk for 24 hours once every 4-5 batches to revitalize the live yeast and bacteria. You will know when it is ready to be feed with dairy milk because the kefir will start to lose it's tang. Dehydrated milk kefir grains should be rehydrated in dairy milk and allowed to become fully active before being used to culture coconut milk.

How do I take a break from making milk kefir? To take a break from making milk kefir simply place the kefir grains in the fresh dairy or coconut milk, place a tight lid on the container, and place it in the refrigerator. The cold will greatly retard the culturing process and they can keep this way for up to several weeks. If at the end of that period you require more time, simply repeat the process with fresh milk.

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• Note: Milk kefir grains can be cultured in coconut milk regularly but must be allowed to culture in cow or goat milk for 24 hours once every 4-5 batches to revitalize the live yeast and bacteria. You will know when it is ready to be feed with dairy milk because the kefir will start to lose it's tang. Dehydrated milk kefir grains should be rehydrated in dairy milk and allowed to become fully active before being used to culture coconut milk. (Cultures for Health)
• How do I take a break from making milk kefir? To take a break from making milk kefir simply place the kefir grains in the fresh dairy or coconut milk, place a tight lid on the container, and place it in the refrigerator. The cold will greatly retard the culturing process and they can keep this way for up to several weeks. If at the end of that period you require more time, simply repeat the process with fresh milk. (Cultures for Health). Leaving the kefir grains in the refrigerator for longer than 3 weeks may render them unusable in the future, however.

Here is a valuable video on how to make milk kefir from Cultures for Health