How to Make Milk Kefir

Learn how to make milk kefir. A thick and creamy yogurt like drink bursting with beneficial bacteria.

Course Fermented Foods

Cuisine American

Keyword how to make milk kefir, milk kefir

Prep Time 5

Additional Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 146kcal

Author Lisa Bass

Place 2 tablespoons of grains in a clean glass jar with a lid.
Add the milk. (The beverage will expand slightly, so be careful it doesn’t get too full and spill over.)
Cover with a coffee filter, or small towel, and secure with a rubber band. You could also cover with a loose jar lid.
Let the milk kefir sit out on the counter until the desired thickness and sourness is reached. Anywhere from 12-36 hours.
Strain kefir grains using a strainer.
Place the milk kefir in the fridge, with a lid, for up to two weeks.
Now you can start another batch of milk kefir or store the grains between batches in the refrigerator in a glass jar covered with milk.

When kefir grains are “fed” regularly with fresh milk, they will multiply like crazy. Pass them along to your naturally-minded family and friends.
Depending on the temperature of your house may change the time the kefir needs to ferment. In the winter, when the temperature is cooler, it may need to ferment longer than say during the summer.
It is totally normal for the whey to start separating from the milk.
You don’t want to add too many kefir grains to your milk or it will ferment way too fast.
When you first get kefir grains and start using them, your milk kefir may not turn out really well. This is because they are adjusting to a new environment and after a few times they will start making really good batches.