Freezing, Refrigeration, and Dehydration Instructions for Kefir Grains

Kefir has acquired incredible popularity as of late, be that as it may, because of its tendency, it has a fast growth. Hence seeing how to store kefir grains for later use can be extraordinarily useful.

You can safely store milk kefir grains in the refrigerator for about a month or the freezer for around a half year. Water kefir grains can be stored in the fridge for half a year and in the freezer for about one year.

For the most part, the colder the storage area, the more immense the delay in development for these mini miracle-working grains.

In this post, I’ll elaborate on the processes I’ve observed best for both water and milk kefir grains to freeze, refrigerate, and dehydrate so you can observe the ideal strategy.

What Are Milk Kefir Grains?

The grains mentioned above are the ones used to make kefir drinks. They are live gelatinous-looking grains made of yeasts and microscopic organisms feeding on milk and simultaneously culturing it.

Kefir grains are the mother culture, meaning they can replicate in unlimited numbers when provided with the right conditions. Contingent upon the origin and the climate they are kept in, various microorganisms live inside these grains.

When making a kefir drink, comparable in texture to drinkable yogurt, the grains create many strains of good bacteria. Individuals devouring kefir drinks generally do so for the advantages of their immune system and the digestive tract.

What Are Water Kefir Grains?

Water kefir is like milk kefir as it can make a fermented beverage that can help the immune system and the intestinal tract.

Notwithstanding, not at all like milk kefir produced using the milk from a cow, sheep, or goat, water kefir is made by mixing sugar water with water kefir grains. Water kefir is produced using water, thus making it appropriate for both vegans and those who are lactose intolerant.

Instructions to Freeze Kefir Grains

You might need to freeze your kefir grains, assuming that you’re hoping to enjoy some time off from making homemade kefir or have an excess of kefir and don’t have any desire to waste any.

The freezing system considers the mother culture to continue being preserved without consistently growing.

• If you want to freeze the grains, start by straining them from the kefir or milk they are submerged in. Ensure the water is non-chlorinated, as this guarantees the yeasts and microbes are not harmed all the while.
• Second, dry them by dabbing them with a paper towel or air drying.
• Then put the milk kefir grains in a container or a plastic bag. Next, add some dried milk powder, keeping in mind that all grains are entirely submerged.
• At last, place the container or bag in the freezer, preferably where the temperature remains constant.

The grains can survive somewhere in the range of 3months and a year in the freezer. Notwithstanding, you might see an alteration of both flavor and surface past the half-year point. Assuming that you’re hoping to freeze water grains rather than milk grains, then, at that point, follow the interaction above however without the dried milk powder.

Instructions to Defrost Kefir

I suggest defrosting kefir by essentially moving it from the freezer into the refrigerator for 24 hours.

While you can move the grains onto the countertop to defrost them in a more limited timeframe (around four to six hours, relying upon the temperature of your house), it’s not something I’d suggest. I suggest so because of how the grains are put away in the freezer and their delicate nature.

Assuming you have water kefir and not milk kefir, you’ll have to add a little fluid to the grains before moving them to the fridge. I’ve found either coconut water, coconut milk, or non-chlorinated water blended in with sugar works best as the fluid we are looking for.

Once the kefir has been defrosted, it might require several days of renewal for the grains to start cultivating at maximum capacity once more.

Tools and Equipment For Freezing Food

These are my attempted and tried instruments and hardware for freezing food. Whether it’s fresh fruits or pre-arranged suppers, these apparatuses will make the process more straightforward, and the food lasts longer and tastes better!

Containers: We pick glass containers as they are better for the climate. They have better quality and don’t stain like plastic; but, they are a little expensive.

So on the off chance that you need to save cash, purchase great plastic containers meanwhile.

Be sure that you purchase your containers in a scope of sizes as you’ll utilize them to freeze and store a range of various food sources.

Ziplock Bags: Put resources into quality freezer bags, and they’ll assist with keeping out air, forestall frost, and keep your food fresh for longer.

Most of the excellent quality ziplock bags accompany a tiny area for you to write data about the food (for example, what it is, the point at which it was frozen, and defrosting guidelines) on the pack.

Ice Cube Trays: Ice cube trays can assist you with freezing something beyond water. We use them for freezing miniature proportions of food, for example, egg whites, pureed tomatoes, pesto, and so forth.

Add the food to the tray, freeze, and pop the food out and into a ziplock sack when frozen. Then at that point, you can essentially take a couple of portions of food out and defrost it depending on the requirement of the situation.

Foil Baking Containers: We use foil baking containers for cooking frozen dinners. They are reasonable, durable, and arrive in an assortment of sizes, permitting you to partition or put everything in one enormous container to be cooked sometime in the future.

Assuming all mentioned above wasn’t sufficient, most dinners are safe to be cooked in the oven with the foil container. Cooking in the oven being permissible decreases how many issues, saves time, and the cleaning up you’ll need to do – this is a winner!

Instructions to Store Kefir In The Fridge

You can likewise store both milk and water kefir grains in the fridge, but not at all like the freezing process. The refrigeration strategy fluctuates in both the method and period wherein the grains stay active.

I decide to store my kefir in the fridge, assuming I’m simply hoping to have some time off. For example, if I have an excess of kefir at the moment, or I’m disappearing for around fourteen days.

• To securely refrigerate your kefir grains start by setting them into a suitable container. The container to be used can be glass or food-grade plastic. Thick glass containers with elastic seals are prescribed to reduce the peril of the kefir exploding. Metal isn’t suggested as it can leach when constantly contacting the Kefir grains.

• Then, at that point, cover the grains in a fluid.

1. That fluid should be water with one tablespoon of sugar or finished kefir for water grains.
2. For milk grains, that fluid ought to be milk. It is fundamental in the two cases that the grains are completely submerged.

In the two cases, you should change the fluid generally at regular intervals.

• Then, at that point, cover the container freely with a lid(keeping a limited quantity of airflow is critical) and store it in the refrigerator.

Milk kefir will endure as long as 14 days in the fridge anyway. Water kefir grains can endure as long as a half year.Similar to the freezing and defrosting process, it will require a few days for the grains to completely awaken back and start producing at a consistent rate again.

Step by step instructions to Dehydrate Kefir Grains

One can buy Kefir grains on the web. When sent, they will arrive in a dehydrated manner.

Would it be advisable for you to securely save your kefir grains for an extensive period or send some to loved ones? Yes, you can do so by dehydrating them as well.

This interaction is simple to follow, however better still, it doesn’t need a dehydrator (albeit that will essentially accelerate the process)

1. To start, rinse the grains with filtered water if you have water grains or milk grains.
2. Assuming you have milk kefir grains. Then, at that point, spread the grains out on either a little towel or a piece of kitchen roll to dry.
3. When most of the water has drained from the grains, move them onto a sheet of unbleached parchment paper or wax paper and cover them with a towel.

Assuming that you have a dehydrator: now, you’d move them to a sheet inside the dehydrator. Set the dehydrator to the least setting and leave the grains for somewhere in the range of 3 and 4 hours. Add an extra hour on a case-by-case basis.

If you don’t have a dehydrator: pass on the grains to dry. This cycle can take 3 to 5 days relying upon the room temperature. I’ve observed turning the grains over with a spoon or spatula following 24 hours can fundamentally accelerate the process.

1. When the grains have dried, they should be put away in the fridge or the freezer. Milk kefir grains should be set in powdered milk whenever stored in the freezer.

Similar to the methods recorded above, the grains will require several days to awaken back and start producing at a consistent rate altogether.

Step by step instructions to Let Know if Your Kefir Has Died

I’m almost sure I thought my kefir had died multiple times during the initial months of culturing.

The reality of the situation is that kefir is generally potent. Nonetheless, the whole cycle additionally takes some becoming accustomed to.

Subsequently, assuming you’re new to culturing kefir (within the previous month), I encourage you to adhere to the methods before giving up your grains.

Kefir is a living organism and subsequently requires food and a warm climate to live. For milk kefir, the food is milk, and for water kefir, the food is water. Without these two things, your kefir will not survive. You’ll know whether your kefir has died on the off chance that it consistently can’t culture or potentially smells weird or looks bizarre regardless of various tried reactivation processes.

Step by step instructions to Resuscitate Your Kefir Grains (Water + Milk)

If your kefir has been away (fridge/ freezer, etc.) for an extended period or is trying hard to culture, you can execute various procedures to help it. These methods apply to both water and milk kefir grains.

• Heat the pot to remove chlorine and leave for 10 minutes until it’s lukewarm.
• Then, at that point, rinse the grains in the water before moving them to a glass container (you can utilize different materials; however, I’ve viewed glass as excellent)
• Cover the grains in a fluid—milk for milk grains and water for water grains.

Assuming you’re utilizing milk kefir grains, I’ve observed that pasteurized milk works best during the regeneration process. Notwithstanding, after some time (around 2weeks – a month), you can change to raw milk as per your wish.

I likewise observed that full-fat milk turns out best for the regeneration cycle. Nonetheless, similar to the type of milk, you can change this after some time (again, around 2 –4 weeks) as required.

I’ve observed the proportion of one tablespoon of grains to 1 cup of fluid works best when you’re initially reactivating grains or bringing them back to life. The kefir may require more fluid – 1 tablespoon to 4 cups, which isn’t uncommon.

Cover your kefir container with a material that permits the grains to breathe, for example, a kitchen towel, paper towel, or espresso filter. Then, at that point, pass on the grains to mature in a warm, dark spot for around 24 hours.

Assuming you have aged your grains for a long time or in hot temperatures (more than 30 degrees for longer than 12 hours), then, at that point, they might become over-fermented. When this happens, you’ll track down that the fluid separates into curds and turns out to be strong and flavourful.

If this isn’t as you would prefer, essentially strain the grains and repeat the process.

Step by step instructions to Know When Your Kefir Is Prepared

You’ll know whether your kefir is fit to be utilized when it turns out to be somewhat thick. Over the long haul, you’ll have the option to let know if your kefir is prepared basically from the smell – we joke in our home that you can smell the fermentation.

Assuming you see that your grains are marginally yellow or the fluid is runny, relax. That is essentially a sign that you can utilize more milk or diminish the fermentation time during your next interaction. Most individuals get the hang of it after around 2weeks – a month. Again, this is an expectation to learn and adapt.