You may be surprised by what follows, so perhaps it’s best to sit down. To talk about kefir, we must begin by talking about our intestinal flora, that colony of millions of bacteria that live in our gut, absorbing vitamins and ensuring that everything stays in good working order. You may not want to think about it too often, but your gut is alive. And like any living organism, it may need a good cleanse from time to time, and that’s where kefir comes in.
Originating in the Caucasus region, it has existed for thousands of years. The name comes from Turkish and, roughly translated, means “long life” or “good life.” When milk and kefir grains are combined and allowed to ferment, the result is the delicious probiotic beverage we know as kefir. Fermentation happens when microorganisms (fungi) take the energy (sugar) and transform it into something else (= good bacteria).
Thus, when we consume kefir, we renew all those little good bacteria that are responsible for the proper functioning of our intestines. Here is a simple recipe for making your own kefir. It can be sweetened to taste using the sweetener of your choice.
Ingredients:
- 1 l drinking water
- 40 g sugar
- 20 g raisins
- 60 g of kefir grains
Stir the sugar into the water, add the kefir grains, cover with a cloth and leave to ferment for 48 hours. Strain and store the mixture in the freezer, opening it from time to time so that it does not accumulate too much gas. You can add the raisins or other fruits to taste – when you strain it, add them in and leave the mixture for another 24 hours with the cloth covering. Cheers to long life and a happy gut!
