The popularity of this cultured milk drink is growing across the world due to its high levels of probiotics and vitamins. We caught up with two artisanal kefir producers to find out why. We will elaborate the health benefits of Kefir further down....
It’s believed kefir grains originated in the north Caucasus Mountains. These “grains” are used to ferment milk products to produce a drink high in probiotics and various vitamins. You can also find water-based kefir drinks in various forms and, while they are still good for you, research suggests the milk version of kefir offers higher amounts of probiotics and vitamins.
“The kefir grain itself isn’t a traditional cereal grain but a colony of lactic acid bacteria and yeast,” says Heidi Fallding from biodynamic Marrook Farm. Kefir contains a very high content of living probiotics, which, if cared for correctly, can survive indefinitely.
It has a tart flavour think Greek yoghurt but with a thinner consistency and usually has a higher fat content than yoghurt. While kefir might have a similar taste to yoghurt, it’s much higher in beneficial probiotics, good bacteria and vitamins.
Like any cultured milk product, it’s good for the gut and can help with digestion. Trent Bos, from The Milk Thief Kefir, says, “We are starting to better understand the importance of gut health to overall health and wellbeing. One way to help maintain a healthy gut microbiome is through consuming fermented foods like kefir.”
“We make it in a big vat, let it set, and when it gets to the right pH we chill it and then skim the cream off the top,” Fallding explains. “Because we don’t homogenise our milk, there is about half an inch of cream on the top and that would make the kefir really lumpy.
That cream is actually quite delicious and I have made butter for us out of it, but we don’t produce enough to sell; we get maybe five litres of the cream a week,” Fallding explains. After they take the cream off, the kefir is stirred and becomes quite liquid, then they just bottle it. It’s a straightforward process no additives, no preservatives. The kefir grains are added to cow’s or goat’s milk, or water (which has a different type of grain), and allowed to ferment at room temperature. This is part of the reason kefir has higher health properties than yoghurt, which may have been fermented with heat treatments to help it set.
Bos agrees that the process is a simple one and kefir shouldn’t contain anything other than the natural, pure ingredients. “We add five probiotic cultures to our milk: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, L. casei, Streptococcus thermophilus and L. bulgaricus, and then our kefir is slow-cultured over 18 hours to let the microorganisms feed on the lactose and turn the milk to kefir,” Bos says. That’s over 100 billion live probiotics per 250g serve. These artisan producers believe in real, authentic food production, and by not compromising on the quality of production and raw ingredients, they are contributing to a more sustainable future.
The taste, flavour and nutrient levels of the milk are affected by how the cows giving it are raised and fed. It’s important that these animals lead a stress-free life, grazing in paddocks as nature intended. Fallding’s farm is Demeter certified and committed to biodynamics. “We feel it’s the only method that really nurtures soil health, making it a living, dynamic environment. When the soil is healthy, the plants are healthy and the animals that eat the plants are healthy, which means the milk they give us can then make a good product for people to eat,” Fallding says.
Bos agrees it’s important that the milk is organic and they prefer to use Victorian milk in their kefir. Kefir is very straightforward there really isn’t anywhere to hide when making it, so the milk quality really shows in the end result.
“All of our milk is certified organic and is sourced from a farmers’ co-operative in Victoria’s dairy country,” Bos says.
In terms of sustainability, nothing goes to waste in Fallding’s process as their milk isn’t homogenised, so a layer of cream forms on the top. This cream doesn’t go to waste and can be turned into butter. Interestingly, many people who are lactose-intolerant can consume kefir because, once it’s fermented, the enzyme lactase contained within the kefir breaks down the lactose. If you’re still not game to try it, perhaps give water-based kefir a go; it’s a great non-dairy alternative.
“It’s a similar blend to a turmeric latte with turmeric, cinnamon, pepper and ginger, and it’s sweetened with coconut syrup,” Fallding says. For a kefir drink that’s gentle on the palate The Milk Thief also produces a bush honey kefir made with organic milk sweetened with natural stevia. In a flavoured form or in its original state, kefir is a wonderful healthpromoting food.
Try kefir in your next smoothie or over your breakfast cereal.
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| Health benefits of Kefir |
It’s believed kefir grains originated in the north Caucasus Mountains. These “grains” are used to ferment milk products to produce a drink high in probiotics and various vitamins. You can also find water-based kefir drinks in various forms and, while they are still good for you, research suggests the milk version of kefir offers higher amounts of probiotics and vitamins.
“The kefir grain itself isn’t a traditional cereal grain but a colony of lactic acid bacteria and yeast,” says Heidi Fallding from biodynamic Marrook Farm. Kefir contains a very high content of living probiotics, which, if cared for correctly, can survive indefinitely.
It has a tart flavour think Greek yoghurt but with a thinner consistency and usually has a higher fat content than yoghurt. While kefir might have a similar taste to yoghurt, it’s much higher in beneficial probiotics, good bacteria and vitamins.
The health benefits of kefir
This ancient fermented drink is thought to pack a punch when it comes to properties that are beneficial to your body and health. Studies have shown it is anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants. Artisanal kefir also contains high levels of protein, calcium, potassiumand B vitamins.Like any cultured milk product, it’s good for the gut and can help with digestion. Trent Bos, from The Milk Thief Kefir, says, “We are starting to better understand the importance of gut health to overall health and wellbeing. One way to help maintain a healthy gut microbiome is through consuming fermented foods like kefir.”
How it’s produced
“Kefir, like kombucha, has what is called a SCOBY, which is a colony of bacteria and yeast. Milk kefir has a jelly-like disc, probably the size of a shelled peanut, and we put them into the milk and leave it at room temperature,” Fallding says. “We use a culture that has a number of probiotic bacteria and the kefir grains,” she adds. The kefir mixture contains microflora, kefir yeasts and the additional lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus lactis ssp., Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus spp. and Leuconostoc spp. At Marrook Farm they use fresh batches each time they make their kefir, so the flavour stays consistent.“We make it in a big vat, let it set, and when it gets to the right pH we chill it and then skim the cream off the top,” Fallding explains. “Because we don’t homogenise our milk, there is about half an inch of cream on the top and that would make the kefir really lumpy.
That cream is actually quite delicious and I have made butter for us out of it, but we don’t produce enough to sell; we get maybe five litres of the cream a week,” Fallding explains. After they take the cream off, the kefir is stirred and becomes quite liquid, then they just bottle it. It’s a straightforward process no additives, no preservatives. The kefir grains are added to cow’s or goat’s milk, or water (which has a different type of grain), and allowed to ferment at room temperature. This is part of the reason kefir has higher health properties than yoghurt, which may have been fermented with heat treatments to help it set.
Bos agrees that the process is a simple one and kefir shouldn’t contain anything other than the natural, pure ingredients. “We add five probiotic cultures to our milk: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, L. casei, Streptococcus thermophilus and L. bulgaricus, and then our kefir is slow-cultured over 18 hours to let the microorganisms feed on the lactose and turn the milk to kefir,” Bos says. That’s over 100 billion live probiotics per 250g serve. These artisan producers believe in real, authentic food production, and by not compromising on the quality of production and raw ingredients, they are contributing to a more sustainable future.
Milk matters
As with all products we consume for their health benefits, it’s important to know where your producer is sourcing their raw ingredients from, and fresh milk from ethically raised cows will make all the difference to your end product.The taste, flavour and nutrient levels of the milk are affected by how the cows giving it are raised and fed. It’s important that these animals lead a stress-free life, grazing in paddocks as nature intended. Fallding’s farm is Demeter certified and committed to biodynamics. “We feel it’s the only method that really nurtures soil health, making it a living, dynamic environment. When the soil is healthy, the plants are healthy and the animals that eat the plants are healthy, which means the milk they give us can then make a good product for people to eat,” Fallding says.
Bos agrees it’s important that the milk is organic and they prefer to use Victorian milk in their kefir. Kefir is very straightforward there really isn’t anywhere to hide when making it, so the milk quality really shows in the end result.
“All of our milk is certified organic and is sourced from a farmers’ co-operative in Victoria’s dairy country,” Bos says.
Sustainable, healthy & ethical
One of the great advantages of choosing an artisanal product is you are choosing the maker of your food. The care taken by an artisanal kefir producer shows in the impact the kefir has on your body and on the planet. One way to determine that the kefir you are holding in your hand is artisanal is by checking what’s in the bottle. Kefir doesn’t need added preservatives; it will keep on its own. “There’s no need to use stabilisers or other nasties like artificial colours or flavours, either,” says Bos.In terms of sustainability, nothing goes to waste in Fallding’s process as their milk isn’t homogenised, so a layer of cream forms on the top. This cream doesn’t go to waste and can be turned into butter. Interestingly, many people who are lactose-intolerant can consume kefir because, once it’s fermented, the enzyme lactase contained within the kefir breaks down the lactose. If you’re still not game to try it, perhaps give water-based kefir a go; it’s a great non-dairy alternative.
Health benefits of Flavoured kefir
If you want all the health benefits of kefir but are a little nervous of the tangy kefir taste, artisanal producers like Marrook Farm and The Milk Thief do have some palatable alternatives. Marrook Farm produces a certified organic flavoured kefir if the taste of the original isn’t for you or your family. It’s called Golden Kefir and, as you would expect from a biodynamic producer, it’s all natural.“It’s a similar blend to a turmeric latte with turmeric, cinnamon, pepper and ginger, and it’s sweetened with coconut syrup,” Fallding says. For a kefir drink that’s gentle on the palate The Milk Thief also produces a bush honey kefir made with organic milk sweetened with natural stevia. In a flavoured form or in its original state, kefir is a wonderful healthpromoting food.
Try kefir in your next smoothie or over your breakfast cereal.
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