Myths About Kefir/Kefir-Making
986 days agoI have been getting a number of good questions from my readers regarding Kefir and the Kefir-making process. There are many opinions and ideas about this wonderful drink and the process to make it. I know that it is near impossible to “prove” or to “disprove” most of these theories and opinions, but I hope that my own opinions can help to clear some doubts. For the record, I am not an expert in Kefir. I have been making Kefir for only about 6 to 7 months and mainly for my own consumption. All these opinions are just from my experience.
Myth: Kefir or the Kefir grains cannot come in contact with metal.
If you use stainless steel (like what most kitchen utensils are now), it should be fine. Stainless Steel doesn’t react with acids like aluminum or copper does, so you should not have any problems with stainless steel. For long term storage however, perhaps it still would be better to avoid even stainless steel.
Myth: Can only use Raw Milk to make Kefir.
Raw milk is the best, since the Kefir grains are adapted to the Raw Milk environment. And of course Raw Milk is the most nutritious milk of them all (as compared to pasteurised and ultra-pasteurised(UHT) milk). However, this does not mean that you can only use Raw Milk to make your Kefir. In fact, any type of milk will do. However, I do not recommend UHT milk as it is ultra-heated and a lot of the vitamins and nutrients in the milk have been destroyed. We are consuming Kefir for our health, so might as well make full use of the nutritional value of the milk. The most practical for most of us is still pastuerised milk.
Myth: Do not use Plastic as your container to ferment your Kefir.
If you use food grain plastics (like PET), you should be fine. There are people who worry about chemicals leeching from these plastics and contaminating your Kefir. But seriously, unless you are fermenting your kefir for months on end, the tiny weeny amount of plastic chemicals being leeched out is less than the amount you consume from that chicken rice packed in styrofoam boxes. Food grade plastic is cheap, convenient and not easily breakable. However, if you thinking of storing Kefir in a plastic bottle (for a longer period of time), then perhaps you have something to worry about. A glass jar would be a more appropriate medium.
Myth: Rinsing the Kefir grains with unchlorinated water after each ferment is healthy for the grains.
I find that very doubtful. Rinsing the grains may make it more visually appealing to some but I really doubt it is healthy for the grains. In fact, I think that the water might damage the grains as they are not meant for staying in a water medium. I myself have never rinsed my grains and they are growing very well. From what I read, rinsing them with water will affect the grains’ own microflora. But if you find that the grains have small pieces of curd and crusts stuck to them which cannot be easily removed, then try rinsing them with milk instead of water. Anyway, healthy grains should not have any such crusts stuck to them. If such difficult to remove “curd and crusts” are observed on the grains, it could be a sign that your grains are unhealthy.
Myth: Kefir is a cure-all miracle foodstuff.
Although Kefir is a very healthy and nutritious dairy product and has a number of health giving properties, it is not a cure-all. And don’t expect Kefir to perform miracles for you either. In fact, I am pretty sure there is no such thing as a cure-all miracle thingy. The probiotics in the Kefir have been known to enhance your immune system, improve your digestive system and so on but everything else still depends on your diet, whether you exercise or not, environmental conditions, mental wellbeing and if you are sick, please go see a doctor!
Myth: Kefir has everything you need to survive.
As I mentioned above, Kefir is a very nutritious dairy product and the fermentation process makes the milk more digestible, but you will still need a balanced diet. I think that moderate amounts of all kinds of food is healthy and that includes Kefir. The important thing is to understand that Kefir helps to supplement your daily diet and not the other way round. Drinking one or two cups of Kefir every day is good, drinking like 10 cups of Kefir and not consuming other foodstuff might be dangerous to your health.
