Kefir Magic
Plus, the Biggest Octopod Culinary Deal yet!
Greetings,
The Risotto Substack last week went over incredibly well. Feedback has been incredible and I’m thrilled that so many of you tried it out quickly!
With Valentine’s Day only 2 weeks away, it would make sense to plan out a meal at home for your loved one, and have risotto part of it!
Remember that V-Day is the worst day to go out and eat… treat yourself at home!
Speaking of Valentine’s Day:
Octopod Culinary is launching the best bundle gift set to date!
Few acts of service exemplify “love” as much as cooking for your loved ones. As you may have seen by now, cooking at home is healthier and cheaper but most of all it tastes better!
Without a doubt!
So here is the perfect gift for your loved one: kitchen setup that will ensure more delicious meals, with the best quality cookware to make preparing a breeze!
I present the Valentine’s Luvooor Special, which includes:
(1) Octopod Classic Chef’s Knife
(1) Octopod Premium Cutting Board
(1) Annual 🐙 Substack Subscription
All of these items bought together would be ~$430, but for all the Luvooors, you get the best deal ever offered by Octopod Culinary.
Knocking $80 off the purchase price with free shipping included in the USA!
🐙 wanted to offer this as a special “thank you” for the continued support.
You get the best quality knife, the only cutting board you need in your kitchen, and 1-year of Substack Cooking Gold (current substack members can designate the 1-year subscription to another person, just let 🐙 know).
This deal lasts only thru Feb 14th, so snatch these up quick.
Friday will be a Valentine's Day themed Substack, so stay tuned as Luv is in the Air!
KEFIR:
The mention of Kefir has come up recently on the Twitter timeline, so it made sense to do an introduction.
Specifically, 🐙 finds this an important subject because there are some variations between making your own, using kefir grains, commercial/freeze dried starters and also buying prepared Kefir straight off the shelf.
Not all Kefir is created equal!
Next week will be a deep dive into making your own Kefir for Paid Subs, so today is a Part 1!
What is Kefir?:
First things first. Traditional Kefir is a fermented preparation.
Kefir is not:
-Yogurt
-Buttermilk
-“Fermented Sour Cream”
Kefir is distinctly a unique fermented preparation
For a refresher on Fermentation, refer to a previous Substack to get the lowdown on Fermentation and how it can be an important part of your eating/diet. ⬇️
A lot of people equate Kefir to Yogurt, but aside from having a similar flavor profile they are quite different.
The texture of Kefir should be pourable and resembles closer to Buttermilk, than yogurt.
Health Benefits:
So why do people drink Kefir?
You’ll see a lot of health/fitness professionals touting Kefir in their eating rotation and referencing health benefits.
It also can be delicious (everyone has a preference; 🐙 likes tangy/acidic flavors; some commercially available Kefir’s are flavored to balance sour flavors)
So how does Kefir consumption contribute to health?
-Kefir is loaded with probiotics which have been linked to maintaining good intestinal balance and health in your gut. There are hundreds of different bacteria that reside in our guts, and frequent ingestion of probiotic-rich foods (think kimchi, sauerkraut, etc) act as a help to keep bad bacteria levels down and flushed out, while promoting a healthy environment for good bacteria to thrive.
-Kefir contains more probiotics than yogurt; giving your GI tract access a wider range of “friends” helping your gut health
-Kefir has healthy AntiBacterial properties. Containing Lactobacillus kefiri This LB is unique in that occurs only in kefir grains. L. kefiri has been shown to inhibit the growth of various bacteria, like Salmonella, Helicobacter pylori and E. coli.
-Rich in Calcium and Vitamin K2 (especially, Full Fat versions), kefir is a great source for these bone-strengthening vitamins and minerals.
-Cancer research has shown positive results in test-tube studies using Kefir. One research study found a reduction in the number of human breast cancer cells by 56%. (This study also included yogurt which accounted for only a 14% decrease).
Production:
Traditionally, milk is combined with Kefir Grains and then left to sit for approx 24 hours. During this time the Kefir Grains go to work by fermenting the milk. *Milk can be cow, goat or sheep
Kefir Grains, as the name implies, are small granular orbs that resemble cottage cheese or cauliflower rice. They contain bacteria, yeast, milk proteins, and complex sugars. By placing the Kefir grains in milk, they then “feed on” the lactose and other sugars which is how the fermentation process occurs.
Fermentation is facilitated by yeasts/microbes eating lactose sugar in the milk. Then alcohol (-OH) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are expelled as a result. *vast over simplification but you get the idea.
Kefir Grains contain an entire community of microbes that have been studied extensively.
Important to note that the above Infographic shows the microbes that can be found in fresh, non-commercial Kefir grains. Many of these microbes are considered by the FDA to be contaminants and are not allowed in commercial productions.
Fermentation may have been around for eon’s of history, but it’s hardly a “simple” process. A fair number of the microbes that are classified as contaminants, commercially, have a symbiotic and beneficial relationship in the ecosystem. During the process of fermentation the contributions to flavor and the fermentation process are what makes Kefir so unique.
When produced at home (non-commercially), a starting concentration of 30% kefir grains to milk is used, and as the grains are reused they propagate (reproduce), creating more.
The concentration of kefir grains to milk is what keeps all of the microbes in check and behaving.
On a commercial level this is highly inefficient. In order to scale up a lot of manufacturers scale down the concentration in order to make larger batches. The decrease in concentration means that in order to meet FDA safety guidelines they need to kefir starters that have a lot of the microbes above removed.
TLDR: The purest, most probiotic-rich Kefir is made at home.
Kefir Options:
With the above in mind, what are your options?
Home production is really easy and simple. Milk + Kefir grains ➡️ ready next day. (This is an extreme over simplification, but will be broken down next week!). You can also vary the amount of grains at home to adjust for a more intense or less intense sourness.
Most convenient? Picking up at the grocery store where full fat, low fat, lactose free with various flavors are all available.
Other Kefir Preparations:
Most people think of Kefir as a milk based beverage, but there are also water-based kefir drinks, herbal kefir’s ranging from still to carbonated available.
When making kefir at home you have a lot more flexibility to integrate in other preparations like smoothies and using the grains in preparations like cheesecake if you feel so inclined.
Therein lies a very basic introduction to the wonderful world of Kefir!
A lot more detail coming next week on making your own, a couple suggested recipes and looking at different kinds of kefir grains to use when starting out.
Friday will be talking about Chocolate 🍫 and Coffee ☕️
Good things to come… until next time! 🥂
I didn’t see it, but do you have any posts on kitchen flow? I love cooking and am getting some great tasting outcomes, but I feel like my flow is disorganized. I’m always looking for an ingredient or adding another dish to the pile.
Maybe it just comes with experience, but I’m curious how a chef handles prep and organizing kitchen flow.
Where do you get your grains for kefir?