Wellness Strategies for Fall (10/16/10)

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Make Your Own Coconut Kefir

Makes 2 cups

Cultured foods filled with beneficial bacteria are a MUST for fending off colds and flus and cultured drinks, like kefir are an easy way to get more of these in your diet. While there are lots of cultured drinks on the market, many of them are high in sugar and other additives. Making your own kefir is SO easy and much more economical! This recipe uses coconut milk as the base–giving you a generous dose of the anti-viral lauric acid. Use this kefir as is, or in smoothies or on your cereal for a real treat.

• 1 quart glass jar with a lid that has a rubber gasket
• 2 Tablespoons kefir grains or a kefir starter**
• 2 cans unsweetened coconut milk

1. Place the kefir grains in the quart size glass jar and cover with coconut milk. Gently agitate the mixture to ensure the grains are well-mixed or stir with a wooden spoon (don’t use metal utensils with kefir).

2. Cover and let the coconut kefir ferment on the countertop for 12-24 hours. Agitate the kefir occasionally, loosening the lid to allow gas to escape and then tightening it again.

3. After about 12 hours, taste kefir to determine if it has reached your desired flavor and texture. If not, continue to ferment, checking every few hours. When kefir is “done” to your liking, remove kefir grains using a strainer.

4. Place lid over the remaining coconut milk kefir in the jar and store in the refrigerator. This kefir continues to culture (at a much slower rate) in the refrigerator and will thicken, so after a day or so you will have more of a coconut cream, which is delicious with fresh fruit or on top of waffles or pancakes! It will last for weeks covered in the refrigerator.

**You will typically find kefir starter in Natural Food Stores but will most likely have to buy kefir grains online.
Kefir grains produce a better product (in my opinion) but the starter is easier to find. If you use the starter, follow
the recipe on the package instead of this one.