Some health food stores also sell a freeze dried kefir starter. Look for it in the same section as the yogurt and kefir. This is what I have used and it works well with both raw milk or pasteurized. Making kefir is much easier than yogurt, yogurt requires a constant temp (I think 90-something degrees) whereas kefir grows well at typical room temps. Making your own is also much more economical than buying and so easy to do.
If you do use the freeze dried starter, the kind I used instructs to boil the milk first. I didn't do that with the raw milk and it turned out fine. I did do that with the pasteurized milk and while it turned out fine, the milk went from warm to boiling over lickity split. Real pain to clean that up! Boiling is not necessary.
Just gave our girls kefir for the first time, they went nuts!
If you do use the freeze dried starter, the kind I used instructs to boil the milk first. I didn't do that with the raw milk and it turned out fine. I did do that with the pasteurized milk and while it turned out fine, the milk went from warm to boiling over lickity split. Real pain to clean that up! Boiling is not necessary.
Just gave our girls kefir for the first time, they went nuts!
