Hey Guys!
Did you know we can use our extra kefir grains to make lacto fermented beverages? Ones with a mild alcohol content like mead! I was flipping through my copy of "Full Moon Feast" by Jessica Prentice, and found several recipes..all of which have a very minimal alcohol content, but are full of healthy enzymes and such- She uses any extra kefir grains for making these beverages....She says to rinse the milk from them before adding them to your beverage.
Mellow Mead
2/3 C raw unfiltered honey
1 1/2 C filtered water, very warm (about 110 F)
6 C filtered water
1/2 C kefir grains- rinsed if used for milk, or water kefir grains
1. Pour honey in a clean, 2 quart mason jar,
2. Pour the hot water over the honey and stir to dissolve.
3. Pour the rest of the filtered water into the jar.
4. Add kefir grains.
5. Cover the jar and put in a warm place for one week.
6. Strain into 2 glass bottles with screw tops (or probably those wire stopper bottles you can get from wine making supply shops- to hold in carbonation without blowing the tops off). Put an equal amount in both bottles. If they are 1 quart bottles, they should be full; if they are liter bottles, add enough water to fill to the top. Screw lids on tightly, and return to the warm place for another week.
7. Transfer to the fridge. Once they are cold you can enjoy them anytime! Open carefully over a sink, or unscrew partially to release some of the carbon dioxide and them open it a more bit by bit so you don't loose all the carbonation.
Lemon Verbena Ale
1 C loosely packed lemon verbena lleaves
2 quarts filtered water
2/3 C Sucanat, Rapadura, or palm sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 C kefir grains
1. Put lemon verbena leaves in a large pot and pour 1 quart of water over them.
2. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let it sit, covered for 30 minutes to infuse.
3. Pour the sweetner into a 2 quart mason jar and strain in the still got verbena infustion, stir to dissolve.
4. add the lemon juice, along with the remaining 1 quart of water, stir to combine.
5. Make sure temperature is down to about 100 F before adding the kefir grains. Add grains, screw on lid and leave to ferment for 2 days in a warm place.
Follow steps 6 & 7 from above, except only let it sit for three days after you have strained the kefir out.
Sounds good, right?? What can't these little grains do?
She also has recipes for root beer, yarrow ale, hibiscus and rose hip soda (yum!), birch beer and sorghum ale.
Let me know if you guys want any of the other recipes and I'll add them. I'm going to try the Mead this week!
Andrea
