How To Store Milk Kefir Grains When You Take a Break

[@debbieheine536]

I put my grains into a plastic container, cover them with milk, and put it into the freezer. The longest I froze them was just under three years. I thawed them, and after about seven days of straining and putting in fresh milk, they were back to full action making kefir.

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thank you for watching Debbie and giving us this great tip! I will definitely try this!

[@nmerchant79]

That sounds awesome, God willing I will try that with half of my grains. Thanks!

[@B._Smith]

Great info! I'll try multiple methods. 👍

[@foxybuddy]

Thanks for that, before put them into freezer, do we rinse the grains? Or just filter them out and cover with milk?

[@debbieheine536]

@@foxybuddy Strain the kefir from the grains, and put the grains into a container. DO NOT RINSE THE GRAINS. Fill the container with fresh cold milk, put the lid onto the container, and freeze. When you're ready to bring them back to life, pop out the frozen "cube" and put it into a larger container on the counter, and fill with milk. The next morning, the "cube" should have thawed and now you can begin the daily straining and adding fresh milk. Grains I froze 14 months ago only took two days to come back and begin making kefir. When I did a three year freeze, it took about seven days for them to come back to life.

[@ChildrenOfDesire]

I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I get my grains in the mail and was curious about this. This was a great video, thanks !

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Glad it was helpful!

[@KimMay-tj4zj]

Ha! So many ways to store! I have an abundance of grain growth using raw milk as well. Leaving for a couple months and am experimenting with several of the storage suggestions: freezing in milk, storing in back of fridge in milk, drying and storing in dry milk. Plus taking some with me. It will be fun to see what works best when I get back!

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

It would be great for you to share your findings with us! Thank you for watching and safe travels!

[@SpringValleyFarms]

Any update on this? Curious on the best storage method!

[@sharonhoffer3599]

Absolutely fantastic 🌳🌳🌳 I love all of us involved in changing the planet to a greener more abundant place 💚💚💚

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thank you for watching!

[@VelvetandToads]

I’m so glad I saw this. I’ve been using the freeze-dried kefir powder for ages but it doesn’t have as many probiotic strains and it only works a few times before you have to replace it. I’ve been wanting the real deal, but am often away for a month to six weeks. Now I know I can store it! I hope you’ll tell us how to wake them up...

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Yes, real kefir grains are the best. When my cows are back in milk I will create a more indepth kefir video and wake them up. Cows will start calving in March so stay tuned. Thanks

[@gregmeissner9960]

Helps, thanks. I'm surprised how quickly they are multiplying. It's like having another pet.

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Yes, kefir grains grow super fast if you use raw milk and cover them with an unbleached coffee filter. Growing grains are happy grains!

[@IvyCaroline]

Hi! How fast are the Milk Kefir Grains multiplying? I've made 5 batches so far and mine isn't multiplying. I am tad worried that I'm doing something wrong. 🥺

[@97AshleyRose]

@@IvyCaroline I’m worried I’ve done something wrong to mine I just received I put them in a jar of milk and stirred them up this morning I strained them but they looked like the had fallen apart I put them back in a jar with milk hopping this kefir thing works

[@jld0001967]

Same here - I’m running out of milk to feed them!!! Lol. Mine have exploded. I purchased what looked like a measly half a tablespoon. (I was so careful not to lose a single tiny grain initially.) Two weeks later, I’ve got about a 1/3 cup. I’m feeding raw goat milk which isn’t ‘legal’ or easily available to purchase in my state. :( Shipped in once a week. I’ll need to store some grains as back up and to gift.

[@HuongBui-cy5rg]

@@IvyCaroline I used organic 2% milk. I tbsp I bought a month ago now it is multiple to 1/2 C of grains. Just add 1 C of milk to the kefir grains and it will multiply. If you put more than a cup when I first got these grains it did not do much the milk kinds of runny. I hope it helps.

[@charlyl.abarca4960]

Thanks, I live alone and making 1lt of kefir a day is giving me too much, so I guess I will do the 1 week fridge store while I consume what I have already there :)

[@fragrancedeparadis1275]

Thanks for taking the time to share these healthy tips

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thank you for watching! Hope these tips help you.

[@Cris21292]

Super clear and concise directions!!! Thank you!!

[@adam3d851]

THANK YOU.. Holy crap I started feeling I'm addicted to a Kefir binge because it always needed food, it got me by the balls like a loan shark!!

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Yes, kefir can be very habit forming! My husband drank one quart of kefir daily for 5 years straight. There must be nutrition in kefir he needed.

[@fishnlady]

Adam, I know its a year later but I just read your comment and I laughed so hard.

[@deannacarlton7345]

Thank you so much. Concise and easy to understand!

[@reidweaver]

We got a freeze dryer this year and I found that I can freeze dry the excess grains. The wonderful thing about freeze drying is that you do not lose nutrients in the process. Simply rinse the grains and blot dry them with paper towel and spread on your tray (I use silicone sheets on my trays so that you don't have any sticking. Once completed in the freeze dryer I do not powder them, I just put them in my mylar bags with the appropriate sized oxygen absorber and seal. To use, I let sit in milk in a covered jar (and covered with a dishtowel) until you start to see thickening (usually 24-48 hours)

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

This is great information. We now have a freeze dryer as well and this would be a great video. Thank you for sharing and for watching!

[@mydoan6294]

Where did you buy your freeze dryer? It was so hard for me to find in Canada

[@lxic-bz8hf]

hello from Bahrain, great tips, thank you and God bless

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Blessings to you!

[@gg-wk2ww]

Kefir grains can be dried and will last 18 months, can store the dried grains in a freezer for years, just keep them from the light.

[@eduhaile5853]

Thank you for sharing the info. Its so informative. Do we need to follow the same methods with coconut milk or almond milk kefir grains. Please do reply. Have a blessed time.

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thank you for watching! I am sorry I have no experience with coconut or almond milk to make kefir.

[@redleo380]

I send gratitude to you for your knowledge. I subscribed because I feel what you lack in video editing you will make up for in wisdom regarding traditional self sustainable methods of living. 🙏

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Sacred Clown thank you so much for your kind words. I am working very hard to improve my channel.

[@billiesheads212]

Kinda rude. How well do you edit yours?

[@naryford1850]

Hi: where do you recommend to buy my first batch of grain(water and milk!) Thanks in advance.

[@MariaValentiMinistriesIn-fy5yu]

My question after drawing the grains, can I just put them in a glass jar cover with milk in the freezer for six months?

[@christinashabbyvintagedeco5284]

hi just came across your video where do you buy your kefir grains ? Thanks

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

I bought them from 'Cultures for Health'. They have a great web site and lots of great information. Thanks!

[@kimberlygoh791]

Thank you for sharing. I'm happy to learn from you.

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thanks for watching!

[@vickic6723]

Help Do I have to reactivate with sugar water every couple of days to reuse my Kiefer or do I just add coconut water

[@emilysmith1000]

Great video, thank you. I have a question- recently my mum was burning a very strong scented candle in the room where my kefir was fermenting. Ever since then, my kefir has had a weird perfume-like flavour - could it have picked up some of the chemicals from the candle? :-\

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Yes, I think it is possible. Sorry. Thank you for watching!

[@emilysmith1000]

@@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517 thank you for your reply!

[@97AshleyRose]

Can you mix grains from different sellers in the same jar

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

I don't have experience with this but I can not think of a reason you can't mix the grains. Thank you for watching!

[@CleverBryan1]

A little late, but I have grains I bought from Etsy where the seller combined 4 different types of grains. The kefir is delicious. I don’t know wether one killed the other ones or they all live in harmony, but the make kefir 😂

[@joshuahuang-sm1iq]

@@CleverBryan1can you please tell me what the seller is?

[@LenAyres]

If I’m gone on vacation for two weeks, and I have placed my kefir grains in milk in my refrigerator, then what do I do with those bottles of milk with kefir grains when I return? Do I pull them out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature and give them 12 to 24 hours to ferment?

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

I would stain the kefir grains out of the milk and add fresh milk to the grains because they are probably hungry. The strained kefir may taste good to consume. Just try it and see if you like it and if you don't want to drink it maybe you can use it for pancakes or something. In the refrigerator the fermentation if slowed down but you may find it fermented depending on variables such as your refrigerators temperature and where in the refrigerator it is stored. (Items are warmer when stored in the door.) Another variable is the milk you used to store the grains. I use raw milk. Thank you for watching and happy traveling!

[@HisChild14]

Is the milk from the resting kefir grains in the fridge edible?

[@beverleybrangman2191]

Thank you for this video

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thank you for watching!

[@catwarrior17]

How long can you keep kefir in the fridge after you have strained it and its ready to drink?

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Hello and thank you for watching! Fermentation is slowed down but not completely stopped, however your fridge's temperature impacts this. Usually after 3 days our kefir is too strong and we don't enjoy it. We use lots of grains and drink very fermented kefir anyway but maybe it you didn't use so many grains then it would not get too strong so quickly.

[@moridago]

Can you share how to wake kefir up after using the method of mike powder storage? My kefir now is cover with milk powder and it can’t be rinse off😅

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Try soaking the grains in milk to soften them.

[@dellabautista2707]

If you store your kefir grains with milk powder for 6 mos., do you rinse off the grains free of milk powder before reusing the grains?

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

It is probably not necessary but you will need to feed and strain several times to wake up the grains. Thank you for watching!

[@dellabautista2707]

Thank you!​@@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517

[@itredman]

In my milk no well-defined kefir grains develop. The milk is just thicker and somewhat lumpy. But straining does not yield gummy grains. Why is that?

[@muzduza44]

Me too.well I se maybe a 1/2 teaspoon of squshy grains but it's not multipying.did u figure this out?

[@alpenhuhn1]

! Gallon is ,3,78 l for europeans. Great Video, was wondering how to do it!

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thank you!

[@مامياماميا]

How can I do Kefir grains only 💫

[@sunnydays2053]

Will you make , or had made a video on how to wake them up? O really wood like to know thx u !

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX2ppYhvZ92YoqM Let me know if you have any questions! Thank you!

[@abigaelletuati7114]

How do you make the actual grains to make kefir grains?

[@AzaleaBee]

You can't make kefir grains, and it is usually not possible to buy them in stores. You can acquire them from a friend or neighbor who has some and you can even buy them online. The initial cost is high ($10-$30) considering that a lot of people have too many to give away, but once you get a tablespoon of them, you'll never need to get any more.

[@vickic6723]

Is it true we can't use a metal strainer

[@droidgracie4121]

You can use metal for straining because it only takes a few minutes. What is not good is using metal containers for kefir storage.

[@Shrraddha__]

😭i need someone to explain me evrything about kefir like i am a 5 year old- I am mainly confused about storage. I havent bought kefir grains yet, in my country they are quite expensive 😅 so, yk, i dont want to buy them before knowing everything about them. I need to know how to keep them alive, how to store them, some tips😭

[@ameenahmed7201]

Thank you

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@saharfu1795]

My kefir grains are getting smaller and crumbling. How do I make them grow?

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

You probably are using ultra-pasteurized milk. Raw milk makes the grains happy. Thanks for watching!

[@lyndalent]

Thanks

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

You are welcome. Thank you for watching!

[@LuzvimindaSatorre-ek3co]

Is kefir have expiration?

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

I don't really think it will go bad but it will over ferment and develop an off taste that would cause you not to want to drink it. Thank you for watching!

[@mike0133]

Worst thing ever you can do to your grains:wash them with water...

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Yes, I agree. I only rinse when I want to dehydrate the grains. Thank you for watching Mike!

[@ryang628]

@@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517 ​ Thanks for the video, Caren. For storage of kefir grains for over 2 weeks (in which case fridging with milk gets increasingly risky and eventually unviable), I suggest drying the grains in the refrigerator instead (in which case rinsing with water is definitely not needed since doing so is presumably to prevent the milk from spoiling) before finally covering them with milk powder (as a cryoprotectant) and freezing.

[@MariaValentiMinistriesIn-fy5yu]

Now I have another question you just said not to dry them hi so I’m confused because someone said you can’t dry them I’m very very confused. I want to store my grains in the freezer and real milk. Can you respond? How to do that? Do I still need to dry out the grains or do I just put them in the milk and freeze them very confused thank you all any update would be greatly appreciated.

[@MariaValentiMinistriesIn-fy5yu]

Hi, maybe you can explain what the hiding dehydrating grain means as opposed to non-dehydrated grains to store so if you’re going to store grains in the freezer with milk, do you want those grains to be dehydrated set out and dried for a few days or do you only set out the grains to dry for a few days if you’re using dry milk if you’re not using dry milk, do you just take the grains and put milk over them and put them in the freezer? This is where I’m confused. Thank you so much appreciate your channel. I’m subscribed and I watch.

[@Iaowah5053]

Can u drink the milk with kefir grains that was stored in the fridge for 2 weeks?

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Hello Chinita, thank you for watching! The milk the kefir grains are stored in usually doesn't taste very good after storage but if you think it taste good to then it is fine to drink.

[@Iaowah5053]

@@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517 ok thanks How abt the separated curd and whey?.. If it over ferment can u still drink it?

[@reidweaver]

@@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517 Mine was okay, but I added it to my milk I was adding to ferment. That way it isn't wasted.

[@j023909]

What I don’t get is why stop when your cows don’t milk, if anything kefir would better your store bought milk, they say that putting kefir in store bought milk is as if your milk was fresh and even better

[@isinyusuf3637]

My grains doesn’t multiply I don’t know why please HELP !!!

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Hello, you are probably using Ultra Pasteurized milk. Kefir grains don't thrive in sterilized milk. Thanks

[@nmerchant79]

I use Trader Joe’s organic grassfed ultra pasturized milk and it multiplies well.

[@kaarlo62]

I don't see why pasteurized milk wouldn't work. Maybe the reason is that it is lactose-free and the kefir doesn't have this way nutrients to eat.

[@faridaujjainwala9549]

Do not rinse your grains with water. Always with milk

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

I totally agree. But in the case of dehydrating them I thought rinsing them would speed up the process and avoid mold. Thank you for sharing and adding relevant information .

[@ninag.9007]

Hi can I use Regular milk

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Hello Nina, I would not use ultra-pasteurized milk, only raw or low pasteurized. I use whole full fat for all of our kefir. Thank you for watching!

[@arias839]

Those kefir grains are so small. Are they even healthy??

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Yes, they are very healthy. Thank you for watching!

[@hannahdages7698]

You're doing okay mama. Just breathe while filming your videos, try smiling a little more. You're doing great!!!! Make it fun don't overthink 🥰

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thank you Hannah, I am working on it.

[@L.J.01]

I thought you did great, very relaxed with an excellent presentation. Honestly, it never occurred to me that it could have been better. And your response to the unwarranted suggestions above was so very gracious. :)

[@myavatar9590]

I agree with LJ01, thought you did great too.

[@tosoflo1]

Thank you for the tips. It's pronounced kuh-FEER, not keefer.

[@LyraPleia]

It’s called keh-feer. Why is someone saying keeh-fur?

[@muzduza44]

We stopped subscribing to fear=feer

[@toosiyabrandt8676]

Hi Thank you for sharing your long storage method, but I must point out that you rinsed the kefir grains UNDER RUNNING TAP WATER not distilled water as you advised should be done! Shalom to us only in Christ Yeshua returning soon to reign over the world government from Jerusalem.

[@texasfarmsteadliving-caren9517]

Thank you for watching! Sorry, I have very clean well water that is pure enough to use to rinse grains but I should have shown rinsing with distilled water. Just wondering how soon do you think he will return.