Preventing slimy fermented carrots

[Guest guest]

While I have not yet fermented just carrots with ginger, I just put

in the fridge my best yet batch of kefirkraut that was made with one

head of cabbage, some grated ginger, and about 8 carrots. I shredded

the veggies, added one tablespoon of salt, layered them with a few

kefir grains in a glass cookie jar, weighted them down, added water

to cover, and let them ferment for one week at room temperature.

After a few days I skimmed off some foam. The finished kraut is

fresh, sour, crunchy, delicious, and not the least bit slimy.

I am convinced that kefir grains are the easiest way to make perfect

fermented veggies. Their probiotic spectrum simply doesn't allow

nasties to grow, and kefir grains are mindlessly simple to keep and

maintain.

[Guest guest]

> I am convinced that kefir grains are the easiest way to make

> perfect

> fermented veggies. Their probiotic spectrum simply doesn't allow

> nasties to grow, and kefir grains are mindlessly simple to keep and

> maintain.

Are they really " mindlessly simple " to maintain?! That's what I need!

I have chronic fatigue syndrome and mental energy is also in short

supply. I've decided to forge ahead and attempt to make goat's milk

kefir. One of my concerns is that I don't know if I'll be able to keep a

continual supply of it going. What do you do with the kefir in between

batches? Is it o.k. if you let several weeks go by between batches?

Does anyone have any kefir grains they'd be willing to share?

Has anyone made goat's milk kefir? Anything different about making that

vs. cow's milk that I should know?

Thanks for the help!

in MD

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[Guest guest]

> > I am convinced that kefir grains are the easiest way to make

> > perfect

> > fermented veggies. Their probiotic spectrum simply doesn't allow

> > nasties to grow, and kefir grains are mindlessly simple to keep

> > and

> > maintain.

>

> Are they really " mindlessly simple " to maintain?! That's what I

> need!

Kefir grains are little rubbery blobs that are easy to strain from

the finished kefir. There is no heating of milk involved; just pour

cold milk from the fridge right on top of the grains and let them do

their thing at temperatures ranging from fridge temp to room temp.

> What do you do with the kefir in between batches? Is it o.k. if

> you let several weeks go by between batches?

I keep my kefir in the fridge. Someone just asked on the kefir_making

group how long kefir keeps in the fridge, and someone replied

that the stuff is still good at four weeks, albeit a bit tangy. I

once had tempeh marinating in kefir for more than two weeks, and

there was not so much as a speck of mold or nasties growing in the

container.

Now, the grains themselves need fresh milk every week at the very

least unless they're put into suspended animation via freezing or

drying. If you want to not have to mess with the grains for up to one

week you pour milk over the grains just as if you were going to make

a regular batch but then you put the jar in the fridge. That slows

them down so that it takes a week to ferment the batch instead of the

usual 12-24 hours at room temp.

My routine is to buy a half-gallon of milk and make an 18-24hr room

temp batch with 1/3 of the milk. The next day I do another 18-24hr

room temp batch with the second third of the milk. Then I do the rest

of the milk in the fridge for a week. Then I buy another half-gallon

of milk and start over.

The benefit of this routine is that the two room temp batches are

creamier and smoother when done with grains that have slowed down

from a week in the fridge. Doing batch after batch, day after day at

summer room temp results in the kefir becoming quite sour and the

curds becoming " gritty " (kefir separates into curds and whey when the

acid level rises enough). I don't have that problem during the winter

when the house temp is much cooler.

> Does anyone have any kefir grains they'd be willing to share?

I have a waiting list of local people wanting grains, so I don't do

any shipping. But, you might be able to find someone on the

kefir_making list ( Kefir_making ) who

can send you some. You can also order them from Betty at GEM Cultures

( http://www.gemcultures.com/ ). That's where I got mine, and they've

been very well behaved.

> Has anyone made goat's milk kefir? Anything different about making

> that vs. cow's milk that I should know?

Kefir grains love goat's milk. I'm quite certain the process is

identical to making it with cow's milk.