Kefir grains

[Guest guest]

Sally, The yellow is from the cassin that builds up and hardens. Its like

Elmer's Glue! That is why the suggestion is to rinse the grains each use and

to stir often. I recommend to rinse each time in milk and you can then use

the milk to kefir. I do not recommend to use water to rinse (as many books

advise) because it is too harsh and damages the grains. Grains are pretty

harder and by rinsing and rinsing usually come back pretty well.

Freezing does not kill all bacteria. The Notable Hotdog which has tons of

preservatives will still develop that slime mold on the outside skin in the

freezer. " Freezer Burn " where water crystals form and freeze on the outside

in an irregular manner will cause death and destruction.

A major health benefit of kefir is the bacteria and yeasts. Where they are

alive and flourishing offer a greater contribution.

Peace

Ed Kasper LAc. & family

www.HappyHerbalist.com

NOTICE: the National Security Agency may have read this email

without warning, warrant or notice. They may do this without any judicial

or legislative oversight. You have neither recourse nor protection. You

will never know it has been done.

.......................

<nutrition/message/9493;_ylc=X3oDMTJ

yZG9zcWlyBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzEzMzk5Mjg5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MDk1MARtc2d

JZAM5NDkzBHNlYwNkbXNnBHNsawN2bXNnBHN0aW1lAzEyMTc1MjQ1NjQ-> kefir grains

Posted by: " Eva family "

<mailto:bobsallyeva@...?Subject=%20Re%3Akefir%20grains>

bobsallyeva@... <bobsallyeva1>

bobsallyeva1

Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:11 pm (PDT)

I left my kefir grains in water in the fridge when I went on holiday for

two weeks. I'm using them again and they seem to be working though not

so well. They are quite yellow and tight whereas they used to be white

and blobby. I read (on another list) that yellow kefir grains are dead.

Have mine died?

Plus a question being asked for a friend whose child, like mine, has

autism. She is making kefir and giving it to him a little at a time

whilst he gets used to it. How should she store the surplus while she

uses it up? I suggested that she put it in the fridge. I said that it

was safe to freeze the grains and the liquid. She said that she had been

told that freezing killed the bacteria which is the very reason she

wants to give it to her son. Is this right?

I looked on Dom's site but I couldn't find the answer (I'm sure it is there)

Thanks

Sally

[Guest guest]

they do seem to be recovering. I will take your advice. Thank you

Sally

Happy Herbalist wrote:

> Sally, The yellow is from the cassin that builds up and hardens. Its like

> Elmer's Glue! That is why the suggestion is to rinse the grains each use and

> to stir often. I recommend to rinse each time in milk and you can then use

> the milk to kefir. I do not recommend to use water to rinse (as many books

> advise) because it is too harsh and damages the grains. Grains are pretty

> harder and by rinsing and rinsing usually come back pretty well.

>

>

>

> Freezing does not kill all bacteria. The Notable Hotdog which has tons of

> preservatives will still develop that slime mold on the outside skin in the

> freezer. " Freezer Burn " where water crystals form and freeze on the outside

> in an irregular manner will cause death and destruction.

>

>

>

> A major health benefit of kefir is the bacteria and yeasts. Where they are

> alive and flourishing offer a greater contribution.

>

>

>

>

>

> Peace

>

> Ed Kasper LAc. & family

> www.HappyHerbalist.com

>

>

> NOTICE: the National Security Agency may have read this email

> without warning, warrant or notice. They may do this without any judicial

> or legislative oversight. You have neither recourse nor protection. You

> will never know it has been done.

>

>

>

> ......................

>

>

>

>

> <nutrition/message/9493;_ylc=X3oDMTJ

> yZG9zcWlyBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzEzMzk5Mjg5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MDk1MARtc2d

> JZAM5NDkzBHNlYwNkbXNnBHNsawN2bXNnBHN0aW1lAzEyMTc1MjQ1NjQ-> kefir grains

>

> Posted by: " Eva family "

> <mailto:bobsallyeva@...?Subject=%20Re%3Akefir%20grains>

> bobsallyeva@... <bobsallyeva1>

> bobsallyeva1

>

> Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:11 pm (PDT)

>

> I left my kefir grains in water in the fridge when I went on holiday for

> two weeks. I'm using them again and they seem to be working though not

> so well. They are quite yellow and tight whereas they used to be white

> and blobby. I read (on another list) that yellow kefir grains are dead.

> Have mine died?

>

> Plus a question being asked for a friend whose child, like mine, has

> autism. She is making kefir and giving it to him a little at a time

> whilst he gets used to it. How should she store the surplus while she

> uses it up? I suggested that she put it in the fridge. I said that it

> was safe to freeze the grains and the liquid. She said that she had been

> told that freezing killed the bacteria which is the very reason she

> wants to give it to her son. Is this right?

>

> I looked on Dom's site but I couldn't find the answer (I'm sure it is there)

>

> Thanks

>

> Sally

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I would love both milk and kefir grains. How much are you asking?

Sent from my BlackBerry

(unknown)

Good Afternoon & Happy Friday,

If anyone is interested in starting with fermenting either kefir, milk or SKG I

have some extra water kefir grains and  milk kefir. If anyone is interested in

starting these culture please e-mail me off-list. I mail Priority, of course.

Yaphey

[Guest guest]

there are people on the Discussing NT list who will send them for just the cost

of shipping.

discussingnt/

they are listed under Applications > Give Away

discussingnt/app/giveaway/view/list

--- In , " Floyd " <magdaverte@...>

wrote:

>

> I would love both milk and kefir grains. How much are you asking?

> Sent from my BlackBerry

>

> (unknown)

>

>

> Good Afternoon & Happy Friday,

> If anyone is interested in starting with fermenting either kefir, milk or SKG

I

> have some extra water kefir grains and  milk kefir. If anyone is interested

in

> starting these culture please e-mail me off-list. I mail Priority, of course.

>

> Yaphey

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

lyn, I will add my name and take it away when needed. I might not have them

every week but I can do so close enough. Yes, they are eating me out of house

and home. I have dogs that are doing this as well, lol. Hey, free dogs to good

home as well ! I have 12 of them so just pick, lol. I know most of you dont need

a dog nor will head to NE Mississippi to pick one up.

April

> >

> > Hi everyone

> > I'm ready to start making kefir and need some grains. Is there

> anyone in the

> > Birmingham,Al area with grains to spare?

> >

> > Thanks

> > Jerry

>

[Guest guest]

For those shipping out grains to others, Cereal boxes work great. You can

double or triple bag the grains with dried milk and/or fresh milk and place it

in the cereal box. Then you can get the priority envelope that is very flexible

and ship it out. I forgot the name of the type of bag but you guys know what I

am talking about. This is what I usually do. You can also use a small jar to

ship out the grains if you have them on hand and put that in the box.

April

>

> I have excess grains I am willing to send to good homes

> They are live(not dried) healthy grains and I'll send enough to start in

> between a pint to a quart.

> I ask $8.00 for shipping..I double baggie them in milk and send in a small

> box to keep them in tact.

> I prefer paypal, but you can mail me well hidden cash also.

> I probably have enough for about 8 people right now...they grow so fast,

> will have more soon.

> Please reply offlist at saanens@...

> Thanks

> Kari

>

>

> Cedar Hills Farm Boers

> Christie's Dairy Goats

> Seymour, Mo

> http://karitrampas.tripod.com

>

[Guest guest]

I am in Minneapolis. I have tibetan mushrooms. Here is a picture! I love the

simplicity of making kefir with them. I am willing to ship in glass

$12.00...this includes the cost of the jar..and the plastic lid..priority

mail..

here is a picture of Pete

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/kaje62/DSC08899.jpg

he has had many babies. I usually name them..

Kathy-jo

c. 612.386.4240

ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Uptown-rags

[Guest guest]

Looks life a kefir grain to me...what's the difference?

Texas

I am in Minneapolis. I have tibetan mushrooms. Here is a picture! I love the

simplicity of making kefir with them. I am willing to ship in glass

$12.00...this includes the cost of the jar..and the plastic lid..priority

mail..

[Guest guest]

>

> Does anyone else have more current results when they do a search?

You are not alone, search of its own Group messages is non-existent.

I suppose that search page is a perpetual April 1st joke.

>

> And no, no one has ever succeeded so far as anything published in trying to

make kefir grains anew .. just like no humans made by throwing a bunch of the

" stuff " we're made of together!! The powdered kefir sold is a poor imitation of

the REAL grains, almost like a rubber talking doll (even computerized) would be

of us. Men have tried .. so far as I've read .. none have succeeded.

As I have made more kefirized milk from kefirized milk. I am pretty sure the

" kefir starter powder " is just the kefirized milk dried up and ground up in a

food processor or blender. No grains in there. Once the batch goes bad, that

batch is gone entirely. Those people may even use heated dehydrating method,

too, which kills off some of the cultures, weaken it more so it can't be made

perpetually and won't survive more than a few feeding cycles.

Or maybe those " kefir starter powder " just need to sit for a longer time to

establish first, instead of being over-diluted being fed every day. Even kefir

grains need a few days to adjust to new food source, dried kefir powder may need

even more time.

Anyone who have dried sourdough starter would know that re-activating would take

a several days (very slow), sometimes as much as a week to be fully active

again. While that same amount of fresh sourdough would make 10-times its volume

in a day readily.

>

> All that said ... that leaves room for even MORE exciting and challenging

research possibilities being done, does it not??? Since this living thing, the

" grain " is neither plant nor animal, but more like a " colony " of reproducible

polysaccharide substances which need symbiotic tender, loving care to be really

" healthy and balanced " , (like we do) it might behoove us to be very respectful

and actually honor it for what it gives us! That " honoring " and gratitude will

enhance our own humanity .. much like the indigenous cultures I worked with.

They generally have traditions of thanking the animals and plants which give

their lives for their sustenance and use. To do less demeans our respect for

other living " creatures " .

>

Now I see the kefir grains in the same light as sea coral pieces, bee-hives. To

the live cultures the grains is their habitat, home, protective place to hide...

So even when a bad batch is made, rinsing the grains simply wash away most of

the bad cultures in the milk while many of the desirable cultures are still in

the grains; which helps them recover in later batches.

The grains is more or less a reflection of the environment and nutrients they

live in. They flourish when well-fed, and wither when malnourished.

Jimmy

[Guest guest]

Here is the ebay site for the water kefir grains. I have been very pleased

with the grains and the ppl (really nice folks). Grains are priced at 7$ or

best offer. I bid 5.20 and the bid was accepted.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem & item=270377235208 & ssPageName=S

TRK:MEWNX:IT

and their kefir web page

http://www.yemoos.com/waterkefir4tbs.html

the woman who sells wonderful milk grains (although it looks like several

members here also have grains) and delightful to talk to on the phone btw.

Hello Rose,

My grains regularly grow to about golf ball size but I have just broken

them into smaller chunks.

So, I do have fresh, live milk kefir grains and can mail a start to you via

USPS

Priority for $9 if you mail me a US Postal money order (no others accepted)

or for $10 if you want to pay thru PayPal.

I send aprox 1/4 cup of grains in aprox 1/4 cup of cooked goats milk.

Please note - I will not replace a USPS lost or damaged culture for free.

To insure or not, is your choice. If you would like your package insured

please include an additional $1.85 to the above amount.

Insurance fee must be paid to the post office at the time I mail your

package.

I DO NOT self insure.

If you are interested in getting a start of milk kefir grains, please email

back that you

A- agree to the above terms,

B- which payment method you will use to cover the postage and related costs,

C- if you want insurance or not and

D- your full mailing address (telephone # is optional but sometimes

helpful).

If you would like a copy of my MK care instructions, emailed free, please

just ask!

An excellent site for MK information is -

http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

ttfn & happy brewing,

Rae in Idaho

A Hug is the perfect gift.

One size fits all.

Milk kefir grains do best with WHOLE milk (full fat). They do not care if

the milk is

pasteurized or raw but the fat content seems to help their growth and

happiness

factor. The more gently you handle them the more likely they will grow to

very large.

ON THE OTHER HAND, if you don't break some up occasionally, you may start

getting low kefiran production (the probiotic slime they produce) and that

effects

the end thickness of your drink when finished culturing.

I do get large grains, but have just broken them all very recently and

intentionally.

The grains you will be sent will grow bigger with time, milk and gentle

handling.

Milk kefir must have REAL (mammal) milk to survive and thrive.

The milk can be cow, goat, horse, lamma, sheep, or even powdered (if you use

powdered, you need to add cream or butter to it), whatever real milk they

adapt to.

And they generally do better if once you settle with a certain species of

milk, you

keep using the same species every time.

It is a good idea to re-read Dom's site often. I still do since he does

updates

and adds many recipes and additional information about our beloved cultures

and their many uses.

Actually, I give the $1 break to the people that send me a postal money

order because

of the cost to purchase the pmo and mail it to me. They also must wait

additional time

for mailing the mo, arrival here and for me to get their package out. I mail

out only on Monday (barring holidays) to have the grains spend the least

amount of time within

postal care. Sometimes the post office is not careful with their charges.

lol

** The PayPal account is attached to this email address, send when you are

ready.

As I said, insurance or not, is your choice. I do not self insure. I package

very carefully

and thoroughly for the grains transport. Their arrival and condition is upon

the post office.

Even tho I have mailed grains for many years, each package is still a

gamble.

The problem would not be at my post office or your post office, it always

lies in between

the two locations where loss or severe damage occurs.

When I started making milk kefir (mk), I used store bought cow's milk, then

I located

a source for raw cow's milk and switched to that. Next, I got into goats and

love them.

These grains have made the transition each time without trouble.

It is most important to keep them at room temperature and change the milk

regularly

every 24 hours max. Keeping the proper ratio of grains to milk with seasonal

adjustment,

is an almost constant balancing act. With the many years I have had these

grains, it has

become second nature to me. You will get the hang of this too, in time.

SweetEvil Woman [sweetevilwoman@...]

[Guest guest]

Could I have your recipe for the Apple juice please?

Thanks

Amyjo

Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

Kefir grains

I would like to express my thanks to Marilyn for growing such active grains.

I started with the dehydrated package that one purchases in the health stores.

Though they said you may get 5 or so batches out of a package, mine have been

going for three months. 80% are coarse salt size, 20% are chunky rice size.

After receiving grain from Marilyn, I decided to transmogrified them to use in

Juices. Following Marilyn instructions somewhat, after 48 hours, they

were percolating along nicely producing 20 oz of a apple juice product.

I am amassed by all this.

Just wanted to share this with the group

Vernon