When you are looking at drinking kefir, you might think that hitting up your local grocery store is your option – after all, you can find organic kefir in the cooler there – right?
But raw {live} homemade kefir is so much more than the pasteurized variety at the grocery store – raw milk is SO much more potent and has over 30 strains of usable, good bacteria.
If you are drinking kefir for the probiotics, it makes more sense to drink kefir made with raw milk than pasteurized kefir… it also makes more sense to make kefir from raw milk than use highly processed grocery store varieties.
Pasteurized Kefir (found in Store)
When you are picking up pasteurized kefir in store, it has been heated to high temps – thus destroying the good bacteria and enzymes that you should be getting IN kefir to help balance your gut.
Only a few strains of “good” bacteria are added back in – in addition to sugar (which is used to cover the taste). That fake sugar contributes to an overgrowth in yeast in your body. We can’t forget the additional preservatives and thickeners added in.
Not to mention, that pasteurization destroys the good vitamins (vitamin B6 and B12) that you NEED to have in your kefir to help make it a wholesome and worthwhile drink.
Raw Milk Kefir
Making kefir from raw milk is so much more beneficial – it has over 3 dozen strains of bacteria, and live enzymes.
Not only is it full of GOOD bacteria, it hasn’t been pasteurized at high temps – so it retains the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, B, E and K) that your body needs. It’s more easily digested in your system, and since it doesn’t have added {processed} sugar, you can sweeten with fresh fruit or raw honey (or, stevia).
You can make your own raw milk kefir at home quite easily using live kefir grains and organic, raw {whole} milk…. within 12 to 24 hours it will have fermented on your kitchen counter and you can strain to mix with fresh fruit in the morning, or mid-day.
Making your own at home guarantees that you know what is in it- you aren’t adding thickeners, processed sugar, or natural flavors.
Haven’t ever made your own kefir? Read how you can make your own by heading HERE.
Hi,
What is a kefir grain? Do you know if kefir has lectins?
Thanks so much,
-geofrey
Hi, Kefir ‘Grains’ are clusters or colonies of bacteria and yeast and are not actual grains so they do not contain any lectins. They are put into milk and left for around 24 hours to ferment the milk into a nutritious probiotic beverage. I would recommend you try making it at home since the Kefir grains can be ordered online. I have been making kefir daily for 3 years for my family and it has great benefits so please have a try!
Dear God I wish there was raw milk in all the ordinary grocery stores. Jesus.
I know.. I wish for the same. Here in Arizona you can get raw milk at Sprouts store, but that is it.
Michigan does not allow raw milk to be sold. But we get around it but selling “shares,”. I just started making kefir. I’ve done 3 batches with pasteurized whole milk which was recommended to “wake the grains up” and tonight I started my first batch with raw goat milk. I bought a share in a goat! Fun.
Diana, that is SO exciting! I am originally from MN and back there, they do allow it but… it’s very complicated, from what I hear my raw milk farm friends say. I love it… it’s great that you offer shares. I really hope you do well with selling shares. I love hearing from people who find it as valuable as I do… it’s very challenging in today’s time. Thank you for what you do! You are such a blessing to folks in your area!
How much raw milk kefir is recommended for daily consumption?
Jamie, recommend is 1-3 cups per day.