Creamy, tangy, and full of gut-friendly probiotics, this homemade raw milk kefir is easy to make and endlessly useful—from smoothies to salad dressings and more.
1–2 tablespoons kefir grains
1 quart raw milk (cream skimmed off)
Add kefir grains to a clean glass jar—about 1–2 tablespoons per quart of milk.
Pour in milk. I use raw milk (after skimming the cream), but any whole milk will work. Just don’t use hot milk!
Cover loosely. I set the lid on top (don’t screw it on). A coffee filter and rubber band or a cloth works great. You want it to breathe.
Let it sit on the counter for 24 hours. It’ll thicken and might separate slightly. Totally normal.
Strain it. Use a plastic or stainless steel strainer to catch the grains. I stir gently with a spatula to help it along.
After your kefir has fermented and been strained, you can store it in the fridge for a month or so.