What you eat can adversely affect your gut flora, and changes in your gut bacteria or microbiome promote weight gain and inflammation. Yogurt and kefir are fermented foods that deliver the beneficial probiotics you need for optimal gut health. Unfortunately, not all fermented foods are created equal and the homemade option is always the best.
Beyond its healthy milk-derived nutrients, homemade yogurt and homemade kefir are filled with live cultures that help colonize the intestines with new bacteria, high-quality nutritious ingredients that promote the growth of those bacteria and are free from all artificial ingredients and thickeners that can negatively impact your health. Having a healthy gut is crucial to your entire health and wellbeing, and optimal gut balance begins and ends with your diet!
Yogurt Recipe
+ 1/2 cup fresh organic yogurt with live and active cultures
1. Heat the milk until it’s warm but not boiling, 185°F / 85ºC. Remove from heat and let cool to 115°F / 45ºC. Stir in the yogurt and pour the mixture into warm, sterilized glass jars. Cover the jars.
2. Turn on the yogurt maker, place the jars inside, close and let culture for 8 to 10 hours. Remove and let cool before storing in the fridge.
While preparing the yogurts (step 1 of the yogurt maker method), preheat the oven to 120°F / 50ºC.
Place the jars on a tray, wrap everything in several layers of towels and turn off the oven before placing the wrapped tray inside. Close the oven and let culture for 8 to 10 hours. Once the yogurt has thickened, remove from the oven, let cool and store in the fridge.
Homemade yogurt will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
You can use a store-bought yogurt to make your first batch, but for the following batches, just save one of the yogurts and repeat the process.
Greek Yogurt Recipe
Greek yogurt is a thick high-protein, high-fat, creamy strained yogurt with most of the liquid removed.
To make Greek yogurt at home, start by preparing the yogurt as described above, using your preferred method. Once the yogurt is ready, strain it using a cheesecloth to remove most of the liquid.
Milk Kefir Recipe
+ 1/4 cup milk kefir grains
Pour the milk into a sterilized glass jar and stir in kefir grains using a wooden spoon. Cover the jar with cheesecloth, secure with a rubber band and let sit at room temperature for about 12 to 24 hours. After 12 hours, start tasting the kefir until it reaches the desired level of fermentation.
Once the kefir is ready, strain the kefir grains and store the fermented milk kefir in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Add more milk to your kefir grains and repeat the process.
Kefir grains are a living colony of bacteria and yeast that feeds on lactose. Since kefir grains consume the lactose in milk during the culturing process, some people who are intolerant to lactose can actually drink kefir.
If your kefir grains are producing more milk kefir than you can drink, store them in the refrigerator to slow down the process.
Vegan Kefir Recipes
+ 2 tbsp coconut oil
+ 1 tbsp fresh turmeric, grated
+ 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
+ 1 tsp ground cinnamon
+ pinch of freshly ground black pepper
+ pinch of cayenne pepper
+ 2 tbsp almond butter
+ 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
+ 1 tsp ground cinnamon
+ 1 tsp ground nutmeg
+ pinch of cayenne pepper
Blend the milk, natural sweetener and optional ingredients using a blender, until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture into a sterilized glass jar, stir in the water kefir grains and mix well using a wooden spoon. Cover the jar with cheesecloth, secure with a rubber band and let sit at room temperature for about 12 to 24 hours.
Tibicos are also a living colony of bacteria and yeast just like kefir grains, but they feed on sucrose. That’s why you need to add some form of natural sugar, such as coconut sugar, maple syrup, dried or fresh fruits, to your favorite plant-based milk in order to feed the water kefir and start the fermentation process. Enjoy!
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