Picture The Scene:
You know. When you set everything up the right way?
A delicious dinner is cooking on a shiny clean hob. You’re gliding seamlessly around the kitchen, not a spot of dust to be seen. Even the dog is smiling knowingly.
Your partner/housemate arrives home to a perfect companion.
- The house is tidy
- Your work is done
- You are stress free
- The dinner is ready
Ok. Let’s rain check this one.
(Loud screechy/halty sound.)
The Truth:
You know when you set everything up the right way, but nothing goes to plan?
This has happened to my kefir milk.
Should I confess HOW many times it’s happened?
I could protest too much that I’m a big fat 10 out 10 on domestic issues, but this would overlook the fact that only yesterday morning, I prepared a scrumptious casserole for dinner, popped my beautiful NEW crockpot on the hob (easiest place for it to sit) switched on the gas below it and watched the flames rapidly burn off a foot and the side of the digital display before I realised it wasn’t smoking because it’s fairly new (3rd time being used).
It was because I was cooking an electric piece of equipment.
If our our insurance company is reading this, I would like to make clear that I have not claimed. Our house is still in one piece. The crockpot (www.crockpot.co.uk) is still working (I guess this is a fairly good free advertisement for the company). 😉
The sad thing is that I’m unable to replace the outer casing, so I either need to replace it or just use a very ugly one … and I was aiming to photograph pretty, shiny, all-things-nice ‘stuff’ for my blog. (Sniff, whimper.)
Anyway. You’re getting the picture here. Honestly? I’m just not used to electrical cooking implements.
Holds down and mutters quietly, so hardly anyone notices:
I wasn’t once named ‘Aunty Fire’ by one of my nephews for nothing. (This, because of one minor, isolated, nothing-really-happened moment, when I burned their sausages to the point where it was just baked beans and mash for tea.)
Teas are made by request.
BIG fail.
So I bought this for their next visit. Just in case they’d forgotten the fun they have when they visit Mad Aunty Sarah (I didn’t create that name):
But I digress. (This seems to be a strong point. 😉
So this is what happens to my kefir. Almost immediately. Every time. And I’m showing you for a reason. (The reason is after the photo.)
It isn’t sour.
I have read that if your kefir milk separates, that it’s over fermented. i.e. too sour.
I just want to share with you that with fermentation techniques, it’s not one for all.
You see, my kefir often separates like this within a few minutes of nestling down in our utility room as fresh milk.
The grains aren’t old, or worn out, or crusty, or yellow, or pleading for a break. They get regular breaks and they’re making lovely kefir.
The coconut kefir is either a new powder or thriving milk from the previous batch. (This photo is coconut kefir.)
I just wanted to share this with you so you’re not alarmed if it happens to you when you first close the lid and check half an hour later to find your milk in two halves!
Okay. Moving on.
My Kefir Went Too Sour
This next photo is a cow’s kefir milk. With grains. I left it too long (probably a day or so, I can’t recall now as these photos were taken back in June) but it was over-fermented. Notice that the colour is a little richer.
Now check how the top of the ferment looked. Oops! You can see clearly that it’s nicely curdled. (Nice being the wrong word. It really isn’t very nice at all!)
Here’s a closer look at the milk.
It won’t smell very good at this stage either. Unless you like a very sour aroma it can be rather off-putting. However, it won’t taste quite as sour as it smells.
Remember you can add honey and the longer something ferments the more bacteria are likely to inhabit the food/drink, so if you can handle the flavour, it’s worth rescuing.
So, I set about restoring the milk to it’s former glory. (I know. I’m a saint.)
Stirring won’t do the trick once it’s gone this far, but pop it in a powerful blender for just a few seconds and check this out:
And the spoon-view.
Then simply pour your lovely silky, creamy new kefir milk into a clean jar (or jug) for the fridge.
It really is that straight forward!
Tomorrow I have a sorry tale to tell of a ferment that went even further down the line than this one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soured_milk
Have you made your first kefir yet? Please share your story if you do! Would love to see your photos. One with you and your kefir milk. Let’s share them on the blog! 🙂
Catch you sooooon ..
