Now I'm understainf KEFIR better,after I dug into files and found many things I had kept on chesse curds. pronounced as the following..
kefir Pronunciation: keh-FEER Notes: Kefir is like a thin, drinkable yogurt. It was originally made in Turkey out of camel's milk. It comes plain or flavored. To make your own: Add a tablespoon of plain kefir (with active cultures) to milk and keep it at roughly 110° for several hours, then refrigerate. Substitutes: yogurt (tarter and thicker) OR kumiss
Some time ago had written to Dominic, a friend I meant on reasearching, and again asked him to clear this up for me, and for anyone else that was passing this Grain off as something it wasn't.
I must confess I was really getting more confused the more I read about this Soured Cultured curd, that looks like popcorn ( cottage chesses texture). All my life our families called it sour curds. And Thanks to Dominic, whom came back again to help me out on this subject, I think I have it right this time around.
Kefir dates back more than a thousand years to the shepherds of the Caucasus mountains. They discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into a naturally effervescent beverage. Marco Polo wrote about kefir in the journals of his travels.
Nowadays some say kefir is the perfect dairy food. Its tart flavor is similar to a drinkable yogurt. In addition to the naturally occurring healthful bacteria that yogurt has, kefir has beneficial yeast. The yeast and the bacteria work together to provide one of the principal health benefits of the drink. They assist in the digestive process. Additionally they provide an antibiotic effect for unfriendly bacteria.
Benefits of Kefir
In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids that help the body with healing and maintenance functions. The complete proteins in kefir are partially digested and therefore more easily utilized by the body. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also offers an abundance of calcium and magnesium, which are also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly profound calming effect on the nerves. Kefir's ample supply of phosphorus, the second most abundant mineral in our bodies, helps utilize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy. Kefir is rich in Vitamin B12, B1, and Vitamin K. It is an excellent source of biotin, a B Vitamin which aids the body's assimilation of other B Vitamins, such as folic acid, pantothenic acid, and B12. The numerous benefits
of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping relieve skin disorders, boost energy and promote longevity.
If you are lactose intolerant, some people say you can drink it without the same problems you have with uncultured milk. Kefirs beneficial yeast and bacteria provide lactase, an enzyme that consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing process. People who dont like drinking milk may like drinking kefir for that reason. The low levels of lactose make kefir particularly easy for everybody to digest. The complete proteins in kefir are partially digested during the culturing process and are therefore more easily utilized by the body.
Kefir proponents again some people tell us helps to build the immune system, stimulates the digestive system and has a tranquilizing effect that calms the nerves. The presence of tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is said to be the cause for kefir's relaxing effect on the nervous system.
High levels of calcium and magnesium are also present in kefir. Both minerals are necessary for a healthy nervous system and their presence in kefir adds to its relaxing effect. Kefirs ample supply of phosphorus, the second most abundant mineral in our bodies, helps utilize carbohydrates, fats and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy.
Kefir is high in vitamins B-12, B-1, and vitamin K. It is an excellent source of biotin which aids the bodys assimilation of other B vitamins such as folic acid, pantothenic acid and B-12.
Miz Judy..
Miz Judy,I've dedicated this information with you to share and use in your cook book: And my knowledge and possible benefits of Kefir of the Traditional of Kefir Making will bless now others to.
Peaceful Regards
Dominic
KEFIR Judy..It is not a field grain as many people think, it is produced as a Benefit, called Kefir. The word kefir is said to have originated from the Turkish word "Keif" which means "good feeling". Kefir, another cultured milk product, originated in the Caucasus mountains of Russia. It is variously cultured from the milk of goats, sheep, or cows. Its name translates loosely to "pleasure" or "good feeling." Due to its health-promoting properties, kefir was once considered a gift from the gods. Ever since the eighteenth century, kefir has been credited with healing powers. As early travelers to the Caucasus region came home with stories of its powerful healing properties, everyone wanted some of this medicinal miracle food. However, the necessary starter cultures, which were passed from generation to generation among the Moslem tribesmen of the Caucasus, were considered a very real source of family and tribal wealth. The tribes guarded the secret process jealously and
protected it with their very lives.
In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids that help the body with healing and maintenance functions. The complete proteins in kefir are partially digested and therefore more easily utilized by the body. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also offers an abundance of calcium and magnesium, which are also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly profound calming effect on the nerves. Kefir's ample supply of phosphorus, the second most abundant mineral in our bodies, helps utilize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy. Kefir is rich in Vitamin B12, B1, and Vitamin K. It is an excellent source of biotin, a B Vitamin which aids the body's assimilation of other B Vitamins, such as folic acid, pantothenic acid, and B12. The numerous benefits
of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping relieve skin disorders, boost energy and promote longevity.
Micro Organisms in Kefir
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Saccharomyces Kefir,Torula kefir,Lactobacillus caucasicus,Leuconnostoc caucasicus,Lactic streptococci,Some yeasts
Interesting Facts
Kefir dates back to the shepherds of the Caucasus mountains. They discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into an effervescent beverage. Its uniqueness from all other cultured milk products is the presence of more than three species in the culturing process.
Nutritional Facts
Kefir is rich in Vitamin B12, B1, and Vitamin K. The numerous benefits of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping relieve skin disorders, boost energy and promote longevity.
Miz Judy,I've dedicated a few Web page's to share WITH you, my knowledge and possible benefits of KefirTraditional Kefir Making .
Peaceful Regards
Dominic
While researching kefir in the early 1980's, I came across an interesting abstract. This explained how microbiologists had tried to unsuccessfully culture actual kefir grains during laboratory propagation of "starter cultures". These were pure mixed starter cultures, which were prepared from microbes isolated from kefir grains. After this and many unsuccessful attempts to try and spontaneously propagate actual kefir grains, they turned to the Caucasians and ask them how they acquired kefir grains! The Caucasians simply replied with:
"They were a gift from Allah, over 1,000 years ago"... which I thought was quite an appropriate answer < mystic-kefir grin
Could kefir grains have once been "manna"?... fallen into milk?
Manna, is the sweet white substance that fell from the Heavens, which fed the hungry Israelites, while Moses led them to the promised land. Manna actually means "what is it ?" Exodus 16 : 31 (Holy Bible)
Until this day, it's not fully understood how the polysaccharide matrix structure is created and which specific micro organism/s are involved in it's construction. The secret to this fascinating white to bone coloured, spongy, sour but clean smelling natural "mother-culture", still lies within the kefir grain itself!
When the secret to this intelligent-like self-organized bio-matrix micro-macro-system is unravelled, it may not only help us to understand this particular system, but could also help us to understand more about the workings of some diseases, such as tumours, carcinomas and diseases which may also involve microbial etiology, to say the least. This could also be true, not just for this one realm, the medical discipline, but could possibly open doors in other areas e.g. discovering new methods to producing new, organic/inorganic compounds, controlling biological wastes, and possibly help control some forms of pollution etc.
Traditionally, in the Caucasus Mountains, kefir was prepared with raw, full-cream goat's or cow's milk. Fresh milk and kefir grains was placed in goatskin leather bags and was then left to ferment for 24 hours. A portion of the kefir was then tied off in the leather bag and the kefir could then be easily separated from "most" of the grains. The kefir, with possibly a few grains, was then poured into a container and consumed. This would produce a foaming beverage, creamy in texture and consistency, with an alcohol content between approx. .5% - 2%. During cold weather, the leather bag was placed in the sun during the day, or hung near a fireplace at night. It was also a custom to hang the bag near a door way, whereby visitors would give the bag a gentle rocking action as they passed by.
Occasionally, kefir would be put through a secondary fermentation but without the grains. Fresh kefir was poured into a wooden barrel, sometimes with the addition of fresh milk. The barrel was plugged air-tight and left to ferment for some days. This produced a more carbonated beverage, with possibly a slightly higher alcohol content. (hey!.. is this kefir-milk-beer?) < hiccup-kefir-grin
* Till current date the mechanism behind the actual construction of the matrix bio-structure (the grains) is not yet fully understood. A soluble gel-polysaccharide discovered in kefir grains was unique enough to be given it's own name, "Kefiran". This polyssacharide is made up of two mono-saccharides; Galactose and Glucose. Experiments performed on mice have revealed this soluble-polysaccharide exhibited anti-tumour properties. In these experiments, kefiran was found to reduce the size of tumours. Much of this research has been carried out in Japan.
I will be sahring recipes using Kefir in my cookbook along with pictures.
Love Miz Judy