Saffron, Maple & Vanilla Kefir Fizz Recipe
While kefir has been around for 1000’s of years it has really made a resurgence of sorts in the last little while. Kefir grains are gelatinous polysaccharide structures created by a range of bacteria and yeast that that convert the lactose found in dairy milk into lactic & ascetic acids & many other beneficial compounds such as folate, biotin, niacin & vitamins A, B2, B6 & B12.
The resultant dairy kefir made by adding kefir grains to dairy milk is a slightly thickened & sour, lightly effervescent pre & probiotic drink. You can enjoy your kefir drink either as is or use it in a range of ways, such as making cream or cheese. In our recipe we’ll show you how use your freshly prepared dairy kefir to make a saffron, maple and vanilla milk fizz!
Want to take a break from creating dairy kefir for up to a week? Then place grains in a clean jar & top up with fresh dairy milk, replace lid loosely and keep in the fridge for up to a week. When ready to use simply leave out at room temperature covered with a muslin cloth + rubber band. Strain and use as normal.
Want to take a break from creating dairy kefir for up to 4 weeks? Repeat as above for up to 4 weeks. When you would like to use your kefir grains you will likely see a white mould on the surface, similar to a camembert rind. This is completely harmless, simply skim and carry on to strain and re-use the grains by first rinsing the grains with water until there are no milk solids attached & feed with fresh dairy milk to begin the process afresh. If however, there are bright colored nasties, discard the lot.
Want to take a break from creating dairy kefir for 3+ months? First start by rinsing your kefir grains then spread them over a clean cloth to help them dry out. If you have a dehydrator now would be the time to take advantage of that. Once grains are completely dried out store them away in a glass jar. When ready to use your grains once more, simply feed them with fresh dairy milk to start afresh. It can take 2-3 weeks to get your kefir grains to the state they were in prior to dehydration.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 sachet of Mad Millie Kefir Culture
- 1L of milk
EQUIPMENT
- 1.5L capacity glass container
- Muslin cloth or Chux cloth
- Rubber band
- Fine mesh strainer + bowl
DAIRY MILK KEFIR – FIRST FERMENT
- Add 1L of dairy milk to your jar.
- Add the kefir culture sachet to the jar & mix well.
- Cover the jar with cloth & seal with rubber band.
- Leave at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, gently mix the liquid & then strain through a mesh strainer, gently using a wooden spoon to help liquid pass through.
- Rebottle the kefir & store in refrigerator. Consume with 7-10 days.
- Start a new batch of kefir by adding a quarter cup of saved grains to 1L of dairy milk & repeat as above.
BONUS RECIPE
SAFFRON, MAPLE & VANILLA KEFIR MILK FIZZ – SECONDARY FERMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 600ml of ripe kefir dairy milk
- A few strands of saffron
- 50ml of boiling water
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthways
EQUIPMENT
- 750ml flip top bottle
- Funnel
RECIPE
- Combine saffron strands with 50ml of boiling water in a large mixing bowl and set aside until liquid has cooled.
- Once cooled, mix in dairy milk kefir and maple syrup and mix until well combined.
- Place split vanilla bean pod in a clean 750ml swing-top bottle then pour in the kefir mixture using a funnel.
- Leave bottle out at room temperature away from direct sunlight for 24 hours.
- Burp your bottle after 24 hours & place it in the fridge and enjoy for up to 5 days, burping daily to avoid over-carbonation (and a huge mess!).
Saffron, Maple & Vanilla Kefir Milk Fizz recipe from “Ferment: A guide to the ancient art of culturing food”, by Holly Davis. Murdoch Books, 2017.
