Name: How to Make Raw Milk Kefir
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons milk kefir grains; 1 quart raw milk (pasteurized works too)

Learn how easy it is to make raw milk kefir from kefir grains in your own kitchen. This simple process can be done in just a few minutes and will provide you with endless milk kefir and a growing brood of kefir grains to share with all of your friends.

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Woman pouring a large measuring bowl of raw milk kefir into a glass mason jar. There is a bowl of kefir grains on the table in front of the mason jar.

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Early on in my marriage, I asked a friend for some of her milk kefir grains. I had heard about the benefits of kefir and wanted to learn how to make it to use in our smoothies. When I first got the kefir grains I was so worried about how to “take care” of them and it all felt very complicated. I remember accidentally using a metal spoon to separate my grains. I worried I had contaminated them somehow. Spoiler alter: nothing bad happened. Since then I’ve learned just how flexible and simple it is to make this rich probiotic drink right here in my own kitchen.

Woman stirring raw milk kefir with a wooden spoon through a strainer into a large measuring bowl.

Benefits of fermented foods

Before we talk about how to make raw milk kefir using kefir grains, let’s look at the benefits of fermented foods.

Fermentation is the natural way people preserved food for hundreds of years. Since the invention of many of our modern conveniences, fermented foods have gradually disappeared from our diets. But over the years it has become more evident that eating food rich in probiotics is very beneficial to overall health. All types of fermented foods are naturally rich in probiotics.

Probiotics can help to restore and maintain the beneficial microbiome that live in our body. Our microbiome is very important to fighting off bacteria, fungi, viruses or parasites that make us sick. They are also important in helping us to digest and utilize the nutrients in the foods we eat. It is also linked to how our brains and nervous system function (source).

Since our microbiome can affect so much of how our bodies work, it is important to take care of it. One way to do that is to eat probiotic rich foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, fermented pickles, beet kvass and many more.

Not only does fermented food have probiotics but it also makes the nutrients in food more bioavailable to us. It can even add nutrients to the food (source).

All that to say, fermented foods are really good for our health and we should definitely eat more of them.

Supplies Needed

Kefir grains or starter culture
Raw whole milk or pastured milk
Quart or half gallon sized mason jar
Plastic mason jar lid (optional)
Plastic sieve or plastic pasta strainer
Wooden spoon or spatula

A close up picture of kefir grains on a wooden spoon.

Woman wearing a green apron putting kefir grain to a clean mason jar with a jar of raw milk on the table next the it.

Woman in green apron pouring raw milk into a clean mason jar with kefir grain.

Instruction for How to Make Raw Milk Kefir from Kefir Grains

Making raw milk kefir is actually really simple. It almost feels too simple to even write about. But I remember how it felt really intimidating when I first started to make it.

Begin by adding around 2 tablespoons of kefir grains and 1 quart of raw milk (pasteurized milk works too) to a clean glass jar. This is a loose recommendation as this recipe is very flexible. Be sure to leave an inch or two of head space as the kefir will expand a little as it ferments.
Stir or shake the milk and grains together. The general recommendation is to use non-metal utensils when working with kefir. Personally, I always ferment in glass jars. But have used metallic utensils at different times when stirring or straining my kefir grains without issue.
Cover the jar with a loosely tightened plastic lid or clean breathable cloth secured with a rubber band. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight or in a cool dark area while fermenting. Allow it to ferment for 12-48 hours. Timing will depend on the time of year and how warm or cold your kitchen is.
Once your kefir is ready it will be thick all the way through and have a tangy taste. If left to ferment too long, it will start to separate into curds and whey. It is still perfectly good to use it will just have a stronger flavor to it.
To strain the kefir, place a strainer (preferable plastic) over a clean jar or bowl. Pour the kefir into the strainer and use a wooden spoon to gently stir the grains around until they kefir drains through. You will be left with just the kefir grain in your strainer. I often strain mine directly into the vitamix blender as I most often make smoothies with it.
Finally, start the process all over again by adding your strained kefir grains to a clean jar, adding more milk on top and allowing to ferment. A lot of sources say to rinse your kefir grains in water before starting a new batch. I have found this step unnecessary. Store the strained kefir in the refrigerator.

A above view of fermented raw milk kefir.

Woman in a green apron pouring fermented raw milk kefir into a sieve to strain out the kefir grains.

Woman in a green apron using a wooden spoon to stir the raw milk kefir through the sieve into the clean measuring bowl.

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Ways to Enjoy Raw Milk Kefir

Milk kefir can be enjoyed all by itself but our favorite way to drink it is in a smoothie. We usually add milk kefir and bananas, then any other type of berries or fruit we have on hand.

Because of its similarity to milk or buttermilk, milk kefir can be substituted in recipes like pancakes, bread, muffins or cakes. It adds a slight tangy flavor to whatever you are baking.

Here are a few other ideas for how to use milk kefir: salad dressings, cream sauces or even for marinating your meats.

Woman in a green apron pouring fermented strained kefir to a clean glass mason gar with kefir grain in front.

Q&A

Here are some common questions folks have when starting out making kefir.

What is milk kefir?

Milk kefir is a fermented milk drink that is rich in probiotics. In fact, it can have has many as 61 different strains of probiotics as compared to yogurt which only has 1-5 different strains. It is believed to have originated near what is now modern day Turkey and made its way to Russia and eventually to the rest of the world (source).

Where can I get a kefir starter culture or kefir grains?

There are several ways to start making your own kefir at home. It is becoming easier and easier to find kefir grains or starter cultures as the popularity of this nutritious drink continuers to grow. Local health food stores and online retailers are easy places to purchase grains. But even better (and free) would be a local friend who is willing to share their extra kefir grains.

Here are several online sources for purchasing kefir grains.

Close up picture kefir grains in a brown pottery bowl.

What type of milk should I use?

The great thing about making milk kefir is it is really flexible with what milk you use. The best tasting, creamiest and most nutritious kefir is made with using raw whole milk. However, you can use pasteurized whole milk or low-fat milk and even non-dairy milk alternatives although the kefir grains need to be placed in milk after several fermentations in a non-dairy milk because they loose their ability to ferment as well.

How much milk kefir should I drink a day?

Because milk kefir is so rich in probiotics, it is best to start drinking a little at time and gradually building up over time. The general guidelines for how much to drink a day are 1-2 cups per day. It is best to just listen to how your body does with it and adjust accordingly.

Can I reuse my kefir grains?

Yes! The wonderful thing about kefir grains is that they just keep reproducing and making more grains with each ferment. Pretty soon your will have extra grains to start sharing with your friends.

In the foreground a brown bowl with milk kefir grains in it and in the background a measuring bowl with strained fermented raw milk kefir.

What to do with all your extra kefir grains?

As you will quickly find out, your kefir grains will continue to reproduce and your will have more than your will need to make your own kefir. Here are several suggestions as to what your can do with all your extra grains.

Share with friends
Feed to your animals – chickens, dogs, pigs
Or if you like the texture you can just eat the grains by themselves. My kids love them and think they are a yummy snack. I have to make sure they don’t eat all of them before I start another batch of milk kefir.

How do you store kefir grains when not using them?

You can store kefir grains by putting them in 2-4 cups of fresh milk and putting them into refrigerator. Add more milk if you wanted to keep them for a longer time. They will keep this way for several weeks. Be sure you strain and add fresh milk after 3 weeks if you plan to keep storing them in the fridge.

A mason jar with a plastic lid filled with raw milk and kefir grain to ferment into kefir. A wooden spoon laying on the table next the to jar.

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