Cutting Edge Cultures Easy Kefir Starter Culture, 4 Pack, 20g

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I ordered kiefer grains but the end product never came out smooth like this does. I was prepared for them to arrive with whole milk and some knowledge background. What was strained off was always like cottage cheese with no pearled grains present. It smelled slightly yeasty as the forums said it would, but it was never a thick pourable yoghurt type liquid. It was such a small sample, i used about 2 c of whole milk. In days, i was able to use a 1/4 c of these pseudo grains to 4 c of whole milk. I went with a 18-24 hr culture period in a place out of direct sunlight on my counter. Always the same outcome; cottage cheese vs pearl caulifower looking grain. Forums said to let it ride and they'll start to appear. It's been a few months of daily pampering of the pseudo grains and a lot of milk and no peatled grains.Since i never saw pearled grains in what was delivered to me, I suspect now there was something amiss to begin with. i wanted to see if this product changed up the outcome and it sure does!Loving home cultured yoghurt, this product produces a cohesive thicker pourable liquid that is a close "cousin" to yoghurt. The taste is good; a bit like buttermilk. I add just under a tbsp of pure maple syrup to sweeten it slightly. It's perfect for me. I love adding kiefer to my smoothies.Because i can culture more kiefer from a 1/4 cup of this finished product, i can get quite a bit from one packet of freeze dried grains.I'll roll with this until i decide to find someone local to me who has some pearled grains they'd like to share or sell.Kiefer is a wonderful healthful food. I hope many people learn to appreciate its real benefits and get it in their diet daily. Having dealt with low energy both mentally and physically for the last 8 yrs or so, I am pleasantly surprised and so glad at what it brings to my sense of well being and how healthy i've been. Maybe it wouldn't work for everyone, but it is helping me and i am grateful; to the point i feel i must have it daily. No pill for an ill mentality for me. I'll take kiefer!

I have never cared too much for milk kefir but I drink it for health reason, and I dreaded making it. I threw out so many batches because it curdled before I could get back to strain it, and it was always too sour for my taste.That all changed with this purchase! I used a portion of the powder in a package and made 2 cups of kefir. After 24 hours I had kefir with perfect consistency with no straining needed. And the flavor! Very delicately sourish, but nothing like I’ve had before. Delicious by itself, no need to “hide” it in a smoothie.I saved 1/4 cup to re-culture and it worked perfectly. I’m so excited about this product. I make healthy popscicles every day for my grands and I usually use plain yogurt for the base. Now, this kefir will be my go to for the healthiest base possible! I sweeten them with bananas, maple syrup or dates, put in fruit of choice, add some kelp powder and probiotics, flax, end with homemade veggie powders like kale, beets, spinach, sweet potatoes etc. The kids never know and they love them!

This kefir drink is fine and definitely convenient, but I still like making my own with milk or water kefir. The homemade version just feels like it gives more variety for the gut, which is what I’m really looking for when it comes to health.Sure, it takes more time and effort, but I think it’s worth it. Still, this could be a good backup for traveling or when I’m too busy to make my own. Not bad—just not my go-to.

I was a little worried after reading some of the other reviews that I would get old, dead cultures, but that did not happen. I added the contents of one packet to a quart of ice-cold milk (NOT ultra-pasteurized), stirred it, put a lid on, and left it for somewhere between 12 and 15 hours at 78 degrees. It turned out perfect, and I have since re-cultured this same batch several times, with great results each time.For people who've never had milk kefir, the flavor and smell are a lot like sour cream (but with a texture like runny yogurt) as long as you don't let it culture too long. I prefer to imbibe it as a smoothie, as I've never been a fan of plain milk or yogurt. It also makes a nice cheese if you drain all the whey off, and you can make a type of sour cream by mixing the milk kefir with some heavy cream and letting that culture at room temperature for another 12-24 hours.It's really quite versatile, and this instant version means there are no live grains to care for and worry about. I do appreciate that this brand is made of the powdered, dried whole grains, as that means you are ingesting kefiran, one of the beneficial substances kefir contains, which resides close to the grains.

Don’t waste your money buying it on Amazon. I’ve used this product for months and decided to save myself shipping and order from Amazon instead this time. The kefir grains were dead. 24+hours and no kefir development.