Freeholdfarm
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I have two jars of kefir going, and the grains are growing more rapidly than I had expected, so if anyone would like to start their own, I can send grains to them. (That's how I got mine.) If you want more information, you can do a Google search, but I will tell you that kefir is an acquired taste! My daughter and I can drink it straight now (run through the blender to eliminate any kefir grains I missed -- they are funny in your mouth), but it has taken a couple of months of working up to it! 
The main reason I keep a kefir jar going is to have a way of keeping milk if we lose refrigeration. Also, it is much easier to make than yogurt. And it makes a nice tart soft cheese.
Kathleen
The main reason I keep a kefir jar going is to have a way of keeping milk if we lose refrigeration. Also, it is much easier to make than yogurt. And it makes a nice tart soft cheese.Kathleen
No, no, this is milk from my goats! The 'grains' are what the starter is called -- it is a sort of fungus/bacteria/yeast combination (when I open the jars they smell yeasty). I know that sounds nasty, but bread is made with yeast, and yogurt is made with bacteria. Cheeses are made with bacteria and some also have fungi in them (the blue cheeses, for instance). The grains themselves look like rubbery cauliflower! 
They are alive and keep growing as long as you keep providing them with fresh milk every day or so. In return, they preserve your milk. It gets curdled, sometimes separates enough so that you can see a layer of whey at the bottom, tastes very tangy and a little fizzy. It has a slight alcohol content, but not enough to do anything but help preserve the milk. The milk doesn't have to be pasteurized before putting it into the kefir jar -- I strain the milk into a quart jar immediately after milking, and then when I get back to the house I transfer the kefir grains from the oldest jar on the counter to the fresh milk, and put the jar of kefir the grains came from in the refrigerator. You don't have to worry about temperatures while the kefir is 'making', either. If it's warm, it'll 'make' fast, if it's cool it'll 'make' slowly, but it will make. (I'm not sure it can be frozen, though.) It's kind of like a sourdough starter for milk. Then when I want to make cheese, I line my cheese mold or a collander with a piece of muslin, set it over a bowl to catch the whey that will drip out, pour a jar or two of refrigerated kefir in (with the grains removed), cover with another cloth, and let it set for 12 - 24 hours to drain. Then remove from the cloth, stir to get an even consistency, and refrigerate. This cheese makes a nice spread with some herbs and spices in it -- it's very tart. If you drink the kefir straight, it's kind of like drinking milk made into soda pop -- tangy and fizzy. It will be lumpy unless you run it through the blender. I started out by adding sugar and fruit and making smoothies, but have been cutting back on the additives. We can drink it straight now, though I don't gulp it down! 
