Kefir

[Renee Profile]

I've just started buying this product from Yeo Valley. You might be interested Gill.

https://www.yeovalley.co.uk/things-we-make/kefir/

[Suffs Profile]

We really like this ... and while I’ve been poorly it was the only foodstuff I could tolerate for a couple of days.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Awww, I hope you're better, Suffness.

Renee, I really like the milk, great in smoothies, natch. But I have to check the product labels for sugar content - some brands have a lot of sugar in them.
To be honest, I eat chocolate, biscuits, cakes.
But get all antsy about sugar content, reading labels on other products.

I did used to cultivate it. Strange blobby stuff in the fridge.
And again, didn't like to add sugar to my liquid to make it drinkable - it's sharper than rhubarb.
You can brew bread with it.

So I'm pleased to see it on the shelves, thanks for the nod. One for the lunch box!

[Joanbunting Profile]

I am glad you like it Renee and I'm sure it is good for you but it is my idea of sheer hell.

[Renee Profile]

I find the strawberry variety quite pleasant on top of my Oatiflakes, satsumas, banana and peanut butter powder. The organic sugar content is only 5% and I don't eat biscuits or cakes, so it isn't a worry for me. I can now stop buying a probiotic supplement.

Yes, I also obtained the grains and equipment but gave up before I went away at Christmas. It was good in smoothies, but I've stopped making those now after I read that it's better to eat fruit rather than having it whizzed up.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I run out of kitchen real estate, and have to give some things up.
Making live yoghurt. I liked doing it, but the production line was getting too much. Keeping the culture, Tony eating it faster than I could make it, style.

I'm not sure what equipment you would need, Renee.
It just sits in a bowl in the fridge multiplying, no?

Good stuff tho. I'm pleased it's in the supermarkets, and will buy some today, in fact.

[Sakkarin Profile]

There was a long thread on Kefir on the old board a couple of years back, I checked out my response, and had to laugh!

Well, thanks to Linnet's post I found Polish "Kefir drink" in Tesco, so I tried it, but they also had Polish strawberry buttermilk for £1.25 for "1 kg".

The buttermilk was very thick and creamy. Thumbs up there.

The kefir was odd. It was lumpy, so I put the lid back on to shake it up, but unfortunately not tight enough, so I now have kefir splatter on my sideboard

Bottom line? It tastes sort of what I imagine milk that's been soured with lemon to make paneer would taste like, if you eat the whole lot including the curds and the whey. And maybe add gelatin to give it the glueyness. Or maybe just sour milk with an extra slug of lemon juice.

I also thought: "Hey, I've just BOUGHT sour milk, when I have 5 pints of fresh milk in the fridge...".

However I can see that if you like that sourness, it could grow on you.

[Renee Profile]

Was it two years ago Sakks?

This is the kit that I bought Gill. I never used the bottles.

https://happykombucha.co.uk/collections ... tarter-kit

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Oh, I remember your throwing your kefir all over the place, Sakkarin.

Sorry Renee
There doesn't seem a lot to that kit that warrants £26.

[Renee Profile]

Yes I realised that I could have managed without the kit Gill, except for the grains. I've done some silly things in my time.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

You and I both, Renee.

But one of the best extravagant purchases I've made is .................. in fact I'll start a new thread.

[mark111757 Profile]

Did Anyone else see this Saturday kitchen

https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/kefir_ ... cued_39251

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Ah, yes, I think Olia is a little confusing
I’m sure it’s delicious (it’s Olia Hercules) but I wasn’t sure there was any advantage over using the more usual and cheaper buttermilk

To be honest, kefir and cultured buttermilk taste much the same to me

My local supermarket had 9 varieties of kefir last time I looked. Most were fruit flavoured and heavily sugared

So much for health food

[mark111757 Profile]

For yogurt, I am spoiled. Give me fage total Greek yogurt. A mouth feel like sour cream. And smooth with no pasty feel

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Yes I like Total

But currently I am buying Rumi, which is made in the UK for the Turkish market, it's similar in style being "suzme" , a thick, set, yogurt. It's on offer in Morrison's at £1 per kilo

And got to love a dairy product named after a philosopher poet (Rumi) considered a saint in Turkey, I visited his grave in Konya, he is associated with the whirling dervishes, who are pictured on the tub.

[mark111757 Profile]

Thank you for the info. For those who wonder what the tub looks like

308331011_0_640x640.jpg (64.64 KiB) Viewed 7220 times

I did some checking, fage total is 5% fat. At one time I thought it was 10.
.
It was sold in 500g tubs for around 5.50 to 6.00$

Now it is sold in 1kg tubs for 5 49$.... Go to xe.com for currency conversion help

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Thanks Mark Never occurred to me that the Rumi is labelled in German, but I just checked my pot, and it comes from Rochdale Lancashire

In the UK Fage Total cow's milk yogurt used to come in 0%, 2% and 10% varieties, generally in a 500g tub, but also in 170g individual pots. It has been quietly relaunched, and now we have 3 varieties 0%, 2% and 5% in 170g, 500g and 1 kg tubs. Whole cow's milk is usually about 3.5%

We used to be able to buy Total sheep's milk yogurt, but I haven't seen it for a long time, and it isn't mentioned on their UK web site. It was lovely but it has gone so thoroughly I can't even find a picture of the pot. Sheep milk is rather sweet.

Currently at Sainsbury Total is £4.50 for 1 kg, or £2 for 500g (temporary discount from £2.75) so not dissimilar to US prices

[Binky Profile]

I remember the previous Kefir thread. I said that I always buy ours at the local Polish shop where was sold for 99p - it's now increased to £1.09 which is still cheaper than any supermarket. No sugar, no fruit flavours, just the basic product. We put our own fruit in (banana, mango, strawberries) when we make our morning smoothie.

This is the bottle -

[mark111757 Profile]

This brand is popular here on the east coast of the US. Maybe further

597813.jpg (61.89 KiB) Viewed 7178 times

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Thanks Binky. We have 3 Polish delis outside our door of my art studio. I'm sure I'll find some.
In the meantime, I've just bought the Morrisons one @ £1 for 500mil.

Smoothie this am, after my spin class will be banana, peanut butter powder and kefir.

I may see your brand, Mark, you never know.

The yoghurt I bought is grainy textured, so it will be pleasant to use something else for my breakfasts.
I've had it before and not liked it.