Interesting to read about your first experiences with kefir. During the 1980's my father (Jewish immigrant stock) started making it, and continued to do so for over 40 years. During the 1980s he spent many hours researching it, and although he was able to identify its origins, he was never able to find any scientific papers on it. Even academics at the local university knew nothing about it.
As a young adult, I was totally revolted by the huge, scary bowl of kefir that was always on the kitchen worktop. Friends used to recoil in horror. He used to leave it for several days - sometimes longer, and I refused to eat it. Many years later, probably after I'd started to help him out by making it for him - I began to realise I was an idiot and that he was onto a good thing. Much to his amusement, I began consuming it myself.
Occasionally his grains got into a sorry state but they always pulled through, and I'm still using them, more than twenty years later. Over time, they've waxed and waned, been shared with friends, given back to me, frozen, and neglected. I eat kefir every day and I love its taste. I also like the link it has with my father, and to his friends in the Wye valley that gave him grains all that time ago.
Thanks so much for writing this - what a lovely story. This is the opposite situation to mine - my mum who is now 87 started making kefir about 5 years ago when she got sick of listening to me going on about it!
This piece is brilliant timing. I recently took up daily consumption of kefir (several months ago). I don’t have it alone I use it as the base to a wild blueberry smoothie and I toss in some chia seeds, hemp hearts and often saffron thread for good measure. There was no ‘reason’ for having daily kefir other than I read a clip somewhere about gut health. Good to see it is indeed great for you.
I’m very much looking forward to having kefir (and other ferments, and live yoghurt) again after chemo. Not sure how long I have to wait but I hope to be knocking on your door for some grains soon. I’m keen to get it back into berry smoothies for my daughter and her cousins… my aim is to make it from the raw organic milk produced on my parents’ farm and share it among my family. Handily we all live next door to each other…
I love it and haven't looked back since I started making it years ago. Delicious and I just WISH I'd known about it YEARS before. Well done on everything you're doing to tell people about it x
Sadly all ferments are out of my life atm until I sort out my histamine issues. Have now done a genetic detox panel and discovered that all 3 pathways are compromised! 🙄
It is indeed! I chanced a chocolate brownie yesterday and now paying for it! Unfortunately it's not that unusual - I know 3 other people in my NT friendship group who are suffering right now! Yes and no - I have some histamine producing microbes in my latest stool test that could well be making it worse, but genes are genes and so I think there will always be an issue that I need to support. It's taken a few decades to show itself, but of course enzyme production gets worse as we age!
Interesting to read about your first experiences with kefir. During the 1980's my father (Jewish immigrant stock) started making it, and continued to do so for over 40 years. During the 1980s he spent many hours researching it, and although he was able to identify its origins, he was never able to find any scientific papers on it. Even academics at the local university knew nothing about it.
As a young adult, I was totally revolted by the huge, scary bowl of kefir that was always on the kitchen worktop. Friends used to recoil in horror. He used to leave it for several days - sometimes longer, and I refused to eat it. Many years later, probably after I'd started to help him out by making it for him - I began to realise I was an idiot and that he was onto a good thing. Much to his amusement, I began consuming it myself.
Occasionally his grains got into a sorry state but they always pulled through, and I'm still using them, more than twenty years later. Over time, they've waxed and waned, been shared with friends, given back to me, frozen, and neglected. I eat kefir every day and I love its taste. I also like the link it has with my father, and to his friends in the Wye valley that gave him grains all that time ago.
Thanks so much for writing this - what a lovely story. This is the opposite situation to mine - my mum who is now 87 started making kefir about 5 years ago when she got sick of listening to me going on about it!
This piece is brilliant timing. I recently took up daily consumption of kefir (several months ago). I don’t have it alone I use it as the base to a wild blueberry smoothie and I toss in some chia seeds, hemp hearts and often saffron thread for good measure. There was no ‘reason’ for having daily kefir other than I read a clip somewhere about gut health. Good to see it is indeed great for you.
Sounds almost exactly like how i have mine Sheryl - love the idea of adding some Saffron!
I’m very much looking forward to having kefir (and other ferments, and live yoghurt) again after chemo. Not sure how long I have to wait but I hope to be knocking on your door for some grains soon. I’m keen to get it back into berry smoothies for my daughter and her cousins… my aim is to make it from the raw organic milk produced on my parents’ farm and share it among my family. Handily we all live next door to each other…
Just say the word Laura and they’ll be on their way! I found that pretty little face mask you brought me during lockdown yesterday - do you remember ?
I love it and haven't looked back since I started making it years ago. Delicious and I just WISH I'd known about it YEARS before. Well done on everything you're doing to tell people about it x
So glad it’s working! Yes I am rather on a mission at the moment ….
Sadly all ferments are out of my life atm until I sort out my histamine issues. Have now done a genetic detox panel and discovered that all 3 pathways are compromised! 🙄
That must be making life difficult Sue - I’d say that was relatively unusual - is there a solution? Can one get better at breaking down histamine?
It is indeed! I chanced a chocolate brownie yesterday and now paying for it! Unfortunately it's not that unusual - I know 3 other people in my NT friendship group who are suffering right now! Yes and no - I have some histamine producing microbes in my latest stool test that could well be making it worse, but genes are genes and so I think there will always be an issue that I need to support. It's taken a few decades to show itself, but of course enzyme production gets worse as we age!