Raw Almond Milk Kefir

[HeatherAnne]

Has anyone used raw almond milk to make kefir? I got some kefir starter packs and thought I'd give almond milk a whirl, since dairy is out of the question. Any advice in advance? Thanks :).

[DebB]

That's a really good question. I haven't tried it, however I was making water kefir for several months and loved it. Best wishes!

[Shaeliya]

I did a google search on almond milk kefir after reading your post. Several of the sites seemed to be saying that kefir will live and thrive, but not reproduce in almond milk and that you can make almond kefir just fine. So, I've started soaking some almonds to make some milk and find out - I still have some kefir grains sitting in milk in the frig, and figure I can salvage them this way. Thank you for the idea!

[HeatherAnne]

Thanks so much, ladies. I think I'll start my almonds soaking too ;). We'll have to compare notes, since this will also be my first time making kefir (of any kind). Have a beautiful day!

[Traceyraw]

I know people make it with coconut milk and coconut water.

[DebB]

I know people make it with coconut milk and coconut water.

We would make it with coconut milk and coconut water, however eventually the kefir grains perished, so we would only use them for a couple batches, then rotate them back into sugar water to store. We did not use any added sugar though (which feeds the grains) in making the kefir as we were following Donna Gates' recipe. My husband LOVED it though - for me it was too tangy. I've got a sweet tooth. *Ü*

[HeatherAnne]

I did a google search on almond milk kefir after reading your post. Several of the sites seemed to be saying that kefir will live and thrive, but not reproduce in almond milk and that you can make almond kefir just fine. So, I've started soaking some almonds to make some milk and find out - I still have some kefir grains sitting in milk in the frig, and figure I can salvage them this way. Thank you for the idea!

Shaeliya, did you make your almond milk kefir? I had mine thismorning. It turned out wonderfullly sour and fermented! So, I'm assuming it worked. I had mine in a smoothie with strawberries and vanilla stevia - yummy.

[michigan roman]

at youtube theres people posting videos on all kinds of kefir recipes

[Shaeliya]

Yes, I made it and this morning I made up a new soup recipe to use it. It was very simple and absolutely delicious!

3 large carrots, chopped
1 large apple
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 1/2 cups almond kefir
Blended in the vitamix made three servings that I'll eat during the day

I also added a tbsp. of honey to the new batch of almond kefir this morning, on the theory that the kefir actually eats the sugar - I figured it would help the kefir thrive in the almond milk to feed it some additional sugar. We'll see how it goes.

[LeanJazz]

I also added a tbsp. of honey to the new batch of almond kefir this morning, on the theory that the kefir actually eats the sugar - I figured it would help the kefir thrive in the almond milk to feed it some additional sugar. We'll see how it goes.

Shaeliya, I'd love to know how this worked for you! I was thinking of trying the same to see if I could keep the kefir grains alive in spite of using almond milk... Thanks!

[adobegirl]

Hmm, I'd like to try this. I used to make kefir from raw unpasteurized milk back in the day but haven't tried it since I went vegan. I got my kefir starter from a local person, who isn't here any longer. I've done a search on kefir grains, but I don't know how to tell if they are good. Who do you guys get your kefir grains from?

[Diana Cda]

I joined some kefir groups, btw, last year and found out that kefir is not vegetarian in nature. It's produced originally in sheep's guts or some such, which is why it actually doesn't thrive in a vegetarian "growing" environment. Personally, after several months of being in those groups and doing a lot of research, I decided to drop kefir since, it wasn't something that ultimately fit with me. I've decided to go with other probiotics, such as fermented veggies and kombucha, etc. Kombucha has somewhat questionable origins, too, as it doesn't actually exist in nature occurring naturally, or something like that, but it does grow perfectly well and easily without undue fuss or muss. I grew my own SCOBY in March (from the method of using a bottle of store-bought raw kombucha as a sort of starter) and the lovely mother that grew from that is currently in its second week of kombucha brewing. I'm hoping that it'll be ready soon.

Cheers.

[rudyayress]

I have never tried this with raw almond milk, but this is sounding interesting, would love to try at home.

[Raw Angel Mom]

One great thing about almond is that you don't even need to use a kefir or anything. It will turn into a yogurt at room temperature.

I took the recipe from Rhio's dvd. It is very easy. I soak my nuts for two days and rinse them frequently, this way i can pill them in a second. I never keep the pulp with i do the yogurt. For two reason, it taste better and i can see the one that are moldy and i can just dispose them.


Once you have your white almond, you blend them in your blender (vitamix or any blender) with only just enough water to blend. Then you use a nut bag to extra the liquid. This is a little laborious, because the mixture is very thick but this is necessary.

You place in a clean Manson jar, not cover and you let it ferment over night in a warm and dark place. I just put a clean dish cloth on it. The next day, the yogurt will be floating on the top. You can eat like this or add a little honey or simply fresh fruits. So good.