Long term storage for Water Kefir?

[PunkRotten]

Hello,

I started with about 4 tablespoons of kefir grains and now have about 3-4 cups worth. I was making it everyday but could not keep up so I started leaving some in the fridge in sugar water. But I hear you can dehydrate them? Basically I want to have some grains stored away so I can use them sometime in the future as a back up. How do you store them long term?

[DebB]

I've got some that I air dried. I honestly don't know if they're still viable though. Yes - it becomes a problem when they are happy little grains and multiply like CRAZY!!

[PunkRotten]

SO you air dried, could I use my dehydrator or not recommended? How did you air dry?

[DebB]

SO you air dried, could I use my dehydrator or not recommended? How did you air dry?

I wish I remembered why the air dry - but I'm thinking that yes, the dehydrator wasn't recommended... It was so easy to air dry though. I simply spread it out on a plate and left it sitting out until it was dried through. Then I put it in a glass jar with a lid and there it still sits. Again - I don't know if it would still work or not, but I had to do SOMEthing with all those little buggers. We actually ate a lot of it too. It was kinda like Jell-o!