Surely you have heard of kefir, fermented food that can offer great benefits to the body. We tell you the differences between water kefir and milk kefir as well as its properties and how to make each of them.
Milk Kefir vs. Water Kefir
The kefir is a fermented food in which they act live microorganisms. Among the latter, yeasts and bacteria such as lactobacillus predominate.
In milk kefir, the base is milk and therefore the resulting product is fermented milk with an acid flavor that has similar nutritional qualities to the milk that gives it origin but with a higher proportion of probiotics.
Usually, in this case, it provides quality protein, natural sugars, fats to a greater or lesser extent (depending on whether we use skim or whole milk) and minerals such as calcium, potassium and phosphorus and vitamin D.
In the water kefir, the same microorganisms act on artificially sweetened water, that is, sugar is usually dissolved in water and on this free sugar live microorganisms act generating a product very similar to a carbonated beverage.
Unlike milk kefir, water kefir only provides sugar, water, and probiotics to the body, so its nutritional quality is much lower.
Unlike milk kefir, water kefir does not provide protein or fat, nor is it a source of vitamins and minerals, but only offers a large number of probiotics beneficial to the body and sugar.
Although milk kefir has a higher nutritional quality, water kefir is lactose-free and that is why it is a good option for intolerant to it or for vegans or people who for other reasons do not consume dairy.
Properties and benefits of kefir
Either the milk kefir or the water kefir, in both cases we will obtain a considerable amount of live microorganisms or probiotics that benefit health.
As a study published in the Brazilian Journal of Microbiology points out, kefir due to its probiotics has antitumor, antimicrobial, anticancer and modulating properties of our immune system.
Likewise, due to its positive influence on the intestinal flora, it can, in addition to strengthening the defenses, improve the functioning of the digestive system and even benefit the metabolism and thus, be useful for the control of glucose or cholesterol in the blood as indicated An investigation published in 2013.
Consumed in adequate amounts to the particularities of each person, kefir also improve digestive processes and be helpful in cases of food intolerances or allergies.
How to prepare kefir at home
To prepare kefir the first thing we have to obtain is the kefir granules that are usually passed from one hand to another for free, as people who have previous domestic kefir crops usually give away before a surplus of it.
If we don’t get someone with kefir to provide us with a fermentation granule at home, we can always get it at a herbalist’s shop or natural products store.
Once with the kefir granules, we will choose the medium in which the fermentation takes place, that is, milk or water.
For the milk kefir, it is recommended to use pasteurized and whole milk, because the fats favor conservation and for every 60 grams of kefir nodules we will use a liter of milk.
For the water kefir, 60 grams of water kefir nodules are used in a liter of drinking water and about two to three tablespoons of sugar in addition to a couple of dried figs as well as the juice of half a lemon or less.
For the fermentation, it is necessary sugar from there that in the milk no added sugar is required while in the water kefir it does.
With these proportions of liquid (milk or water) and kefir, modules mix the ingredients and place in a jar. We leave space between the lid of the same or open occasionally to release the gas product of the fermentation.
We keep this way for 24 hours at room temperature (20 ° C ideally), and after that time we strain to remove the resulting liquid and kefir nodules that we can reuse.