Let us look at what Kefir is and then discuss why homemade kefir is better than stored ones. Kefir is a type of yoghurt-like fermented milk product. It was first discovered in Russia’s Caucasus Mountains. Because of its bubbly effervescence, this acidic, creamy milk product is occasionally called “the champagne of milk.”. If you must watch your sugar intake because you have diabetes or have dietary limitations like lactose sensitivity, homemade kefir is also the healthier and safer choice.
The modern process of making kefir involves combining milk with “kefir grains,” which are made up of a complex structure of bacteria, yeasts, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. The microbes transform the lactose, a naturally occurring milk sugar, into a tart, carbonated liquid with a thin yoghurt-like consistency. Kefir has a distinct flavour that is easy to identify; it tastes somewhat like buttermilk and has an effervescent texture.
Kefir grains include live bacteria and yeasts, unlike the freeze-dried starter kits you may buy at health food stores. It’s simple to take care of kefir grains. Just put them in milk, so they have “food” and may develop. Best store bought kefir, and homemade kefir are a great energy source and protein.
Instead of making a mess at home by fermenting, filtering, and bottling kefir, why don’t we just purchase ready-made kefir from the nearby store?
Is Homemade Kefir Truly Superior?
Kefir prepared at home is superior to kefir purchased from a shop because
- Live probiotic bacteria and yeasts are far more abundant.
- It tastes wonderful.
- It is more affordable.
However, there is also a lengthy and more thorough explanation, so let us go into all the facts to discover why we should always select homemade Kefir rather than one from a shop. One of the major disadvantages of store-bought kefir is that commercial kefir manufacturers must ensure that their product not only complies with several regulatory criteria but also has a respectable shelf life so that it may abide by these regulations for longer periods, usually several days.
The fact that kefir is a “living product” is the main issue here. It has living yeasts and bacteria that cannot be forced to cease their activity and will keep working forever. Even after the Kefir grains are sieved out of the first brew, the fermentation of Kefir continues. The term “secondary fermentation” refers to this stage of fermentation.
Because of this, even while some commercially available Kefir packets may taste like freshly manufactured kefir, they cannot possibly have probiotic properties that come close to those of handmade kefir.
More Reasons Why Homemade Kefir Is Better Than Stores
Kefir that is purchased from a store has typically had additives added and the fermentation process altered to make it less sour, more palatable, simpler to package, and with longer storage durations. As a result, the number of bacteria, “aliveness,” and advantages decrease.
The homemade goods are fermenting, and you completely control their ingredients. Consequently, you cannot afterward blame the outcomes on store-bought kefir, which may or may not have contained live microorganisms.
Good milk kefir is thick, sour, and free of other additives. It also need not be “low fat” The original form of milk kefir is acidic, sour, thickened, and more like yoghurt than milk. It is not intended to be a sweet and delectable beverage. Using heat, light, or freezing should not be pasteurised or altered. You might not know if it’s even alive because this isn’t stated on the label.
Your milk kefir shouldn’t have any additions, flavors, colours, or preservatives. You would want to know exactly how someone created milk kefir if they were selling it to you as a beverage since anyone can sell you anything.
Kefir purchased from stores has a reduced strength, is not carbonated, and has a longer shelf life due to its processing and packaging. The difference between handmade real kefir and store-bought kefir, which generally generates 40–60 strains, is huge! You get a better nutritional value than commercial kefir since more bacterial and yeast strains are present.
You will also note that most commercial kefir lacks carbonation due to limitations imposed by the bottling and production processes on store-bought kefir. If you want to create your kefir at home, you have the choice of making it carbonated, even if this may not be a deciding issue for you.
Reasons Why People Prefer Kefir
COST
True, there are no up-front expenditures associated with daily bottle purchases. The cost of all those bottles to the environment is not even considered! Homemade kefir is manufactured repeatedly using the same supplies and machinery over many years.
HEALTH
This one isn’t even reasonable. When compared to store-bought kefir, homemade kefir is far healthier. The bottles you buy are filled to the brim with carbonated water to simulate naturally fermented carbonation. They are even flavored with apple cider vinegar to simulate a naturally fermented taste. They have kefir culture, but it is much lower than in handmade batches.
Hence, we could say kefir is the new-age food for lots of proteins. Also, homemade kefir is quite easy to make and packs a lot of nutrients, which have multiple health benefits. A healthy body makes you happy. Due to standardisation constraints, store-bought kefir may not taste as good, but it also packs a significant amount of nutrients. So, aside from saving your efforts in making kefir, store-bought kefir doesn’t offer any additional benefit compared to homemade kefir.
