Is my kefir still good?

[Pariah]

I have organic (but not raw) milk kefir that's a week old in the fridge. In another jar, I have organic raw milk kefir that's almost that old. Are they still okay to eat? When does kefir go bad? I've been sipping on them and adding them to smoothies and such, but I don't want to get food poisoning or something. Or worse, make any family members sick. I have an intense paranoia of these things!

[wardeh]

Kefir (whether or not from raw milk) gets more sour over time, rather than spoils. Usually. Let your nose and tongue guide you. Sounds fine to me.

Older kefir (or other cultured foods) may get spots of mold or something on the top. Usually that can be skimmed off and the rest is fine. I just did that yesterday with some homemade sour cream that had been in the fridge for awhile.

One thing that would concern me is if it was a sweetened kefir. Because of the extra sugar, that can spoil. Sounds like your kefir is plain?

[Pariah]

Yes, our kefir is plain. I just put the grains and milk in a jar and let it sit on the counter. So far we've been using it in smoothies. I put the kefir, banana, and a touch of honey in the food processor...our son has been inhaling it for breakfast that way and seems happy that "it puts the good guys in our tummies!" LOL...I was trying to explain the good bacteria/bad bacteria...