kefir cheese? freezing kefir?

[Feb2003]

first, can I make kefir cheese like yogurt cheese? actually, I'm just looking to thicken the kefir to thick yogurt consistancy for the kids so I can get more into them. will this harm the kefir yeast and bacteria? can it be done with homemade kefir??

second, do the kefir yeast/bacteria survive freezing? do yogurt bacteria? we make smoothies and the extras become popsicles...just curious if they maintain that benefit

thanks in advance!!!

[quietserena]

I make kefir cheese just like yogurt cheese - just let kefir sit in cheesecloth until it's the thickness I like.

There is info somewhere on Dom's site about freezing grains and I can't seem to find it at the moment.
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

It is my understand that freezing yogurt and kefir does reduce the amount of friendlies but doesn't kill them all unless frozen for long periods of time (months). I think I saw that on Dom's site.

[velcromom]

I make kefir cheese that way too, it makes a great dip for veggies or a sandwich spread... you can get anything from yogurt consistency by just draining, to cream cheese thickness if you press the whey out with a weight. It's pretty tart though so eating it with a spoon wouldn't go over around here. Seasoning it in a savory rather than sweet way works best for us.