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How long before kefir goes 'bad'?  

post #1 of 7
Thread Starter 
I have a quart of unopened raw milk kefir that I bought 2 weeks ago. I got it from the farm I order my other raw milk stuff from, so it doesn't have an expiration and I'm clueless. I tried calling the number to the farm but haven't heard back from them yet.

How long can I keep it for? Or do I have to throw it now?

Thanks!
post #2 of 7
I'd taste it. Kefir only gets more sour and 2 weeks isn't too long imo.
post #3 of 7
I'd also guess that you would see mold on it if it were going bad.
post #4 of 7
The only thing it would do is get too sour to drink. I've never seen it go bad and I make my own. When it gets too sour even for smoothies, I throw it in my baked goods.
post #5 of 7
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I'll give it a try. I just started drinking it so it's still a little difficult for me to distinguish what the right taste and smell is.

Saratc, can you give me a few ideas on the baked goods? The only thing I can think of is pancakes. I guess I'm not much of a baker, although I would like to be!

Oh and is it okay to freeze kefir? If I buy several at a time it would be cheaper, but I wouldn't be able to go through it very quickly ( hence the reason for my first q ).
post #6 of 7
You can freeze kefir, but some of the probiotics and good yeasts may not survive. If I needed to stock up on them, I would just buy 2 or 3 and keep them in the fridge and let them get more sour. That said, frozen kefir is still better than no kefir, and I've turned kefir into yummy pops before. Which reminds me, kefir makes good sherbet. If you have an ice cream maker, just substitute kefir for water in a sherbet recipe. You may have to adjust the recipe to use a bit more sugar and less sour fruit since the kefir will add sourness.

Kefir can be pretty sour and still be good in smoothies. You just blend a cup or two with a handful of strawberries, a ripe banana, a tablespoon of honey, and a splash of vanilla. When I want kefir pops, I just pour the smoothie into pop molds.

Other than that, I use it to soak oatmeal in the baked oatmeal recipe, or granola recipe. I also add it to muffins or use it in place of sour cream in cake recipes.
post #7 of 7

Sour kefir

I've found that extremely sour kefir (left on the counter for a day or two when it's warm) tastes great with Vogel's Herbamare, a seasoned salt. It's also good strained and made into a cheese.
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Mothering › Forums › Health › Nutrition and Good Eating › Traditional Foods › How long before kefir goes 'bad'?