packaging kefir grains to mail

[g&a]

I am planning on mailing out some kefir grains. Any idea how to best package them??

g.

[Taedareth]

You can put them in a ziplock baggie with some fresh milk. Seal it inside another couple of ziplocks for good measure. Put inside a Priority Mail box (the envelopes work too, but I recently discovered the little boxes and they work great.)

[g&a]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

You can put them in a ziplock baggie with some fresh milk. Seal it inside another couple of ziplocks for good measure. Put inside a Priority Mail box (the envelopes work too, but I recently discovered the little boxes and they work great.)

I'm a little worried about the expansion - if I leave kefir in a plastic container overnight, the lid is bulging in the morning. Would the ziploc baggie not also bulge and maybe burst, making an unpleasant surprise to the person I am sending it to??

Yes, I have a vivid imagination.

g.

[Metasequoia]

I don't think they'd expand that much. I'm not sure wher eyou are, but the weather isn't too hot in most of the country, so if you strain the grains immediately & package them with fresh milk, they should be fine. I would only put a TBSP or two in the baggie with just enough milk to cover them, that should only fill the baggie 1/4 of the way at most.

[tamagotchi]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

You can put them in a ziplock baggie with some fresh milk. Seal it inside another couple of ziplocks for good measure. Put inside a Priority Mail box (the envelopes work too, but I recently discovered the little boxes and they work great.)

That's exactly how I've done it, too. The box I prefer is the "small video box," I believe it's the smallest Priority Mail box.
http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stor...1645&langId=-1

[g&a]

Originally Posted by Metasequoia

I don't think they'd expand that much. I'm not sure wher eyou are, but the weather isn't too hot in most of the country, so if you strain the grains immediately & package them with fresh milk, they should be fine. I would only put a TBSP or two in the baggie with just enough milk to cover them, that should only fill the baggie 1/4 of the way at most.

I'm sure you are right, if I only put them in a couple of tbsp of milk they should last a couple of days in the mail, and have room to expand in the bag. I am in Canada, and it's darn cold right now (-23C), so if anything they might freeze which would be a good thing. I've frozen them before with great results.

thanks for all the advice.

g.