Good question, and I get it a lot. And most recently from Lori L.
…homemade cultured dairy usually lasts longer than anything you could purchase at the store.
How long, though? It depends on whether you're keeping it at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer.
I'll share the answer below — it's the topic of this week's #AskWardee.
How long can I keep homemade kefir in the fridge?
Lori, you're asking just about the fridge, yet I'm going to include timing for all storage methods (room temp, fridge, and freezer).
Basically, that's the timeline for how long kefir lasts.
Notice I put “or longer” after the fridge and freezer specs.
Kefir can technically last longer than the official timelines suggest.
In the freezer, the biggest issue with kefir “lasting” is freezer burn. (Plus, there may be some loss of probiotics.) Freezer burn doesn't taste great, as you probably know. To fend this off as long as possible, double or triple bag your frozen kefir or consider vacuum sealing it.
Homemade yogurt and other cultured dairy have similar timelines for how long they last.
If you haven't yet grabbed my Free Raw Milk Yogurt Recipe, please do! There's a secret ingredient that keeps it thick instead of runny. Plus, it's faster and easier than most recipes — and you can make it with pasteurized milk, too.
Free Yogurt Recipe — it's faster and easier than most recipes, and you can make it with pasteurized milk, too!
Many of these probiotic salad dressings are made with kefir!
How do you store your kefir? How long does it last for you? What do you do with it if it gets too strong?
I’m new to this so question is what to do with kefir grain when I store the curds and whey in the frig? I know I can make more but can only eat so much as I’m the only one eating this.
You’re doing the main ferment in the fridge?
Yeah, the fermentation is quite long, since I leave it in the fridge for a week and only then strain the kefir and change the milk.
Lactose is not an issue for me.
I was just worried about the grains, if they could start dying or something since they are in the fridge all the time.
Or longer . . . .
Last week, I found some Kefir in the back of our refrigerator – from early December! It smelled, well, quite strong and a tad bit alcoholic. But not at all in a bad way! I tasted a tiny bit and it was surprisingly quite good; we’ve used it for “sparkling” smoothies since.
Hi, I I’m off for two weeks soon so I was wondering how to keep my Kefir alive meanwhile. Thanks for the advice.
You can store your kefir grains in the refrigerator. Be sure they are covered in fresh milk.
After i add the kefir grains to milk ? What is the minimum time i can consume the milk??
The milk kefir should culture for 24 – 48 hours after the kefir grains are added to the milk.