I was recently gifted some kefir grains and have been experimenting with what to do with them beyond simply making kefir. Kefir is a cultured fermented drink most commonly made with cow’s milk, although goat, buffalo, rice and coconut milk are also options. It is a tart and tangy drink that is nutrient dense and is most popular for its probiotic health benefits. Basically, it’s good for your belly! I don’t really love kefir so I was curious what I could do with the grains beyond the beverage. I recently came across a kefir cultured butter recipe and decided to give it a whirl. It was very easy and the results were tangy and decadent. It was on par with any of the fancy butters I have tried before. It is easy enough to make for everyday use but interesting enough that it will not fail to impress at a dinner party.

Ingredients

2 Cups of Heavy Cream

1 Teaspoon Kefir Grains- can be found at any health food store or ordered online at this trusted source.

A Pinch of Salt

Method

In a glass or plastic bowl add the heavy cream and kefir grains*. It is important not put the grains in a metal bowl, the metal will kill them. Using metal utensils to handle the grains is okay. Cover with cheesecloth and store at room temperature out of sunlight overnight. It is important that the room be cool. If it is too warm the kefir will ferment too rapidly and the results will not be ideal.

Once the kefir has fermented the cream it will have reached a thick yogurt-like consistency. Add a pinch of salt for flavor. You now want to take a hand mixer and whip the cream until the whey has separated and the result will be butter. Don’t toss the whey! It has lots of good probiotics. You can drink it straight, add it to soup or make pancakes or biscuits among other things.

Transfer the butter to a fine mesh strainer. Rinse it in COLD water. At this point I put the butter in a vessel and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Once chilled you want to massage the butter with a spatula to help drain any remaining water.

Once well drained sculpt into the serving or storage vessels. Top with sea salt flakes to serve.

*If you want to reuse your grains wrap them in a cheesecloth bundle before putting them in the heavy cream, that way you can easily retrieve them. I learned this the hard way. Rinse the grains. Put them in a small glass jar of milk and store in your refrigerator until you want to use them again. They will essentially hibernate.