Kefir Yoghurt

I have recently obtained the most amazing addition to my kitchen!
When staying with a friend recently, I was offered a share of her kefir yoghurt bug.
At first, I felt I had enough daily jobs to get through and quickly dismissed even the remote possibility of adding yet another one to my daily list!
However when I watched her go ahead and do the daily 'deed', I could not believe the endless possibilities that this new idea posed.
These are little cauli flower like things that grow in milk, that grow in size and number in the milk. The more they grow, the more milk they can turn into yoghurt. I must admit, I didn’t trust it to start with and thought this would be a great way of turning, awful pasturised, homogenized “ruined” processed milk, (I no longer have my own goats and cows) into a substance which was more beneficial to feed my already very spoilt, hens.
Once I got it home, I experimented and found these dear we bits and bobs in the milk were capable of an incredible job.
Over the years I have made yoghurt. It takes heat, time, and in some cases very disappointing failure, wasting valuable ingredients.
This takes no heat, very little time, and if you go on holiday, or just want a few days off, you can simply put it to “sleep” in the fridge! Take it out when you are ready to go again, and off it goes! I keep it in a jar on the bench – In my way, so I don’t forget about it!
All you do each day is simply strain your yoghurt off, and pop the little darlings back into fresh milk. You can also give it a stir which helps it thicken more evenly.
But being me, I just had to stretch the boundaries, and now I take it one step further. Because I have difficulty parting with the ever increasing population, the brew gets stronger and stronger, and thicker, then starts to separate. So when I strain it, a clearish yellow liquid comes out first through the sieve, leaving the much thicker yoghurt still with the caulis, in the sieve. I throw away the water, then using a firm back and forth motion, the thick yoghurt comes through the sieve. 
Fantastic! There is no measuring, or fussing, you can just go with the flow. I was told not to use a metal sieve, and easily found nylon sieves at a $2 shop.
So, you can either keep going to a larger jar and use more milk, or divide the caulis and give/throw them out.  We found it interesting to google about this, its history etc.
I don’t know where you can buy this, but if my wonderful customers would like so get some of my cauli flower babies, simply give me a call. Obviously for local people in Rotorua, it would be very simple to pick some up, but I am sure if an overnight courier was used it would be fine. I haven’t even thought of a price for this, more the thought of sharing this wonderful concept. By the way it makes the most amazing marinade for chicken.
Recipe (rough)
Chop chicken breast into small pieces
Add, chopped spring onion, a few dessertspoons of yoghurt, a little garlic, salt, and chilly paste. (I will write another article soon on the fermented chilly paste I buy)
Mix well and leave for a little. Cook in frying pan until the chicken is cooked. Add a small can of coconut milk, add more liquid if needed to form and nice gravy. Serve with Rice. Yummy!


We are now making kefir bread!
It is really easy, and incredibly better than store bought loaves.
A fraction of the cost, and you don't need a bread maker.
I will post a video as soon as I get time. In the mean time, if you are wanting information on this, please ask.