Cutting Edge Cultures Easy Kefir Starter Culture, 4 Pack, 20g

I have never cared too much for milk kefir but I drink it for health reason, and I dreaded making it. I threw out so many batches because it curdled before I could get back to strain it, and it was always too sour for my taste. That all changed with this purchase! I used a portion of the powder in a package and made 2 cups of kefir. After 24 hours I had kefir with perfect consistency with no straining needed. And the flavor! Very delicately sourish, but nothing like I’ve had before. Delicious by itself, no need to “hide” it in a smoothie. I saved 1/4 cup to re-culture and it worked perfectly. I’m so excited about this product. I make healthy popscicles every day for my grands and I usually use plain yogurt for the base. Now, this kefir will be my go to for the healthiest base possible! I sweeten them with bananas, maple syrup or dates, put in fruit of choice, add some kelp powder and probiotics, flax, end with homemade veggie powders like kale, beets, spinach, sweet potatoes etc. The kids never know and they love them!

I've always loved kefir from the first time I tasted it. I used to buy the brand in the blue and white plastic quart bottle in the store, but got tired of paying store prices. Now that I make my own, I can hardly even drink the store-bought stuff; it has such a chemical taste compared to the fresh, healthy, taste of homemade. $20+ may seem expensive, but I get 80+ quarts of kefir from one 4-envelope box, so it's only about 25 cents/quart on top of the cost of the milk. From the first batch I make with each new envelope, I take out a cup of kefir and divide it among 3 clean quart jars, fill jars with milk. So while my first "generation" is just one quart of kefir, the next generation is 3 quarts. I do this with the last jar from each generation. Each envelope makes about 7-8 generations, so that's 20+ quarts from each envelope, 80+ quarts from a box of 4 envelopes. You could get even more if you do 4 jars instead of 3, re-culture each jar instead of just the last from each generation, etc. I tried making kefir with live grains, but that was too much trouble in my busy life - I've heard people say taking care of kefir grains is like taking care of a pet. I don't have time for that. Easy Kefir gives me most of the benefits of live grains, with almost none of the work. So easy. So inexpensive. So healthy. So delicious!

I was a little worried after reading some of the other reviews that I would get old, dead cultures, but that did not happen. I added the contents of one packet to a quart of ice-cold milk (NOT ultra-pasteurized), stirred it, put a lid on, and left it for somewhere between 12 and 15 hours at 78 degrees. It turned out perfect, and I have since re-cultured this same batch several times, with great results each time. For people who've never had milk kefir, the flavor and smell are a lot like sour cream (but with a texture like runny yogurt) as long as you don't let it culture too long. I prefer to imbibe it as a smoothie, as I've never been a fan of plain milk or yogurt. It also makes a nice cheese if you drain all the whey off, and you can make a type of sour cream by mixing the milk kefir with some heavy cream and letting that culture at room temperature for another 12-24 hours. It's really quite versatile, and this instant version means there are no live grains to care for and worry about. I do appreciate that this brand is made of the powdered, dried whole grains, as that means you are ingesting kefiran, one of the beneficial substances kefir contains, which resides close to the grains.

it has been easy to follow the instructions. The product was ready for consumption in the next 24 hours as instructed. The taste is good, the texture is smooth. I put aside one cup for the next batch, and three cups are enough for our small family as an evening meal. The next batch must be ready tomorrow night,meanwhile, I 'm preparing a quarter of kefir exclusively to make a smooth farmers cheese by combining it with an equal part of boiling milk. So far, I've used only two packages of four. My only complaint is that the 2 packages would be fair enough to start making homemade kefir for a lesser price.

I haven’t had much luck with making kefir until these. I love the ease with which it makes my drinking kefir.

The first two boxes I had of the starter were very good! I got 3-5 batches on of two of the four packets in the box--only two batches with the other two packets. The kefir looked like soupy cottage cheese--and tasted good! The next two boxes I bought were absolutely horrible! I did not get a single good batch out of all eight packets! I made each in the same manner as before, but there was no fermentation. The milk pretty much still tasted like milk though with a slight sourness! It is obvious that this company has no quality control! I would recommend not buying this product!

Very good starter! And great price !!

The item was packaged well and most importantly worked very well. I used a half a gallon of milk instead of a quart but the little microbes grew very quickly and made a full gallon of kefir. I am well pleased with the results and will order again when needed.