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Just wondered if anyone else had noticed how the whole milk from various supermarkets has become rather thin and watery recently ? Is this yet another way to keep their profits up with increasing manufacturing costs ..ie by reducing the quality instead of raising the price yet again ? The reason I ask is that having cultured kefir milk daily for over a year now and getting great results with whole milk from Tesco , Aldi , Lidl, sainsburys etc ... they are now appearing to be unhappy with the milk and producing a noticeably thinner and watery end result ...no matter how long I leave it . My wife commented on how the milk itself is much thinner than before . A sign of the times I suspect ...maximise profit , screw the consumer.
Is it just because milk changes with the season? Did you have the same issues last winter?
Could another option be to try gold top milk. Usually available in larger supermarkets.
Unlikely.
mine's been fine. Buy it from Tesco, Saisburys & M&S usually. Although saying that I did have to get some different stuff the other day, can't remember what it was except it was in a blue cardboard carton. I did think it was actaully better.
No difference spotted here - Aldi and Co-op. I very much doubt it's being diluted.
my kefir grains seem to have died off a while ago.
They were ok for a year or two
I need to get some more now
Isn't diluted while milk seme skimmed?
So would that mean they are diluting semi skinned even more to make it even more opaque than it allready is?
Can't say I have noticed a difference in the Tesco whole milk we drink in Hertfordshire
oh well we had assumed the milk was actually more watery ... maybe that's not the case then if nobody else has noticed . I had wondered if my little pets were just feeling under par ...seems they can be temperamental so as to speak but last winter they were fine . Yes I shall try a better milk to spoil them ... thoroughly recommend kefir btw to anyone curious ... both the mrs and myself have seen various subtle health improvements .
both the mrs and myself have seen various subtle health improvements
Yes and of course thar can’t possibly be anything else.
Duchy organic milk is the best supermarket (Waitrose) milk for Kefir. It's not homogenised either, which I find preferable. The milk quality will vary across the year as most cows will be in barns on silage and other winter feeds at this time of year. I would definitely buy organic in winter at the very least. In spring once the cows are back on grass then the difference will be less noticeable. That spring milk is actually the most nutritious of the year from a vitamin/mineral standpoint as the cows are eating fresh young grass which is at its best.
Also, try and find a farm locally that sells raw milk - it think that benefits them. I don't have a farm locally, but I am able to pick some up when I do a trip further south, which usually happens half a dozen or so times per year.
I've had my current grains over 10 years now. The biggest factor that affects the Kefir itself is the temperature, they don't want to be too warm. Generally I get better Kefir in spring/autumn when the house is around 15-19 degrees.
If you want it thicker you can always strain off some of the whey using a fine sieve.
We regularly pick up full fat from a couple of daries. Definately varies in the cream on top (which you don't get with supermarket stuff) on the time of year and what the cows are eating.
I've noticed that in Sainsbury's that their bread doesn't seem to have been baked as long- all the stuff that is supposed to. look like it's home baked/baked in store looks pale and anaemic, and on the odd occasion I buy a baguette or some rolls they're invariable soft and undercooked, still slightly doughy in the middle. Had wondered whether they'd shortened baking times due to electricity cost.
Isn’t diluted while milk seme skimmed?
no. The clue is in the word ‘skimmed’ 😉
Where did you get the kefir grains from?
Where did you get the kefir grains from?
I originally bought mine on ebay for a few quid. Facebook marketplace or similar is probably just as good these days. Look for milk kefir grains because there are some non milk ones too. I would offer to send you some but they slow down in winter and I don't have any spare currently. They're not expensive though - about 4 quid on ebay currently by the looks of things.
What do they do?