A great breakfast: Kefir with piloncillo

Kefir (or bulgaros) is a combination of yeasts and bacteria that ferment milk and other liquids. When you add cow milk you get a sour yoghurt. I have been eating kefir since my childhood and love it, especially when it is sweetened with mexican piloncillo (a kind of "honey" made with brown sugar). I'll explain later how to make piloncillo melaza.

The first thing you need is the kefir grains. My mother gave them to us. If you feed them with cow milk everyday they will grow very fast and you have several alternatives:

1. You can donate kefir grains to your friends.


2. You can start your own business growing kefir grains and making natural yoghurt.


3. You can add soy milk instead of cow milk and you will see the grains shrink. Soy milk kefir is also delicious and even sweeter than cow milk kefir, but the grains get so small that you will need a microscope to look for them. Do not worry, they won't die. When they get tiny, tiny, tiny you can revert the process and add cow milk again.

So, the first thing to do is add milk to the kefir grains. Stir to make sure kefir grains and milk get well mixed. Use a container with a cap and leave some room for air because these little creatures need to breathe. You can let the mixture lie for 12, 24 or 36 hours. The more it rests, the more sour kefir milk will get.

The following day you will use a plastic strainer and a plastic or wooden spatula to separate the kefir grains from the yoghurt. (Never ever use an aluminum strainer).

Remove all the milk and kefir grains that sitck to the container.

Be very careful not to leave the kefir yoghurt alone with your cat!

Mmmm, delicious!

Yum, yum!

"But, mummy, can't you see I am such a skinny cat that needs to eat yoghurt!"

PILONCILLO

Piloncillo or brown sugar cones are easy to find in Mexico (I do not know elsewhere). It is very easy to make molasses (piloncillo syrup). You just have to steep a piloncillo cone in boiling water. Boil for 30 minutes or until the liquid is dense and sweet enough.

Add molasses to kefir milk and stir thoroughly. Mmmmm!