Preparation

• Whether you decide to use the tea bag or dried fruit, the process is incredibly simple:

  With tea bag:

  After filtering the kefir and placing it in a container or jar with a lid, insert a tea bag into the kefir, making sure to leave the top part not submerged (and not to submerge the string).

  Close the container with the lid and refrigerate for a few hours (for the so-called second fermentation)

  ☝ If you don’t know kefir, you can learn more by reading this article of mine.

  The resting time may vary depending on the type of infusion, personal preferences, or the time of day you want to consume it.

  To enjoy it at breakfast, it should be infused the night before; to enjoy it in the afternoon, my advice is to infuse it in the morning.

  After the infusion hours have passed, well, sometimes I opened the lid to find the kefir still all white, but then… surprise!!!!, after moving the bag a bit, a beautiful colored juice appears! 😀

  Here are the sequences in the following photo:

  

• Move the bag (as you usually do with tea bags), possibly squeezing it slightly with a teaspoon, stir, and enjoy the kefir infusion flavored with… the choice is overwhelming! 😀

  At this point, you can sweeten to taste, with granulated or brown sugar, fructose, or agave syrup, but it’s also great unsweetened.

  👉 The decision to sweeten or not also depends on the type of infusion: for example, with the forest fruits one, it’s unnecessary for me, while with the strawberry and cherry one, I do because it has a more tart taste for me.

  What flavor do you want to try? In the ingredients list, I’ve indicated a mixed flavor pack because there are so many different infusions, all worth trying: in the photos for this article, I used forest fruits and cherry and strawberry, both red to achieve the pink-colored kefir, but I like all of them in every type and color.

  ☝ Please note that in choosing infusions, some people advise against using spiced ones, like ginger or turmeric or other spices with antibacterial properties, as these properties could inhibit some probiotic bacteria present in kefir. Opinions on this are divided; some believe that during the second fermentation, no food or aroma is prohibited. The alternative can be to add any spices not during the infusion but only at the time of consumption.

  

• With dried fruit:

  If the idea of inserting a tea bag into your milk kefir doesn’t appeal to you,

  if you are homemade dried fruit producers and are looking for new ideas to use it,

  then try infusing your kefir with your own dried fruit.

  👉 If you own a dehydrator, you must have dried the fruit at least the day before. HERE and HERE you can find my tutorials on drying oranges and drying apples and bananas, HERE you find the tutorial on drying pineapples.

  You’ll get less colored kefir but, I assure you, with a flavor just as pleasant.

  The infusion time is essentially the same, but of course in this case, you need to evaluate the type of fruit and the amount used, as well as personal tastes.

  Generally, the longer it rests, the more flavor the fruit releases.