In Collaboration With Give a fork
Whenever approached with something new, we consider where we can grow. For this collaboration, we wanted to make something that would require a little research, some experimentation and maybe even a little stumble before developing the perfect recipe that would work for Releaf Pharmaceuticals.
Creating a vegan coconut milk kefir popsicle seemed a perfect fit! We had no idea if it was even possible to create a fully vegan kefir milk – you need to add the kefir grains to cows or goats milk to activate them. But after some research, we found a way.
With their beautifully thought out packaging, Releaf Pharmaceuticals products are leading the way in primarily Herbal and Health Supplements that are scientifically backed. Like us, they believe prevention is always better than cure so we focused our recipe on the benefits of probiotics. Kefir contains a vast amount of nutrients and multiple strains of probiotics. We have more bacteria cultures in our body than anything else, and within that lies good and bad bacteria, and what we’re always fighting for is to have more good bacteria than bad. An imbalance is referred to as “dysbiosis”. Foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir promote the growth of all the good bacteria, and in turn promote a wealth of other health benefits. Having an abundance of good bacteria keeps viruses and diseases at bay, allowing your body to function the way it was meant to. If you suffer from IBS or any digestive issues, the first thing doctors will always prescribe is a good probiotic. Good probiotics are hard to come by if all you know is the one sitting on the pharmacist’s shelf, but often these aren’t the best for healing, always search for a premium, multiple strain probiotic (Releaf Pharmaceuticals have some fantastic options) that can used alongside prebiotic foods such as raw garlic, onions, asparagus, etc. This doesn’t just add good bacteria but helps heal the gut and reduce inflammation at the same time. There are also many ways we can ensure we’re consuming enough probiotics to keep the baddies in check, aside from taking supplements, one of those is by consuming kefir milk.
Kefir is a fermented drink traditionally made using cow or goats milk. The fermentation process is started by adding kefir grains to the milk, these grains are actually little colonies of yeast and lactic acid bacteria similar looking to cauliflower grains. Over approximately 24 hours, the microorganisms in the kefir grains multiply and ferment the sugars in the milk, turning it into kefir. The health benefits are endless and contain more probiotic benefits than yoghurt. There is one strain of bacteria found only in kefir, Lactobacillus kefiri, that helps defend against harmful bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. With it’s multiple and unique strains kefir helps strengthen the bodies immune system, help our digestive systems and may even help those suffering from asthma and other allergies, helping the body change its response to the systematic outbreak points for allergies.
All these benefits are not linked to only kefir made from animal products, most of the magical properties actually come from the actual kefir grains. You can choose to either start your kefir making process completely from scratch by using a whole coconut and blending the flesh to make coconut cream and reserving the coconut water to activate your kefir grains (water variety) and then blending the two with a wooden spoon. Do not use a metal spoon as this will react badly to the probiotics in the kefir water.
Or buy some kefir water and add it to coconut milk, let the fermentation process happen and enjoy completely dairy-free kefir that way. The first method does require some time and prep, while the second is easier to implement on a daily or weekly basis. Once you have your kefir base, the possibilities for how to consume it are quite varied.
Think of kefir as a yoghurt and use it accordingly by adding a little to smoothies, stirring it into your overnight oats, OR make some summery peach popsicles. Because of kefirs slightly sour taste, we would suggest you add a natural sweetener if the taste bothers you, but don’t let it deter you from enjoying your summer in a healthy way. Fruits that are naturally higher in sugar work fantastically if you’d like to keep the addition of other sweeteners low, and especially with strawberry and cherry season in full swing we’ll be making a lot more of these probiotic packed kefir popsicles.
These popsicles are a great way to incorporate more probiotics into your diet and since the understanding is that your gut is the center of your health system, giving it a little help in a tasty way couldn’t hurt.
If you are keen to provide your gut with additional probiotic support, try using a daily dose of Releaf Probiotic 12-strain, which may help support ongoing good gut health.
Recipe
Ingredients
Vegan Coconut Kefir
– 1/4 cup Kefir Water
– 2 cups coconut milk
Peach Kefir Popsicles
– 2 ripe peaches, halved and stones removed
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– 1 cup Vegan Coconut Kefir
Instructions
Vegan Coconut Kefir
Using a sterilized jar; add your coconut milk and kefir water. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine.
Avoid any contact with metal or stainless steel spoons as this will react badly with the probiotics naturally found in kefir.
Loosely cover with a muslin cloth and set aside for 24 hours. You’ll come back to completely dairy-free kefir. Refrigerate after 24 hours.
Peach Kefir Popsicles
Add your halved peaches, kefir and maple syrup to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
Pour your ingredients into popsicle molds and place in the freezer for 8 hours, preferably overnight. If you don’t have any popsicle molds, feel free to add these to an ice tray or any other mold you find appropriate.
Serve and enjoy!
PS Frozen kefir still has the benefits of fresh kefir, as the probiotics remain dormant until thawed.
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