# Need advice on storing kefir grains!



## RedLotusNigerians (Dec 13, 2011)

Okay, so I was thinking I'd get a longer run of milk so I could really play around with my kefir more, but it's looking like I'm going to have to store them early. 

Can kefir grains be stored in frozen milk? As in putting the grains in with a fresh batch of milk and then popping that in the freezer?

If not, what's an easy method I can store these things? I won't have a milk supply until the end of November, so it's going to have to be long term storage.


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

Here are two methods, one for longer term than the other. 

Rinse the grains with cooled, boiled water (boil then let the temperature come down) in a sieve or colander. Then gently pat them dry with paper towels. Then put the grains in a freezer baggie and coat liberally with powered milk. You can freeze them, they'll be good for two or three months. Even longer storage, you can dehydrate the grains. 

To dehydrate, do the same rinsing and patting the grains dry. In a well ventilated, warm area, spread them over cheesecloth, and then cover in more cheesecloth. In a few days the grains will become dry and brittle. Once all grains are completely dried, put in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator. Apparently they can stay good for years this way! 

I haven't done these methods. I usually store them in some milk in the fridge, and a week later strain and give fresh. The kefir from this fridge storage is pretty strong, and the grains need fresh milk to keep the colonies alive.


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## RedLotusNigerians (Dec 13, 2011)

Thank you for the advice!!  I wonder if I should just dehydrate the grains I have since I'll be looking at long-term, I'm thinking 3 to 4 months... Hmmm....


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

I have stored kefir grains for a year in milk in the freezer. I didn't do anything but put them in a little fresh milk in a little container and label and freeze them. It has worked. It takes a couple times to "wake them up" when you get ready to do it. Seems to me dehydrating would kill them.


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## RedLotusNigerians (Dec 13, 2011)

Haha! Even easier!  Now I'm torn over which method to do... 

What kind of container did you use, by chance?


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