Review: US Lifeway Brand Pomegranite Flavoured Kefir

[Cheese Head]

After buying a unflavored Kefir by the same manufacturer and reviewing here last February, I bought another 1 US quart (0.946 ml) bottle of US made Lifeway Brand Kefir drink from Houston Texas USA Phoencia Store for USD2.99. This one is pomegranate flavored and "Best By" date is ~ 7 weeks from when I bought it.

As you can see in pictures below, like a highly viscous liquid drinking yogurt, very good somehat similar to liquid yogurt in taste but more hearty (hard to describe) and pomegranate flavor was nice and light. Package says contains:

• Cultured Pasteurized Low Fat Milk
• Non-Fat Milk
• Organic Cane Juice (Sugar)
• Pomegranate Juice Concentrate
• Natural Flavors (?)
• Inulin, a natural dietary fiber.
• Red Beet Juice for color
• Vitamin A Palmitate
• Vitamin D3

Six more ingredients than the unflavored version!

[Cheese Head]

Pictures #2 . . .

[DeejayDebi]

Ah I saw that last week at the food co-op where I bought the goats milk. I think they had strawberry and chocolate. These were smaller than quarts I think.

[cmharris6002]

Was it effervescent? My kefir is very fizzy. I have a some extra grains pm me if you would like to try them

Christy

[makkonen]

I find it to be a crap shoot as to whether the storebought kefir will have much carbonation. Sometimes, it's very nice, and has what feel to be a multitude of tiny bubbles. Sometimes, it's just like a yogurt smoothie.

With my own kefir grains, I don't tend to get much carbonation, either, unless I go to the extra trouble of blending a little jam or jelly into the strained kefir, and then sealing it up in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days. Then it's got plenty of fizz. To the point where I'm afraid to leave it for too long, because I don't want it to explode the bottle.

[DeejayDebi]

I am still confused about what kefer is. I watched the videos and it looked like little popcorn sized cheese thingys. Now it's a milk shake made of yogurt?

Okay having an Italian moment here ... What do you do with these kerfer grains to turn them into ... milkshakes? Cheese? Anything? I keep reading they are good for you and how to make grains but I have yet to see what you do WITH the grains.

[Cheese Head]

Christy, no (sadly) no effervescence, no tiny bubbles, basically a viscous almost yogurt tasting smoothy type drink. The unflavored one I bought in same US Brand also had no effervescence.

Also, hope you don't mind but I just split your Kefir Making Recipe and replies off into new thread as very good info and will be hard to find for others if left in this thread.

[DeejayDebi]

Good idea John. As many questions as I asked it should be clear to anyone now! 

[DeejayDebi]

One of the things I found at the Whole Foods Markey yesterday was Kefir Drink. This was made from cows milk. I like it tastes like yogurt that didn't solidify. I used to liquefy my yogurt and add  blended fruits for flavors for the kids when they were little. I like it when it hot outside.

I have never made pomegranate yogurt (about everthing else though) I may try to add a few tablespoons of my pomegranate jam to the yogurt I am planning on making today. Not sure how the pectin will affect yogurt though - we'll see!

Thanks Tea! I would never have tried this without your encouragement and patience in trying to explain it to me!