How to store kefir after you buy it

Kefir is a living product: lactic acid bacteria and yeasts keep working in it. The date on the pack assumes one thing — constant cold. Keep it cold and kefir easily lasts until its last day.

Straight into the fridge

The right temperature is +2 to +6 °C. In a Tashkent summer a bag warms up in half an hour, so buy dairy at the end of your errands and never leave it in the car. If kefir has spent more than two hours in the heat, the date on the pack no longer applies.

Once opened

Close an opened pack tightly and finish it within 1–2 days, even if the date is a week away: other microbes get into an open pack. Don't drink from the bottle and don't pour leftovers back — kefir spoils faster that way.

How to tell kefir has gone off

• a swollen pack or lid — that is gas from foreign microbes, don't drink it;
• a bitter or musty smell, mould, oddly coloured flakes;
• strong separation with cloudy whey in fresh kefir.

A little whey on top and a sourer taste near the date are normal: the bacteria keep working. Drink it or use it for baking.

If the date is tomorrow

Discounted kefir on Isrofsiz is the same product, just closer to its date. It is safe until the end of the stated day if it was kept cold. We take such items off sale at 23:59 the day before the last day, so you always have time to drink it.

You can freeze kefir, but it separates after thawing. It is less nice to drink, but fine for baking.