At home, you can make many delicious products from milk: kefir, yogurt, yogurt, cottage cheese. In order for fermented milk products to succeed, you need to use the correct starter culture and follow the sequence of the process.
Homemade dairy products: benefits and features
Cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt or fermented baked milk are much healthier than ordinary milk. They are well absorbed not only by children, but also by adults, healing bacteria have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, improve digestion, and help normalize weight.
A variety of products can be purchased at the store, but many housewives prefer to make them with their own hands. The benefits of this approach are obvious: homemade products do not contain stabilizers, thickeners and other unnecessary additives, the fat content of the product can be adjusted to taste. For those who monitor the calorie content, it is better to ferment skim milk, for those who like a rich creamy taste, whole milk is suitable. The process takes from several hours to a day, having established fermentation, you can uninterruptedly provide the family with wholesome and healthy food.
Cooking homemade kefir: step by step instructions
It is very easy to make kefir, it always succeeds. You will need fresh milk of the required fat content. It is preferable to use a pasteurized product, sterilized milk for long storage will not work. It is not necessary to ferment milk, reconstituted from powder, kefir may not work out. Village products will be an excellent base for homemade kefir, but not everyone can tolerate fatty whole milk.
To prepare classic kefir, you need a fresh fungus, which can be purchased in the dairy kitchen. In stores, they sell dry starter culture with kefir bacteria, which will also make an excellent product.
Milk must be cooled to 22 degrees, add the starter culture, stir and leave at room temperature. It is better to ferment milk in containers made of glass, earthenware or food grade plastic; you cannot use aluminum or copper pots. When clots form in the liquid, the dishes must be moved to a dark place for 2 days. During this time, kefir will fully ripen, it can be cooled and drunk. Kefir is especially useful before bedtime or during an afternoon snack, it contains few calories and is quickly absorbed. If desired, sugar or salt is added to kefir, cocktails with berries, fruits, vegetables or herbs are made on its basis, used to make cold refreshing soups.
Fresh kefir is good for people with indigestion and constipation. On the contrary, a product that has been refrigerated for several days is recommended for diarrhea. Part of the homemade kefir should be left and used instead of the fungus or fermenting concentrate. 1 liter of milk will require 0.5 cups of product.
Homemade yogurt and cottage cheese: tasty and healthy
To make curdled milk very quickly, surplus milk is usually used for its production. Country or draft milk must be boiled, pasteurized milk does not require additional processing. The milk should be slightly warm, the optimum temperature is 40 degrees. It is poured into a large mug, bowl or saucepan, and previously fermented yogurt or sour cream is added. The proportions are arbitrary, for 1 liter a couple of spoons of sourdough is enough. Another option is to put a piece of rye bread in a container with milk, it will cause rapid fermentation and curdling of milk.
The finished curdled milk should be thick enough, possibly a slight presence of whey. It is better to use the product chilled, it is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days, after this period the curdled milk begins to taste bitter and acquires an unpleasant odor.
From homemade yogurt, you can cook a delicate and very healthy cottage cheese. It is made from both freshly fermented and already infused yogurt. The product is poured into an enamel pan (aluminum will not work). It must be put on the stove and heated over low heat, without covering it with a lid. Do not stir the contents of the pan.
When the mass begins to thicken, and the whey peels off around, the cottage cheese is thrown into a colander covered with 2 layers of gauze. You do not need to pour out the whey, it is very useful and is suitable for baking pancakes, making cold soups or making drinks. The cheesecloth is collected in a bundle and hung over the kitchen sink overnight. During this time, excess liquid will drain, and the curd will stabilize. You need to store it in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.
Healthy Yogurt: Step-by-Step Preparation
Other crops are needed to produce yoghurt. They can be purchased dry, but a ready-made store product will do. However, some housewives note that yoghurt, fermented with a commercial product, turns out to be more liquid. Commercial starter culture, packaged in portioned sachets, is much more reliable. An important condition is that you need to open the package immediately before cooking.
Unlike curdled milk and kefir, yogurt requires cooking, more precisely, constant very weak heating. You can cook it in a multicooker or a special device - a yogurt maker. Some housewives use a thermos or wrap a yogurt pot with a blanket.
First you need to boil the milk, cool it slightly, pour out about half a glass and dissolve the contents of the sachet with the leaven in it. To prevent lumps from forming, the liquid is thoroughly mixed and combined with the remaining milk. The exact proportions are indicated on the sourdough bag.
The most convenient way to prepare yogurt is in a special device. Pour warm milk with sourdough into glasses, close the lid, turn on the yogurt maker for 6-8 hours. The fattier the milk, the longer it takes to ferment. When the product is ready, close the cups with lids and refrigerate for ripening. You can add fresh or frozen berries, sugar, honey, chopped nuts or chocolate to ready-made yogurt.
