Description
Learn how to make your own cultured dairy and fermented milk at home, including yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk. These probiotic-rich foods are delicious and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
For Yogurt:
- 4 cups whole milk (preferably non-UHT, organic)
- 2 tablespoons live active culture (such as plain yogurt)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For Kefir:
- 4 cups whole milk (preferably non-UHT, organic)
- 2 tablespoons kefir grains
For Buttermilk:
- 4 cups whole milk (preferably non-UHT, organic)
- 2 tablespoons mesophilic starter
Instructions
- Heat the Milk: Gently heat the milk to 180°F (82°C) for yogurt or to room temperature for mesophilic cultures like buttermilk or kefir.
- Add Culture: Cool milk to appropriate culturing temperature and stir in the active culture or grains.
- Incubate: Pour the mixture into a clean glass jar, cover, and incubate at the proper temperature for each culture type.
- Finish: Refrigerate the cultured milk once thickened or tangy to taste. Stir before serving.
Notes
- Use clean, sanitized utensils and containers
- Save a small portion of each batch to culture the next
- For kefir, remove and reuse grains for continuous batches
- Avoid adding fruit or honey during fermentation
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (if heating milk)
- Category: Fermented Foods
- Method: Culturing
- Cuisine: Traditional
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
