Matsoni Yogurt
Learn all about making matsoni yogurt using a room temperature heirloom yogurt culture. Matsoni yogurt is a thick and creamy yogurt that has a mild flavor. It is delicious, probiotic, and easy to make at home.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Caucasus
- Diet: Gluten Free
Instructions
- Combine milk and matsoni culture in a clean glass container.
- Leave it somewhere warm for 12-24 hours (until set). It prefers temperatures between 21-25 C (70-77 F), so stash it above the fridge or beside the hot water heater.
- When it has thickened, store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Once you have bought matsoni yogurt culture, you can keep reculturing it. To keep the culture active, either make matsoni once a week or freeze the culture for up to 4 months. I usually freeze 1 cup of yogurt every time I make a batch so I can keep a vigorous culture.
- See the notes below for options on how to make a thicker yogurt, and how to make yogurt cheese.Â
Notes
- I recommend sharing the culture with your friends and family, so you don’t have to worry if you go away on holiday or take a break from culturing. It’s also a great way to ensure that you always have access to a good culture.
- Matsoni is thickest when eaten within the first two days after culturing. However, if you use too much culture or leave it on the counter for too long, it will separate into curds and whey. It’s still fine to eat, but you will need to stir the whey into the yogurt. Alternatively, over-cultured matsoni is perfect for yogurt cheese! Here are instructions on how to make labneh (yogurt cheese).
- Store-bought yogurt is thicker because it starts with denatured milk proteins. This method can be used to make thicker matsoni yogurt. Start by heating the milk to 80 C (176 F) which denatures the whey proteins and allows them to naturally gel and thicken. Then the milk needs to be cooled to 25 C (77 F) before stirring in the culture. Follow the usual culturing instructions.
Find it online: https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/matsoni-mesophilic-yogurt/