I taught a class that included yogurt-making this weekend to a group of very bright and lovely college students. This one had been on the books for a while, so when I saw Cultures for Health was having a culture sale a few weeks ago, I decided to ditch my usual viili or thermophilic* yogurt demos for some brand new (and yet very old) cultures. I was also inspired by the extensive dairy chapter in FermUp host Branden Byer’s book to expand my milky horizons. And I’m SO glad I did. I tried three new (to me) dairy cultures in the past few weeks (more on the other two coming soon) and I’ve had tons of fun playing around with them. They culture quickly (12-24 hours) so I’ve been able to get a lot of play into just a few weeks.
The first culture I want to talk to you about is Matsoni. The word on the street is that in Japan, it carries the more romantic moniker “Caspian Sea Yogurt” which I love! But whatever you call it, matsoni is a good one for reluctant DIY yogurt eaters. Like all mesophilic yogurt, it ferments at room temperature which makes it laughably simple to make. Unlike all mesophilic yogurts, it has an exceedingly mild flavor that will offend no palate and pairs perfectly with just about any flavor combination, sweet or savory.
Mesophilic yogurt is the perfect demonstration of the fermentation practice of backslopping. I know, the term doesn’t sound super appealing, but it is actually very illustrative of what you need to do. It just means that once your yogurt is finished, you take a small amount from that finished batch and add it into fresh milk to serve as the culture for the next.
HOW TO MAKE MATSONI YOGURT
You can apply the ratio of 1 tablespoon (17 g) of yogurt to 1 cup (235 ml) of milk to any amount up to 1/2 gallon (1.9 liters), according to the instructions I got from Cultures for Health. I haven’t tried batches larger than that. The texture of this yogurt is more thin and jelly-like than creamy, and it breaks apart into pieces when spooned. It also tends to produce a lot of whey that rises to the surface. Great news for those of you who enjoy using whey to culture other products or as a flavorful and protein-rich addition to soups, breads or smoothies.
1/4 cup (68 g) finished matsoni yogurt
1 quart (945 ml) whole, pasteurized milk
Place live, matsoni yogurt in a quart jar. Fill the jar to the threads with fresh milk. Stir thoroughly with a spoon or a chopstick to distribute the yogurt into the milk. Cover with a cloth secured with a rubber band, or place the jar lid on top and secure loosely. Don’t tighten the jar fully or the CO2 released during fermentation might make your jar lid go all wonky. Let it sit at room temperature (70-77 F or 21-25 C) for about 12 hours, but it might take up to 18. To check if it’s set, gently tilt the jar. If it moves in a glob like mass rather than in a splashy wave like a liquid, it’s ready to be moved to the fridge. Tighten the lid or remove the cloth and place a lid on the jar before putting it in the fridge. Allow it to chill, and then it’s ready to eat. Before eating, be sure to set aside at least one tablespoon of the finished yogurt. You’ll need it to start your next batch, but there’s no need to start it right away. You can safely store the starter culture in the fridge for a week before starting your next batch. They yogurt will continue to ferment at a much slower rate in the fridge. It may separate a bit, but as long as you still like how it tastes, it’s fine to eat. Generally best to consume within 7-10 days.
*thermophilic yogurt must be cultured in heated milk (this is the more typical way to make yogurt, and the way that just about any yogurt you buy at the store will be made) but mesophilic yogurt strains are cultured at room temperature.
Kay Curtis king says
Hi about 20 years ago a friend of mine gave me a piece of yogurt plant (culture)? It was white and of a rubbery texture I had to feed it cooled boiled milk and leave for a couple of days in a sterilised jar in the fridge. It would give me some very strong yogurt. Then I would have to clean the plant dry and repeat the process over again. I left it to a friend and it died. Can you tell me what it was and where I can buy another piece of this plant. Yours Kay king
Amanda says
I can’t be sure, but that sounds like milk kefir grains. Check out this milk kefir page to see if anything looks familiar. If so, they are widely available from many sources, including GEM cultures, Yemoos and Cultures for Health. You can also get them for free since they do reproduce themselves. To find free cultures, check out forums on Facebook, such as Fermenter’s Kitchen and Wild Fermentation.
Lilly says
just purchase the liquid starter on line and start to start caspian yogurt.
very simple and delicious.
Susan says
Per the post from Kay; I, too, am searching for the same rubbery fungi thing that made yogurt overnight in a jar. I had one years ago and have been looking. Perhaps it is the same as the kefir grains though they don’t look quite the same to me.
Kay – did you ever get some kefir grains? Was it what you were looking for?
Laura Coco says
Thank you for writing this post. I was searching the Internet for a recipe, mostly to encourage myself that my method was correct! Years ago a European friend of mine taught me how to make counter top yogurt. She never cooked the milk. She would just put some store bought yogurt in a bowl and pour milk on top, then cover it with a paper towel… 😉
Today I used the same method in my kitchen but I wasn’t feeling confident about it. Thank you for your post. I LOVE your website.
Amanda says
Hi Laura,
Thanks so much for the kind words! That’s very interesting! There are different types of yogurt, and some need to be heated to culture. That category does include all of the store-bought yogurt in the US that I know about, but if you found a mesophilic culture (one that cultures at room temperature), that’s great! More common (in the US at least, not sure where you’re from) are thermophilic yogurt cultures which do need to be cultured at a warmer temperature in order to thicken and culture properly, so if you’re hearing what you’re doing is impossible, it’s probably from people who’ve never had the opportunity to make the rarer mesophilic cultures.
Thank so much for reading!
Jean says
I’m very interested in mesophillic yogurt. I haven’t played with mesophillic cultures since I lived with a cow and made cheeses many years ago but that’s another story…my question is dyou think that mesophillic starter can produce a thin, creamy and SOUR yogurt? Like Strauss yogurt or many “European style” yogurts (including that for sale at trader joe’s)?? I’ve been hunting for a way to make this kind of yogurt for a long time. I used to backslopp Strauss brand yogurt as if it was thermophillic. It produced a thick kind of sour yogurt but didn’t taste much like its mother. Maybe I shouldn’t have heated it hunh?
Amanda says
Hi Jean,
Just as there are a variety of thermophilic cultures, there are a variety of mesophilic cultures. Even with the same (supposed) culture (I’ve had two matsoni cultures and three villi cultures in the last several years), there can be a pretty big difference in texture and acidity. The matsoni culture I currently have is thick and very creamy, much like heirloom thermophilic cultures I’ve had. You might want to try the piima culture from cultures for health. I’m not sure if you’ll find it sour, but it is thin and mesophilic. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/piima-yogurt-starter.html
Good luck!
Amanda
Patty Bodnar says
Thank you for this very informative article.
Andrew says
So which do you prefer, the viili or matsoni?
I’ve never had matsoni. Though I do make kefir and viili, and I used to make “regular” yogurt before getting my viili culture. I love viili’s mild flavor and slimey texture!
Amanda says
Hi Andrew,
I will admit that I prefer matsoni. Villi has tons of great uses and I do love it, but sometimes the slime isn’t my very fave :-).
abdellatef says
Hi you mentionted in the comments that you have two varities of matsoni, the one which is creamy and thick, from where did you get this one?
tom says
Hi from where did you get the thick matsoni starter?
Amanda says
It’s been some years, so I’m not sure where that culture came from. I like a company called Everything Healthy (or anything healthy? on Etsy) and Cultures for Health for all kinds of yogurt cultures.
I hope that helps!