Due to its unique composition, dairy products are very popular not only in cooking, but also in cosmetology. The high protein content allows the natural product to be present both in the normal diet and in dietary, therapeutic nutrition. However, not everyone knows how to quickly ferment milk to get kefir or yogurt.
The benefits of dairy products
Milk for the human body is a source of vitamins, trace elements and nutrients that help ensure a full metabolism. Kefir is obtained by fermenting natural milk with special bacteria. In the process of digestion, they create a beneficial microflora in the intestines, contribute to the elimination of toxins and decay products.
Low-fat dairy products are indispensable for losing weight. The protein that is part of cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir, yogurt is easily absorbed by the body. In addition, it has the property of fast saturation, reduces the need for sweets, which is important for diet food.
Kefir or yogurt?
In the process of fermenting milk, you can get different types of natural products. Natural souring results in yogurt, a dietary product that retains all its beneficial properties. Sour milk of a certain type will help to get yogurt or kefir. There are many disputes and contradictions about the useful qualities of fermented milk derivatives. To understand this issue, you should understand the difference between kefir and yogurt.
In terms of nutritional value, products are not particularly different from each other. To obtain kefir, a special culture is used that is added to pasteurized milk. As a result, kefir mushroom absorbs lactose, while making the drink accessible to people with allergic manifestations of milk sugar. Both products can be prepared at home, but before making kefir from milk, you should choose the right raw material.
How to choose milk
To ferment a useful product, it is better to buy high-quality milk on your own. It is undesirable to use products with a long shelf life. When processing, preservatives are added to it, which reduce the usefulness and quality of the raw materials.
When choosing milk, you should pay attention to its fat content, the higher it is, the longer the souring process will take place. In stores, you can often find a dairy product, for the manufacture of which dry powder is used. Such raw materials are unsuitable for obtaining natural kefir or yogurt.
Kefir at home
To make kefir from milk, as a rule, a special fungal yeast is required. You can use the usual purchased kefir. You will need boiled milk, cooled to a temperature of 20-22 degrees, in which the kefir fungus is diluted and left warm until a clot forms.
Fermented milk is placed in a dark, cool place and left for 48 hours to ripen. The resulting drink at home can be consumed after full maturity. Part of it is left for subsequent cooking.
Milk sourdough in the kitchen
The development of advanced technologies allows you to get in your own kitchen not only kefir or yogurt, but also hard cheese, yogurt, sour cream and other dairy products. Get them by adding special starter cultures.
Before you quickly ferment milk, you should decide on the choice of the active ingredient. Dry crops are usually packed in portioned bags and have a fairly long shelf life. In order to produce a high-quality and useful product, it is undesirable to divide the starter culture several times. A leak in the packaging often leads to damage to an important component.
In order to quickly ferment milk for yogurt, as mentioned above, you can use a special yeast. However, there is another way. Pre-pasteurized milk (boiled) is cooled to a temperature of 35-40 degrees. To begin the process of natural fermentation, sour cream, purchased yogurt, is added to it. The milk container is wrapped up and kept in a warm place for at least one day.
DIY cheeses
Home-made cheese is distinguished by excellent taste and quality. Not everyone knows how to ferment milk for cheese correctly to get the expected result. You can get the product for future use by natural fermentation of milk or with the addition of sour-milk derivatives. To significantly speed up the process, you can add a piece of bread to the milk.
Fresh cheese is obtained by boiling yogurt with subsequent straining. A clot that has sagged and freed from excess whey is placed under a press, the density of the cheese will directly depend on the severity of the load and the duration of the pressing. There are several ways to prepare this type of cheese.
- Fresh milk is brought to a boil, vinegar or lemon juice is added to it. Under the influence of acid, milk coagulates, forming an elastic lump, which must be placed under the load.
- Before quickly fermenting milk, it is boiled and cooled to the temperature of the human body. Then add sour cream or yogurt, salt, spices to your taste and again heat over a fire. The curdled product is filtered through a dense cheesecloth, a raw egg is added and again set on fire. As soon as the mass begins to reach slightly for the spoon, it is transferred to a tissue bag and pressed with a press.
- Another interesting type of homemade cheese is made from sour cream. In 1 liter of product add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lemon juice or vinegar, fresh herbs and salt. All mixed and left warm for 4 hours. Then sour cream is filtered and kept under load to the desired density.
Sour-milk products obtained at home can be given to children without fear, because every housewife knows what components they consist of.