Kulturmelk

Ingredients

Cultured milk

• 1.5 litreswhole or semi-skimmed milk
• 4 tbspcultured buttermilk or kulturmelk, as starter

To serve

• flatbread and sugar
• or cold by the glass
• berries in summer

Directions

1. Warm the milk to 22°C (72°F) — barely warm to the touch. Kulturmelk is set by a mesophilic culture that works at room temperature, and yoghurt heat kills it outright.
2. Stir in the starter until evenly mixed.
3. Pour into a jug or a bottle, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.
4. It is ready when it has thickened to the consistency of single cream and tastes cleanly sour. It should still pour — it is a drink, and if it has set thick it went too long or too warm.
5. Stir smooth and chill for at least four hours.
6. Serve very cold by the glass, or poured over flatbread and dusted with sugar, which is the traditional way.
7. Keep four spoonfuls back to culture the next batch; it will run indefinitely.
8. It keeps two weeks in the fridge and sharpens as it goes.

Technique

• Room temperature, not warm. This gives the mild clean sourness that makes it drinkable by the glass.
• Cover with cloth; a sealed bottle traps gas and the milk separates.
• The cartons sold in Norwegian shops are exactly this, made with a standardised culture.

Substitutions

• Live sour cream or crème fraîche as the starter.
• Whole milk for a richer drink, semi-skimmed for the standard version.

Variations

• Tjukkmjølk from Røros is set with a ropy culture and is thick enough to cut.
• The Swedish filmjölk, Finnish piimä and Danish tykmælk are the same drink.

History

An industrial descendant of Norwegian farm soured milks, sold in cartons beside fresh milk.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kulturmelk?

Kulturmelk is a cheese & dairy from Norway: cultured sour milk drunk cold or poured over flatbread and sugar. An industrial descendant of Norwegian farm soured milks, sold in cartons beside fresh milk.

How long does Kulturmelk take to make?

Kulturmelk takes 10 min plus 18 to 24 hours culturing of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes 1.5 litres. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Kulturmelk?

Yes, within limits. Live sour cream or crème fraîche as the starter. Whole milk for a richer drink, semi-skimmed for the standard version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kulturmelk?

Pour into a jug or a bottle, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.