Ingredients
Milk
- 2 litresfresh whole milk, unhomogenised
- 2 tbspsour cream or the last of the previous batch, optional
To serve
- boiled potatoes
- black bread
- spring onions and salt
Directions
- Pour the fresh milk into a clean jar or clay pot and cover with a cloth, not a lid. Air must get in and gas must get out.
- Stand it somewhere warm — 20 to 25°C (68 to 77°F) — and leave it alone for 24 to 48 hours.
- Do not stir it, move it or shake it while it sets. The curd forms as one body and stirring breaks it into curds and whey that never come back together.
- The souring is done by the bacteria already in the milk, which is why this only works with raw or lightly pasteurised unhomogenised milk. UHT and homogenised supermarket milk have no useful population left and will spoil rather than sour — for those you must add the spoonful of sour cream.
- A layer of cream will rise and thicken on top. That top layer is the best of it and in a village kitchen it goes to the head of the table.
- It is ready when it is set firm enough to hold a spoon mark, smells cleanly sour and tastes tangy but not bitter.
- Bitterness, a pink or grey tinge, or a smell that is putrid rather than sour means the wrong organisms got there first. Throw it out.
- Refrigerate the moment it is right. It keeps three or four days and continues to sharpen.
- Eat it with hot boiled potatoes, black bread, spring onions and salt, which is the standard Ukrainian summer supper.
Technique
- Raw or unhomogenised milk, warm room, cloth cover, no stirring.
- Clean sour smell good, bitter or putrid smell out.
- The cream layer on top is the prize.
Substitutions
- A spoonful of sour cream or buttermilk as a starter, which is essential with shop milk.
- Ryazhanka, made the same way from baked milk.
- Hung in cloth it drains into a fresh curd cheese, syr.
Variations
- Whipped with the whey into a drink, or used as the liquid in pancake batter.
- The Russian prostokvasha and Belarusian kislaye malako are the same thing.
History
Village Ukrainian ferment made by leaving fresh milk in a warm room, the ancestor of shop yoghurt.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kysliak?
Kysliak is a fermented & pickled from Ukraine: naturally soured raw milk, thick and tangy, eaten with potatoes or bread. Village Ukrainian ferment made by leaving fresh milk in a warm room, the ancestor of shop yoghurt.
How long does Kysliak take to make?
Kysliak takes 10 min plus 24 to 48 hours souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes 2 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Kysliak?
Yes, within limits. A spoonful of sour cream or buttermilk as a starter, which is essential with shop milk. Ryazhanka, made the same way from baked milk. Hung in cloth it drains into a fresh curd cheese, syr.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kysliak?
Pour the fresh milk into a clean jar or clay pot and cover with a cloth, not a lid. Air must get in and gas must get out.
