Ingredients
Cultured buttermilk
- 1 litrewhole or semi-skimmed milk
- 3 tbspcultured buttermilk, as starter
To serve
- rye bread
- boiled new potatoes and dill
- or use it in baking
Directions
- Heat the milk to 85°C (185°F) and hold for five minutes, then cool to 22°C (72°F). The heating is not strictly necessary with shop milk but it gives a noticeably thicker result.
- Stir in the buttermilk starter until evenly mixed.
- Pour into a jar or a jug, cover with a cloth, and leave at room temperature for about 20 hours.
- It is ready when it has thickened to the consistency of single cream and tastes cleanly sour. Piimä stays pourable — it is a drink, not a set curd, so do not wait for it to firm up like yoghurt.
- Stir it smooth and chill for at least four hours.
- Drink cold with rye bread, or pour over hot boiled potatoes with butter and dill.
- Keep three tablespoons back to start the next batch; it will run indefinitely.
Technique
- Room temperature, not warm. A mesophilic culture is what gives piimä its mild clean sourness, and yoghurt heat kills it.
- It is meant to stay pourable. If yours sets firm, it soured too long or too warm.
- It is an excellent baking liquid — the acidity reacts with bicarbonate and gives a very tender crumb.
Substitutions
- Live sour cream or crème fraîche as a starter.
- Semi-skimmed milk for a lighter drink, which is what most Finnish cartons are.
Variations
- Left to sour a further day it goes sharper, which some prefer.
- The Estonian hapupiim and Swedish filmjölk are the same drink.
History
An everyday Finnish table drink and baking liquid, sold in cartons alongside milk.
Frequently asked questions
What is Piimä?
Piimä is a cheese & dairy from Finland: cultured buttermilk drunk cold with rye bread and potatoes. An everyday Finnish table drink and baking liquid, sold in cartons alongside milk.
How long does Piimä take to make?
Piimä takes 10 min plus 20 hours souring of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes 1 litre. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Piimä?
Yes, within limits. Live sour cream or crème fraîche as a starter. Semi-skimmed milk for a lighter drink, which is what most Finnish cartons are.
What is the most important thing to get right in Piimä?
It is ready when it has thickened to the consistency of single cream and tastes cleanly sour. Piimä stays pourable — it is a drink, not a set curd, so do not wait for it to firm up like yoghurt.
