Ingredients
Soured milk
- 1.5 litreswhole milk
- 3 tbspbuttermilk, live sour cream or a crust of rye bread, as starter
To serve
- sugar or honey
- black bread
- or drained into tvorog
Directions
- Warm the milk to 22°C (72°F) — barely warm to the touch. Prostokvasha is a room-temperature clabber, and heating it to yoghurt temperature turns it into something else.
- Stir in the starter. Traditionally a crust of rye bread was simply dropped into the jug, which is where the culture came from in a peasant household — a spoonful of sour cream is more reliable.
- Pour into a jug or a wide bowl and cover with a cloth rather than a lid.
- Leave at room temperature for 24 to 36 hours, completely undisturbed. Do not stir or move it while it sets.
- It is ready when it has set into a soft clabber that holds together as you tilt the bowl, with a little clear whey at the edge.
- Chill for at least four hours and serve it in the vessel it set in, breaking through with a spoon rather than beating it smooth.
- Eat with sugar or honey and black bread, or drain it through muslin to make tvorog.
- Keep three spoonfuls back to start the next batch.
Technique
- Room temperature, not warm.
- Cover with cloth. A sealed lid traps gas and the curd separates unevenly.
- Raw milk was traditionally left to sour on its own. With pasteurised shop milk a starter is essential, because the organisms that would have done it have been killed.
Substitutions
- A rye crust as the starter, which is the old method and works.
- Kefir as a starter, which gives a slightly fizzier result.
Variations
- Drained it becomes tvorog.
- Ryazhenka is the same ferment made with baked milk instead.
History
The simplest Russian dairy ferment, made in every peasant household before industrial kefir arrived.
Frequently asked questions
What is Prostokvasha?
Prostokvasha is a fermented & pickled from Russia: milk left to sour naturally into a thick clabber, eaten with sugar or bread. The simplest Russian dairy ferment, made in every peasant household before industrial kefir arrived.
How long does Prostokvasha take to make?
Prostokvasha takes 10 min plus 24 to 36 hours souring 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 Prostokvasha?
Yes, within limits. A rye crust as the starter, which is the old method and works. Kefir as a starter, which gives a slightly fizzier result.
What is the most important thing to get right in Prostokvasha?
Pour into a jug or a wide bowl and cover with a cloth rather than a lid.
