FERMENTED MILK

Traditional Macedonian table without a plate of fermented milk? It is not Macedonian table! Especially in mountainous parts where farmers produce fermented milk with consummate taste due to abundant pastures which are rich with thyme, oregano and other aromatic plants.You can also easily prepare it yourself. My grandmother used to prepare fermented milk 2-3 times a week, I don't remember she ever bought one. With fresh whole milk and a little effort, your home can enjoy this extremely healthy food.



Ingredients:

• 2 liters of whole milk (raw is the best milk)
• 200 ml fermented milk (later always leave this amount for "maya")

* Maya is a starter culture.

Preparation:

1. Boil the milk.
2. Cool the milk stirring occasionally with wire to avoid forming curd, which later during mixing would turn into lumps. Cool milk until it becomes lukewarm, not hot.
3. Sour milk (for maya) should be cold from the refrigerator. Mix it well with a wire.
4. Warm the pot/dish where you will prepare the fermented milk by placing it under running hot water.
5. Pour the warm milk in the warm container. Add the sour milk. Stir vigorously with a wire until nicely smooth. Place the pot in a warm place to stand overnight. My grandma used to cover it well with a blanket.
6. Place the dish in the fridge to cool for four to five hours. Cooling is very important, because if it isn't cooled, the water will split.

Serving
When serving, don't "dig" with the spoon, but finely capture the surface. You can mix it well and get yogurt. With the addition of fruits mixed in a blender, you can get a healthy fruit yogurt. Do not forget to save "maya" for the next fermented milk, thus you'll get more beautiful and better-tasting product over time.