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Matsoni
Matsoni: thick, tangy Georgian home yogurt
In Kakheti, matsoni is set every evening in clay pots and eaten the next morning with honey, folded into soups, or stirred with water and herbs on a hot afternoon; it is thicker and sharper than most shop yogurt, with a skin of cream on top. To start, you need a spoonful of matsoni or any live plain yogurt, and after that each batch seeds the next. A common mistake is to add the starter while the milk is still hot; above about 45 °C the cultures die and the milk never sets. Chef's tip: wrap the pot in a blanket and leave it somewhere warm and still, like an oven with just the light on, so it sets evenly without separating.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the matsoni
- 4 ¼ cups whole milk
- 3 tbsp matsoni or live plain yogurtat room temperature
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 4 ¼ cups whole milk slowly to the boil in a heavy pan over a medium heat, stirring so it does not catch, and let it rise once. Simmer for 2 minutes; this thickens the finished matsoni.
10 minStep 2: Pour into a clay or glass pot and cool until it feels hot but comfortable on a fingertip, 42–113°F. This takes about 30 minutes.
Step 3: Loosen 3 tbsp matsoni or live plain yogurt with a few spoons of the warm milk, then stir it gently into the pot.
Step 4: Cover with a lid, wrap in a towel or blanket and leave in a warm place (about 104°F) for 6–8 hours, without moving it, until set firm and pulling away from the sides in one piece when you tilt the pot. Common mistake: checking it often; moving it breaks the set.
Step 5: Chill for at least 4 hours, until thick. Keep 3 tbsp from each batch as starter for the next. Keeps for 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does matsoni take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of matsoni or live plain yogurt?
- Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
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