Ryazhanka – drinking yogurt made from baked milk

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 liters of milk (raw milk)
• 1 cup natural yogurt or sour cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 5 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 1 day 2 hours 5 minutes

traditional Ukrainian cuisine

Bring the milk to a boil, reduce the heat, and continue to simmer gently for about 2-2.5 hours, until the color turns yellow-brown or creamy. Cool the baked milk to 30 degrees Celsius and stir in a cup of natural yogurt or sour cream. Cover the mixture and let it stand in a warm place overnight. The next day, the ryazhanka is fully fermented and ready to eat. It can be refrigerated. It is served cold and should have the consistency of kefir, taste like a sour milk product, and have a slightly sweet flavor of baked milk. Note: Alternatively, you can bake the milk in the oven at 130 degrees Celsius for about 1.5-2 hours; this will create an appetizing brown crust on the surface. Baked milk without added yogurt (prazhene moloko) is also ready to eat without fermentation. Ryazhanka and prazhene moloko are among the national drinks of Ukraine. To preserve milk for longer, these drinks used to be made in every household. Today, industrially produced ryazhanka and prashane moloko can be purchased in supermarkets in Ukraine.