bulgariska.com

General points:
 1) Boil the milk!
 2) Use only:
      a) yogurt with LIVE "Lactobacillus Bulgaricus" or
      b) dried "Lactobacillus Bulgaricus"
 3) Enjoy the "kiselo mljako"!
 
 
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RECIPE 1  - offered by Rumi Radenska and verified by many netters
 
Dear News Readers,
 
I think that some of you might be interested in a real
old recipe to make your own "kiselo mlyako" (Bulgarian
yogurt). The recipe is the same as the one that I followed
to prepare "kiselo mlyako" in Bulgaria, when my
children were babies. Now I am sucessfully using this
recipe in the U. S.
 
I am using plain yogurt from the stores in U.S.A. and
regular types of milk:
 
        1 gallon of milk (1%, 2% or whole milk)
        1 lb. plain yogurt (make sure that the
                label says "with active bacteria",
                no garrantee for success otherwise)
 
Put milk in large saucepan and heat it over medium heat
till boiling. Put the milk aside and let cool for about
35-45 min. You can check the milk with small
finger -- it (the milk) should be warm, but not very hot
(If you wish you can use termometer: 43-45 C).
 
Beat yogurt with fork or steel wrisk in a bowl. Add 1 cup
warm milk, mix well. Little by little add yogurt-milk
mixture to the rest of the milk. Mix again.  Pour milk
into glass jars or ceramic bowls with lids. Put jars
on a flat surface. Cover with something that will keep it
warm, as a folded blanket or a sleeping bag (I am using
a sleeping bag). Let it stay for 2 hours and 30 min.
Check "kiselo mlyako" - it should be thick. Let stay uncovered
at room temperature for 30 min. Put in the refrigerator
for 3-4 hours. Enjoy the results.
 
Makes 8 lb.  Do not forget to save 1 lb. to make next portion
of "kiselo mlyako".
 
P. S. It is also possible to make "sirene" (Bulgarian white
cheese) at home, but it requires more efforts and "maya"
(east) from Bulgaria. (I have no idea whether it is available
in the U.S.)
 
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RECIPE 2 - Suggested by other netters and used regularly by me without
failure until today:
 
    *) Boil the milk
    *) Cool down to 60 C and pour into jars.
    *) When around 50 C cover with towels.
    *) When 41-44 C (warm but not very hot for your small finger), put
       1 (heaped) tablespoon of yogurt (with live bacteria) per jar
       (0.5-1 litre).  Mix well using a fork.
    *) Wrap with a woolen pullover and a woolen blanket and put in
       a warm cupboard.
    *) Leave for approx 8 hours.
    *) Uncover. If OK, put in cold water and later in the fridge
       (do not eat it straight away - it is not very tasty warm :-))
       If for some reason not ready yet :
                 .) Put 1 or 2 more tablespoons of yogurt
                 .) Put the jar in 60 C warm water for 30-40 min
                    to warm it up.
                 .) Wrap it well again.
                 .) After 6 hours it will be OK (95% of the cases)

(by Nikolay Mehandjiev, Rumi Radenska, and others).