Homemade Kumis
Colombian kumis is a fermented milk drink: thick, mildly sour and lightly sweetened, closer to drinkable yogurt than to the Central Asian kumis made from mare's milk. It takes three ingredients and no starter culture. The milk ferments on its own for 1 to 5 days, depending on how warm the room is.
Servings: 5
Calories: 148kcal
Ingredients
- 1 liter whole milk about 4¼ cups; raw milk ferments best, see FAQ for pasteurized
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons sugar about 50 g
- Ground cinnamon, for serving optional
Instructions
- Start the fermentation. Pour the milk into a clean plastic bottle and rest the cap on top without screwing it shut, so the gases can escape. Leave it somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight for 1 to 5 days: at 68-78°F (20-26°C) it usually sets in 24 to 48 hours, and in a cooler spot it takes 3 to 5 days.
- After a couple of days, check it. It is ready when the milk has separated into white curd and yellowish whey and smells sharply sour, like plain yogurt. Loosen the cap without opening it fully and pour off some of the whey, but not all of it. If it smells bitter or shows any colour other than white or pale yellow, throw it out.
- Once it has fermented and only a little whey is left, open the bottle and pour the contents into a blender. Add the sugar and the baking soda.
- Blend on high for about 2 minutes, until smooth and slightly foamy with no lumps. Serve cold, with ground cinnamon sprinkled on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 374IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 271mg | Iron: 1mg