Kumis—Fermented Milk

Kumis is a sour and creamy, popular Mongolian drink.

Strictly speaking, kumis is in its own category of alcoholic drinks because it is made neither from fruit nor from grain. Technically, it is closer to wine than to beer because the fermentation occurs directly from sugars, as in wine (usually from fruit), as opposed to from starches (usually from grain) converted to sugars by mashing, as in beer. But in terms of experience and traditional manner of consumption, it is much more comparable to beer. It is even milder in alcoholic content than beer. It is arguably the region’s beer equivalent and is traditionally made with mares milk.

Here we can make it with cow or goat milk.

Ingredients

1/2 gallon organic whole milk

3 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 cup of sugar

Directions

  1. Put whole milk and lime juice in glass jar and cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature.

  2. Let the mixture sit for 12 to 24, hours stirring periodically with a wooden spoon (not metal).

  3. Place the mixture in a blender with the sugar and blend until smooth.

  4. Place in the fridge for 24 hours or more and serve.

Ingredients: for alternative way with yeast starter

1/2 gal on organic whole milk

1/4 cup commercial yogurt that contains active cultures

1/2 cup of sugar

Directions:

  1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Don’t let it boil.

  2. Let the milk cool until warm to the touch (between 86=100 F). Pour about a cup of the warm milk into a small bowl and whisk it with the yogurt & pour it back into the pan of milk.

  3. Place the mixture in a glass jar and cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature. Let the mixture sit for 12 to 24 hours.

  4. Place the mixture in a blender with the sugar to taste and blend until smooth. Place in the fridge for 24 hours more and serve.

Dairy, Wild Foods, Fermented FoodsJasser Abu-Giemidairy, Fermenation, Fermented Foods, Milk, Goat Milk