In this article we will tell you how to cook fermented baked milk in a slow cooker. As you know, kitchen machines of various companies have different modes, so it is difficult to give a universal recipe. We will also describe the old way of making ryazhenka. This dairy product will surprise you with a delicate velvety taste. It doesn’t look like acidic liquid with lumps, which we usually buy in bags or jars with the label “Ryazhenka”. It should also be taken into account that when we prepare a drink with our own hands, we ourselves can adjust the fat content of the product and be sure that we used only the best components.
Appearance story
Ryazhenka arose at the junction of the Byzantine and Slavic cultures. Along with the exaltation of Christianity from Constantinople, such a down-to-earth but useful product as “Greek milk” also penetrated into Kievan Rus. It consisted of many layers of foam. It is easy to guess how it was done: they waited until a film formed on the surface of the milk, they dipped it to the bottom with a blunt object to give a place for a new one to appear. In Ukraine, such a treat (which was eaten with a spoon) was called a relocator. And then they put forward their answer to the Romans. Milk was poured into clay pots and languished for several hours in a hot oven. Then added sour cream and again set in heat. The drink was simply divine: with a smooth texture, delicate creamy taste and pinkish color. But centuries have passed, and now ryazhenka can be cooked in a slow cooker.
Difficulties of production in modern conditions
I think, in general, you already guessed the method of making fermented baked milk. First, milk is made melted due to long languishing in a heated oven. When it becomes beige-pink, with a delicate creamy taste, a colony of lactic acid bacteria is launched there so that the milk is fermented in the heat. That’s all wisdom. The only question is how to put this simple theory into practice. After all, not all houses have preserved traditional Ukrainian stoves. And in the food industry, where everything is aimed at producing goods quickly and in large quantities, fermented baked milk is completely fermented with thermophilic bacteria. How to make a tasty drink yourself? Here, home appliances come to our aid. Ryazhenka in the Redmond, Panasonik, Mulineks or Philips multicooker is not a fantasy at all.
Which milk to choose
In this matter, we must remain adherents of the old tradition and ignore all those products in tetrapacks where it is written that they can be stored for six months. We must also reject skim milk, because it does not have enough fat to turn into baked milk . The basis for ryazhenka should go to the market.
Milk, which we need to buy, in Ukraine is called "unchained." This means that it did not go through the separation process. Usually the peasants leave the milk to stand for a couple of hours, after which they remove the tops - the cream, which is later used to make butter or sour cream. And under the name "milk" they sell what is left at the bottom of the separator. So, to get a tasty fermented baked milk in a slow cooker, we just need fresh milk.
Baked milk
The fantasy of the population is truly inexhaustible. Some craftsmen manage to "sprinkle" milk in a conventional oven, and even in a thermos. What do we need for this? A dish that holds heat well. Do you have a legacy from the great-grandmother of a clay refractory pot? In Ukraine, they sell such krinka for a national dish - chanakhs, but they will also work for making baked milk and fermented baked milk. So, we boil milk in an ordinary saucepan, pour it into such a pot and put it in a preheated but turned off oven for two hours. You can pour boiling liquid into a thermos, but the effect will not be the same. But if we have fermented baked milk on the agenda, then why not cook baked milk there too? Pour cold product into the bowl in the evening, close the lid. We put out the "quenching" mode in the menu, and six hours on the timer. And voila: in the morning you’ll have a baked milk.
Ryazhenka in the Redmond slow cooker
This machine is ideal for making a fermented milk drink, as it has an excellent Multi-Chef program. In addition to a liter of baked milk and 250 grams of sour cream, we will need jars with lids and a silicone mat (or a soft cloth). We also arm ourselves with a whisk for whipping and prepare a bowl for mixing the ingredients.
So, spread the sour cream. We work with a whisk so that the bubbles go. Pour the baked milk in a thin stream . Beat the mass for a while to achieve uniformity. We pour the liquid into jars, cover them with lids so that condensate does not penetrate inside. We cover the bottom of the multicooker bowl with a rug or napkin. We put the jars, close the lid of the car. In the menu, select the "multi-cook" program, set the temperature - 40 degrees - and the time - ten hours. Everything, we can say that your homemade ryazhenka in a slow cooker is ready. It remains only to take out the jars and put them in the refrigerator.
Do not be surprised if the product you pulled out of the machine turns out to be liquidish. In the cold, it will certainly thicken. By the way, if you care about the figure, you can use not sour cream, but natural yogurt for fermentation of baked milk. Then the taste of the drink is more delicate, but without the characteristic acidity.
Ryazhenka in the Panasonic cooker
This machine has a slightly different menu, so it makes sense to give a separate recipe for making a drink. The Panasonic kitchen is good because it allows you to cook fermented baked milk in one bowl. So, fill in a liter of ordinary cold milk, close the lid of the multicooker and set the mode of "quenching" for six hours. After that, we cool the liquid to 36 degrees - the temperature of the human body. This mode is ideal for the development of lactic acid bacteria. We pour a little milk into a glass, mix it with three tablespoons of sour cream (not less than 20%). We return the liquid with this sourdough to the multicooker bowl, mix it well with a wooden spatula. Close the lid and press the power button. This is a heating mode. After 25 minutes, turn off the car, but do not lift the lid. Only six hours later, fermented baked milk in a slow cooker will be ready. We shift it into the refrigerator for thickening.