Organic Bulgarian Yoghurt Starter

£9.50

Bulgaria has a long history of yoghurt making dating back over 4000 years. Many consider it to be the motherland of yoghurt as we know it today. Our organic Bulgarian yoghurt starter is a heirloom variety, meaning you can reculture it time and time again from our initial starter culture.

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Organic Bulgarian Yoghurt Starter

Bulgaria has a long history of yoghurt making dating back over 4000 years. Many consider it to be the motherland of yoghurt as we know it today. Our organic Bulgarian yoghurt starter is a heirloom variety, meaning you can reculture it time and time again from our initial starter culture. This culutre differs from our mesophillic (room temperature) range because it requires heat to ferment. This is a thermophilic yoghurt. It requires a yoghurt maker to be able to work with the culture. These can be picked up online reasonably cheap (less than £20). If you are looking for a thicker, more traditional style yoghurt, our organic Bulgarian yoghurt starter is a great place to start.

It produces a wonderfully creamy, slightly tart yoghurt with a great overall thickness. The flavour of Bulgarian yoghurt is very special. We quickly fell in love with this culture and it has become a daily part of our lives here ever since discovering it. It contains two specific strains of bacteria, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus (often simply called Lactobacillus bulgaricus) and Streptococcus salivarius subspecies thermophilus (often shortened to Streptococcus thermophilus). If you are looking for a yoghurt with a similar thickness to that of supermarket yoghurt, you will love this variety.

 

Weight 2 g
Ingredients

Organic Bulgarian yoghurt starter culture. 1g freeze dried sachet.

Shelf Life

1 year.

Storage

Keep at room temperature.

Allergens

Contains milk (from cows).

7 Questions about Organic Bulgarian Yoghurt Starter

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  1. danielam says:

    Hello there. I want to make 6 litres of yogurt at once. how much of the starter culture do I need? 6 packets? 1 per litre?

  2. Tara says:

    I have just made my first batch and I must have left it too long as it has split. Could you advise on when the yoghurt is considered to have ‘set’? I kept wobbling my tray and it still looked quite liquid. I let the yoghurt ferment for about 9 hours. Even the curd part now is only about as thick as a normal yoghurt. Any advice please?

  3. Egladman says:

    How does this differ from Greek culture if it contains the same bacteria please?

    1. Freshly Fermented says:

      Different amounts of bacteria give it a different texture.

  4. Julia McTernan says:

    Can I use lactose free milk with the starter? Thanks

    1. Freshly Fermented says:

      Lactose is the primary food source for the bacteria so people have limited success with lactose-free milk I’m afraid!

  5. rose buckle says:

    No instructions with package or on line .

  6. Laura Rose says:

    I tried using goat’s milk, but decided I prefer cow’s milk. Is it OK to use starter containing goat’s milk in future cow’s milk yoghurt batches, or should I start again?

    1. Lisa Hillyer says:

      Hi Laura, it’s fine to change milk with the starter. Any animal milk will work fine with these starters. Thanks Lisa

  7. Sandra says:

    I accidentally mixed my Bulgarian and Greek yoghurt cultures. Is this an issue?

    1. Lisa Hillyer says:

      Hi Sandra, all that will happen is that the bacteria will combine and become a mixture. It’s not a problem unless you’re not happy with it like that. It is safe to eat. Thanks Lisa

Customer Reviews

Based on 21 reviews
86%
(18)
10%
(2)
0%
(0)
5%
(1)
0%
(0)
C
Catie
Great gift- the 5* reviews are true!

I bought this starter for my mum along with a yoghurt maker as a gift, after researching a lot of different brands I went for this based on reviews. She was really pleased with it as a gift as she was going to just buy supermarket yoghurt as a starter. She’s made her yoghurt & had great success! It is really nice & thick, perfect!
Thank you for having so much useful info on your website & explaining why buying a starter is better than using supermarket yoghurt, really helpful & I’ve learnt a lot. Will definitely buy in future & I have trust your other products will be as successful.

G
G.H.
Easy and good yield

As I have been successful with the Skyr yoghurt I thought I would try this one. Following the instructions I set temperature to 42 and timer to 8 hours. No setting, so gave it another 2 hours. Gave another 8 hours ( so 18 in total) and success. Now generally give it 10 hours and it reliably produces a good yield ( no need to sieve with this one). I am wondering whether to boost temperature to 44 or 45 with this yoghurt ( as I have now discovered how to do it on yoghurt maker).
I don’t boil organic milk. I buy bog standard long life full fat milk. Gives me 1 litre of lovely yoghurt for less than £1.

K
Kathleen from Somerset
Bulgarian yogurt

Still struggling on both batches to get the yogurt creamy consistency. Each jar has a 1/3 of curd and 2/3 of whey!!.The taste of cheesy curd is good, but I'd like that creamy consistency of yogurt in preference..help!!

Hi there! Thanks for providing feedback on your yoghurt making, and we'd love to trouble shoot things for you.

Achieving the perfect creamy consistency in Bulgarian yogurt can be a bit tricky, but there are several factors that might be affecting your batches.

Here are some tips to help you improve the texture of your yogurt:

Milk Quality:
Use fresh, high-quality milk. The fat content in the milk contributes to the creaminess of the yogurt, so consider using whole milk for a richer consistency.

Milk Temperature:
Make sure you are heating the milk to the right temperature before adding the starter culture. Generally, heating the milk to around 180°F (82°C) and then cooling it to 110-115°F (43-46°C) before adding the starter culture should work well.

Incubation Temperature:
Maintain a consistent incubation temperature. The ideal temperature for incubating Bulgarian yogurt is around 110-115°F (43-46°C). Use a yogurt maker or a warm environment to keep a stable temperature throughout the incubation period.

Incubation Time:
Experiment with the incubation time. Longer incubation times can sometimes result in a creamier texture. Try increasing the incubation time in small increments until you achieve the desired consistency.

Stirring:
Stir the milk well before incubating to ensure an even distribution of the starter culture. After incubation, gently stir the yogurt to distribute the whey and create a smoother texture.

Straining:
If your yogurt is consistently too thin, consider straining it. Use a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove excess whey and thicken the yogurt. Strain for a few hours to overnight in the refrigerator.

Hygiene:
Ensure all utensils, containers, and equipment are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Contaminants can affect the fermentation process.

By experimenting with these factors, you should be able to troubleshoot and adjust your yogurt-making process to achieve the creamy consistency you're looking for. Keep track of any changes you make so that you can replicate successful batches in the future.

Please let us know how things go, and thanks for giving us the opportunity to feedback and help other yoghurt makers on their journey!

Kindest regards,

Freshly Fermented Team

m
mark Welland

Organic Bulgarian Yoghurt Starter

F
Fiona Malpass-Peach

Organic Bulgarian Yoghurt Starter

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