If you’re looking for a low fat, high-protein source of fermented dairy, you’d do well choosing our organic skyr yoghurt starter. Skyr is an Icelandic dairy product, and it’s been a provision of Icelanders for nearly 1,000 years. Similar to Greek yoghurt, it is a thick and rich dairy product that is more similar in texture to creme fraiche or a soft cheese than it is yoghurt. High in protein and low in sugar and fat, skyr has quickly become a popular product on the supermarket shelves.
Traditionally skyr is made using a fairly complex method of heating milk to scalding point and then keeping it there for 15-20 minutes. Often rennet is also added. For the inexperienced, heating the milk this way can often lead to it burning and ruining the taste of the skyr. We have tried to simplify the method for making skyr with our organic skyr yoghurt starter culture. It will require a yoghurt maker, but results are consistent and still produce an excellent result. We hope you will love it as much as we do.
Allergens – Contains milk (cows).
Recommended activation date for culture:
1 year from the date of shipping. Best stored in the freezer if the product can not be activated on arrival.
Please note that we do not send printed copies of instructions with your purchase. If you would like to have a printed version, you can open a printable PDF by clicking here.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
A yoghurt maker or similar device capable of heating to 42 degrees.
Pasteurised milk. You can use semi skimmed or whole milk. The more fat content in the milk the thicker the skyr will become. Boil the milk before hand and then allow it too cool back down to room temperature. Never place your starter culture into hot milk. Always allow it to cool back down after boiling!
Organic skyr yoghurt starter culture.
Feel free to experiment with flavouring your yoghurt. The important thing to remember is to always remove enough yoghurt to reculture the next batch before you add any flavourings.
This starter will only work with animal based milks. You can use goat, sheep and buffalo milk. It will not work with dairy free alternatives.
Yes you can. However we would still recommend you follow the activation process with boiled and then cooled pasteurised milk.
You do not need to boil the raw milk before use. However due to the high microbe and bacterial levels present in raw milk, the yoghurt starter will compete for dominance. This can lead to a thinner yoghurt overall.
You can freeze the yoghurt for short periods of time (1-3 months). Beyond that the bacteria will start to decline.
You can also dehydrate the stater by pasting a thin layer onto parchment paper and leaving it to dry in a well ventilated area. Thermophilic yoghurts do not always cope well with dehydration and may not remain viable after.
Sadly neither of these methods are full proof and we can not guarantee they will always work. . The best way to preserve the bacteria in the starter it to use a freeze dry method which requires specialist equipment.
We recommend that you do. Milk will contain naturally occurring colonies of microbes, which is why milk still spoils over time. Left at warm temperatures for long periods of time (in the yoghurt maker), these microbes compete for dominance with the bacteria in the yoghurt starter. This can often stop the starter from being able to do its job and lead to a thinner yoghurt overall.