Homemade Ryazhenka (Slow Cooker)
A tasty, wholesome homemade cultured milk drink! Ryazhenka (fermented baked milk) is a nourishing cultured dairy drink with a mellow flavor and a delicate creamy color. You can buy it at the store easily enough, but a homemade batch is hard to beat for quality, taste, and freshness. Homemade ryazhenka is gentle enough to give to young children with confidence, and it's often recommended for anyone managing liver or gallbladder issues, weight concerns, and more. The process is long but hands-off — especially with a kitchen helper like a slow cooker.
Cooking method
-
Step 1:
Gather the ingredients for the ryazhenka — there are just two: milk and a starter culture. Be sure to use whole cow's milk, either from the store or from a local farmer. You can buy a starter culture at the grocery store or pharmacy; it comes as a liquid or a powder, and there's even one made specifically for ryazhenka.
-
Step 2:
Pour the milk into the slow cooker insert. Choose the Stew (braise) or Soup setting, depending on your model. Milk can boil over, so don't cover the cooker right away. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.
-
Step 3:
Then cover the cooker and let the milk gently cook down for 5 hours, until it turns a warm baked-milk color. You can shorten this by using the Steam setting and reducing the milk uncovered — it will take on that creamy color in about 40 minutes, though it will cook down in volume more than with the long, slow method.
-
Step 4:
Turn off the cooker and let the milk cool down a bit. Only then stir in the starter culture — added to hot milk, the live cultures could die off.
-
Step 5:
Stir the mixture; it will lighten slightly. Measure the starter to the volume of baked milk you ended up with, following the directions on the starter package. Now set the cooker to the Yogurt setting for 8 hours. If it doesn't have one, use the Multicook (manual) setting at 104°F (40°C), also for 8 hours. After culturing, chill the ryazhenka in the refrigerator so it thickens.
-
Step 6:
Pair a glass of ryazhenka with a fresh homemade roll and you've got a tasty, wholesome, filling breakfast or a snack between meals. Enjoy!
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Whole cow's milk - 68 kcal/100g
- Milk, 3.5% fat - 64 kcal/100g
- Milk, 3.2% fat - 60 kcal/100g
- Milk, 1.5% fat - 47 kcal/100g
- Concentrated milk, 7.5% fat - 140 kcal/100g
- Milk, 2.5% fat - 54 kcal/100g
- Starter culture - 29 kcal/100g
