Matsoni yogurt starter (aka Caspian Sea Yogurt) contains live active bacteria and cultures at room temperature on the counter--no yogurt maker required! One packet of yogurt starter can be used to make unlimited amounts of homemade yogurt as it can be serial cultured--a small amount of yogurt from the current batch is then reserved to inoculate the next batch of homemade yogurt. With care, this yogurt culture can be used to make homemade yogurt indefinitely. No more having to continually buy yogurt starter!  Click here to learn how you can save money by making your own yogurt.

Description: Originating in The Republic of Georgia, Matsoni yogurt (pronounced Madzoon) is also known in Japan as Caspian Sea Yogurt. A slightly tart yogurt, Matsoni is excellent sweetened with a bit of honey or served over fruit. Matsoni yogurt has a thick viscous consistency.

Click here to compare our yogurt starter cultures for taste, consistency and yogurt making method.

Matsoni yogurt starter contains the following active lactic acid bacteria: L. lactis subsp. Cremoris and Acetobacter orientalis.

How to Make Matsoni (aka Caspian Sea) Yogurt: As a mesophilic yogurt culture, this yogurt starter cultures at room temperature. To make a batch of homemade yogurt, the yogurt culture is simply added to milk, stirred and then allowed to culture on the counter before being placed in the refrigerator. The yogurt starter can be serial cultured--a small amount of homemade yogurt from the current batch is then reserved to inoculate the next batch of homemade yogurt. With care, our Matsoni yogurt culture can be used to make homemade yogurt indefinitely.

Customers wishing to use raw milk to make homemade yogurt will need to take additional steps to ensure a pure starter is maintained. Additional instructions concerning the use of raw milk will accompany each order.

Full instructions for making Matsoni Yogurt can be found here and will be included with your order.

Using alternative milks: Matsoni Yogurt starter may be used with alternative milks (soy, coconut, etc.) but is unlikely to reculture beyond the first few generations. Therefore we strongly recommend keeping a back-up dairy-based culture on hand for making yogurt with alternative milks. Matsoni yogurt starter can be used with goat milk although due to the lower fat content of goat milk, the resulting yogurt may be significantly less thick than yogurt made with whole cow milk. We do not recommend using UHT (aka ultra-pasteurized) milk when working with any starter culture.

Shipping Information: Our Matsoni yogurt starter is shipped in a barrier sealed packet as a dehydrated yogurt culture in a dairy carrier. Please keep it in a cool dry place until you are ready to make your first batch of homemade yogurt. We ship enough dried yogurt culture to make two batches of yogurt starter. We recommend that you reserve half of the yogurt starter in a safe place to use as a back-up.

This item is available for international shipping.
 
Each Packet of Matsoni (Caspian Sea) Yogurt Starter Contains: Live active yogurt culture containing lactic acid bacteria in a dehydrated dairy carrier to culture one cup (8 oz.; 250 ml.) of yogurt.

Detailed culturing instructions will be included with your order and can also be found here.

Matsoni (Caspian Sea) Yogurt Starter Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Do I need a yogurt maker to make Matsoni Yogurt?

A. No, this yogurt starter cultures at room temperature on your counter.  No yogurt maker or other heating device is required.

Q. How do I make Matsoni Yogurt?

A. Simply add the starter culture to milk (straight from the refrigerator is fine), mix thoroughly, cover the container with a towel and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature (70-78 degrees) for 12-18 hours.  Once the yogurt is set, place the yogurt in the refrigerator.  The yogurt will be ready to enjoy after 6 hours in the refrigerator.  Be sure to set aside a small amount of yogurt to use as the starter culture for your next batch of yogurt.  Full instructions will be included with your order.  Please note, the method for making your first batch of yogurt (from the dehydrated starter culture) will vary slightly from these instructions listed here.  In addition, if you wish to use raw milk, you will need to take a few additional steps.  Click here to view our instructions.

Q. How much Matsoni can I make each week?

A. Our starter cultures are reusable, that is a small amount of each batch is used to inoculate the next batch of yogurt.  Therefore you can theoretically make unlimited amounts of yogurt with our starter cultures.  To make yogurt, you will need one tablespoon of yogurt from the current batch for each cup of milk you wish to turn into yogurt in the next batch.  We recommend making yogurt in containers no larger than 64 ounces to allow the yogurt to culture evenly (larger containers may have a harder time keeping an even temperature).  However you can certainly culture multiple 64 ounce jars at once.

Q. What supplies do I need to make yogurt?

A. A few supplies are handy for making yogurt:

• Yogurt Culture
  
• Milk and/or Cream (whole milk is best but you can use low fat milk for a thinner consistency yogurt; use an amount of milk equal to the amount of yogurt you wish to make)
  
• A wooden spoon for mixing in the yogurt starter
  
• A container for culturing the yogurt (canning jars work well)
  
• A lid for storing the yogurt once it's finished culturing
  
• Sweetener or flavoring for your finished yogurt (see below)
  

Q. Can I use non-homogenized milk to make Matsoni Yogurt?

A. Yes, you can use use non-homogenized milk.  The only difference will be that you will see a yellow cream layer on top of your finished yogurt.

Q. How often do I need to make yogurt to ensure my yogurt culture stays viable?

A. We recommend making a new batch of yogurt at least every seven days.  If you make yogurt less often, the culture won't perpetuate properly and will weaken and perhaps parish.  If you need to take an extended break from making yogurt, we recommend using the extra dried starter culture that will come in your packet.

Q. Can I sweeten or flavor my yogurt?

A. Absolutely!  We recommend honey as sweetener but sugar or stevia are also options.  You can also use fruit, jam and flavor extracts (e.g. Vanilla extract) to flavor your yogurt.  Be sure to reserve a small amount of yogurt to use to make the next batch prior to adding any sweetener or flavorings.

Q. How much money can I save making my own Matsoni Yogurt?

A. Yogurt purchased from the grocery store generally costs approximately $.09 - $.19 ounce while making your own yogurt (once you've purchased a starter culture) is just the cost of milk, about $.04 ounce (prices will vary by geographic region).

Click here to view more Yogurt Starter FAQ's

Click here to view our Yogurt Starter Resources including recipes for using your homemade yogurt